Document Management

How To Create Secure PDF Documents In Two Different Ways

Here at Investintech, we care about your document productivity and we know that working with multiple documents can be a dreadful uphill battle. Because digital documents and PDFs are an essential part of your day to day work, your document processing routine and PDF tools always need to be updated. They need to be flexible and powerful enough to keep up with you.

This is why we included the features we did in Able2Extract 9. Though you know the PDF tool as Able2Extract PDF Converter, it has gone above and beyond that in this latest version. It can do a whole lot more now—and more conveniently.

Case in point: PDF creation. You may have given the main feature a  quick try, but there’s more to this feature than meets the eye. It can get the job of creating secure PDFs done in more ways than one.

Let’s take a closer look.

Method 1: Create PDF Files With Able2Extract 9

PDF creation within Able2Extract is just as simple as converting a PDF document. So if you’ve ever converted a PDF file with Able2Extract, then you already have a good idea of how to create one.

In other words, you get a new feature with a familiar set up, eliminating any high learning curves that can waste a good chunk of your time. From the command toolbar:

1. Click on the create PDF icon.

Creating PDF Files2. Open your file.

Opening File In Able2Extract

3. Go into the PDF Creation Options… menu and add your PDF security options. Here you can choose a number of settings for your PDF content. Click on OK.

PDF Creation Security Options
4. Then click on Save to complete the process.

Saving PDF In Able2Extract

Method 2: Create Secure PDFs From Your Everyday Applications

That’s just one method. However, if, like me, you prefer to stay in the application you’re working in, Able2Extract still has you covered. With the virtual printer, you can turn any application into a PDF creator.

Just print up your document as usual with the Print functionality, but choose Able2Extract 9.0 Printer instead:

Able2Extract Virtual Print Driver

Yet because you don’t need to open Able2Extract to create PDFs, you may be thinking that you’ll miss out on all the PDF creation options built into this latest version. Not so. This is where the print dispatcher comes into play.

Adjust Settings With The Print Dispatcher

Accessing Able2Extract Print DispatcherYou may have seen this icon lurking around on your system tray after installing Able2Extract.

The Print Dispatcher allows you to control all of your out-of-Able2Extract  PDF creation options.

When combined with the virtual print driver, you can create the same secure PDF just as easily.

On opening the Print Dispatcher, you get everything you need to stay on top of the PDF creation process:

Print Dispatcher Interface

By clicking on the Options… button, you can change the PDF creation settings for all PDF files created through the Able2Extract Print Driver, including the Security settings for each file.  

Selecting PDF Security Options

After your security options are set and your PDF is created, you can check in on your new file from the Print Dispatcher and interact with the file as needed.

Options For Opening PDF

Give the PDF creation feature a good spin if you haven’t already. This is just one of many new Able2Extract 9 features that let you get up close and personal with your PDF documents.

Work With Excel Data Like A Pro With 9 Simple Tips

Excel Spreadsheet Diagram

Without doubt, an Excel spreadsheet is one of the most advanced tools for working with raw data—and one of the most feared.  The application looks complicated, way too advanced, and like something that would take hours to figure out.

I wouldn’t be surprised if upon hearing that you had to start using MS Excel, your heart started to pound. Is there any way to make Microsoft Excel less scary and intimidating? Yes.

By learning a few spreadsheet tricks, you can bring Excel down to your level and start looking at the application in a different light.  We rounded up some of the simplest yet powerful MS Excel spreadsheet tips you can start using on your data.

1. Use MS Excel Format Painter

To start you off, get yourself familiar with formatting your spreadsheet cells. A visually organized spreadsheet is highly appreciated by others as it can help them follow your data and calculations easily. To quickly apply your formatting across hundreds of cells, use the Format Painter:

  1. Select the cell with the formatting you wish to replicate
  2. Go to the Home menu and click on the Format Painter. Excel will display a paintbrush next to the cursor.
  3. Using Excel Format PainterWhile that paintbrush is visible, click to apply all of the attributes from that cell to any other.

To format a range of cells, double-click the Format Painter during step 1. This will keep the formatting active indefinitely. Use the ESC button to deactivate it when you’re done.

