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PDF Page Editing Made Easy

Editing Pages

With digital and mobile workflows trending in the office place, it’s all about the 2 P’s: Paperless Productivity. And for us in the PDF industry, this not only means going digital with your documents, but that you work efficiently with them as well.

To that end, one of our goals is to make it so that you don’t have to resort to other tools to get a separate PDF task done. And we’ve made some great progress towards that goal with Able2Extract 9.

You already know about its proven track record with multiple conversion options, and are now just getting a taste of its PDF creation abilities. Curious about its PDF editing features, too? Here’s a quick orientation guide for you.

Able2Extract’s PDF Editing Features

You can find these features by going to Edit>Pages in both the Standard version and the Professional version for editing scanned PDF files.

PDF Page Editor

As a PDF editor, Able2Extract can do a few things to alleviate some of the panic you experience when opening a less than perfect PDF document.

Delete

Got redundant pages? We’ve all had them at one point. Whether they’re pages meant for specific people, blank eBook pages, or automatic page inserts, they add to the file bloat and extra scrolling. Good news is that you don’t have to put up with them anymore.

Deleting PDF Pages

Once you have your PDF opened in Able2Extract 9, you can delete PDF pages by specifying the page range and clicking on Delete. Enter the same page number in both fields to delete a single page. Your PDF page content will automatically shift up or down, of course, but the unnecessary page will be gone.

Move

Being able to move PDF pages comes in handy for long document revisions or PDF presentations where content order is especially important. When you need to rearrange or re-order pages in your document, use this feature.

Accessing this option will give you the following dialog:

Moving PDF Pages

Just input your page range accordingly and the number of the page you want your selected range to be placed before. Note that your page sequence is modified after each move. So be sure to use the most recently modified page numbering to define the Put Before Page value for your next PDF page move.

Resize

The Resize PDF pages feature acts like a cropping tool that can help you cut out large margins or unnecessary white space, this is the feature to use. In other words, this feature resizes your pages, not your content.

Resizing PDF Pages

You can adjust your page(s) dimensions as needed, resizing as much or as little as you want. Don’t forget to set the measurement units to either inches, centimeters, millimeters or points when using this feature! Once you have your values set, click on Resize.

Adjusting PDF Page Dimensions

Scale

Unlike the Resize feature above, Able2Extract’s scale PDF page option will let you change both the PDF page content and size together.

Scaling PDF Pages

The scaling measurement is done by percentage. It can be adjusted up to within 0.01% of the scale needed, so your content remains consistent and accurate, no matter what size the page is.

Adjusting PDF Content Dimensions

Rotate

The Rotate PDF page feature is designed for PDFs that with page content that appears upside down or sideways. This can usually happen with full page images that are originally in landscape mode, but are included in a portrait oriented PDF.

Rotating PDF Pages

The benefit? Instead of extracting the pages and re-creating the PDF, you can simply give a specified page (or page range) a good 90 degree turn in Able2Extract 9.

To get the full Able2Extract editing experience, give these features a go with a 7-day free trial for Able2Extract Standard or Able2Extract Professional for converting scanned or image PDFs.

Introducing The All New Able2Extract 9 With PDF Creation!

Today, we’re excited to announce that we just released Able2Extract 9.0! Our flagship PDF converter has undergone some major changes in this version which we know you’ll love.

These changes go beyond what you’d consider an average product upgrade. This is because in addition to general PDF conversion improvements, Able2Extract 9 now comes with the ability to create and edit PDF documents!

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Our developers have worked hard to turn Able2Extract 9 into a complete PDF solution package. And with our in-house PDF creation technology baked directly into Able2Extract, the PDF converter can accomplish a whole new set of PDF tasks from creating PDFs to editing your PDF pages.

Here’s what you’ll find in this latest version.

Create Professional PDF Documents

We made it super easy for you to create a PDF file from any document, whether it’s from within Able2Extract itself or through the brand new virtual print driver.

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The process is just as easy as converting a PDF file with Able2Extract. From the Command toolbar, click on the Create PDF icon, select your file and simply save it to your computer.

