PDF Blog | Investintech PDF Solutions

Investintech How-To Tip: Create A Handout From A PDF Document

Last week, we gave you a couple of tips on how to incorporate a few of our tools into your daily study grind. Those were tools you could seamlessly fit into your existing list of handy resources to help you get your work done.

But for the most part, as a student, you’ll be using digital documents as a major resource that can, indeed, make your school work (and learning) much easier. Yet, the only real problem is getting those digital documents to suit your needs. As they are, they may be difficult to use.

In fact, one tweeter had this exact problem:

PDF to Powerpoint Help — http://twitter.com/#!/tiff_FlOCKA/status/114816270674825217

Students are no stranger to PDF PowerPoint notes from a professor, nor are they strangers to the obstacles they pose. Luckily, Sonic is up for tackling such a task.

Sonic PDF Creator has a feature that lets you combine those multiple PDF pages onto a single page for quick overviews that are perfect when it comes to group studying, delivering presentations, or providing more compact resources.

If you’re unsure of how to get started, here’s a look at the handout creation options in Sonic that will let you format your PDF content into a handout.

1. Open your PDF file in Sonic PDF Creator

2. Go to Tools > Create Handout . . . . You’ll be given the n-Up Pages dialogue box where you can then customize and create your own handout.

Create Handout
3. Select the paper size of the handout

Paper Size

The very first thing to consider is the paper size and the orientation. Each PDF is different and no single handout formatting is a one-size-fits-all deal. Deciding which one is right for your content is easy.

From the drop down boxes you can choose from a wide range of paper sizes for your printed handout (including popular sizes: A4, Legal, 11×17, etc.). Then designate whether your pages will be in portrait, landscape, or Auto (according to custom width and height, which you can set manually).

4. Set the scale for your handout pages

Scale

When dealing with scaling options, you get to assign how those PDF pages will fit onto the page of your printed handout, whether letter size, legal, or 11×7.

The Auto feature lets Sonic calculate how to fit those PDF pages according to the paper size you selected. If you’d like to use the original size of the page, select Use Original Size. Or if you’d like to set the scale of your PDF content yourself, you can easily designate the width and height yourself.

With the Proportionally box checked, your destination area on the handout will remain proportional to the original page size.

5. Decide on the layout

Layout

Now that you have the content scaled down to the paper size and orientation you’ve selected, you get to decide the layout of that content.

When creating your layout first make sure you decide on the measurement unit (point, inch, or mm) you need Sonic to use in order to accurately space the content for your handout.

For the layout, you can designate a different number of PDF pages per column and row along with the margin spacing around them. The gutter measurements (in case you need to bind the handout) can easily be customized to any length you wish.

You can then designate how many pages you want repeated in the hand out and the order of the pages. Note that if the pages of your original PDF content are numbered, depending on your column/row layout and if you want double sided pages, you may want to carefully plan out how your pages can be effectively ordered.

When deciding on the order of the pages, you have 3 options:

Across: Runs from left to right, then top to bottom.
Down: Runs from top to bottom, then left to right.
Stack: Runs from top left of each page, then to right, then to next row.

6. Draw crop marks on your handout pages

Crop Marks

Crop marks can also be drawn onto the handout. You can choose from drawing crops in the corners, center, or both (with the Draw Crop Marks option). After you decide which crop marks you want, you can adjust and customize them manually.

7. Allow for bleed allowance

Bleed Allowance

For handouts that will need cutting, the Bleed Allowance options will let you specify your own measurements to allow for any deviations in cutting the paper to the finished page size.

You can choose from :

None: No bleed allowance.
From original PDF: Use the bleed information from the original PDF file.
Specified: User specify the bleed allowance amounts.

8. Once all your settings in place, click on OK . Sonic will generate a preview of the new handout for you.

9. If all looks okay, you can then save it using the Save or Save As options under the File menu, and then print it out.

If you created a handout with Sonic PDF Creator before, which creation options did you use to make your PDF content look like a professional handout?

