Don't make PDFs, print them | Bangkok Post: tech

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It's my very strong opinion that every PC owner and user _ Windows, Mac, Linux, whatever _ should have a virtual PDF converter installed and ready to use, just in case. (And if you have an excellent one, stop reading; come back next week.)

Virtual PDF printers allow you to quickly and accurately make a PDF out of any document, web page or image displayed on your PC.

Almost everyone uses PDFs in many ways these days, and it's difficult to deny their usefulness in sending information.

A Microsoft Word document, a web page or a spreadsheet can look different or even horrible when passed along to a friend or co-worker in original form. That isn't even considering that some people don't have Microsoft Word or a browser capable of opening the saved website you want them to see.

A PDF of your document will look exactly like it looks to you right now, no matter where it goes. An old Apple computer, a spiffy Windows 8, a Linux computer, a web page _ no matter where it winds up, all viewers will see it just as you do.

I still get many requests for information about software to make PDFs. All you need is a printer-driver.

It works like this. You make your document. Then you click to print it. Instead of actually printing it, you choose the PDF printer _ which saves a perfect PDF of your document, when you then can send on to others.

You install the software like any other programme, but the catch is you can only see it in the list of printers you use.

Good PDF printers like PrimoPDF that I use, and like the updated, attractive Doro PDF Writer, come with fabulous options on inserting information _ author, keywords and the like _ and on security.

You can password-protect the actual PDF so only selected people can open it, and you can also set security bars so that no one can change the PDF.

Doro PDF Writer is accessible through (run.to/sz). If you want to try others, PrimoPDF, pictured here, is at (www.primopdf.com), while the also popular CutePDF converter is at (www.cutepdf.com).

Email wandasloan@gmail.com.

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