New PDF Creation Options

If you’ve used our PDF creation tools before then you’ll know which creation features you have at your disposal. PDF creation options include:

Compression- Choose from LZW, JPEG, and ZIP for your images
Security-Apply passwords and file permissions
Font & Colours- Specify if you’d like to embed orsubset fontsor convert CMYK to RGB
PDF viewing- Decide how you want your PDF to display when opened
MS Office conversion- Choose from a number of Office-related options such as retaining hyperlinks, bookmarks, and comments from Office documents

pdf-creation-options

PDF Creation Security Features

As part of your PDF creation options, you can also create secured PDFs. You no longer have to worry if your PDF files are being tampered with or not. You get to choose what people can or can’t do with your content.

pdf-document-security

Let users copy and paste text, print up the file, or allow them to insert, rotate and shuffle pages. As always, we leave the choice up to you!

Edit PDF Document Pages

With Able2Extract 9, you can go so far as to edit your PDF files. Able2Extract allows you to add and adjust your PDF document’s information, the file’s viewing settings, and editing PDF pages:

edit-pdf-pages

Able2Extract Print Dispatcher

Another new feature is the Able2Extract Print Dispatcher. This is an icon that sits in your system tray when you install Able2Extract 9 and allows you to keep track of newly created PDF files directly from your desktop.

able2extract-print-dispatcher

It works in conjunction with the Able2Extract Virtual Print Driver. So when you create a PDF document from another application, you can choose how and where you want to open the file. You can also use this to adjust your PDF creation options when using the Virtual Print Driver to create PDFs.

Save Your PDF Creation Settings

Just as you can save your custom PDF to Excel conversion parameters, you can now save your PDF creation settings as a file. This means that for every PDF you create, you can apply the same file settings as required.

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Improved PDF Conversion, OCR & PDF Rendering

And now that PDF creation is a part of Able2Extract 9, the PDF rendering and viewing capabilities are better than ever! You can use Able2Extract 9 to view PDFs with the even the most complex of graphical content.

able2extract-pdf-viewer

Other enhancements include improved PDF conversion for complex PDF files. And for Able2Extract Professional, we included tweaks to the OCR engine, providing you with even more accurate renditions.

Test out and check out all of these newest features here. Existing Software Advantage Plan users can upgrade to Able2Extract 9 from their account dashboard.

Give it a try and don’t forget to let us know what you think of this latest version!

PDF Usability And The Web: Is The Format Still “Unfit For Human Consumption”?

There has always been a well-documented love-hate relationship between users and the PDF format. You either love it when things go right or hate it when it doesn’t co-operate.

Yet for better or worse, the PDF document is in our daily lives. We convert and create PDFs, always emailing and reading them no matter how much we may complain about the format.

But think about what it was like before. Back in 2003, authoritative web usability guru, Jakob Nielsen, criticized the usability of the PDF on the web in his article PDF: Unfit for Human Consumption, in which he catalogs what he calls the format’s “usability crimes.”

If you were an early PDF adopter in the late 90’s or early 2000’s, then you could probably relate very strongly to the article. But would you still agree with it after more than 10 years? Probably not. You can’t deny the format’s improvement since then.

Despite the misgivings we have about the PDF, we can’t do without it. Because of large scale adoption, ISO standardization, and third party tools, the PDF format is a heck of a lot easier to work with. But it’s also due in large part, to the Internet itself and how it’s been shaping our user habits.

The State Of Our Online Behavior

Today we live in a highly technological world that co-exists hand in hand with the Internet. And whether we like it or not, our compulsion to stay connected online greatly influences our need to edit and work with documents on the web, including ones that weren’t meant to be edited.

We connect and communicate online. Blogs, social media, and forums are endlessly engaged in discussion. Social networks are highly public, yet personal. We need to access and do things online, to create an individual work space which we can control.

Photo Credit: Justin Marty via photopin cc

It’s no surprise then that because of this necessity, the digital documents we use daily are following this trend. Our files have become part of the interactive and streamlined user experience.

Developers have been giving digital documents like the PDF a lot of integrated support. Online app services like Google Drive, for instance, allow us to upload PDF documents for viewing, commenting, and sharing, all with a simple URL. Desktop tools are also extending document sharing to real time collaboration over the web.

We can log in from anywhere and check in with our files on-screen. Whether a professional on a tablet or a student enrolled in an online class, we can always connect with PDF contracts and research papers. And on top of this, we can read and download PDF e-books from the web onto our mobile devices.