How 3 Investintech Tools Can Save Your Academic Life

School’s just started and already you’re starting to sink into your own routine. Whether that means mapping out the quickest route to class or finding the best study spots along the way, you need to make sure everything works smoothly for you in the academic world.

As a tech user, it means getting your laptop and gadgets all set to keep up with you on your daily study grind. With the rise of tech gadgets and the popularity of the Internet, the academic landscape is changing. More group participation is done via forum discussion, class notes are being posted up online, and text books are being downloaded from the web.

However, organizing your arsenal of software tools can be tough when you can’t anticipate where or when you’ll need it. If you’re a user of our software and asking yourself, where and how Investintech software fits in with your academic routine, it’s time to take a closer look. Here are a couple of tip offs.

1. SlimPDF Reader

One way students are upping their productivity these days is to use a laptop in class. It’s easier to type up lecture notes and it eliminates the need for multiple notebooks. Moreover, instead of a 13 or 15 inch laptop, students are now resorting to netbooks. They’re small, efficient, and more convenient on-the-go than a laptop is.

Netbooks, however, while great for mobility, aren’t so great for the hard-core major software programs you have on your desktop. For instance, Adobe Reader is a notable resource hog, taking up a good portion of your desktop hard drive, let alone your netbook. So you’ll need the smallest applications you can find. Luckily, SlimPDF Reader is only 1.43 MB.

Slim PDF Reader Screenshot

SlimPDF Reader gives you the essentials needed for a quick clean viewing experience without the bloat.

So if a prof scans in a PDF sideways, SlimPDF can rotate it right side up with a single click from the toolbar. And as PDFs aren’t always created with a readability and navigation in mind, you can zoom in (up to 400%), quickly skip to any page, and easily search the file for keywords. Copying simple text is also made easy–just select your content and CTRL+ C it. You can paste it quickly into another application.

2. Free Online PDF to Word Converter

As mentioned, most professors will post up lecture notes or slides online. Of course, this makes it easier for everyone, as a) you don’t have to worry about getting everything down, and b) you have spot-on accurate notes from the professor himself. Definitely a resource you want to cash in on for any future assignment.

But, I bet you can guess what format these notes will more than likely be in: the hard-to-edit PDF format. This is where a PDF to Word converter saves the day. You can convert PDF to Word instantly using our free online PDF to Word conversion service.

3. Docx to Doc Converter Online

With the release of Microsoft Office Word 2007 came a new default format, .docx, a format that not everyone is using. In fact, most users are still quite attached to the .doc format. For users with Microsoft Office Word 2007, they can simply save to .doc by changing the Save As format before they save their file.

Yet for those who are receiving a .docx file, it isn’t as easy. Students on the Mac OSX platform using Pages need to import the .doc file to Mac, but have no direct way of converting it. Others may not even be using Microsoft Office 2007, but older versions with no way of opening it.

This .docx to .doc converter is perfect for any difficulties you may come across, whether it be a deadline, lack of compatibility, or being locked out of your email accounts.

DOC to DOCX Converter Interface

It lets you bypass all those hurdles. It’s free, you can use it regardless of the platform you’re using, you can access it anytime online, no registration is needed, and you get the file converted instantly without having to leave the site.

Should We Add Another Format To The PDF-Killer List?

An interesting tidbit for this week. There’s a new format on the block and it looks like it’s drumming up some buzz as the next PDF-Killer.

The last one to hit the industry, if I remember correctly, was the XML Paper Specification (XPS) format about 4 years ago when Microsoft Office 2007 was being released with XPS creation capabilities. This time around, it’s the CDF format—Computable Document Format, a newly innovated open format that puts “interactive documents” on another level.

Having been developed by the team over at Wolfram.com, the CDF format uses mathematical computation technology to render the live interactive element of its content. The company is known for its computing software program and platform, Mathematica, which, in a nutshell, is used for computing data visualizations needed in fields dealing with complex data, information analysis, and mathematical formulae.

