If you’re looking for a free alternative to Adobe Reader, one of the best options out there currently is. Other than being able to view a PDF file, the program has a huge number of features that pushes it far beyond Adobe Reader and much closer to what Adobe Acrobat can do.I used Adobe Reader for years because it was from Adobe and I felt it had to be better because Adobe is a behemoth and they create amazing software like Photoshop! However, being a behemoth is also a bad thing.

• Do You Want My Opinion By M Kerr Pdf Converter Software

Adobe Reader, in my opinion, is bloated and slow. Performance has improved over the years, but it’s still massive compared to a program like Foxit.The best thing is that it can do everything Adobe Reader can plus a whole lot of other stuff. Want to search a bunch of PDF files at once? Foxit can do it.

Want to have the computer read out the whole PDF to you? Foxit can do it. Want to create your own PDF file? Foxit can do it. Want to sign a PDF file securely? You know the answer!

Plus, all of this is for free.Of course, there are a few caveats. For example, you can sign your PDF document with an ink signature for free, but if you want a real electronic signature verified by a third-party, you will have to use the DocuSign service built right into Foxit. Also, you can create simple PDF files from scans, from the clipboard or by adding text boxes and images, but if you want to create more advanced PDF forms, you’ll have to purchase their PhantomPDF software.

Still, it’s a lot of functionality for just a PDF reader.In this article, I’ll go through a lot of the features in Foxit and why I like it so much as my primary PDF viewing software. User Interface and LayoutThe first thing you’ll notice right off the bat is that the interface looks awfully similar to the new ribbon interface Microsoft introduced in Office 2007. It’s super clean and viewing PDF files in Foxit is an enjoyable experience. It’s so good in fact, it also seems like it would fit perfectly into the Office family of applications. Also, like the Office ribbon, you can customize the ribbon menus in Foxit too.

You can add/remove buttons and Foxit even has the same quick access toolbar at the top, which can be customized.It also has the standard multi-tab style for viewing multiple PDF files that you see in all web browsers. Along the left side are a couple of buttons that let you access a few convenient features like bookmarks, page thumbnails, page layers, comments and annotations, any file attachments, security settings and digital signatures.Foxit also has a lot of different ways to view your PDF files. If you go over to the View tab, you’ll see two sections called Document Views and Page Display.There is Reading Mode, which hides the ribbon, Reverse View, which reverses the order of all the pages and Text Viewer, which gets rid of all formatting, images, etc, and shows you just the text in the document.

For Page Display, you have single page, single page continuous, double-page, double-page continuous, split, separate cover page and auto scroll. My favorite feature is the Rotate View option. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received a PDF from someone and the scanned image was in the wrong orientation.

Do You Want My Opinion By M Kerr Pdf Converter Software

Creating PDF FilesOutside of the great interface for viewing, organizing and searching your PDF files, Foxit has a whole set of tools for creating your own PDF files. Click on File, Create PDF and you’ll have several options to choose from: Blank, From File, From Scanner or From Clipboard.The PDF format used by Foxit is 100% standards compliant and therefore will work with any other PDF program out there. If you have Office installed, Foxit has plugins available that will let you create PDFs directly within Office programs. Using Word to create a PDF file is much more robust than creating one in Foxit from scratch.

By default, there is a text tool and some drawing tools under the Comment tab on the ribbon for creating your PDF file within Foxit Reader.If you have a lot of documents to scan, you can easily scan them straight to PDF format using Foxit rather than converting them from images to PDFs later on. You can also edit the metadata for PDF files so that they are easier to search. Collaboration & SharingThere are a lot of useful collaboration features in Foxit Reader that make life more convenient.

One feature I use a lot is the fact that Evernote is integrated right into the Share tab.You need to have the Evernote Windows application installed in order for the icon to become active. Once it detects Evernote, you can instantly save PDF files directly to Evernote. In addition to Evernote, you can also email files and share to Facebook or Twitter. The email feature will basically open your default email program set in Windows with the PDF file attached.For corporate environments, Foxit also include SharePoint Integration, which is really useful for companies in the Microsoft camp. If you click on the Comment tab, there are a lot of options for adding notes and annotations to your PDF document.You can markup text, pin notes and files, add textboxes and call outs, add drawings, highlight areas on the page, add stamps to a document and manage comments.