2. Select Entire Spreadsheet Columns or Rows

Another quick tip– use the CTRL and SHIFT buttons to select entire rows and columns.

  1. Click on the first cell of the data sequence you want to select.
  2. Hold down CTRL + SHIFT
  3. Then use the arrow keys to get all the data either above, below or adjacent to the cell you’re in.

You can also use CTRL + SHIFT + *   to select your entire data set.

3. Import Data Into Excel Correctly

The benefit of using is Excel is that you can combine different types of data from all kinds of sources.  The trick is importing that data properly so you can create Excel drop down lists or pivot tables from it.

Don’t copy-paste complex data sets. Instead, use the options from the Get External Data option under the Data tab. There are specific options for different sources. So use the appropriate option for your data:

Importing Data to Excel

4. Enter The Same Data Into Multiple Cells

At one point, you may find yourself needing to enter the same data into a number of different cells. Your natural instinct would be to copy-paste over and over again. But there’s a quicker way:

  1. Select all the cells where you need the same data filled in (use CTRL + click to select individual cells that are spread across the worksheet)
  2. In the very last cell you select, type in your data
  3. Use CTRL+ENTER.  The data will be filled in for each cell you selected.

5. Display Excel Spreadsheet Formulas

Viewing Spreadsheet Formulas

Jumping into a spreadsheet created by someone else? Don’t worry. You can easily orient yourself and find out which formulas were used. To do this, use the Show Formulas button. Or you can use CTRL + `  on your keyboard. This will give you a view of all formulas used in the workbook.

6. Freeze Excel Rows And Columns

This is a personal favourite of mine when it comes to viewing lengthy spreadsheets. Once you scroll past the first 20 rows, the first row with the column labels annoyingly disappear from view and you begin to lose track of how the data was organized.

Freezing Excel Columns Rows

To keep them visible, use the Freeze Panes feature under the View menu. You can opt to freeze the top row or, if you have a spreadsheet with numerous columns, you can opt to freeze the first column.

7. Enter Data Patterns Instantly

One great feature in Excel is that it can automatically recognize data patterns. But what’s even better is that Excel will let you enter those data patterns to other cells.

  1. Simply enter your information in two cells to establish your pattern.
  2. Highlight the cells. There will be a small square in the bottom right hand corner of the last cell. Excel Data Patterns
  3. Place your cursor over this square until it becomes a black cross. 
  4. Then click and drag it with your mouse down to populate the cells within a columnEntering Spreadsheet Data Patterns

8. Hide Spreadsheet Rows and Columns

In some cases, you may have information in rows or columns that are for your eyes only and no one else’s. Isolate these cells from your work area (and prying eyes) by hiding them:

  1. Select the first column or row in the range you want to hide.
  2. Go to Format under the Home menu.
  3. Select Hide & Unhide>Hide Rows or Hide Columns. Hiding Excel Rows Columns

To unhide them, click on the first row or column that occur just before and after the hidden range. Repeat steps 2 and 3, but select Unhide Rows or Unhide Columns.

9.  Copy Formulas Or Data Between Worksheets

Another helpful tip to know is how to copy formulas and data to a separate worksheet. This is handy when you’re dealing with data that’s spread across different worksheets and requires repetitive calculations.

  1. With the worksheet containing the formula or data you wish to copy opened, CTRL + click on the tab of the worksheet you want to copy it to.
  2. Click on or navigate to the cell with the formula or data you need (in the opened worksheet).
  3. Press F2 to activate the cell.
  4. Press Enter.  This will re-enter the formula or data, and it will also enter it into the same corresponding cell in the other selected worksheet as well.

These general tips won’t turn you into an Excel guru overnight. But they can help you take that first step towards becoming one! Are you a well-seasoned Excel user? Which of your spreadsheet tricks would you add?

7 Google Drive Tips To Make Online Research Easier

When you need to learn about something, the Internet is the number one resource to scout out.  And given the amount of information you can find online, no matter what area, industry, or topic you’re researching,  a huge chunk of your time will be spent recording the research you find.

