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Developer

Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

By Brien Posey December 26, 2013, 6:46 AM PST

Image
1
of 30

PDF utilities
PDF utilities
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Utilities for PDF files

Utilities for PDF files

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic article.

For many years, PDF files have been one of the mostrncommonly-used file formats for storing documents. When it comes to PDF files, Acrobat Reader arguably gets the most attention, but there are numerous other applicationsrnand utilities available for viewing, editing, and converting PDF files. Here are five such utilities.

Figure A
Figure A
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

1. Free PDF to JPG

1. Free PDF to JPG

Free PDF to JPG is a free utility for converting a PDF file into a JPG image. 

3FreePDFtoJPG2.jpg
3FreePDFtoJPG2.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Free PDF to JPG conversion

Free PDF to JPG conversion

In addition, this utility can convert PDF files to BMP, PNG, or TIFF formats. 

4FreePDFtoJPG3.jpg
4FreePDFtoJPG3.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Free PDF to JPG documents

Free PDF to JPG documents

Converted documents can adhere to the default size, or you can choose from three other standard images sizes. Probably the best thing about this utility is that you can perform batch conversions.

Figure B
Figure B
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

2. DeskPDF Studio X

2. DeskPDF Studio X

DeskPDF Studio X is a utility for creating, editing, and even signing PDF files. It costs $79.95 (USD), but a free 10-dayrntrial version is available for download.

6DeskPDF2.jpg
6DeskPDF2.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

DeskPDF Studio X document

DeskPDF Studio X document

DeskPDF Studio X is a very feature-rich application that offers numerous capabilities. The software allows PDFs to be created from just about any type of file, and you can also convert PDFs to Microsoft office documents, HTML, XML, or to various image formats. 

7DeskPDF3.jpg
7DeskPDF3.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

DeskPDF Studio X functionality

DeskPDF Studio X functionality

The software also contains functionality that allows you to create PDF forms containing interactive objects, such as check boxes.

8DeskPDF4.jpg
8DeskPDF4.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

DeskPDF Studio X Scan and OCR

DeskPDF Studio X Scan and OCR

The Scan and OCR tab.

9DeskPDF5.jpg
9DeskPDF5.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

DeskPDF Studio X Security

DeskPDF Studio X Security

The Security tab.

10DeskPDF6.jpg
10DeskPDF6.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

DeskPDF Studio X Forms

DeskPDF Studio X Forms

The Forms tab.

11DeskPDF7.jpg
11DeskPDF7.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

DeskPDF Studio X Review

DeskPDF Studio X Review

The Review tab.

12DeskPDF8.jpg
12DeskPDF8.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

DeskPDF Studio X Create and Convert

DeskPDF Studio X Create and Convert

The Create and Convert tab.

13wondersharePDFEditor1.jpg
13wondersharePDFEditor1.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

3. Wondershare PDF Editor

3. Wondershare PDF Editor

Wondershare PDF Editor is a utility for creating, editing, and converting PDF files. It costs $59.95 (USD), but a free trialrnversion is available for download. Documents that are converted using the trialrnversion contain watermarks.

rnrn

14wondersharePDFEditor2.jpg
14wondersharePDFEditor2.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Wondershare PDF Editor document

Wondershare PDF Editor document

The Wondershare PDF Editor’s feature set is actually very similar to that of DeskPDF Studio X, but I found Wondershare’s interface to be slightly more intuitive.

15wondersharePDFEditor3.jpg
15wondersharePDFEditor3.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Wondershare PDF Editor capability

Wondershare PDF Editor capability

Wondershare PDF Editor has a very intuitive interface.

Figure C
Figure C
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Wondershare PDF Editor OCR

Wondershare PDF Editor OCR

One of Wondershare PDF Editor’s coolest features (that also exists in DeskPDF Studio X) is its OCR capabilities. If you scan paperrndocuments to create PDFs, Wondershare can perform optical character recognitionrnon the document as a way of making it editable and searchable. 

17wondersharePDFEditor5.jpg
17wondersharePDFEditor5.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Wondershare PDF Editor Comment

Wondershare PDF Editor Comment

Wondershare PDF Editor Comment tab.

18wondersharePDFEditor6.jpg
18wondersharePDFEditor6.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Wondershare PDF Editor Protect

Wondershare PDF Editor Protect

Wondershare PDF Editor Protect tab.

Figure D
Figure D
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

Wondershare PDF Editor Stamp

Wondershare PDF Editor Stamp

I also liked Wondershare’s Stamp feature, which allows you to place a number of different preconfigured stamps onrndocuments. The stamps say things like Approved, Not for Public Release, and SignrnHere.

Figure E
Figure E
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

4. PrimoPDF

4. PrimoPDF

PrimoPDF is a free utility for converting documents to PDF format. 

20PrimoPDF2.jpg
20PrimoPDF2.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

PrimoPDF Options

PrimoPDF Options

The utility consists of a single desktop icon, which you can click on to change the output settings. 

22PrimoPDF3.jpg
22PrimoPDF3.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

PrimoPDF conversion

PrimoPDF conversion

When you are ready to convert a document, you must drag the document to the PrimoPDF icon. 

Figure F
Figure F
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

PrimoPDF printing interface

PrimoPDF printing interface

When you drag the document to thernPrimoPDF icon, the Windows printing interface will open.rnPrimoPDF acts as a printer, but it dumps the output to a PDF file rather than to arnprint device.

24ParmisPDF1.jpg
24ParmisPDF1.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

5. ParmisPDF

5. ParmisPDF

ParmisPDF is a PDF editor that allows you to create or modify PDF files. It costs $59.95 (USD), but a free trial version is available forrndownload. The trial version places watermarks on documents.

25ParmisPDF2.jpg
25ParmisPDF2.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

ParmisPDF Preferences

ParmisPDF Preferences

This feature rich application seems to have all of thernbasics covered.

26ParmisPDF3.jpg
26ParmisPDF3.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

ParmisPDF Batch Sequences

ParmisPDF Batch Sequences

ParmisPDF also includes some rather nice advanced features, such as the ability to process documents in batches.

Figure G
Figure G
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

ParmisPDF Mail Merge

ParmisPDF Mail Merge

ParmisPDF includes anrnalways useful Mail Merge feature.

28ParmisPDF5.jpg
28ParmisPDF5.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

ParmisPDF Bates Numbering

ParmisPDF Bates Numbering

ParmisPDF also supports BatesrnNumbering. 

29ParmisPDF6.jpg
29ParmisPDF6.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

ParmisPDF Stamp

ParmisPDF Stamp

ParmisPDF Stamp/Annotation feature.

30ParmisPDF7.jpg
30ParmisPDF7.jpg
Five Apps: Utilities for PDF files

ParmisPDF Extract

ParmisPDF Extract

While many PDF editors willrnallow you to export documents to alternate formats, this one takes extractionrnto the next level by allowing you to export images and text blocksrnindependently. There is also a feature for extracting data from a document.

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By Brien Posey
* 1988 - Started teaching myself about computers \ * 1992 - Mainframe programmer for an insurance company \ * 1993 - Network Administrator for a different insurance company \ * 1996 - Author for The Cobb Group \ * 1998 - Network Administrator
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