How to Save or Convert Word Doc to PDF on Mac Aug 28, 2016 - 19 Comments There may come a time when you need to save or convert a Microsoft Word Doc or DOCX file to PDF format from a Mac. The simply-named RSS Reader is a $1.99 app that lives in the Mac’s menubar. The application doesn’t support OPML import (or export), but searches for feeds once a web address is entered. That lack of file import sets the bar for RSS Reader: it’s simple. That’s not true, and here’s a list of the best PDF editors you can find on Mac. 1/ Mac OS Preview (Free, built-in Mac OS) That seems like a “duh”, but many people don’t know that Preview can edit PDFs because they think it’s just a viewer.
Adobe Reader for Mac is an essential application for reading, printing, marking up, and commenting on PDF files.
Pros
Good functionality: With Adobe Reader for Mac, you can do more than just view PDF files -- you can edit them as well, adding text and placing check marks and initials. It also lets you submit forms created with fillable form fields. This is especially helpful since nowadays many forms that you download from the Internet require you to use it to fill in the blanks.
Supports signatures: With this app you can add your signature onto files. This is an especially useful feature when you need to fill in and return a form or sign a document, but you don't have a working printer close by. You can choose to either type your signature, import a picture of your signature, or draw it using a mouse or trackpad.
Streamlined interface: Although the amount of features is impressive for a free application, the interface is clearly laid out and easy to navigate.
Reliable: It opens and displays files of all sizes, even large ones with many detailed images, quickly and smoothly. We have not experienced any technical glitches. Also, updates are released regularly.
Cons
Some advanced features require subscription: Adobe Reader doesn't have a paid version. Instead, if you want to take advantage of some of the more advanced features, you must sign up for a monthly subscription that starts at $1.99 a month. Two of these advanced features are emailing files directly from the application, and converting PDF files to other formats, including to Word.
Bottom Line
Adobe Reader proves to be the most functional, free PDF reader and editor available. Admittedly, Preview for Mac does share some of the features available on Adobe Reader, but not all of them. Besides, most fillable forms that you download from the Internet were originally created using other Adobe products and therefore must be filled out using Adobe Reader. This is a must-have application for all Mac users.
What do you need to know about free software?
Adobe's free PDF reader has long been a standard for handling its extremely popular document format, but you aren't limited to using it to view your PDF files. Let's take a look at five of the most popular PDF readers.
Original image by iowa spirit walker.
Last week we asked you to share your favorite PDF reader, and now we're back to share the results.
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Best PDF Reader?
PDFs have become quite a mainstay in the document world, with a plethora of readers having cropped…
Read more ReadA note about pricing: Every basic package offered by the companies included in today's Hive is free. Among those offering paid upgrades, we selected the upgrade directly above the basic package for our price inclusion. Make sure to check out the company sites for additional information and to see which, if any, of the upgrades is necessary for your needs.
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The test document we used is the D*I*Y Planner 3.0 Handbook, an excellent resource of organization-related printouts.
Sumatra PDF (Windows, Free)
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Sumatra PDF is an ultra-lightweight and open-source portable application. The emphasis with Sumatra PDF is not on the number of features and the wide-ranging abilities of the application, but instead on speed. It loads almost instantly, renders pages extremely quickly, and thanks to a huge number of keyboard shortcuts, you can zip through nearly any document with ease. Sumatra PDF, thanks to a lack of frills and extraneous features, is a great candidate for a portable drive or for in-browser use for someone who wants quick-loading PDF files without the lag caused by features they won't ever use.
Preview (Mac, Free)
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Preview is Apple's free PDF viewer, built into OS X. It's no mystery many Mac users have no need to step beyond the built-in tool. Preview has quite a few features often only found in commercial PDF software, like the ability to drag and drop pages between documents, page extraction, encryption, and text annotation. In addition to viewing PDF files, Preview can display over two dozen other file formats, making it quite a versatile little viewer.
Foxit (Windows/Linux, Basic: Free/Pro Pack: $39.99)
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Foxit is a polished Acrobat-alternative that, on top of cleanly displaying PDF files with a minimal interface, also has a host of handy features—all packed into a lightweight 6MB package. Foxit loads immediately, without any splash page or lag from plug-ins loading. Reading PDFs is just as snappy, and in-text pictures and charts render quickly. When filling out PDF forms, you can save your progress in the form and return later to finish filling it out. While both the free and the Pro version allow you to annotate text, insert graphics and drawings, and insert links, the free version adds a Foxit stamp on each page you annotate; the pro version removes the marking. Foxit is available as a portable application.
Adobe Acrobat (Windows/Mac/Linux, Basic: Free/Pro: $299)
Adobe Pdf Reader For Mac
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Adobe Reader is Adobe's default offering for viewing PDFs. Acrobat enjoys widespread popularity as a result of being offered by the company that created the PDF. For light PDF users, it's a more than adequate tool, although frequent users may seek to try a lighter alternative to get rid of the long load times and the lag that can occur when Acrobat loads within a web browser pane. You can attach sticky notes to pages and highlight text for your own review. More advanced features, like PDF creation, saving PDFs in other formats, and the ability to merge PDF files, are only available with an upgrade to Acrobat Standard for $299.
PDF-XChange (Windows, Basic: Free/Pro: $34)
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PDF-XChange is another Adobe-alternative in today's Hive that boasts snappy load times and basic functionality that outpaces the basic functionality of Adobe Reader. With PDF-XChange you can open and browse PDF documents, perform simple page annotations with drawings and text, and type outside of preset form boxes by using the PDF-XChange typewriter tool to place text wherever you want. Advanced features like reorganizing pages and text extraction are only available with the Pro upgrade. PDF-Xchange is available as a portable application.
Now that you've had a chance to look over the candidates—and hopefully get a chance to test them out, since so many are conveniently portable!—it's time to cast your vote in the poll below:
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Which PDF Viewer is Best?
Pdf Reader For Mac 2016 Office
(survey software)Love a PDF application that didn't make the cut? Have a trick for making Adobe Acrobat load faster? Share your PDF tips and tricks in the comments.
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