Do you have a document, image, or web page you need converted into a PDF file? Portable Document Format (PDF) files are useful because they retain their formatting regardless of the software or operating system it is viewed on, unlike regular documents. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be difficult to create PDF files and paying a premium for Adobe Acrobat is often not an option.
PDFConverter.com tries to solve the problem by creating PDF Converter Elite, a PDF application that lets users easily create PDF files from almost any printable file type as well as edit PDFs by adding watermarks, inserting pages, and more.
PDF Converter Elite costs $99.95 for a single license (with 15 day trial). Is it worth the price? Let’s find out.
At the end of the review, you will also have a chance to win a free license to activate the software.
PDF Converter Elite Interface
The Quick Start Tips guides users through the steps to converting a PDF. To start, click either Open PDF, Create PDF, or Batch from the top menu. Other options are grayed out for now.
Options for converting a file into PDF
Unlike other PDF converters, PDF Converter Elite works by installing a virtual printer driver and therefore, the conversion is actually “printing” the file and creating a PDF. The advantage of this is that it allows for near perfect conversions in most cases because the output document will look exactly like it would look like if it printed.
The notable exception to this is with webpages, which usually don’t look right when printed, but this has nothing to do with the converter.
This printer driver also lets you convert a document, image, webpage, or any other printable file by using the app’s Print menu and selecting “PDF Converter Elite” as the printer. This feature is also available in the free edition. Unfortunately, to achieve this, a print dispatcher process is added to startup and must be left running in the background.
PDF Converter Elite can also edit existing PDFs. It does not edit any text that’s already in a PDF, but it can perform tasks such as adding or removing pages, adding watermarks, merging PDFs, etc…
PDF Editing Options
Besides converting documents to PDFs, it can also convert the other way around. PDFs can be converted into Word (.doc, .docx, .rtf), Excel, Powerpoint, and Publisher, as well as into an image or HTML file. I wouldn’t recommend converting PDFs into HTML because the code becomes really messy with specific pixel positioning, but the feature is there and it works if you ever do need it.
Conversions from PDF worked quite well. It uses OCR technology to render everything and any element (such as rotated text, special shapes, etc…) that can’t be converted into text gets converted as an image or WordArt.
The PDF version of TechAirlines.com converted into Word
Batch conversion lets you convert multiple files at the same time. This is a huge time saver if you have many files. This feature is remarkably similar to the previously reviewed Able2Extract. I’m not sure why there needs to be an anti-spam human test here.
Batch conversion can save you time.
Conclusion
PDF Converter Elite is a fast and easy to use program that allows users to convert any file into a PDF and any PDF into various popular formats. Conversion is very accurate thanks to the use of a virtual printer driver and OCR technology. While it is a bit expensive at $99.95 for a single license, it contains many useful features that can make it worth the price.
A 15 day trial is available, however, consider the free version (contains just the virtual printer feature) and the online version (create PDF and limited PDF-Office conversion) first. These can all be found on the PDF Converter Elite website.
Giveaway
As mentioned in the beginning, you have the opportunity to win a free license to PDF Converter Elite ($99.95 value each). The company has been generous enough to provide TechAirlines readers with 5 free license keys.
To enter this giveaway, follow these simple steps:
- Read the review above.
- Leave a comment to this review post. Be sure to use a valid email because this is the email that will be used to contact you if you are selected as a winner.
It would also be greatly appreciated if you share this review via social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, but this is not a requirement to win.
This giveaway ends February 14, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST (GMT -5).
And the winners are…
Congratulations to the winners! You should have received an email from me with your license key. If you did not, please contact me.
Thank you everyone for participating and flying with TechAirlines!
Final Rating:
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