Using The Internet As A PDF Tool

Let’s not forget that Google has been able to index PDF files since 2001. Since then, the popularity of PDFs online has grown to such an extent that by 2013, 80% of non-html documents posted online were PDF files.

Admittedly, web browsers back in 2003 didn’t support PDF viewing very well. However, browsers like Chrome and Firefox have begun including native PDF viewers. Add to that the ability to create a PDF for fast web viewing and your PDF documents are easier to go through than ever.

What’s interesting to note is that this online PDF viewing and sharing has gradually changed the role of the format itself. Before, the PDF was considered only a final print format. But thanks to online services and advanced PDF creation and editing tools, it can be manipulated at any point in the workflow.

Photo Credit: Saad Faruque via photopin cc

Consider how and when you’ve used online converters and web apps, or social networks and document search engines for a PDF. What did they do to help you with the file? Given the right utilities and extensions, we can interact with PDFs in our browser or annotate, highlight, and merge them instantly.

Truth is, it isn’t as hard to work with PDF files online as it used to be. In fact, presenting PDF content online is now perhaps the most basic thing you can do.

But what do you think? Is the PDF still hard for you to consume online–viewing, handling, or otherwise? It seems that with the way the Internet and the format are developing, there’s no better time to be a PDF user than now.

The Truth Behind 4 Common PDF Facts

Magnifying Glass View

Photo Credit: andercismo via photopin cc

Although the PDF is now a common digital format in almost all aspects of our habits online (sharing, downloading, and emailing), there is still a lot about the PDF format that we tend to gloss over and generalize.

Whether you know it or not, a lot of general facts about the PDF format are usually taken out of context or misunderstood altogether. The PDF format is constantly improving and changing. Thus, what we know about the format has to change as well if we are to use the format effectively.

That being said, here are a few brief clarifications on the most common PDF facts we all know.

Everyone Can View And Access PDF Files

When we say that PDF files can be viewed by everyone and on every platform, what we don’t often mention is that there are exceptions. More specifically, if your file recipients have visual impairments or physical disabilities, reading and navigating your PDF content with a mouse is next to impossible for them.

PDFs that can truly be viewed by everyone—including users with disabilities, are accessible PDF documents that are tagged. A structurally tagged PDF can work with assistive devices like screen readers, allowing users to have PDFs read out loud to them. To ensure your PDF is up to par, consult the PDF/UA standard which provides an official guideline on how to generate PDFs that everyone can access.

PDF Content Can’t Be Edited Or Modified

A true fact, but there are two sides to this. First and foremost, PDFs are meant to ensure that its content stays intact. It’s a locked down format that protects against unwanted modification. But if you ever tried, then you know that you can perform some edits to a PDF to a certain extent if you have the right PDF tool or if the assigned PDF permissions allow.

Photo Credit: Nic’s events via photopin cc

For example, you can modify PDF files: extract pages, merge or split PDFs, edit PDF metadata, add bookmarks or even headers and footers. In other cases, you can add digital signatures, fill out PDF forms, add annotations, and notes. Also, if allowed, basic text copying should be done via PDF tools to prevent formatting issues. Though for legit and drastic edits or content re-purposing, you’re better off performing full PDF conversions instead. PDF content itself isn’t meant to be freely edited like a Word document, but you can take some liberties.

PDF Files Can Only Contain Text And Images

Because the format is generally known as a file format to use for professional purposes, there’s this assumption that PDFs are boring, that they can only be used for text and images. Nothing can be further from the truth.

They’re actually great containers for compelling content. In fact, though usually advised against for the sake of file sizes, multimedia PDF files are perfect for promotional material or e-brochures. They can include animations, audio, video, and even interactive elements. So next time you need something creative, you can add the PDF format to your list of tools. With a bit of creativity and the right media, you can improve your content ten- fold.

PDF Files Are Naturally Secure

Because the PDF format adds a layer of security over your content, we usually tend to think that it’s automatically impenetrable. But if you quickly publish a PDF on the web thinking your content is protected against plagiarism, think again. If indexed by Google, users can select the “View as HTML” option or click to view it in a browser with a built-in PDF viewer, like Firefox. Your content is then up for grabs.