What is the CDF format?

According to the site, the CDF is “as everyday as a document, but as interactive as an app.” Instead of simply viewing static text, images, and tables, with a CDF document you can manipulate them through inputting data, clicking on controls, and moving sliders. If you have a graph with data calculated and projected over time, you can modify those values and see the changes visualized–on the spot.

Looking at the CDF files they have on-site, you can see why it’s being called a PDF-Killer. From a user point of view, the CDF format shares a lot of the same basic similarities and uses as the PDF: it requires a file viewer (CDF Player), can contain different types of content, and is only editable in Mathematica or other CDF content creators (creating an interactive CDF actually requires a bit of coding rather than a one click creation method, though).

The PDF already has interaction capabilities with the ability to play videos, Flash games, and manipulate 3D objects. But so far, as Conrad Wolfram (strategic & international development director of Wolfram) points out, those types of interactivity are pre-generated for you.

The CDF format provides a unique way of creating, consuming, and understanding informational content. As it is with all formats, though, each has its own strengths and uses, some of which are necessary, some not. Simple resumes and articles, for example, are still perfectly fine as a PDF. Live data and textbooks, however, may be better in CDF.

Rather than a question of will the CDF replace the PDF, I think the question facing PDF users is how the CDF format will interact with PDF files over the long run. The format was just launched, so it’s still in the early stages of adoption. So far, as per the FAQ, you can import content from PDFs and the CDF Player plugin is only supported by web browsers (no embedding CDF files in PDF, for instance).

Download the CDF player and take look at a few CDF examples in action for yourself.

What PDF Tips Can 5 Popular Movies Give You?

One of the major challenges facing PDF users today is finding good tips on creating and handling that picture perfect PDF. Whether it be in regards to content, layout, or creation, it’s likely that you’ve been curious as to how you can make your PDF content more reliable and highly receptible to everyone.

For those who are looking for some ideas, all you have to do is look to the silver screen. There are a few movies that can shed some light on taking your PDF up a notch.

If you put your movie-watching time to practical use, you’ll start looking at a few popular movies—and your daily work, in a different way.

1. Inception (2010)

If you still haven’t watched this movie yet, you’ve probably already heard about the complexity of its story line. The movie’s main character, Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), has a special talent: stealing secrets from others when they’re dreaming. But having been used mainly for corporate espionage, his special set of skills has made him into an international fugitive struggling with his own personal demons.

In an attempt to redeem himself, he takes on one last mission. The goal? Inception. That is, to plant an idea deep within the subconscious of his employer’s rival that will eventually leave his employer with the corporate advantage. The deeper the idea is planted into the subconscious, the more convincing it is.

Thus, for it to succeed, Cobb and his team devise a complex—and confusing, architectural dream structure: a dream within a dream within a dream.

What advice can Inception give us about the PDF?

The content within a PDF file can be as complex in structure as the dream levels created by Cobb’s team, being either broken down into major parts, sections, or even subsections. Navigating through such PDFs can be a real pain in the neck.

Do your readers a favor: add bookmarks to your PDF. Give them a navigational structure for your PDF content, offering a way to move through the file with a single click. To add bookmarks to PDF files, look for a PDF creation tool that comes with the ability to edit PDF content. All that’s needed is a bit of organization to get your PDF user friendly.

2. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Although something always gets lost in translation between film and book, this trailer is enough to get you fixated on seeing it through to the end on the silver screen. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is crucial to the epic franchise in that it shows you where and how it all began with Lord Voldemort.

We’ve been through the first few films knowing Harry’s past, but it isn’t enough for a story that grows dark gradually with each installment. To heighten the stakes and the tension, this movie gives us our first good look at Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). We’re shown a memory of Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) meeting a young and troubled Tom Riddle (the future Lord Voldemort) for the very first time. And we see him yet again, in another crucial memory, this time as an adolescent in his first curious steps towards dark magic.

