How do I make pdf's?

There are a few ways :

The expensive (but simplest) way is to install Adobe Acrobat (the full version). You'll get the automatic installation of Adobe Distiller that'll allow you to print documents to pdf.

The free and fairly simple way is to install Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/) which has a "print to pdf" option. Open Office can read MS Office documents.

The free and slightly more complicated way if you don't want to install Open Office is to get postscript print drivers installed. Win2k and WinXP come with them preinstalled, for Win98, you'll need to find them on the internet. Just install a new "virtual" printer the usual way (Add Printer) using the postscript driver. When you print files using that "printer" (after selecting the printer the usual way) you will get Postscript files. The default extension for Windows is .prn, but you can rename them to .ps. You will need a copy of Ghostscript and Ghostview, both open source and free : http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/ You can convert from .ps to .pdf very easily using those.

 

My scanner software came with that as an export option. You can create a pdf as the file format.

Corel includes it with their stuff, too.

I don't see it in the Microsoft Office Suite I use.

I suppose you could buy the Software from Adobe, too.

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatstd/main.html

But Corel Photopaint and CorelDraw include it, and you can but that whole mess for less than the $299 Adobe wants for Acrobat Standard.

DM

 

If you just need up to 5 documents done, there is a freebie service at www.adobe.com. I guess you could have other people in your family register too to get some more free.

 

I just ordered CS Suite deluxe that includes the new ver. of acrobat. I'll let you know how it is when I start using it. I'll spend a little to make things easy......

 

Pete,

I have a "demo" version you can have.

 

I like "Cute PDF"

It is:

Completely free & doesn't pester you with ads or unwanted pop ups or email.

Acts like a printer driver- you go to print and select "Cute PDF". It then asks for a filename. So you can make a PDf from any program- MS apps, AutoCAD, Explorer, etc.

http://www.acrosoftware.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

There is two parts to it- a driver & converter. They have to be installed in the correct order.