As you can imagine, combined with the web pages you have to go through, this can slow you dow big time. That’s why some users like to keep their workflow online with tools like Google Drive.  But if you’re using Google Drive to quickly record data, then your biggest challenge lies in working between your research and how you use Google Drive itself.

If you’re writing for an online publication, are drafting a research paper, or are reporting on industry trends, accessing the information you record is perhaps one of your main priorities. To make things easier, try a few of the Google Drive tips below to keep your research going smoothly.

1.  Perform A Google Drive Search from Chrome

Because you can need a document at any given time, it’s important to be able to pull up the right file in an instant. Google Drive Quick Search makes it easy to start a search through your Drive directly from the Chrome URL address bar. Type “drive” in the address bar, your keywords and query, then hit enter. You’ll be directed to your drive with the related results ready and waiting for you to sift through.

2. Save Your Text to Google Drive

Save Text to Google Drive does exactly what its name implies. This Chrome extension makes it super easy to export heavily dense text webpage research from the web directly to your Google Drive.

Save text to Google Drive

Once installed, simply highlight the text you’re interested in, activate the extension by clicking on it in your toolbar or extension menu, and click on the Save button. The extension will create a document with the text in the Drive you’re logged into.

3. Quickly Access Folders and Create Google Docs From Your Toolbar

To access folders and separate files instantly, simply bookmark the URL of the file or document on your toolbar.  Open the file or folder in Google Drive and bookmark the URL you see in the address bar. Admittedly, this is a simple tip, but extremely handy if you like keeping things at your fingertips.

Creating Google Docs Instantly

 4. Search Your Google Drive Directly From Gmail

Don’t waste time going back and forth between your Google Drive and Gmail.  You can do both at the same time by adding the Apps Search for Gmail extension. This is handy for when you’re either exchanging emails regarding your research project or are working with colleagues.

It will let you extend your search to Google Docs to fish out the files you’re looking for.  You can add the extension by going into Settings>Labs from your Gmail.  Then select to enable it for your account. Don’t forget to hit the “Save Changes” button at the bottom.

5. Edit PDF Text Uploaded To Google Drive

Because a lot of research comes in the PDF format, you may want to pay attention to the “Convert Text from Uploaded PDF and image files” setting. Have you been ignoring it? Well, it’s time to start paying attention to it. This setting allows you to convert PDF to text which you can then  edit within a Google Doc.

Convert text from PDF

Go to the gear icon Google Drive and access the drop down menu. Then go to Upload Settings. From there, put a check mark in the “Convert Text from Uploaded PDF and image files”  option by clicking on it.  Select the Document language. You can have this permanently turned on, but if you want to use it selectively, keep the “Confirm settings before each upload” option checked.

6.  Save Images Directly to Google Drive

Who doesn’t clip web pages when researching online? Good news is you can do it with Google Drive. Save to Google Drive can serve as a simple web clipping tool, allowing you to instantly save content from the web to a Google Drive folder. Once you have it installed,  go to the page you’re interested in and activate it by clicking on its button to the right of the address bar.  It will then save your content in .PNG format.

7. Access Google Drive And Other Google Services From Chrome

Here’s a great Chrome extension for pushing your research productivity to the limits. Black Menu for Google allows you to access files on your Drive and to your other Google services in a side bar right within Chrome.

Perfect for Google addicts with research spread across different services. You can get the Black Menu extension from the Chrome Web Store.

Got any Google Drive tips of your own? We’d love to hear them! Add them in the comments below and let us know how they helped you deal with your web research.

How to Create Your Own Customized Tab In Microsoft Word 2013

No doubt that when you create a Microsoft Word document, you have one or two tools that you always use. But if those tools span a wide range of functionality, they’ll be scattered across the ribbon, forcing you to click and toggle between tabs and bury it back into the Ribbon every time.

To solve this issue, you can customize the Quick Access Toolbar and even create a few shortcuts for your formatting functions. But why not take your productivity even further and create your own tab?

You can easily get your most commonly used functions on one single tab in Microsoft Word 2013. This way every command you need is right at your fingertips without having to go back and forth between different tabs. Here’s how.

