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Author Topic: software to edit pdfs  (Read 10528 times)

techidave

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software to edit pdfs
« on: November 15, 2013, 04:01 PM »
With so much of the world wanting people to edit their pdfs and them email them back, it has sent us searching for an inexpensive way to do this at our school.

All kinds of forms require this, why they cannot make it editable before they send it out is beyond me.

I am looking to do this for around 20 people, so free or inexpensive would be nice.

We use Windows 7 Pro, Office 2010 Pro if that helps any.

perhaps there is an online site that might let you do it.

thanks in advance for the suggestions,
dave

rjbull

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2013, 04:36 PM »
Free online converters:

ZamZar  (I tried this once or twice - it's OK, but tables could be a problem)

ConvertPDFtoWord  (haven't tried this)

40hz

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2013, 04:44 PM »
Gizmo's has a whole page of PDF utilities you might want to look at. They're usually pretty reliable when it comes to recommendations. Link here.

They seemed to like an online tool called PDFescape for editing.

 :)

tomos

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2013, 04:52 PM »
Doesn't PDF-XChange Reader allow editing of sorts - well adding text to forms anyway. I thought even Adobe Reader allows that now too?
Or do you need something more?

Screenshot - 2013-11-15 , 23_50_10.pngsoftware to edit pdfs

In PDF-XChange Reader, there is a "Comment and Markup toolbar" (View>Toolbars>)
Tom
« Last Edit: November 15, 2013, 04:57 PM by tomos »

techidave

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2013, 05:06 PM »
I think they only allow it tomos if the original form was created to be edited.

techidave

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2013, 05:06 PM »
But I could be wrong.

tomos

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2013, 05:11 PM »
I think they only allow it tomos if the original form was created to be edited.

I dont have to deal with many forms, but I'm not sure there. This is simply overlaying text. It does nothing to the original PDF in terms of actual editing - it's just that the text is placed on top of it, and then saved.

But I may well be wrong there - as I say, I have little experience here. (lol just saw your post above!)
Tom

techidave

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2013, 05:13 PM »
I have less experience than you tomos.  I was just guessing about it being editable.

tsaint

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2013, 05:38 PM »
techidave, I use PDFannotator on my win 8 tablet (with proper stylus) and use it extensively at school.
 Typical workflow for me...
set maths test using word
print to pdf using primo (free)
use pdfannotator and stylus to handwrite solutions on the pdf using the tablet/stylus - on my surface pro,writing maths is a very pleasant experience. (this is the connection to your "software to edit pdf" request)
post solutions online

Cuts down heaps on paper, physical storage, keeping track of past tests.
The price - student licence $29 .... 20 licences $458. Don't know if that is cheap or not for you.
tony

EDIT: a url would be nice I s'pose: http://www.ograhl.co...Product=pdfannotator

xtabber

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2013, 06:07 PM »
Tracker Software has just released version 3 of their PDF-XChange Viewer Pro software and changed the name to PDF-XChange Editor because it supposedly now allows in-place editing of PDF files.

Stoic Joker

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2013, 06:10 PM »
How are your copies of Office 2010 licensed? If you have one of the agreements that includes upgrades (Software Assurance and some others), Office 2013 has native pdf editing that works quite well.

From an administrative standpoint, having less software to maintain is more time to get/keep your head above water.

tomos

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2013, 01:17 PM »
Tracker Software has just released version 3 of their PDF-XChange Viewer Pro software and changed the name to PDF-XChange Editor because it supposedly now allows in-place editing of PDF files.

thanks!
I found that page (and linked pages) very confusing though in terms of their different versions. The comparision chart might help (me/others) a bit:
http://www.tracker-s...cts-comparison-chart
Tom

techidave

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2013, 02:58 PM »
Thanks for the suggestions. Pdfescape looks good.  I shall give them all a try.

cyberdiva

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2013, 03:21 PM »
Thanks, xtabber and tomos, for the info about new editions of PDF-XChangeWhatever.  I've been very pleased with the free version, which I've used for quite a while and which I used a few days ago to fill out a multi-page recommendation form for someone.  But I've never been wholly clear about which versions are free and which are not, and which versions do what.  Even with the chart tomos found, I'm still not 100% clear about this, especially "The FREE PDF Editor download of the PDF-XChange Viewer."  Oh well....   

dev_chirs

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Re: software to edit pdfs
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2014, 09:51 PM »
hi all,

am new here and currently working with pdf programming using C#.NET, is there any coder same to me?
I'm attracted by the site name "coder" ,but I haven't yet found any discusion that associated with code.Am I in the wrong place?
BTW, I'm evaluating .NET PDF API recommended by codeplex https://pdfapi.codeplex.com ,any reviews or suggestions?

kind regards
chris