You may have heard about the pdf.js project. It basically an HTML5 based pdf renderer that can be used to display pdf documents directly in the browser without the use of plugins.

One of the core benefits of building a pdf renderer using HTML5 and JavaScript is that the user experience will be identical on all support browsers and machines. How users access pdf documents nowadays depends largely on the browser and plugin they use, and the sheer number of solutions decrease the user experience and even compatibility due to differences in support features.

The developers plans to implement pdf.js in Firefox to render pdf documents natively in the browser. They are currently working on adding features and optimizing the performance of the technology to make it ready for a prime time release. For now, it has been made available as a Firefox extension that can be downloaded from this link. The restartless add-on will from that moment on render all pdf documents directly in the Firefox web browser.

A click on a pdf loads the pdf document directly in Firefox. A control bar is displayed at the top. Here it is possible to go to the next, previous or a specific page, change the zoom level of the pdf file, print or download it, or load a pdf from the local computer to read it in the web browser.

The feature that is missing most right now is a search option to find text in the document fast.

Firefox users can read more about pdf.js on the developer site. (via)

This tutorial is going to show you how to extract images or text from a pdf document with as little effort as possible. For this, I’m using the free pdf reader Nitro PDF which is available at the developer website. The software is only available for the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Nitro PDF Reader is a solid alternative to Adobe Reader. Many users would probably go as far as to call it a better PDF Reader thanks to faster startup times and an impressive set of features.

One of the great things that you can do with Nitro PDF is to extract text or images from any pdf document that is currently loaded in the program.

Just load the pdf file after installation into the reader (either with a double-click if you have made it the default pdf viewer on the system, or by opening the reader via the Start Menu).

You will notice several options under Create/Convert in the main toolbar of the program.

A click on Extract Images opens a dialog where you can specify the output folder. A click on the Extract button saves all images of the pdf document into that folder. This may take some time depending on the number of images that are embedded in the pdf document.

I suggest you select a new folder for the images as all images of a pdf document are saved in the process which includes smaller images.

A very similar menu is displayed when you click on the Extract Text button. You can again select the output folder and click Convert to turn the pdf document into a plain text document. Nitro PDF Reader opens the text document automatically at the end of the conversion.

Nitro PDF Reader is a great program to work with pdf documents on a computer. It is little features like this that make a difference in day to day work.

Nitro PDF Reader has received lots of praise in the past for its pdf viewing and creating capabilities. The developers today have released version 2 final of the program. A lot has changed compared to the previous version. Among the new features are browser plugins for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer, a new thumbnail handler for Windows Explorer (32-bit) to generate better pdf previews and support for layers and rendering transparency in pdf fles.

The Nitro Reader features include abilities to fill out and save PDF forms, stamp a signature on a PDF, extract text and images, comment, highlight or strikeout text, and more. New enhancements to 2.0 include:

· QuickSign – import a scanned image of your handwritten signature to sign documents electronically in just seconds

· Microsoft Office Interface – Unlike other PDF Readers, the Nitro PDF Reader uses the same interface as Microsoft Office products, so users know exactly where to find things

· It’s faster – files open instantly, PDFs are created 4x times faster

· It’s lighter – using much less RAM in its runtime, even with multiple PDFs open

· Files are lighter – now the PDFs you send are half the size

· Browser integration – you can open and save PDF in popular browsers like IE 9.0 and Firefox 4.0 without having to switch back and forth between software programs

According to its developers, Nitro PDF Software is now creating pdf documents up to four times faster than its predecessor. It also lighter on computer memory and creates pdf documents that are lighter in size. A short test opening some pdf documents showed that Nitro PDF Reader 2 is about as fast as the lightweight pdf reader Sumatra when it comes to opening pdf documents. Keep in mind that the program offers additional functionality for viewing and creating pdf documents, that Sumatra does not offer.

Several issues have been resolved in the new version, including a memory leak that increased the memory usage during usage and a issue where multiple Nitro processed remained running on the system.

You can access the release notes of the new version here, provided in a pdf document.

