Further details on the upcoming Acrobat 9 have been rising to the surface. And highlighted among the rumoured additions is integration with a new forms data-tracking service.The feature will give companies and PDF form creators an efficient way of handling the inputted data they collect.
Yet, as a user who fills those PDF forms out, you may be concerned with a simpler, more fundamental issue: can you transform those PDF forms into fill-able Word Documents?
The Investintech answer is yes. If you have a native PDF containing genuine PDF form elements (radio buttons, checkboxes, text fields, etc.), all our PDF conversion products (Able2Doc and Able2Extract in either Standard or Professional versions) can convert the PDF form to editable Word Documents.
Here’s how:
1. Open Able2Extract or Able2Doc.
2. Open your PDF form.
3. Select the PDF form pages or content you wish to convert.
4. Click on the Word conversion icon in the toolbar.
5. When the Convert to Word dialogue box appears, click on Forms. (Note: Unlike the other conversion options where you can choose either Text or RTF outputs, the Forms option will convert to the Word format by default.
6. Select your target directory and Save your file.
In sum, this conversion should allow you to click and type within your Word form with the ability to save the inputted data afterwards.
It may seem counter-intuitive to do a PDF Form to Word conversion with newer PDF form, Reader and Acrobat functionalities coming out. However, if you can’t save your data in the PDF form itself, are sending it to someone without Adobe software, or have a static PDF Form, converting your PDF form to Word may be the solution you need.
When you want to convert your PDF content, you want it coming out clean and crisp, as accurate as the original file. Yet, imagine for a moment, the possibility that your converted content can turn out better than the original.
Thus, being able to do something like animate static content is definitely a plus. Able2Extract has the ability to do this with its support for PDF to GIF conversion.
Alongside the usual image conversion options, Able2Extract has a Multipage image option available for image conversions. This can be used to animate static images by animating them in a way similar to how a flipbook animates hand drawn pictures.
To animate your static PDF images, follow these steps:
1) Open your PDF or XPS document that contains a multipage image in Able2Extract.
2) Select the page, pages or a page range of your multipage image.
3) Click on the image conversion icon in the toolbar.
4 ) In the image conversion dialogue box, select GIF. The GIF conversion options should then be highlighted and accessible.
5) Put a check mark in the Multipage image option.
6)The next GIF option you need to set is the GIF Animation Speed. Select how fast or slow you want your animation to occur in terms of seconds per page.
7) There is a Black and White color conversion option available as well if you want to color convert your image.
8 ) Choose your image scaling and DPI resolution preferences.
9) Select the Destination directory where you want to save your file.
While Adobe AIR was being released to the public a week ago, Microsoft was also busy with the BRM (Ballot Resolution Meeting) for OOXML. Nothing official was published or decided as the BRM concluded in controversy.
However, with OOXML in the spotlight, XPS is still in the wings.
The XPS format, submitted to ecma International in 2007, is still in review for its own standardization. The format is based on the same Open Packaging Conventions as the Office 2007 OOXML formats–OOXML formats users are currently trying to deal with.
Now, while you might have the .docx and .doc compatibility issue covered by now, are you prepared to handle .xps compatibility issues as well?
XPS documents are like the PDF–in order to work with XPS content, you need to convert it.
If you already have Able2Extract, you have both an XPS viewer and converter in one. To convert your XPS document, follow these steps:
1) Open your XPS file in Able2Extract, or Able2Extract Pro for scanned XPS files
2) Select and highlight the content you need to convert
3) In the toolbar, click on the format icon you need to convert to (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, HTML, TXT, etc.)
4) Save your file in the Save As dialogue box
Luckily, converting from XPS to other formats isn’t so different from converting regular PDF files. You can check out more on XPS conversion at our XPS Central homepage.
As the new 2008 year rolls on, so does the work and no doubt, the PDF conversions as well. Don’t worry, we’re at it too. And every now and again, amidst troubleshooting and developing, we get an email from clients having difficulties with AutoCAD PDFs:
“I downloaded and installed your Pro version as a trial. When I tried to convert a PDF file which was an AutoCAD drawing scanned and saved as such, it seems as if it was working but it opens Excel and nothing is converted in?”
If you’re experiencing or have experienced the same problem without any luck, don’t give up yet. Here’s a conversion tip: try resizing the image-based/scanned PDF.
This is because AutoCAD files are usually created with huge page dimensions that measure up to 30″ by 40″. In addition, it is difficult for the OCR engine to determine the size (in points) of any letter on an OCR page. So the OCR engine is oftentimes unable to extract legible text from AutoCAD documents due to the small text size (hence the empty Excel output).
