PDF - Free creation tools test
Aim: To find the most appropriate (useful and easy to use) free PDF creation software for a standard office PC.
Software
- PDF Creator version tested 0.9, open source software (GPL)
- Primo PDF version tested 2.0, free from a commercial company
- Cute PDF version 2.5, free from a commercial company
Different licences: both have advantages. PDF Creator is open source which will ensure it remains free. Primo and CutePDF have the backing of companies who specialise in PDF tools, which is a plus, but no guarantee that they will not pull the plug or include adverts for their products that cost money.
File sizes
| PDF Creator | PrimoPDF | CutePDF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| text only leaflet | PDF 32kb | PDF 133kb | |
| text only multi page doc | PDF 27kb | PDF 84kb | |
| Powerpoint presentation | PDF 621kb | PDF 676kb | |
| Webpage | PDF 46k | PDF 61k | PDF 49k |
| MS Word doc (2 pages) | |||
| MS Word doc | PDF 100k | PDF 72k | PDF 71k |
| MS Word word line art | PDF 8k | PDF 42k | PDF 15k |
PDF Creator generally produces a smaller file size than Primo and CutePDF.
Quality
To my eye, there was no obvious difference in quality.
Metadata: This is important. I'll use an example to explain: I recently searched a organisation's website using their search facility. The search results contained many PDFs, however the entries in the search results listings simple read as 'Quarkxpress PDF' or 'reportfinal.doc' - these were meaningless and didn't tell me what the document was about. The search results used the PDFs title - which is part of its metadata - as the link to the pdf. An example of how important a PDFs metadata can be (in fact this is true of most file types).
PDF Creator prompts for a page title and author when creating a PDF, which I think is a good thing.
Useability / User interface
PDF Creator
After 'printing' to the PDF Creator pseudo printer (to create a PDF) a dialog appears. Here you can enter a title/author if you wish. There's an 'Advance Options' button and a standard field for file name and location.
This allows the user to easily edit the title, and then to simply save the document. The advanced options may be of use to those with more complex needs.
Primo
Like PDF Creator, after printing to the Primo printer, a dialog appears. This asks if the document is for screen, print, ebook or prepress. It has a filename field for saving at the bottom, with a button next to it to bring up the standard Windows 'Save As' dialog.
There are three additional buttons: 'Document Properties' is for metadata (such as a title), 'Security' allows the user to set a password and a few options to stop people from printing or copying text from the PDF (I have not tested if these options stop people printing/copying on third party PDF viewers). Finally 'Options' is of fairly limited use, three options such as 'Open a PDF viewer after completion'.
CutePDF
Once you have selected CutePDF as the printer, it simply prompts for a filename and location and then saves the document.
This is the quickest and easiest of the three, though does not allow for metadata, or any other option, to be set.
Summary
While the Primo interface is not so very different from PDF creator, I feel PDF Creator does have the slight edge.
- PDF Creator puts the metadata fields on the main screen
- Primo asks for Screen/Print/ebook/prepress. This may confuse, what if I want a PDF to be printed and viewed on screen?
- Primo requires the user to use a small button on the right of the filename field to bring up a standard 'Save As' dialog. This is only a small thing and can't see it being a problem for the vast majority of people.
However, Primo does contain a few extra options, such as security and restricting the end users control with the document.
Summary
PDF Creator, from these very small tests, creates slightly smaller file sizes, at the same visible on screen quality as Primo PDF. Considering this and - in my opinion - it's superior user interface - I feel PDF Creator is the most suitable PDF creation tool to be used on a standard PC setup.
Chris Keene - Feb 2006