We finally see Lord Voldemort’s story (or bits of it anyway) on-screen, up close and personal—as a young student taken in by Dumbledore, and brought up within the very walls of Hogwarts Academy itself.

What PDF advice can Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince give us?

For all the good things PDF files have to offer, they can contain bad things as well without you even knowing it. All you have to do is click on a link, play a Flash video, or even just open the file and you’re caught.

There have been many ups and downs in the past year as PDF hacks started rising in numbers. The scary part is that there are reports that hidden PDF exploits are getting past popular AV programs. Even popular mobile apps and gadgets aren’t immune to security flaws which can be exploited by PDF hacks.

Lesson to learn? Don’t be too trustworthy with every PDF file you come across. While you can’t help the PDF files you get, for your own files, ensure that you have all the necessary security measures you need in place: passwords, file restrictions, watermarks, etc. PDF security is essential.

3. The Matrix (1999)

In 1999, we were all blown away by the idea of the Matrix: the everyday world perceived by humans is actually a simulated reality created by machines. Admittedly, the philosophical ideas that came with it were probably a handful to grasp the first time around.

Luckily, we learn about the Matrix alongside computer programmer and hacker, Thomas A. Anderson, aka Neo (Keanu Reeves), who gets freed from it. Once liberated, Neo’s new friends show him what the real world is like. Having escaped the Matrix, surviving underground, and rebuilding human civilization, they’ve also managed to use the Matrix to their own advantage.

Their sockets, once used to channel and convert human energy to the Machines, allows them to jump back and forth freely between both the Matrix and reality, fighting the Machines on both fronts. Those same sockets are also used for uploading information directly to the mind, allowing them to instantly learn anything that’ll help them survive against Agents within the Matrix.

Being proclaimed as “The One” to end the war against the Machines, Neo gets trained on how to fight and maneuver within the Matrix as well (“I know Kung Fu”). Only by being able to jump back and forth to do so, does Neo—and we, the viewers, begin to get a grasp of what the Matrix is.

What friendly PDF advice does The Matrix have to give?

If one thing The Matrix can give you advice on, it’s the value of hyperlinks. By being able to go directly from PDF to website, or jump from PDF to article, users can get a better experience with your PDF file.

Let’s face it. How many times have you come across a summary of an article in the PDF format, but wasn’t able to go to the actual article? Or being given a fact, aren’t given its source?

If you can link out to different sites or informative links, go for it. But use them wisely! Your PDF is only as good as the content it contains. So include necessary, but relevant, links, as well.

4. Gone With The Wind (1939)

Everyone knows this one. Gone With The Wind, the famous 1939 award-winning classic. Based on the best-selling 1936 novel of the same name by Margaret Mitchell, Gone With The Wind, follows 12 years in the life of Southern belle, Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh in her Oscar winning role) during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era afterwards.

While the movie is praised as a classic, Gone With The Wind is also notorious for its length at 222 minutes, which translates into 3 hours and 42 minutes– excluding the intermission and both the opening and closing credits.

During those 3+ hours, we watch Scarlett struggle with unrequited love, failed relationships, and financial ruin. That’s almost the length of 2 feature films today!

What PDF tip does Gone With The Wind have for us?

PDF file size does matter. With huge PDFs, the download, upload, and conversion times could very well equal the length of Gone With The Wind itself.

Some tips? Before creating a PDF, ensure that your content is optimized in all aspects. For example, ensure that there are no excess fonts and that you’re using vector-based graphics. Set your compression options as well on both images and text. If modifying a PDF, use the Save As option, not the Save command. Try to downsample the images to a lower resolution, and avoid using a ton of multimedia and fonts for complex web-based PDFs.

Just keep in mind that if you wouldn’t want to sit around downloading a PDF file for more than a minute, chances are, your readers wouldn’t want to either.

