Express PDF
Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: online, pdf, creator | Themes: Software, The Internet
7. Express PDF
Express PDF
Express PDF is another free online service where you submit your Word doc and then get your PDF file back via email.
Like the other services, users receive an email confirming that the PDF file conversion is complete.
But, unlike any other service we tested, the confirmation was misleading. As it turns out, the document (the same Magna Carta test document that was used for all services) had an “error” in it and couldn’t be converted.
Landscape and wide-format options were available for our online URL test of the Tom’s Guide home page.
The image is clearly not right, as some images were not correctly converted to the PDF format.
ExpressPDF also failed our XLS test with the same issue as the other sites, which involved improper formatting across two pages.
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Good Article. Micosoft Word and Excel are horrible programs for desktop publishing. Converting to PDF from these programs without reflow and pagination errors when passing the file from one PC to another is tough. The only way to guarentee 100% success is to generate the PDF on the PC the document was created on.
I have been in the print on demand and publishing business with a large firm for 18 years. Anytime someone sends native files in Word or Excel, we absolutely cringe. It can be very time consuming to convert the documents and have them turn out the exact way the creator sees the documents on their end. So, I guess you could say that in the end, you get what you pay for. Free service.....I wouldn't expect miracles with Word and Excel.
May also want to take a look at PDFescape (an online PDF editor):
http://www.pdfescape.com
Good article for those looking to create PDF files though
I'm very happy with having pdf "printers" installed on my computers. Saves me from all the troubles and hassles on services you just listed. Plus they are more secure and flexible when concerning private data like web purchase receipts and such. Sourceforge.net has several on it that are free and easy to install. I think it would be more natural from a users point of view too.
Ah how I love OpenOffice, I have yet to have any problems with it's PDF converter.
Ah how I love OpenOffice, I have yet to have any problems with it's odt/doc to PDF converter. Admittedly I have only ever converted text and tables with it.
You could always use a Mac and you can convert about anything from any program to a .pdf file. Built into OS X through the print function.
When you tell a program to print something a print box appears. You can then tell OS X to save the document to a .pdf file.
I do love my Mac.
Glenn
Good article. I hope I can get you to consider making a simular one on making the new Words docx documents into the old doc format, so I can read them using OpenOffice.
I have to mention that from an Adobe perspective, even though the PDF spec is public and open for anyone to use, Adobe does not guarantee the stability and accurateness of PDF files created from third party applications (meaning, programs other than Adobe Acrobat). That's not a sales pitch - that's just a fact of using an open specification that any programmer can interpret and potentially mess up. So what is my point? Be very careful of the programs you use if storing stable PDF files is critical for you.
Another great product for creation / conversion into PDF format are any of the products from www.cutepdf.com
We use at my work and I love it. Very inexpensive too.
Nice !
Nice review indeed.