A. PDF is computerese for Portable Document Format and files of this type have the three-character filename extension .pdf at the end of a filename. PDF files maintain their formatting when they’re attached to an email because they’re “finished documents” and may contain images as well as text. PDF files can be created on any computer with the appropriate software, and they can be read on ANY computer that has the free Adobe Reader program—Macs, Linux, and handheld computers as well as PCs. Files in PDF format can be sent “cross-platform” with no compatibility issues.

For the above reasons, PDF has become the format of choice for online files such as hardware and software manuals, instructions for making Chinese frog closures or a dress form made from duct tape, or pretty much anything. Businesses use PDFs to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and customers, send important contracts, proposals, etc. that may need input from several people or may need an electronic signature, and this kind of heavy security is included only in the high-powered Adobe Acrobat program, which has advanced options for watermarks, passwords, and file encryption. Original PDF files cannot be edited directly, but by copying the file and pasting it into a word processor document, it can then be edited unless it has been protected by the author.

The PDF format was originally designed by Adobe and could be created in only Adobe Acrobat; however, there are now less powerful programs that can serve our purposes. Generally, the PDF file is created by choosing Print and printing to a “virtual printer”— a pseudo printer or software program that converts the file format. What are the other programs that are free?

• OpenOffice – Go to www.iconusersgroup.org—Links—Desktop Publishing—Open Office. Click on the underlined link and download the free OpenOffice.org. Or, if you have ICON’s Utility CD, you have it already. Open Office will read and save Microsoft Word (.doc and .rtf files), Excel (.xls), and PowerPoint (.ppt) and will export these files to whatever folder you wish in PDF format. With the file open, click File-Export as PDF, tell it where to Save in: and click the Save button. There are some security features if you wish. Open Office works fine with both Windows XP and VISTA.
• PrimoPDF – Go to www.primopdf.com to download the program. PrimoPDF installs as a printer and PDF documents can be created from any programs that allow printing. In the Programs menu, activePDF is the name. To create a PDF file, click File—Print. Select PrimoPDF as the printer and OK. In PDF Settings, click on the Print radio button, check the Save As: to see that the file is going to the place you want and has the filename you want, then click OK. There are more security features in PrimoPDF than in Open Office. PrimoPDF works great in Windows XP, but is incompatible with VISTA at this time.
• PDF995 – Go to ICON’s Web site, click on Links and scroll down to Utilities, where you will find a link, or go to www.pdf995.com. PDF995 suite includes three free modules: 1) Pdf995 (two files) creates PDFs; 2) PdfEdit converts from PDF to formatted HTML (web format) or DOC (text only) files, plus other features; and 3) Signature995 provides security and encryption. PDF995 free programs are ad-sponsored and want you to purchase additional software, but for $9.95 each, you can upgrade to licensed ad-free versions; a suite key of $19.95 will upgrade all three programs. To save a file in PDF format, click on File—Print—Select PDF995 as the Printer—OK. In the Save As: window, check Save in: for the place; File name; and Save as type: PDF; then click the Save button. The PDF document opens immediately in Adobe Reader. PDF995 works fine in both Windows XP and VISTA.

If you want to send files to someone with a computer other than a PC (Personal Computer) but you don’t know what kind of computer or what kind of software they have, or if you want to send “pretty” things and have them stay that way, you can create PDF files to send as attachments or upload to Web sites.

Oh, one more thing! If you have American Greetings CreataCard 8, one of the Print options is Save As PDF on the Broderbund PDF Creator if you have installed it.