5. Avatar (2009)

Avatar was an undeniable groundbreaker, both graphically and technically. However, it may surprise you to know that, according to James Cameron, Avatar was written more than 11 years ago, but the filming of the movie was delayed because the necessary technology to transfer his vision of Avatar onto film wasn’t available at the time.

As a result, only due to new filming methods and pushes in technology that were developed and employed right up to a year and a half before the movie was released, was filming made possible. To merge the actors into virtual characters, for instance, facial performance capture (used to transfer and create emotional details in CG) was done with mini cameras rigged to small caps worn by the actors. By employing a real-time virtual camera, Cameron was then able to direct CG scenes just like live-action scenes easily. And with the movie being almost entirely digitally generated, the creation process demanded a new way of storing and sharing all the data being generated. To that end, Microsoft created Gaia, a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, to act as a hub for the huge amounts of data being used.

The result? One of the most visually stunning movies ever created.

What PDF tip does Avatar have to offer?

Special graphics can make any PDF pop! The PDF has come a long way from its first days and is now advanced enough to handle graphics like a pro.

Since PDF version 1.6 came out, the format came with support for embedding 3D objects. The next PDF version just took it to the next level, and has been improving ever since. Today, the format can also support geospatial capabilities, AutoCAD drawings, media, geometry, and graphics.

If you’re looking for ideas, go ahead and take a look at the Adobe Acrobat User Community gallery. They’ve got PDFs showcasing what is graphically possible with a PDF. And don’t worry about that content not being reusable. There are PDF converters powerful enough to handle advanced conversions like PDF to AutoCAD.

These are just 5 movies to get you started. What other movies can you think of?

Top 17 iPad Apps For PDF Users

The iPad 2 has been released and there isn’t any shortage of iPad app lists online. While you can find great lists online that have a bit of everything, you can sometimes find them lacking in one aspect or another, especially if you’re looking for a specific type of functionality.

For the PDF user, it may be even harder. What about specific PDF needs? To remedy that, here’s our iPad PDF catalog featuring both free and paid apps. They’re catered to the needs any PDF user might have or may come across.

Note that apps on this list do have overlapping features, but you’ll find that one app may be more versatile than another–or on the contrary, may have only the basics you need without all the frills. The choice is yours.

If you’re shopping around for an iPhone or iPod Touch, the lowest minimum requirement for some of these apps is iOS 3.0 and later. If you’re worried about updated iPad 2 iOS 4.3 compatibility for some apps, be sure to check in with the main developer site for the latest version or feature updates.

So whether you have a new iPad 2 or just got a refurbished first gen iPad, you’re bound to find something handy.

Storage

1. Dropbox

Dropbox One thing you’ll need when it comes to sharing large PDF files from your iPad is a solid document sharing service.With Dropbox you get 2 GB free with the ability to sync Mac, Windows, and Linux computers.

If you want power user features such as online file backup, fast web access, automatic sync, and file encryption, Dropbox is the way to go.

Price: Free
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later

2. Box.net

Box.net

Here’s a great storage app that gives you 5 GB storage for free. With the free plan, you get a file size limit of 25 MB, mobile app access, and file sharing links for easy access.

Price: Free

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

3. SugarSync

SugarSync

Syncing and backing up your files with SugarSync adds a bit more convenience with 5 GB free storage and data sync for than one device. You can sync images, music, photos, and documents anytime, anywhere on multiple computers with the assurance that your file transfers are secure.

Price: Free
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

PDF Editing

4. PDF Reader – Annotate, Sign and Edit PDF Documents (Document Expert)

PDF Reader allows you to organize and edit your PDF files, making it one of the world’s most popular apps for PDF management. With a few button clicks, you can annotate your content, highlight, underline, add shapes, signature and backup your files via an email or Cloud storage services. With this app you will optimize your work and become more productive in no time.

