Create secure PDF files from any document by using a simple virtual printer that enables you to bookmark pages, embed fonts and send PDFs via email.
- pdfFactory Pro
- Version : 9.11
- License :Demo
- OS :Windows All
- Publisher :Fineprint
pdfFactory Pro is a powerful PDF creation tool that allows you to generate, manage, and customize PDF files from any application that can print. It offers more features than the free version (pdfFactory), such as advanced PDF editing, document merging, and more. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to use pdfFactory Pro effectively:
1. Installing pdfFactory Pro
Before using pdfFactory Pro, you need to install it. Here’s how:
- Step 1: Download pdfFactory Pro
- Visit the official website for pdfFactory Pro: https://www.fineprint.com.
- Download the trial or full version of pdfFactory Pro.
- Step 2: Install the Software
- Open the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install pdfFactory Pro on your system.
- After installation, it will appear as a printer in your system (it works as a virtual printer).
2. Using pdfFactory Pro to Create PDF Files
Once pdfFactory Pro is installed, it works by acting as a virtual printer. Here’s how to create a PDF:
- Step 1: Print a Document to PDF
- Open the document you want to convert to a PDF (this can be a Word document, an Excel file, a webpage, etc.).
- Go to File > Print (or press Ctrl + P).
- Select pdfFactory Pro as your printer from the list of available printers.
- Click Print.
- Step 2: Adjust PDF Settings in the pdfFactory Pro Window
- The pdfFactory Pro window will open, showing a preview of your document and various options to customize your PDF.
- You can configure settings such as:
- Page Size: Choose the size for your PDF document (e.g., A4, letter, custom).
- Margins: Set custom margins to adjust the spacing on the page.
- Orientation: Choose between portrait or landscape orientation.
- Font and Color Options: Adjust font and color settings for text within the document.
- Security: Set password protection, encryption, and other security features.
- Compression: You can adjust the compression level to reduce the file size of your PDF.
- Step 3: Save the PDF
- After adjusting the settings, click the Save PDF button.
- Choose a location on your computer to save the file, name the file, and click Save.
3. Combining Multiple Documents into One PDF
pdfFactory Pro allows you to combine multiple documents into a single PDF file:
- Step 1: Select Documents to Combine
- When printing each document (e.g., Word, Excel, or a webpage), select pdfFactory Pro as the printer.
- Instead of creating a separate PDF for each, click on Combine with Existing Document in the pdfFactory Pro window.
- Step 2: Review and Merge
- Each time you print, the new document will be added to the PDF being created. The pdfFactory Pro window will show the list of pages in the combined document.
- Step 3: Save Combined PDF
- Once all documents are combined, click Save PDF to save the merged file.
4. Editing PDFs in pdfFactory Pro
pdfFactory Pro has basic editing capabilities for PDFs:
- Step 1: Open the PDF for Editing
- If you’ve already created a PDF using pdfFactory Pro, you can reopen it for editing.
- Click on the Open PDF button within the pdfFactory Pro window to load an existing PDF.
- Step 2: Add or Delete Pages
- You can add new pages, delete existing pages, or reorder pages within the PDF.
- To delete a page, select it in the preview window and click Delete.
- To reorder pages, drag and drop them in the preview pane.
- Step 3: Apply PDF Features
- You can add headers/footers to the PDF, insert watermarks, or add annotations.
5. Setting Password Protection and Security
pdfFactory Pro allows you to set password protection and encryption for the PDFs you create:
- Step 1: Configure Security Settings
- In the pdfFactory Pro window, go to the Security tab.
- You can choose to encrypt the PDF and set a password to restrict access.
- Step 2: Set Permissions
- You can specify what actions are allowed (e.g., printing, copying text, editing) and set up restrictions.
- Choose to apply these restrictions when saving the PDF.
- Step 3: Save the Secure PDF
- After setting the security preferences, click Save PDF to create the password-protected PDF file.
6. Watermarking and Adding Headers/Footers
To further customize your PDF, pdfFactory Pro allows you to add watermarks and headers/footers:
- Step 1: Add a Watermark
- In the pdfFactory Pro window, go to the Watermark section.
- You can add a custom watermark (text or image) to the background of each page.
- Step 2: Add Headers or Footers
- Go to the Header/Footer tab.
- You can add custom headers or footers that will appear on every page of the PDF. For example, you can add the date, document title, or page numbers.
7. Setting PDF Compression for Smaller File Sizes
If you need to reduce the file size of your PDFs, pdfFactory Pro provides an option for compression:
- Step 1: Choose Compression Settings
- In the Compression section of the pdfFactory Pro window, you can adjust the image quality and compression settings.
- Lowering the image quality will reduce the file size, though it may affect the clarity of images in the PDF.
- Step 2: Apply Compression
- After adjusting the compression settings, click Save PDF to create a smaller PDF file with reduced image quality (if chosen).
8. Creating PDFs from the Windows Print Dialog
You can create PDFs directly from any application that supports printing using the Windows Print dialog:
- Step 1: Open the Document
- Open the document (e.g., Word, Excel, etc.) that you want to convert to PDF.
- Step 2: Use the Print Dialog
- Go to File > Print (or press Ctrl + P).
- In the printer list, select pdfFactory Pro.
- Configure any additional options (e.g., page size, margins) in the pdfFactory Pro window.
- Click Print to convert the document to PDF.
9. Using the pdfFactory Pro Viewer
After you’ve created your PDFs, you can open and review them directly in pdfFactory Pro’s PDF Viewer.
- Step 1: Open the PDF
- Click on the Open PDF button in pdfFactory Pro to open an existing PDF.
- Step 2: Review the PDF
- You can zoom in or out, navigate between pages, and even make basic edits to the PDF (like adding pages or reordering pages).
10. Saving as a PDF File from Any Application
The most common way to use pdfFactory Pro is by printing to it from any application that has a print option (like Word, Excel, or even webpages). Here’s how:
- Step 1: Select pdfFactory Pro as the Printer
- Go to the Print dialog in your application.
- Choose pdfFactory Pro as the printer.
- Step 2: Adjust Settings
- Fine-tune settings (such as pages per sheet, orientation, etc.) in the pdfFactory Pro window.
- Step 3: Save as PDF
- Click Save PDF, choose a location, and save the file.
Conclusion
pdfFactory Pro is a feature-rich tool for creating and managing PDF files.