Security & Other FeaturesAnother great aspect to Foxit is the security built-into the program. Foxit has a feature called Safe Reading Mode that will basically warn users if any PDF file tries to make any external call and lets them decide to terminate the process or to go ahead.By default, Foxit is set to prevent PDF files from sending information over the Internet unless explicitly allowed to do so. If you want to be safer, you can disable JavaScript Actions also.In addition, if you are receiving documents that are digitally signed, Foxit uses a ISO 32000 compliant verification process to ensure that the digital signature is genuine and that neither the signature nor the document have been altered.Overall, Foxit is by far the best free application for replacing Adobe Reader as your primary PDF reading program. Also, using their paid software like PhantomPDF is a lot cheaper than Adobe Acrobat and the feature set is just as good, if not better than Adobe’s.

If you have a different opinion, let us know in the comments.

Yesterday I talked about the frustration of having to, once for print and once for ebooks. And I promised to tell you about an amazing innovation that can literally cut your time in half.Who wouldn’t want to get 2 totally different formats—print and ebook—with half the work?I’ll let my associate Tracy Atkins from tell the rest of the story:Over the past year authors have been generous with their feedback, kudos, and requests about our Microsoft Word. This valuable insight has not only allowed us to refine our existing templates (and our documentation) and has also given us direction on what authors really want.This feedback led directly to the introduction last year of our non-fiction and children’s template lines. It also has helped us set the course for the future.One of the things authors seem to want most is a template that can be used for both print and eBook formatting—from a single template file.When we were first approached about building a unified template, I was a little unsure about how to tackle it.

We’re offering this technology in three new designs:, and.These templates have been specifically designed to give you the fastest way to format a great looking print book that can also be directly converted to any of the major eReader platforms from the same file. We took common fonts like Times New Roman and Arial, and pushed the limits on typography to deliver a clean and professional presentation that will make your books look as good on paper as they do on the screen of an ereader.

Design and Features, Not Just a WireframeWe know authors have lots of different needs. That’s why we built a wide array of popular fiction and non-fiction features into each of these templates. Features like. Support for photos and table of contents. Stylization for pull quotes and body text. Options for bullet points, lists and even tablesWe really want to provide you with all of the goodies that are common to both print and eBook formats.

Although these designs aren’t as complex as our print-only templates, they are perfect for novels, short stories and collections, memoirs, and even photo-heavy works. Simplicity Is Your FriendPerhaps the best thing about these is their simplicity. You use the same copy-paste-style formula as our existing templates to format your book interior.You can then format, edit, and create the other elements in your book, from photos to footnotes, right in the template. When you’re done, you can create a PDF for print, or upload the same file to your favorite eReader platform for conversion.The page numbers and running heads that show up in the PDF version for print will be automatically removed when converted to eBook, and replaced with the numbering system for the format you are using.The other formatting elements for print will translate over to eBook format during the conversion process. It really does take a lot of the effort out of getting your book ready to go. Product Details and Great DiscountAs always, we include versions of the templates for Word 97 through the most current version, in both.DOC and.DOCX format.

So, no matter what version of Word you have, on the PC or Mac, we have you covered.Since the templates use standard fonts that come with Word or Windows, you don’t even have to install anything new. Simply open the template file and begin work.Whether you are looking to create a contemporary masterpiece or to format a professional looking piece of prose, our three new designs have something for everyone.And to celebrate the introduction of these new 2Way templates, all three are available right now at 35% off until Sunday night.So have a look at “Spark”, “Electric”, and “Lightning” on our. Hi Susan,Yes, that’s the whole idea: you can use the template to create a PDF for your print book, and a file to convert into ePub. The instructions on this are all contained in our Formatting Guide.You can sell the books you create with the template anywhere.When you apply the styles in the template, they will change the font specifications to the ones we’ve embedded in the template.Usage depends on which license you decide on: with the single-book license you can only use the template for one book. When you publish it is up to you. With our multi-book license, for one fee you can use the template for as many of your own books as you like, in perpetuity. Hello Barbara,Great question!In all of our 2Way templates we use fonts that translate or transfer well to all of the major eBook platforms that are in use today.

