using non-acrobat pdf creation

[esllou]

I need to create a section of a site with a lot of PDF files and didn't want to spend out hundreds of dollars on acrobate pdf creator.

I have seen a lot of cheaper/free alternative applications for creating PDF files and wondered whether they were worth using. Is there any particular reason why I should stick to the well-know software - do the others do as good a job?

[jezra]

OpenOffice can create PDFs. If you are using Mac OS X, you can "print" any document to PDF. The only reason I can see to use Acrobat would be to create PDFs with forms.

[esllou]

No, I don't need forms and I don't need password protection or anything fancy like that. Just need to change 100 word docs into pdf's.

will creating them with a free tool create any problems/differences for people using Acrobat to read them? That's the crux of my question....is there anything similar to "cross-browser" problems in the world of PDF?

[jezra]

I've never had a problem with the PDFs I've made with OpenOffice. Most of the PDFs I make start as Microsoft word documents that I open with OpenOffice and save a PDF and then post to my website. Your mileage may vary.

[wheel]

I've been using OpenOffice for years. Never had a problem with the PDF's, it's what I use to create all my PDF's.

I believe PDF's are a known standard, so anyone can produce them if so inclined. OO just does a good job of it. Looks pretty much like MS Word, but with a 'print to pdf' button :).

[esllou]

I tried OO once and it was off my machine within ten minutes. I opened up all my word docs and everything was "off". All paras and tables were askew...it was like looking at a website with IE3.

so ever since then, had a bit of a downer on OO. I don't want to have to go through all my Word docs changing things to look right in OO before making my pdf's

any thoughts on what could have been the problem?

[physics]

Use a virtual postscript printer as mentioned in this thread:
Best Non-Adobe PDF Maker [webmasterworld.com]

[herb]

Take a look at PDF 95

pdf995.com

Think a licensed version is less than 10.00US

[Badger37]

>>herb wrote:
>>Take a look at PDF 95
>>pdf995.com
>>Think a licensed version is less than 10.00US

I use their free version with no problems. The free version just opens an ad whenever you create a PDF, very eary to close...

[karlsult]

With TomaHawkPDF+ you can easily create ebooks with hyper links. Just enter your info (type it) you can use colours etc...then click convert to PDF.

[nativewinds.montana.com...]

That's all.

Karl Smith
<snip>

[edited by: trillianjedi at 11:30 am (utc) on Aug. 25, 2005]
[edit reason] Please read your sticky mail. Thanks. [/edit]

[esllou]

I ended up going for PDF 95...seems very easy to use and, most importantly, it isn't deforming my Word docs in any way.

thanks for all the suggestions.