Nitro PDF Reader 2 is available for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows client and server systems. The developers recommend one Gigabyte of ram and at least 300 Megabytes of available hard drive space.

You can download the latest version of Nitro PDF Reader 2 from the developer website. It is offered as a 32-bit and 64-bit version.

Roman printed a webpage to pdf document that included text and some images. I decided to investigate the issue further, and came to similar conclusions.

The following pdf printers were used in the test:

• Bullzip PDF printer
• DoPDF 7
• PDF Creator
• PrimoPDF

You can check out additional pdf printers over at the overview at Freeware Genius’s blog.

I have tested two different documents, first a Word document from SEOMoz, and second the forum page containing Roman’s forum post.

The results

Word document, original file size 439 Kilobytes

Bullzip PDF Printer: 350 Kilobytes
DoPDF 7: 317 Kilobytes
PDF Creator: 348 Kilobytes
Primo PDF: 512 Kilobytes

Web page, original file size 450 Kilobytes

Bullzip PDF Printer: 256 Kilobytes
DoPDF 7: 212 Kilobytes
PDF Creator: 240 Kilobytes
Primo PDF: 172 Kilobytes

The differences are not nearly as wide in range as Roman’s findings, but they may still be considerable. Especially the Word document differences are noteworthy. While Bullzip PDF Printer, DoPDF 7 and PDF Creator remain between 317 and 350 Kilobytes, Primo PDF breaks out resulting in a file size increase of 150 to 200 Kilobytes.

It is rather surprising that the pdf printer with the largest file size managed to create the lowest file size converting the web page. The three other printers are again close to each other, with DoPDF a little bit better than the other two.

Some pdf printers may come with options to reduce the file size of the resulting pdf documents, for instance by compressing images. All tests have been conducted with the default settings.

This test concentrates on file size, and there may be other factors playing a role for users, pdf quality a top one. A difference of a few hundred Kilobytes makes no big difference if the documents are stored on a desktop PC, they can however have an impact if the pdf documents are stored and accessed on mobile devices like ebook readers or smartphones with limited space and processing capabilities.

My suggestion would be to install at least two different pdf printers on the system for best results. Ideally two different printers, for instance one that utilizes Ghostscript (which many pdf printers do) and another one that does not use Ghostscript.

Have you been working with pdf printers? If you did, tell us about your experience in the comments.

Lets talk about scanning for a moment. Most people use the software that came with the scanner to scan. That software is usually bloated and not the most appropriate, but if everything is configured it should do the job.

Users who like to speed up things use third party software instead, and WinScan2PDF is such a software.

The free portable program offers one feature: It turns one or multiple sheets of paper into a pdf document. Usage is dead simple and should not pose troubles for anyone.

The program displays three buttons and two options in the main interface. Non-German speaking users should click on LNG in the lower right corner to change the language to English or one of the other supported interface languages.

You select the source first with the button on the left. Just select the scanner that is connected to your computer. Most users will find only one scanner in the list.

You can then opt to scan in multiple pages that will be all turned into the same pdf document or just one page. If you do not check the Multiple Pages checkbox only one page will be turned into a pdf document. A click on Scan to PDF initiates the scan.

The first document that you put into the scanner will be scanned and converted into a pdf document after the scan.

And that’s it. No fancy interface, options or anything. Ideal for quick scanning and the creation of pdf documents.

WinScan2PDF is compatible with all 32-bit and 64-bit editions and versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system. You can download the program from the developer’s website over at Software OK.

The first three offer the manipulation options, the fourth – console – displays a log of operations and the last contains information about the application and its developer.

A pdf document needs to be loaded in the Document tab before all existing features become available. The program fills out the PDF MetaData automatically. It is now up to the user to make changes to the pdf file.

MetaData information can be changed in the Document tab. Here it is possible to delete, add or edit the author, title, subject, keywords, creator and producer.

It is furthermore possible to select a new or the same pdf document as the target file. The pdf will be overwritten if the same is selected, otherwise it will be created anew.

The signature tab offers options to add certificates to the pdf document. It is optionally possible to create a timestamped signature. Multi-signatures, the process of signing documents multiple times, is available as well under the Signature tab.

