Despite numerous product available in the internet which is able to generate PDF (Portable Document File), Adobe Acrobat Pro series never short of idea to make it stay the way it use to be. Below is the screen shot of the latest incarnation Adobe Acrobat 8 Pro welcome screen.
The welcome screen alone make me feel “Wow”. I never thought all these features will be wrapped in one neat package.
I bet someone of you might ask, why we should use PDF. Why PDF exist?
Basically, we have countless productivity suite or software to date. Ranging from Office suite to Technical Software like CAD/CAM or Circuit Simulator, it is impossible to ensure our audience (the person who are going to get our file/work) have same software like yours. By convert it to PDF, and attach the reader with it (not necessary Adobe Reader as FoxIt will be a lot smaller XD), you can rest assure that your audience able to read and view that file the way you want him/her to be.
Another factor is security. You can set various kind of security mechanism to protect your intellectual property. You may allow them to read the documents but can’t save and print.
So back to the topic, why should we invest for Adobe Acrobat 8 Pro? Isn’t CutePDF or PrimoPDF free version not enough? Answer : Depend.
It depend on your need and working environment. Those free software basically only allow you to convert file to PDF by applying virtual printer method. So, you may forget table of content, link etc. Below are Acrobat 8 Pro strong features worth to be considered.
Easily create Adobe PDF documents
Create Adobe® PDF documents with one-button ease from Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Windows® users can also create PDF documents with one-button ease from Outlook, Internet Explorer, Project, Visio, Access, Publisher, AutoCAD®, and Lotus Notes files.
Scan to PDF with OCR
Scan paper documents with OCR technology to create compact, searchable Adobe PDF documents.
Convert e-mail to Adobe PDF files
Convert e-mail in Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes to Adobe PDF documents to facilitate searching, archiving, and retrieval. (Windows only)
Capture web pages as Adobe PDF files
Convert web pages to Adobe PDF documents to easily print, archive, mark up, or share. (Windows only)
Create in PDF/A or PDF/X
Create documents in PDF/A, the ISO standard for long-term archiving of electronic documents, or PDF/X, the ideal format for high-quality, professional printing.
Combine files from multiple applications
Combine and optimize documents
Combine documents, drawings, and rich media content into a single, polished Adobe PDF document. Optimize file size, and arrange files in any order regardless of file type, dimensions, or orientation.
Maintain individual file security settings
Maintain individual digital signatures and security settings in PDF files and forms when combining them into a single PDF package.
Include only the pages you need
Specify which pages, layouts, or sheets should be included from source files in your final, combined Adobe PDF document.
Optimize Adobe PDF output
Select from multiple file size and quality settings to optimize PDF output for your intended purpose.
Quickly regenerate a combined PDF file
Re-create a combined Adobe PDF document after revising source files, without having to locate and gather the native files again.
Unify with headers, footers, and watermarks
Automatically remove headers and footers from source files and add unifying headers, footers, or watermarks to your combined Adobe PDF document.
Attach native files
Share source files by attaching them to your Adobe PDF document in their original, native formats.
Enhance and extend document collaboration
Conduct e-mail–based reviews
Initiate a document review in Adobe PDF via e-mail. Merge inbound comments and markups from all reviewers into one PDF document with a single click.
Manage shared reviews
Easily conduct shared reviews — without IT assistance — that allow review participants to see one another’s comments and track the status of the review.
Enable collaboration tools in Adobe Reader
Enable users of free Adobe Reader® software* to participate in e-mail– or server-based reviews using all of the commenting and markup tools in Acrobat 8 Professional, including notes, stamps, highlighter, pencil, lines, shapes, and more.
Track reviews and manage comments
Track which reviewers have contributed feedback, send reminders, and add new participants. Easily compile all comments into a single Adobe PDF document.
View and print comments
View and print feedback for easy reconciliation. Sort comments by author, date, or page. Search comments for words or phrases.
Export comments to Word or AutoCAD
Select and export comments back to your original Word or AutoCAD file. Comments appear in Word as tracked changes and in AutoCAD as a separate layer.
Streamline data collection with Adobe PDF forms
Get started with form templates
Take advantage of an existing library of common form templates, such as human resources forms, invoices, and expense reports. (Windows only)
Easily create forms
Create fillable forms for distribution by e-mail or on the web from scanned paper, PDF documents, Microsoft Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets.
Auto-recognize form fields
Automatically locate form fields in static PDF documents and convert them to interactive fields that can be filled electronically by anyone using free Adobe Reader software*.
Optimize form workflow
Easily distribute forms; combine collected forms into a searchable, sortable PDF package; and export collected data into a spreadsheet.
Enable form features in Adobe Reader
Enable users of Adobe Reader software* to type information directly into Adobe PDF forms and save them locally for offline use.†
Apply advanced document security and controls
Apply passwords and assign permissions
Restrict access to Adobe PDF documents using 128-bit encryption. Set document permissions to help restrict who can print, save, copy, or modify a document.
Sign documents digitally
Apply digital signatures to authenticate documents, manage their status, and help protect against unauthorized modification.
Enable digital signatures in Adobe Reader
Enable Adobe Reader users* to digitally sign PDF documents.
Remove hidden data
Inspect Adobe PDF documents for metadata, hidden layers, and other concealed information, and remove as needed.
Permanently remove sensitive information
Use redaction tools to permanently remove sensitive text, illustrations, or other information from the Adobe PDF document.
Protect attached files
Protect files attached to your Adobe PDF documents with 128-bit encryption.