Price: Free
Requirements: Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPad

5. PDF Expert 6: Read, annotate & edit PDF documents

PDF Expert 6 is an app for anyone who likes to read and edit their PDFs on iPad or iPhone. With this app you can quickly edit PDF text, replace images, hide sensitive information, insert stamps, markup documents, merge PDFs and much more. It’s design and friendly user interface makes it one of the easiest apps you can use.

Price: $9.99
Requirements: Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

6. Good Reader

With Good Reader, you get some versatility along with the ability to mark up your PDFs. You can open Office, iWork files, hi-res images, and even audio and video files. For PDFs with a ton of hyperlinks, Good Reader has a handy feature that lets you toggle back and forth easily from page to page with a single tap.

Price: $4.99
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later

7. PDF Highlighter

On top of all the standard features offered by mark up apps—note-taking, highlighting, and sketching, PDF highlighter has a few other special features you might enjoy. It contains an integrated browser for web links and Wikipedia lookup, annotations overview, and night mode viewing display.

Price: $6.99
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later

PDF Viewers & Managers

8. ReaddleDocs

Readdle Pack is one of the most powerful and downloaded productivity app on Apple Store. Over 45 million people are happily using it everyday on their iPhones and iPads. With Readdle Productivity Pack you are getting three apps in one — Scanner Pro, PDF Expert, Printer Pro. All these apps are carefully designed, allowing you to quickly create, edit, and print your documents.

Price: $13.99
Requirements: Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

9. PDFCache

Web To PDF is a free app that gives you the opportunity to save your favorite online content to PDF and share it with others. This is really handy when you wish to highlight some data, insert text and shapes or add your personal notes. The converted files will look 100% as the original pages.

Price: Free
Requirements: Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Developer: Darsoft Inc.

10. PDF Reader Lite

For those who aren’t heavy duty PDF users, sometimes the basics are all you need.This is where PDF Reader Lite comes in. While it allows you to store only 10 files, it has all the features of a standard PDF viewer–bookmarking, table of contents, and basic file management features.

Price: Free

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

11. iBooks

If you love to read and enjoy a good book, this is the right app for you. iBooks allows you to enjoy a good story, right from the comfort of your iPhone or iPad. There are numerous different genres you can choose from including classics, new authors, bestsellers, fantasy, sci-fi, autobiographies and even audiobooks.

Price: Free

Requirements: Requires iOS 10.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

12. Avenza PDF Maps

Avenza PDF Maps Ever receive a map in the PDF format? Here’s a geospatial app that not only lets you view PDF maps on your iPad but also lets you interact with them. Navigate through maps with regular iPad gestures, add/edit waypoints, find co-ordinates, and locate yourself with the iPad’s built-in GPS system.

Price: Free
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later

13. PDF Manager Professional

PDF Manager Professional PDF Manager gives you the versatility you need to handle PDFs on your iPad. With this app you have a few ways to easily manage and share your PDF files: share files via popular networks (Twitter, Facebook, etc.),through email, or offline.

Price: $3.99
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.0 or later

Other

14. Magachine

As you know, PDF files aren’t really optimized for mobile devices, giving you a less than stellar viewing experience. To improve that, there’s Magachine. According to the translated webpage, this app can turn your PDF into a magazine style layout for easier reading.

Price: Free
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later

15. PDF Presentation

With PDF Presenter you can store, manage and read all your PDF documents, with a single click. Import your PDFs from your emails or from the corresponding browser and keep everything well organized and prepared. This tool is simple to use and you can get controls over your presentation in no time.

Price: $6.99
Requirements: Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

16. Print n Share for Advanced Printing

Undoutedly, having the option to print up a file directly from your iPad is a necessity.Print n Share for Advanced Printing is a feature packed app that can print to all printers via Mac or PC, remotely over 3G, and to most WiFi printers.

Price: $8.99

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

17. PDF Snapshot

*If you’re looking for more versatility with your PDF, check out PDF Snapshot. This app will extend your PDF applications to create, email and copy snapshots of images in your PDF. With the latest version, you can even annotate the PDF before you take the snapshot.

Price: Free
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 4.2 or later