PDF reader du jour?

[Throbbing Angel]

Ahoy - now that I have a Win11 machine...

What's the pdf reader of choice these days?
Use the browser?
Use Word?
Adobe Reader?
Nitro?
Summat else?

I don't need to sign them or anything, just open and read and occasional printing of.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I just use Adobe, although obviously they open in the browser if opening the file from a site.

Never used anything else to open PDFs.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I just use Adobe, although obviously they open in the browser if opening the file from a site.

likewise

although I've got firefox set up to open any PDF with acrobat reader, not in the browser, which i find better. although this does mean it shoves a copy in to the 'downloads' folder, so i have to go in and tidy up now and then (or move them somewhere better if i want to keep them)

not sure how other browsers do it.

 

[hitmouse]

Yeah, I mostly use my browser, Foxit is a decent free PDF reader if you want one of those though.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Yeah, I mostly use my browser, Foxit is a decent free PDF reader if you want one of those though.

i remember using that many years ago, but found it didn't cope with some things well (i can't remember the detail now)

since the adobe reader is free, other than the principle of using something that isn't the biggest provider, not sure what the advantages of others are

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Yeah, I mostly use my browser, Foxit is a decent free PDF reader if you want one of those though.

I was trying to remember the name of that one

 

[two sheds]

Not sure how good it is for advanced stuff but I seem to have Xreader for Linux Mint.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

This?

About Xpdf and XpdfReader

www.xpdfreader.com

 

[two sheds]

This?

About Xpdf and XpdfReader

www.xpdfreader.com

oooooooooooh dunno

this is the link they give, there is a bit of a description lower down the page

GitHub - linuxmint/xreader: A generic Document Reader

A generic Document Reader. Contribute to linuxmint/xreader development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[Throbbing Angel]

oooooooooooh dunno

this is the link they give, there is a bit of a description lower down the page

GitHub - linuxmint/xreader: A generic Document Reader

A generic Document Reader. Contribute to linuxmint/xreader development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Don't think they're the same.
I don't think xreader plays with Windows either.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Adobe usually.

Edge will try and wrest control of your pdfs as well. Most browsers will open them if you open the download through them

 

[two sheds]

ah quite possible. Sorry for the derail

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Just the browser for viewing them. Can't see much advantage to using anything else.

 

[two sheds]

LibreOffice Draw seems to let you open and edit pdfs.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

LibreOffice Draw seems to let you open and edit pdfs.

Like properly edit them or just draw/type on top of what's already there?

I'd the former that's a really good shout.

 

[two sheds]

It just let me add and delete some text to/from a pdf and delete an illustration and replace it with another image. It looks a bit clunky for editing because each line of text seems to have its own text box so things don't seem to wrap automatically. There may be a way of doing it though, I've not really used it.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Even the paid for ones tend to do text boxes rather than just letting you edit text as if it's a word (or similar) document

This reminds me - one new PDF version of a government form i sometimes have to handle came out recently.

Some of it has the sort of box you can just enter text in. But some boxes don't, so you still have to open it with a paid for PDF editor, or print / hand-write / scan

And the box where you can add a digital signature as an image, the signature ends up BEHIND the blue square bit, again, unless you go in to a PDF editor and delete the blue box thing.

: facepaw :

 

[UnderOpenSky]

It just let me add and delete some text to/from a pdf and delete an illustration and replace it with another image. It looks a bit clunky for editing because each line of text seems to have its own text box so things don't seem to wrap automatically. There may be a way of doing it though, I've not really used it.

That's still sounds good. I've not had to do it for years thank god, but a pet hate was people sending a job application form in PDF. I often converted them to word and completely redid the formating, but it felt messy. I assume they wanted you to print them and do it by hand? Bonkers.

 

[Fez909]

Summat else?

Nearly!

Sumatra : Free PDF Reader - Sumatra PDF

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Nearly!

Sumatra : Free PDF Reader - Sumatra PDF

Great for ebooks and longer documents!

 

[Lurdan]

For simple reading, bookmarking, searching and stuff like exporting images I use PDF X-Change Editor. Been using it for years and very happy with it.

Tracker Software Products :: Downloads

www.tracker-software.com

They don't make it obvious but the 'trial' version gives you access to 70% of the functions and it doesn't expire or nag you to buy it - so it is free.

More than 70% of the features in PDF-XChange Editor do not require a license to use. The remaining features will add watermarks to documents when they are used without a license.

For heavier duty stuff I use Abbyy Finereader PDF but that isn't free.

 

[MBV]

Foxit at home. Adobe at work and PDF Docs for messing with them