PDF creation/editing software [Archive]

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Snowflake

02-01-2010, 10:59 AM

I've been using the freeware CutePDF to work on getting proofs of the Valentino Project That Ate My Brain in a printable format for editing. CutePDF is freeware suggested by blurb.com, but it repeatedly crashes most of the time. Since my book file is rather on the large size, I've been trying to PDF sections of no more than 40 pages which will work once or twice and then will crash blurb's software continually.

I cannot afford a full Adobe. Needless to say and the law firm I work and slave for does not allow us to download any non-firm software (i.e., blurb's BookSmart) to enable me to bring the book file into to work on my flash drive and convert it to PDF here using the lovely full version of Adobe.

I've looked online and came up with a few options other than CutePDF. This is one of them (http://en.pdf24.org/).

Does anyone have a suggestion for an inexpensive piece of software that will allow me to print/PDF a document with some limited editing capabilities. By editing I mean allowing me to save, rotate the document and insert additional pages?

Anyone use any freeware or not Adobe product to do this kind of thing? I know you used to be able to get Adobe Elements which had a semi-full version of Acrobat but I've not been successful in finding it online, or on eBay.

BarTopDancer

02-01-2010, 11:29 AM

If you can get your hands on a copy of Adobe Acrobat Elements it will meet your needs. It's freeware that Acrobat stopped making in 2007, but it's still floating around online.

Snowflake

02-01-2010, 11:44 AM

If you can get your hands on a copy of Adobe Acrobat Elements it will meet your needs. It's freeware that Acrobat stopped making in 2007, but it's still floating around online.

BtD, I've not been able to find it. :-(

Andrew

02-01-2010, 12:05 PM

Snowflake

02-01-2010, 12:25 PM

CNet Downloads has "Adobe Acrobat Elements Update (http://download.cnet.com/Adobe-Acrobat-Elements-Update-Multiple-Languages/3000-6675_4-10752664.html?tag=contentMain;overviewHead)" - I don't know if that is a full version of the free product or just a patch, but it would be worth downloading to check. Unfortunately I don't have a Windows machine nearby to check for you.

Thanks Andrew. Looks like it's a patch. I'll hunt some more this evening at home to see if I can turn something up. I will also try the freeware I linked to above. That may solve the problem. Basically, all I need to do is get the PDF/print thing to work, I can assemble the PDF files here at work.

BarTopDancer

02-01-2010, 12:30 PM

If you just need to 'print' to .pdf I use bullzip.

blueerica

02-01-2010, 03:41 PM

Wait, wait... all you need is the PDF print?

I will PM you.

Kevy Baby

02-01-2010, 03:48 PM

I am wondering if this needs to be a print-ready PDF (300 DPI, CMYK, with bleeds) or screen resolution PDF (72 DPI, RGB, no bleeds)?

Snowflake

02-01-2010, 04:03 PM

I am wondering if this needs to be a print-ready PDF (300 DPI, CMYK, with bleeds) or screen resolution PDF (72 DPI, RGB, no bleeds)?

Screen resolution only, it's simply so I can (1) print it out and hand edit the copy, corrections, etc. and (2) send a PDF to other eyes for editing, cutting of one too many images and opinions.

Snowflake

02-02-2010, 07:51 AM

Well, having tried every single form of freeware I found yesterday or that which was suggested, all of them crashed in an attempt to print even 10 pages (print to PDF). So, I've registered with Adobe for a 30 day trial. According to blurb users, Adobe is foolproof. I hope so, this is annoying beyond belief.

Thanks for all the help and if anyone has a CD of Adobe Elements hanging around.....