Securing Technology

Photo Credit: Perspecsys.com via photopin cc

To prevent that from happening, always add advanced security options on content you want to share, but keep control over. Include encryption, watermarks and even PDF passwords so you can specify exactly what users can or cannot do with the file. Remember, your PDF file is only as secure as you make it.

Were you already aware of the fine print behind these major PDF facts? What are some others you’ve come across?

5 Creative Ways To Search The Web

Searching the web on Google is always the number one go-to solution for finding help online. And although its last update (aka Hummingbird) focused on a smarter way of finding results, it is still possible (and frustrating) to go beyond the third page of your search results. Not a very valuable use of your time.

As productivity advocates, we’re always looking for more efficient ways of doing things—even searching the web. So for this post we’ll break down some quick basic tips (some of which you may already be doing) when you’re ready to give up on Google.

1. Use Content Specific Search Engines

Helpful when….: You’re looking for a specific type of format.

Why: Google offers a number of search results based on type: news, web pages, images, and file formats. Although Google operators can produce results right down to the file format, there are search engines that can offer efficient searches.

Search Benefits: Content specific search engines will give you a highly focused collection of results in contrast to the endless pages of results from Google. Moreover, they come equipped with search filters that further narrow down your hunt.

Tools: There are a number of handy online tools that can help you search for PDF documents, PowerPoint presentations online, or archived webpages. Also, you can find search tools for photos and even third party tools for searching through Flickr.

2. Search By Finding Similar Sites

Photo Credit: therichbrooks via photopin cc

Helpful when…: You want to familiarize yourself with a new subject, genre or field.

Why: When you want to learn about something, you’re first step is to find information on the topic and then find websites that cover the subject. If you’re looking for sites on something like fitness, seeking out influential websites in the industry will give you the lay of the land, connecting you to other authoritative sources in that niche.

Search Benefits: When you search like this, your results are pared down to highly related sites instead having to sift through individual articles and web pages.

Tools: Similarsites.com and SimilarWeb.com are a couple of tools that can help you with this type of search. They’re designed to work with thousands of sites that have already been indexed and rated on relevancy by users.

3. Search For Answers By Asking Users

Helpful when….: You have specific questions or only have broad ideas.

Why: When you have a general question your first instinct is to type it out in Google and see what comes up. But when asking a question, you’re looking for general guidance first (“What can I find on this topic?”) or specific information (computer and hardware specs). A better way to finding results is in asking directly in forums, communities, and groups.

Search Benefits: Users in communities and forums can give you one-on-one advice. This beats having to refer to 5 articles on one topic. In addition, you get answers, insights, and hidden details based from personal experience which some general posts may miss.

Tools: Try communities that are active and that attract credible users. Try sites like Quora, for instance, where you get to ask professionals from different industries for their expertise. There are also Google+ communities full of users who are generous with their time and help.

4. Use Social Media, Aggregators & Real Time Search

Helpful when…: You want quick, updated information on a topic.

Why: The power of social media is hard to deny. On social media networks, everyone is sharing a link, comment, or insight on anything and everything–including posts on the topic you’re researching.

Search Benefits: Social networks are extremely powerful with their search features. Searches on popular networks like Google+, Facebook, and Twitter are easily tailored to find posts, users, or hashtags. Using these networks as your search engine, you can zero in on real time posts. In addition, you can get a contextual grasp on any given topic at the moment based on the sentiments of the posters.

Tools: Besides using the social networks themselves, social media aggregators and real time search engines can help. Tools like Alltop and PopURLS will offer you a quick bird’s eye view of current trends. Just type in your search terms and you’re off.

5. Use Websites & Blogs

Helpful when…: You need to find related resources.

Why: When you’re online, you may already have a natural compulsion to click through to other sites from an article you’re reading. Because blogs and websites link out to sites and sources that complement their own content, you can slowly build up a good resource.

Search Benefits: When you consciously practice this as a search method, it could mean that if you start with one quality web site you can find 5 other links that may be helpful. Granted, there are some spammy sites out there. But given that Google has cracked down on bad linking behaviour and has encouraged websites to link to relevant sources in their blog rolls, this type of search method should be a safe bet.

Tools: To find a good quality site to start you off, visit Technorati, the most credible blog directory online.

As an added bonus, you can combine these tips to get even better results. So while Google is the number one tool when it comes to search, it isn’t the only one you have to resort to!