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Anyone got experience of a simple, free, PDF editor? There's a few around according to Google but which are OK & safe?
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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There is an extension for OpenOffice to allow the import of PDF files. OpenOffice can already export them. Inkscape also allows the editing of PDF files. It is also possible to download an old version of Acrobat from the Adobe website. As to which is the best solution? You may just have to try them all and see which works best for you.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe |
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I'll look at the old Acrobat suggestion later. Thanks.
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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The problem with it is that it will only open old PDF files.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe |
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You don't have Word 2013 I suppose?
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No, I use Office 2010.
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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That's a shame. Word 2013 will both import and create PDFs. Though the import isn't perfect it will do. I don't know about 2010.
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I don't know about 2010.
Just bye the bye - You can insert a pdf into a Word 2010 document (TextGroup/Insert/Object) but you can't AFAIK edit it and it's a clunky and unpredictable process.
Depending on how complex the editing is, you could work on the pdf as an image (screenshoot then drop it into whatever graphics package you've got).
Edited by longedge (Mon 25-May-15 08:46:43)
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Depending on how complex the editing is, you could work on the pdf as an image (screenshoot then drop it into whatever graphics package you've got). I did do that to get some text on top of the 1 page document; it works but is, to my mind, not very elegant.
There are a number of on-line offerings, not sure of the safety or whatever of them.
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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A one-page document? Have you tried Inkscape? If you only want to make minor changes, it may be just what you need. I'll check it our myself.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe |
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If it's just some overlay text then you can actually do it quite easily with MS Word 2010 I find.
I've just opened a blank document and:-
1. Inserted a PDF as an object.
2. Overlaid it with a filled box (insert shape). This to hide what you don't want showing.
3. Overlaid some text, I did it as Word Art but a text box would work as well.
You can manipulate the order of the layers by sending backwards/forwards.
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 I like that, neat!
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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Hmm, I must be missing something here. On my Word 2010, Insert / Object doesn't list a PDF document as an object that can be inserted. Taking the Create from File approach, despite not ticking any of the boxes, it just displays the file as an icon. Though this article seems to suggest it should display the PDF file's first page.
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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I'm selecting the option to :-
"Insert/Object/Adobe Acrobat PDFXML Document"
and when I do that the pdf is opened in Adobe Reader but I just close that and the pdf has been inserted into my Word Document.
p.s. Just tested a multi page pdf and I only got the first page. Are you working with multi page documents?
Edited by longedge (Mon 25-May-15 22:56:39)
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Odd, that object type is not listed in my Insert/Object dialog box.
I wonder, do you have Adobe Reader installed or another PDF reader? I use an alternative reader.
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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do you have Adobe Reader installed or another PDF reader
Yes just Adobe Reader and I use Cute PDF to create pdf's.
p.s. My Word version details read:-
"MS Word 2010 (14.0.7149.5000) SP2MSO (14.0.7149.5000)
Part of Microsoft Professional Plus 2010"
Edited by longedge (Tue 26-May-15 08:35:51)
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Make sure that Adobe Reader is associated with the PDF file type (use Control Panel > Default Programs). irrc, if a file type is not associated with a program that supports ActiveX (Object Linking and Embedding), that file type will not be displayed in the list.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe |
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If he downloads the current Adobe Reader that automatically sets the file associations. I got it recently and it over-rode the previous settting.
I've a feeling Word then gets the Import option as well.
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If he's installed another PDF reader, the file associations may be overridden and if the new application doesn't support OLE, the file type won't be in the list.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe |
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But it is nearly always the most recently installed product that wins, until the new setting is reversed by the user with the route you supplied. I find the losing application normally complains next time it is used and asks if it should reset the association in favour of itself.
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I've used PDF X-Change viewer for a while now, less bloated than Adobe Reader. I've now installed Adobe Reader and can load a PDF file into Word 2010.
Though haven't yet mastered putting a text box on top to give an edit capability.
Thanks for all this.
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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It should be telling you it has been loaded "Read only", with an option to make it editable.
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I've used PDF X-Change viewer for a while now, less bloated than Adobe Reader. The reason that it's less bloated is probably because there is no ActiveX/OLE code in it. ActiveX uses a shed-load of memory on initialisation as well, whether you use the facilities or not. Mostly, you dont.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe
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But it is nearly always the most recently installed product that wins... You're right. If the software is polite, it will ask you if it can override the file associations. Of course, if the programmer who wrote the software is lazy or pushed for time, he won't bother with any of that nonsense. "What? More tests?"
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe
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You missed out "arrogant", like Adobe  . Though I suppose it's fair enough in this case in a way LOL.
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It's a bit naughty to silently change file associations if you don't provide the inter-operability services that other Windows applications use and that Microsoft expects you to have.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe |
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But they do. Install Adobe Reader and Word can then import the PDF. Which it couldn't beforehand.
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I think it depends very much on what software installation framework you use. A good one will do most of the work for you. Adobe have no excuse if they don't give you the option. Maybe they do if you select "custom installation".
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.--Ernest Hemingway
@micksharpe |
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Though haven't yet mastered putting a text box on top to give an edit capability.
Keep trying - I've been playing with it for half an hour and I'm impressed how well it works :^)
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Thanks for all these helpful posts. Just got back from a great Lovell Lecture at Jodrell Bank so a bit weary, and my brain hurts a bit  .
Will get round to it in the next few days hopefully.
Tony
We have more and more laws, and less and less enforcement
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A friend recently recommended Nitro Reader to me. According to him, it does not nag with updates etc.
Only downside so far is that it does not appear to display page numbers for a multipage document. so printing say, 19 - 45, 57 - 63 of a 100 page document can be interesting. Otherwise so far virtually 10 out of 10
Cheers!
Clive
Andrews & Arnold FTTC
DrayTek Vigor 2920Vn
Andrews & Arnold Data SIM
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