Since most eReader platforms wont accept the majority of embedded fonts and generally strip them out, using “universal fonts” allow the 2Way templates to produce a print and eBook that look as similar as possible. It creates a great looking print book as you can see from the samples, and a great looking ebook that matches.We do offer non-2Way templates that have a wide variety of font choices that are specifically designed to give you an even better print book look and feel. Those are great choices if you want a higher-end print book. (We offer eBook template versions of all of our template products, and those eBook templates also use universal fonts that are eReader compatible.)Now, if you want the ultimate in Print and eBook design, our InDesign templates go a step above all of the Word ones. Because of the way InDesign works, you format your print book using all of the highest-grade typography components available, giving you a superior print book.

InDesign then lets you use the same book file, just like our 2Way templates, to directly export an ePub file, stripping out anything that isn’t ePub compatible. So, all InDesign templates are “2Way” in that regard. Have completed a non-fiction Christian book with footnotes for each chapter. Polishing on the last couple of chapters. Would like to format it myself on Createspace. The work is approximately 1,000 pages and hope to format it in two or maybe even three volumes at 8 x 10.

It was produced in WordPerfect 7 and would like a tempalate where I can simply past in from this instead of having to convert it to MS Word. I will be talking with Createspace soon as Volume One is ready to format. Your initial wisdom would be received and appreciated.

Joe Ragland Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:5. Hi Joann, thanks for your thoughts. I’ve written for years about the difference between trying to do book in a word processor versus using professional layout software, which I’ve been using since Ventura Publisher days.However, I don’t dictate to people what they should be doing, and the fact is that many people do books in Word regardless of what your or I think. It was to help those people that we started the Book Design Templates site and made these available.You should check out the full size PDF samples on the site, I think you might be surprised.1.

We use professional fonts that are licensed for distribution2. Virtually all our clients are doing books in black and white, and a few in “commercial” color. These templates are not intended for books that need highly accurate color reproduction, but it would be more prudent to have a professional book designer involved in a project like that anyway.3. See #2.And I agree that there’s much better software for typography, but many authors simply aren’t going to buy it and try to learn how to use it. By offering these templates we’ve helped thousands of authors produce better-looking, industry-standard books without the hours of frustration trying to figure it all out themselves.That seems like a good thing to me. While I appreciate your efforts, I wish it included what I do.

One, I hate Microsoft Word with a passion. Rather take a whipping with a wet rope than use it. I have used Lotus Word Pro since ’96 and have written nine novels in the last three years with it. It is far easier to use, more flexible than MSW.

I write in the format by which I intend to print, 5.5 x 8.5, mirrored pages. Each chapter has it’s own separate division. When finished, It’s ready to convert to PDF and send to the printer. For E, I change the format to 8.5 x 11 with half inch margins all around, convert to PDF and send to BookBaby. Wouldn’t mind trying your system if you had it for Lotus. For my western novels, I use Anderson Four Feather Falls for Chapter and sub-headings and Times New Roman for the rest of the text.

Could save about $200 per book if I knew how to convert to Mobi and E-Pubthat’s why I send to BookBaby and pay them to do it, but always looking for a better way. Dear Joel – Sorry for the older English approach.I have been steadily following and much appreciate your patient approach, although only contributing twice.Your DIY templates are tempting. Why: Because i’ve landed on a formatter which my friend term as from hell. The formatting after year is still half-way.

Questions:Although the book uses Georgia 11, it’s a long tale.1. Could this font be transferred to one of your templates?2.Is Ariel now acceptable? I recall you warning against this, as my readers might find it wearisome reading.3. Is Times Roman now acceptable? I recall some of your respondents’distaste for this old, unattractive font – only for newspapers etcetera.4.