Encryption finally can be used to add protections to the document. This includes password protecting the pdf but also options to disable pdf specific features like printing, making modifications or copying.

A click on the Process button applies the changes to the selected document. It is for instance possible to password protect pdf documents so that they can only be accessed if the correct password is entered in the pdf reader.

ISafePDf is a handy portable software program for users who want to password protect, sign or timestamp pdf documents. A batch operating mode would be a good addition in future releases, as it is currently only possible to process single pdf documents.

The pdf software can be downloaded from the developer website. The program is compatible with the Microsoft Windows operating system and available as a portable version and source code.

PDF Jumbler is a free software program that offers several tools to work with pdf documents. To be precise, the free software offers to rearrange, delete or merge pages from PDF files.

PDF documents are added via drag and drop or the open document button at the top of the minimalistic program interface. It is then possible to rearrange pages with drag and drop, or to delete pages by selecting them first and selecting the delete button afterwards. The delete key on the keyboard deletes the selected pdf pages as well.

Additional documents can be added to any position of the existing documents. PDf Jumbler can merge multiple documents in one process.

The Save Document button saves the new pdf document to the hard drive. Zoom in and out buttons are available to preview individual pages of the pdf files that have been added to PDF Jumbler.

The portable software program is offered as a Java executable, which means that the operating system needs to support Java.

PDF Jumbler is as easy as it can get when it comes to merging, deleting or rearranging pages of one or multiple pdf documents.

The Open Source application can be downloaded from the project homepage over at SourceForge. (via)

A pdf document on the other hand includes everything, which makes it easier to transfer it to other devices or send it to work colleagues or friends.

But how do you turn a web page into a pdf document? One of the easiest options is the Joliprint bookmarklet, which is available for all modern web browsers that support bookmarklets.

Bookmarklets, what’s that again? A bookmarklet is basically a bookmark. But instead of pointing to a website, it contains JavaScript code that interacts with the active website on activation.

This bookmarklet turns a web page automatically into a pdf document. The best part about it is that it will do everything automatically. All that you need to do is to click on the bookmarklet and watch the magic happen.

Even better is the fact that it strips the page of unnecessary elements like advertisements or menus so that you end up with the bare article only.

The pdf document keeps the formatting, links and pictures of the article, but turns the article itself into a two column article.

The bookmarklet requires an active Internet connection, as it queries the Joliprint server which handles the converting. The web page is automatically downloaded to the default download location set in the web browser.

The Joliprint bookmarklet requires no installation. Just drag and drop the icon from the Joliprint website to a bookmarks toolbar or folder. (via Lifehacker)

Adobe did not patch the issue on last week’s patch day but explained how to protect the programs so that the malicious code cannot be executed even if a specifically prepared pdf document is loaded.

Adobe users who want to protect their systems from the attack need to open Adobe Reader, click on Edit > Preferences to open the options, select Trust Manager from the categories menu and uncheck the PDF File Attachments option that reads “Allow opening of non-PDF file attachments with external applications”.

The security issue is currently actively exploited by the Zeus Botnet according to an article at PC World with several thousands of attacks underway. The pdf documents used in the attack embed code in the document that displays a save prompt to the user when the pdf document is opened. The user is asked to save a pdf called “Royal_Mail_Delivery_Notice.pdf” which in fact is a disguised executable that will run malicious code on the user’s computer.

The best way to handle the issue is to make the configuration change in Adobe Reader to protect the system, for now.

The premise of the article is that living without PDF readers is possible if you do not have to use them for work (either readers or creators). The author of this article – that would be me – accesses about 10-20 pdf documents per month. That’s not a lot and using alternatives to pdf readers is not a task that is slowing down work by much.

A user on the other hand who reads 10-20 per day might think otherwise.

The question is: If there are no pdf readers installed, how can pdf documents be read? There are two answers to this question.