The only way it can determine the size of the text is by comparing it relative to the size of a stated PDF page which the OCR engine can read and support. The OCR engine in Able2Extract Professional can only support AutoCAD file dimensions of up to 22″ by 22″.
To resize the PDF:
1) Open the PDF in either Adobe Reader or Acrobat
2) Select File > Print
3) Change the Printer Name to ‘Adobe PDF’ in the drop box
4) Under the Page Scaling section ensure that ‘Choose Paper Source by PDF page size’ is deselected
5) Click OK to print a new PDF
You can also resize the PDF with our trial version of Sonic PDF Creator 2.0. After installing Sonic, select ‘Sonic PDF’ as a printer (as opposed to Adobe PDF in step 3).
After you’ve resized the PDF, try the conversion again.
When you’re considering whether to buy a PDF converter program or not, making the right choice is difficult, especially if you’re sitting on the fence about why you should purchase a conversion product or not to begin with.
You may think that since you’re not a heavy PDF user you don’t really need one, or that you’ll pay a bundle for one then rarely use the program, or that you can get along fine without one since there are other methods that can save you the money.
Well, if you need a little encouragement to justify the purchase of a PDF converter (and do away with the lingering doubt), here it is—ten reasons for you to buy a PDF converter (in no specific order):
1) PDFs Aren’t Editable
PDF converters are primarily used for making PDF content accessible. Major editing or analysis is what most PDF content requires if the format is used for transmission. PDF converters can save you all the retyping and data input. You can extract PDF content into other editable formats where you can perform the needed analysis easily.
2) Access, Generate And Work In Different Formats
Freeing up the locked down PDF content leads into another benefit that PDF converters provide: choice of format. There are many diverse formats to which the PDF format can now be converted. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RTF and HTML are just a short list of the common ones which you can generate. It’s ultimately up to you and your work.
3) Going Paperless With Your Files
PDF converters are a simple solution for creating a personal e-filing system. With a PDF converter, you can manage PDF files and document information more effectively. A PDF converter is a good way to keep down the paper consumption and keep your edited work in digital files with the least amount of hassle.
4) The PDF Is A De Facto Standard
What does that mean? By common and popular usage, the PDF is the format professionals turn to when data needs to be kept in tact while being transmitted for review. The PDF is being used across industries, and converting PDF content is inevitably part of that usage. Having a PDF converter will allow you to integrate into such workflows effortlessly.
5) PDF Popularity
Take into consideration that PDFs are now created not just by professionals, but by ordinary end users for ordinary purposes. PDFs are being used on personal webpages for posting documents and miscellaneous content that are impractical as HTML pages. And at one point, you might need to convert those documents in order to use them.
6) Repurposing That PDF Data Completely
Opening PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Professional, you can perform minor editing. However, doing that won’t give you the ability to completely repurpose the content; PDF converters will. You can eliminate those makeshift extractions that constantly leave you frustrated in the end.
7) PDF Converters As A Long Term Solution
Admittedly, free online converters are great for quick, one time conversions. Free trials are also great for trying out products. Yet, neither are great for long term solutions. These converters are oftentimes limited, or will restrict your PDF conversions to being done online. With a proper PDF converter, you’ll have unlimited access and the ability to work offline whenever you choose.
8 ) An Investment That’s Worth The Time And Money
Time matters. The money you spend matters. Yet, if you don’t have a PDF converter, you’ll find yourself spending a lot of both looking for other alternatives, alternatives that are perhaps not the best choice. Buying a good PDF converter is a worthwhile investment. Even if you occasionally use PDFs for research or collaboration, it makes working with those PDFs a lot easier.
9) PDF Converters As Learning Tools
It’s general knowledge that you can benefit from everything you do. Expand on what you know about the PDF by learning how to convert one. You’ll learn more about the ins and outs of the PDF than you normally would without a proper PDF converter.
10) PDF Converter Features
PDF conversion features in most applications go beyond the basic one-time quick conversion, and even increase the quality of your conversions. Batch conversions, OCR technology, page extractions, conversion settings—customize your PDF extractions with versatile features and get more out of the conversions you need.
So if you’re now convinced and ready to buy a PDF converter, start looking!
While Adobe AIR was being released to the public a week ago, Microsoft was also busy with the BRM (Ballot Resolution Meeting) for OOXML. Nothing official was published or decided as the BRM concluded in controversy.