If i manage to have the non-fiction book published – here i’m temptedto LOL – which of the three templates would you advise to use for serious poems?5. Will your template offer practical advice on how to avoid large, obvious spacing gaps in a line? My formatter loves that.I realise that you may consider me pernickety. My excuse is that in this endeavour i have to be treated like a simpleton – alas.My very best wishes for your continued energy in furthering your readers’ active interest. Formatting most fiction books should take a few days to a week at most, depending on how busy the formatter is.

The actual work takes less time. Nonfiction books can be quite a bit more complex and time-consuming, but I’ve never worked on one that took more than a few weeks, and I’ve done some massive, complex books.1. Yes, the templates can be customized to use a different font.2.

I don’t typeset books in Ariel because I prefer serif book fonts and find them easier to read. However, many Kindle and other ereader users are quite fond of Ariel!3. Times is not an ideal typeface for book typography, but used carefully it can create a quite acceptable book.4. We don’t have a template right now that’s preformatted for poetry, so any of the fiction or nonfiction templates will work about the same. We will have a poetry-specific template this spring.5. Our templates do not create large, obvious spacing gaps in the lines.I don’t consider you persnickety, typography is all in the details.Thanks for your good wishes and I suggest you go over and have a look at the templates yourself.

Each one has a full size PDF sample you can download to see the actual output you’ll get. Could you please hold my hand and answer some questions for me:)? I kept this post up all day on my computer yesterday but couldn’t garner the courage to ask my “stupid” questions. Today I feel braver!I have a newspaper background and I’m used to Quark Express (and yes, I realize I just dated myself:). I HATE Microsoft Word. And yes, that’s with all caps!Could you please clarify for me: IF I use your “template,” do I still start in Word and then copy and paste the text to let it flow into your template OR can I simply type directly into your template like I would a Quark document?I’ve started a novel that features a lot of photos (antique postcards). I like to design as I write.

Being able to see it as I go along helps push me and the novel along. Word just isn’t conducive to that (or I don’t know how to use it:) It seems your template is the modern equivalent of Quark Express for me. Am I right or am I misunderstanding how the template works? Hi Trishia,Sure, let’s hold hands and walk through this together.I’m a longtime Quark user who switched to InDesign in 2009. I never composed a book in Word and for a long time thought you would have to be crazy even to try it. Now I know better, and thousands (literally!) of authors are publishing books from Word and doing quite well.You can treat the Word templates simply as one step in your output workflow.

You don’t have to create your manuscript in Word if you don’t want to, OR you can type directly in the template, since it’s just a Word file, after all. And you can place photos into the template while you’re working on it, so no problems there.Structurally, Word doesn’t work like QXP or ID, so no, even with our templates, it’s not going to be an equivalent of those programs.What the templates do is supply with what are in effect “master pages” in the document (not separate, re-assignable pages) and a complete set of paragraph styles. This allows you to flow your text into the template, then style it and pretty much be done, ready to output.The templates also come with a Formatting Guide you can download separately for free here: and that might give you a better idea of how they work.And remember, we have support available as well as a 30 day, money back, no questions asked guarantee, so if you want to mess around with one for a few weeks, there’s no financial risk.Hope that helps. Seems like these could help out a lot.I really need to get some of my books into print, perhaps with CreateSpace. One of the problems I’ve run into while transitioning my eBook over to their templates is the Table of Contents.

It’s just kind of a pain when you have too many chapters for the templates they give you.Anyways, you can work around that usually. Another thing is pictures. I’m a little leery of even doing some of my non-fiction books with pictures because of the cost, mainly for the reader. The fact that I’m worried inserting those into the template will throw it off is also something that keeps me from doing it.Small little hurdles like that are probably hurting my earnings potential, and maybe these templates would help me solve some of those issues. Hello Greg!The TOC can sometimes run long on books with a lot of chapters.

We have the TOC in the templates formatted to look good, and not take up a ton of space. There is some play in there for adjustment too, if you have a ton of chapters.With photos for eBooks like kindle, there is also a lot easy of ways to format or include photos that are painless for both the reader and author. If you like, please contact me directly through the contact form on the bookdesigntemplates website and I will be happy to help you find the right balance and solution for your project.-Tracy.