pdf

Creating basic PDF documents in OS X can be done through the print dialog box by using the menu titled PDF, provided the program you're using makes use of Apple's built-in print services. With this menu you can among other options save, fax, or e-mail a document as a PDF. This is convenient for the creation of PDFs, but in addition you can use both it and Preview, Apple's default PDF handling program, to further manage and refine any PDF documents you create.

Sometimes when managing PDF documents you may want to save only a subset of … Read more

Simplicity is a trait we love in software, and JPEGtoPDF delivers it in spades. This basic utility makes the process of converting images into PDFs as easy as pie. It has just the right number of features; you can customize your conversion job, but you won't spend hours digging through menus and tweaking the program's settings. It's a great choice for anyone looking for a way to convert JPEGs to PDF files without a lot of fuss.

The program's interface is plain, consisting of a single screen that contains all of the utility's features. First, … Read more

Foxit PDF Reader, the program that many consider to be a faster, lighter, more able Windows alternative to Adobe Reader, has recently jumped to version 5.0. This newest release comes with many of the same solid features, a few new ones, and an upgraded interface.

As with the previous version, the setup process is a bit cumbersome. First, watch out for the two check boxes that make Ask your browser default search provider and Ask.com your home page. Opt out as necessary. Then, toward the end of the installation process, be sure to read carefully and opt out … Read more

Foxit, widely recognized as No. 2 behind Adobe in the PDF software market, has revamped its lineup.

Already respected by many consumers as a faster and lighter alternative to Adobe Reader, Foxit PDF Reader has jumped all the way up to version 5.0. This new build is now capable of XFA form-filling, which means users can complete PDF forms electronically without having to print and fill in by hand. Also, version 5.0 displays a significantly improved user interface, allowing people to choose from the increasingly popular ribbon menu bar, or traditional drop-down menus. You can customize your own … Read more

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers. This week there were questions on any drawbacks to installing more RAM chips in a system, if there are manufacturer or size requirements for RAM, how to view images in Mail, and how to print out MacFixIt articles without including ads and other Web-based content. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few answers here, we welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Drawbacks to installing more RAM MacFixIt reader "… Read more

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer e-mailed questions from our readers. This week there were questions about burned discs no longer being recognized, upgrading from OS X 10.4 Tiger, using a third-party PDF printer in OS X, and CPU temperatures spiking in MacBook Pro systems. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few answers here, we certainly welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Burned CDs not being recognized anymore MacFixIt reader "Russell" asks:

Phishers use all kinds of come-ons to lure their victims. But one persistent piece of spam tries to trick people by offering an upgrade to Adobe Acrobat.

Detailed by security provider Cloudmark in a blog posted yesterday, this type of advertising spam e-mails users a notice to upgrade to the new Adobe Acrobat Reader. Those who click on the link are directed to a Web site touting the benefits of the software.

The Web site domain name contains the word "adobe," says Cloudmark, as an attempt to give it some kind of legitimacy. But of course, it's … Read more

A few MacFixIt readers have recently contacted me regarding an issue with not being able to view some PDFs that were made on their OS X systems after upgrading to OS X 10.6.7. This includes viewing the PDF on their Macs, as well as seeing them on other platforms such as Windows, iOS, and Linux.

Usually PDF rendering problems can happen if the system is experiencing font corruption; most of the time this can be tackled with a general maintenance routine to clear caches, coupled with checking and managing fonts with Font Book. In these cases the problems … Read more

Recently we published an article discussing options on how to convert Web articles into nicely formatted PDF documents. While having PDFs is a convenient way to maintain well-formatted and clean articles on various subjects, after a while you may end up with a number of them, that can lead to a cluttered mess of PDFs.

There are options in OS X for managing PDFs and other documents, including smart folders and other ways of searching for them to consolidate into one location, or you can use spotlight's indexing to locate them by contents. In addition, as suggested by MacFixIt … Read more