PDF Creation Software

The creation of PDF files is one of the most common tasks for office workers. Since PDF files can be read on almost any device and system, this format is widely used. Besides, PDFs keep the data of original files unaltered, and they can be searchable or password-protected. 

The easiest way to create a PDF file is to open an existing file in a corresponding program (like Word or a free word processor, a publishing app or a photo editor) and save it as PDF. Or, similarly, create a new file and then export it to PDF. However, it is not always possible. The program you are using might not offer Save as PDF option, or you might need to create PDF from multiple files or images, or you may have documents in different formats that you want to convert to PDFs at once.

Different ways to automate PDF creation

fCoder offers different software applications for creating PDF files and converting various files to PDF.  Although all focused on automated PDF creation, these special PDF converters can handle your documents or image files in different ways:

• DocuFreezer creates PDF from several files added to the list
• FolderMill creates PDF automatically in real time via special Hot Folders
• Universal Document Converter prints to PDF using a virtual printer

Please see more details below to find the right choice for you. All software mentioned here can save your documents as bitmapped and searchable PDF. However, they are different in terms of interface and functionality. You can download any of them for free and give each one a try.

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Equipped with a straightforward interface, it lets you convert documents to PDF in batch mode, which saves time and ultimately money.

You should simply add new files to DocuFreezer window and press Start. The software converts all the data to PDF, and the output PDFs are available in a short while!

DocuFreezer supports the most common file types used today. The software can create PDF or image files such as JPG, TIFF, and PNG out of the following file formats: Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Microsoft Publisher, and OpenOffice. You can even process PostScript, PDF, XPS, JPG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, PSD, HTML, rich text, and plain text files as well.

It also has an OCR feature to convert your scanned PDF files into a fully editable digital PDF file or a plain text TXT.

In addition to creating a PDF, you can also convert PDF to PNG, JPEG, BMP, or TXT, just by following the same procedure that you used to create the PDF.

DocuFreezer is an excellent solution if you want to, for example, convert a CV to PDF but you don't want its design to be changed – it's also a great solution for simply avoiding formatting problems.

Main features

Pros & Cons

Download DocuFreezer

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Different rules can be applied to the Hot Folders. As soon as incoming files arrive there, the program converts documents to PDF or images, or adds watermarks, or prints them to a desktop, network, or virtual printer.

In a typical setup, FolderMill is installed on an office server. During the initial setup, you can create one or a few so-called Hot Folders and assign them with possible tasks which will be performed automatically:

• file filtering by paper size or filename
• file renaming
• conversion to PDF
• conversion to image
• printing to a selected printer
• adding a watermark
• copying to a specified folder
• running a script or application

Once configured, the Hot Folders start monitoring incoming files, and the program processes them immediately. You can share folders for network use, and give access to them to any employee in an office.

If an employee wants to create a PDF or PDF/A file, they would simply place the source text document or presentation or whichever supported filetype into the corresponding network-shared folder. The resulting PDF file appears in the output folder, which is defined in the FolderMill Hot Folder settings. By default, the program produces searchable PDFs (containing text which can be copied or edited).

Office employees don't need to climb a steep learning curve in order to master the program. All an employee needs to do is copy a file or several files into a Hot Folder, and FolderMill does the rest. With FolderMill, PDF files are correctly created, based on the settings configured within the application.

Main features

Pros & Cons

Download FolderMill

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Universal Document Converter lets users create PDF or image files from any documents that can be opened and printed. Therefore, the number of supported filetypes is practically unlimited.

After installation, the program can be found in Printers & Scanners (Windows 10) or Devices and Printers (Windows 7) panel along with the other printers available. If you have Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, Universal Document Converter will also add a toolbar (shortcut tab) to them. This toolbar allows to create PDF files without leaving the Office application with just one click:

Two ways to create PDFs with Universal Document Converter

1. Single file conversion to PDF. Open the document with the original program (for example, if it's a DOCX, open it with Microsoft Word or LibreOffice Writer), click Print and choose Universal Document Converter as a printer. Set the necessary parameters and click Print to have your file converted.
2. Multiple files conversion to PDF. Open Print Conductor or another batch printing software. Add multiple files to the program's list and select Universal Document Converter as a printer. Set the necessary parameters by clicking Printer properties and then click the Start Printing button. The batch file conversion will begin.

Universal Document Converter's PDF creation options include the ability to combine several documents into a single PDF file, create searchable or bitmapped PDF files, split multipage documents into separate PDF files, create PDF/A standard files, password-protect files, and more.

Universal Document Converter also has an API for developers and can be installed on a server to share for network use. This means the software can be easily integrated with corporate workflow systems or become a PDF creation component for third-party software products.

If your business needs to process uncommon or rare file types, such as certain types of AutoCAD drawings or RAW files, we suggest using Universal Document Converter, because this is an indeed "universal" file converter. It can process almost any file type you can imagine.

Main features

Pros & Cons

Download UDC

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How to create PDF from an Office application

1. Open your Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document;
2. In the Print dialog box, specify any settings, such as which pages to include in your PDF;
3. Name the file and choose a folder for it. Then, click Save.

Note: this method works fine if you only save documents to PDF once in a while. However, if you don't want to spend much time opening each file, but automate the entire process and make use of additional features, see other ways described in this article.

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Which PDF creation software is better

To summarize, if you're looking for a PDF creator, try out any of the programs described above and decide which is the best PDF creation software to meet your needs. They are easy to use while also having a lot of useful features for both personal and business use, especially if you opt for a paid program. The programs are free for non-commercial purposes and are regularly updated.