1. Right click on any tab and select Customize the Ribbon.

Customizing the Ribbon

2. In the following dialog, click on New Tab.

Creating New Tab

To label it, right click on it and select Rename. Click on OK

3. Next, create a group to organize your commands by functionality (eg. Formatting, Editing, etc.). To do this, click on New Group. You can rename and add icons for each group by right clicking on it and selecting Rename. Do this for each group you want on your tab.

Creating New Group

Now you can start adding commands to them.

4. To add commands to a specific group, ensure that the group is selected and highlighted. Then in the Choose Commands from column, find and select your favourite command. Click on Add. Or you can drag and drop the command directly into the group. Repeat this for every command you want to include.

Adding Commands to Tab

If you’d like to change the order, simply rearrange them by moving them up or down the list.

5.  Click on OK when you’re finished and your customized tab will be added to the main Ribbon.

New Tab in Ribbon

There are a number of ways to get Microsoft Word customized to your liking. Getting your very own tab set up is one of the easiest ways to do it. What other ways do you have MS Word 2013 tailored to your needs?

How Able2Extract Works With Your Document Management System

Document-management-able2extract

In the world of technology, there’s no escaping the digital document and everything that comes with it—the PDF format included.  Professionals with all sorts of working backgrounds have at one point or another dealt with the file format.  No doubt, leveraging a system that can handle a mass number of PDF files effectively is at the top of every company’s list.

Document Management Systems

As a solution, your company probably relies on a central document management system that allows employees to access and share multiple files effortlessly. It can be implemented internally through a corporate server or externally through third party services.

Both methods, of course, have their advantages. Where enterprise server systems allow for secured control access and monitoring, third party systems can be more resource efficient. In either case, you have a digital filing cabinet that can store documents, spreadsheets, and more importantly PDF files.

Uses Of The PDF format

The advantages of PDF documents has evolved drastically over the years, providing users a secure and professional solution at the document level. It already plays a major role in every department:

  • Accounts Payable and Receivable: PDFs are used for handling key documents including invoice exporting, distributing contracts, and accessing pre-purchase documents.
  • Sales and Purchasing: Agents keep records of purchase orders, send out registration forms, and collect and process data for the company.  All are kept in the PDF format.
  • Marketing:  Distributing brochures, product literature, and information to clients.
  • Customer Service: Managing client information, customer accounts, billing and receipts.
  • B2B Correspondence:  Discussing important documents in review, distributing company forms, and exchanging business proposals in secured PDF files.

It’s apparent that PDF files can cause difficulties between departments that, more often than not, work in conjunction with one another.  Thus, employees who need to work with the same stored and trapped content, but in different ways, need to consider how they can do so in an efficient manner.

Able2Extract & Your Document Management System

Think about it. How would you instantly take the PDF data your department needed, edit it, and integrate it back into the system completely processed and as needed?

Quick makeshift solutions can turn a simple task, like extracting text, into a major problem.  You’ll always need to reformat, realign and rearrange the data, wasting valuable time and resources. With every tool you seek out, you want one that lets you work seamlessly with files and systems already in place.

Able2Extract provides an intuitive way of converting PDF documents, minus the high cost, complex integration, and the steep learning curve. Here’s a closer look at how you can extend your workflow and get the most out of it:

Instant PDF conversion—Spend more time on analyzing data. Conversion is reduced to a 3-step process. Open your file, select the content to convert, click on the conversion output desired.

Content Editing—Able2Extract is designed for general content repurposing in mind. You get conversion options that are suitable to each format, whether it be Word or Excel.

Data manipulation—For professionals in data intensive work environments, Able2Extract can convert only the data you want, not the redundant data you don’t.

Document Collaboration—With more than more than 10 PDF conversion options, Able2Extract eases the document collaboration process and accommodates any format conversion needed by individual workers.

Invoice Data Analysis—Able2Extract’s custom PDF to Excel conversion gives users the control and flexibility to convert and manipulate PDF data at the cell level.

This flexibility enables you to work with information the way you need to and get the most out of your conversions.  For more information, check out the quick start guide to get a closer look at Able2Extract.
photo credit: DijutalTim via photopin cc