• Use an online service to process them
• Use a pdf converter to convert them into another format

Online services like Google Docs can display pdf documents right in the web browser. The advantage of this method is that the pdf is not executed on the user’s computer system which means that any exploits will have no effect. It takes on the other hand a tad longer to open Google Docs, upload the pdf and view it online.

Some users have also reported that Google Docs did not offer all the features and functions that Adobe Reader for instance offers. Those users might need to keep Adobe Reader or another pdf reader for now.

Users who are only accessing information can do so with Google Docs or Zoho easily.

Converting pdfs instead is a second solution. This can also be done offline or online. There are tools available that can convert pdf documents easily like Hello PDF for instance. It would however mean to replace one software with another which might also be exploited.

Online pdf converters like Free PDF Convert on the other hand offer the same advantages and disadvantages as online pdf readers.

It should be quite possible to uninstall all pdf readers and use one of the two alternatives described above. Some users might prefer to install a lesser popular pdf reader like Sumatra instead.

Which pdf reader do you have installed? Would you be able to live without a pdf reader on your computer?

Impressive is a presentation software that provides the same presentation techniques that are known from PowerPoint with the difference that it can apply those to pdf documents and images. It offers links, overviews, page transition effects, highlights, spotlights and a sheet by sheet mode that can be controlled manually with the mouse buttons or automatically.

The portable software will extract a number of different files to the local computer system. Presentations can be started by dragging and dropping files onto the impressive.exe file in the program folder or by launching the tool from the command line. The basic command would be impressive file.pdf. More than a dozen command line parameters are available that can be used to control most aspects of the presentation software. Parameters exist to start the presentation in a custom resolution, a specific display ratio, to automatically flip pages after x seconds or to display a progress bar.

The primary application for this software is presentations. It can however be useful as a pdf reader as well especially for users who prefer to read page by page without scrolling.

There has not been any progress in development for the last six months which could mean that the project was temporarily or permanently halted. It does however work fine in its current stage but could use some usability additions like a graphical user interface to make things easier for the user.

These pdf editors usually contain the means to modify the pdf metadata but there are cases where other means of editing might be more comfortable or appropriate. One scenario might be the need to edit the pdf metadata using a computer without the appropriate pdf editor, another speed.

Quick PDF Tools (via Life Rocks)is a free computer software that adds entries to the context menu of Windows Explorer. Those entries allow the user to modify pdf documents on the fly. They can be used to edit certain pdf metadata entries in a window right on the Windows desktop. It is possible to edit the title, author, keywords and subject metadata entries.

That is not all however as the software can also be used to add or remove open passwords, edit the initial view, merge selected pdf documents, convert selected images into pdf document format or to remove the bookmarks of the selected pdf documents.

Quick PDF Tools is a pdf editing software program compatible with both the Windows XP and Windows Vista operating system. The download of the program installer has a size of less than 1 Megabyte.

PDF Creator is compatible with most Windows operating systems including the beta of Windows 7. The application makes use of Ghostscript to provide the pdf functionality. The pdf software generator comes with a few additional features that makes it interesting. It can created PDF/A documents, create encrypted pdf documents and merge multiple documents into one pdf document.

PDF Creator can also create different file formats like PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, PCX, PS, EPS. Another interesting option is to install the PDF Creator application to run on terminal servers.

PDF Meta Edit (the complete name is BeCyPDFMetaEdit) is a software program for Windows that provides not only means to view the PDF document meta information but also means to edit them. The application can be downloaded as a portable version or one that needs to be installed on the computer system.

Functionality is the same and the software program opens the file browser immediately after starting the application. After loading one pdf document from the computer it will display the meta information in the first of eight tabs.

The program displays the title, author, keywords, subject, software that was used to create the pdf document, file creation and modification dates and copyright notices in that tab. Each of the information can be edited individually. The Clear All Fields button alternatively clears all information at once from the PDF document.

PDF documents use XMP metadata in addition to the one that is displayed directly. If the document’s meta data is edited by the user he should also make sure that the XMP metadata is deleted to avoid conflicts.

The six remaining tabs contain additional information about the document. The Viewer Preference tab for instance defines the page and layout of the document while the Bookmark’s tab lists available bookmarks.