Adobe Systems' PDF, or Portable Document Format, has become the de facto standard for transporting documents across different platforms and, of course, the Internet. Solution providers catering to more cost-conscious clients may want to consider FinePrint Software's pdfFactory Pro as an alternative to Adobe Acrobat.
At $100,compared to $249 for Adobe Acrobat,pdfFactory Pro allows any Windows application with printing capabilities to create a PDF file. Like Acrobat, the Pro version offers security options, including 40-bit and 128-bit encryption, and password protection to prevent unauthorized copying, printing and editing of PDF files.
The $50 non-Pro version of the product also converts documents into PDF files but does not include the security features. With either version, multiple documents of different types can be combined, unwanted pages can be deleted, and blank pages can be added to the PDF file.
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>> PRICE: $100 >> COMPANY NAME: FinePrint Software >> LOCATION: San Francisco >> TELEPHONE: (415) 989-2722 >> WEB ADDRESS: www.fineprint.com | |
PdfFactory Pro installs as a printer, and Test Center engineers found it a snap to install and just as easy to use. To create a PDF file, one simply initiates the printing of a document and then selects FinePrint pdfFactory Pro from the list of available printers. That brings up a GUI that provides all of the PDF file options, including the previewing and saving of the file. Accuracy is good, as engineers saw no difference between an actual printout of the Test Center's Web site and a PDF file of the same page.
Eager to build relations with solution providers interested in bundling pdfFactory with other offerings such as Web
publishing systems, FinePrint Software offers a sliding scale for volume discounts. Discounts are also available for solution providers that convert the product into other languages, the company said.
