Introduction

In June of this year we reviewed pdfFactory Professional a tool for converting almost any document to PDF format. In that review we touched on the history of PDF and the rationale for using it as opposed to other formats.

Shortly after publishing that review we received several emails from ABXZone members suggesting that we look at one of the other PDF conversion offerings on the market, namely ScanSoft's PDF Converter 3 Professional. The emails went on to say that in addition to performing all of the tasks we covered in our first review that PDF Converter 3 offered significantly more editing capabilities along with a much more robust environment for essentially the same cost.

Approximately a week after receiving the email I went to ScanSoft's website to do a bit of research and review their product information for PDF Converter 3 Professional. I found published claims of a bevy of additional features that certainly sparked my interest. I then wrote Erica Hill, ScanSoft's Corporate Communications Manager, Productivity Applications and requested a copy of the software for analysis and review. Erica was extremely helpful and honored my request for a review copy by supplying me with a retail boxed copy of PDF Converter 3 Professional.

Today we'll take an in depth look at what this product has to offer. For the record I'm not going to attempt to compare and contrast the differences between this product and pdfFactory Professional. I'll let you read both reviews and draw your own conclusions.

ScanSoft's Description of PDF Converter 3 Professional & Features

"ScanSoft PDF Converter Professional is the complete PDF solution for business users. PDF Converter Professional offers an unmatched combination of creation, conversion, and editing, plus commenting and security features to give business users total document control and maximum efficiency. Now you can edit directly within a PDF file - just like working in the original file. Standard PDF forms can be instantly converted into fillable PDF forms. In addition, PDF Converter Professional features new mark-up and commenting tools, plus cutting edge security features. Add to all this the fact that PDF Converter Professional is less than a third the price of the leading PDF business software and you truly have a cost effective PDF powerhouse - Better PDF for Business!"

PDF Creation Features

• Industry-Standard PDF:  Creates 100% industry-standard PDF files that can be read, printed, or processed by popular PDF viewer programs - such as ScanSoft PaperPort® Professional and Adobe® Reader®. Supports PDF v1.3, v1.4, and the latest v1.5; also supports PDF XML tags.
• High Quality PDF:  Creates the highest quality PDF files from nearly all Microsoft® Windows® applications, retaining the precise layout of the original document.
• Superior Creation Speed:  ScanSoft PDF Create! produces PDF files up to 3 times faster than the leading PDF creation application.
• Optimized, Small File Sizes: Creates highly optimized PDF files that are dramatically smaller than the original document. Supports industry-standard compression options, including loss-less, JPG 2000 and enables optimization for the Web.
• Passwords and Security:  Secure PDF files by requiring others to know a password in order to view or print a document. 40-bit and 128-bit encryption can also be applied to a PDF file with the user able to control whether the document can be viewed, printed, edited, copied or annotated.
• Automated Batch Creation:  The PDF Create! Assistant makes it fast and easy to create PDF documents - from multiple files and multiple file types at the same time. Use drag & drop to add files to a batch, or can simply select a range of pages you wish to turn into PDF files.
• Merging Documents:  Select a range of original files of different types and have them copied as PDF files - into separate PDF files or into a single combined PDF document. You can also merge multiple documents into a single PDF file page-by-page, which is ideal for merging letter text into a letterhead template document, or to merge form data into a form template.
• Automatic PDF-to-e-Mail:  Choose to have PDF files automatically added as an attachment to an e-mail message simplifying the sharing of documents over the Internet.
• Watermarks and Stamps:  Apply watermarks and stamps to your documents from a pre-made library or create your own. Custom watermarks can be applied from other PDF files or created from within the PDF Create! Assistant.
• Short-cuts and Application Integration:  Create PDF files from practically every PC application through a printer interface or by using the right-mouse shortcut when clicking on any file in Windows Explorer. ScanSoft has also integrated toolbar icons for PDF Create! within a number of popular applications, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Outlook®.
• Advanced Font Embedding, Graphics and Page Size Controls:  Supports font embedding for all standard and non-standard fonts, shading and transparency conversions. Select the graphics resolution and control PDF page size and orientation. Supports the creation of custom page sizes and automatically scales in inches, millimeters and points.
• International Language Support:  Supports international double-byte character sets enabling creation of PDF documents using nearly any Latin, Cyrillic or Asian character set.
• Does Not Require Adobe® Acrobat®:  Create and view PDF files without the need for any additional software.

PDF Conversion Features

• Precise Conversion of PDF into Popular Word Processing Formats:  Instantly Convert PDF files into fully formatted Microsoft Word and Corel® WordPerfect® documents that look just like the originals - complete with text, columns, tables and graphics.
• Spreadsheet Conversions:  Convert PDF files into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and retain accounting, currency, percentage, date, time and other special formatting that makes it much easier to perform calculations or change data on a converted spreadsheet.
• Convert PDF Forms into Microsoft Word Forms:  PDF Converter Professional includes Logical Form Recognition™ (LFR), advanced form conversion technology used by the IRS, Secret Service and other leading organizations that allows PDF forms to be turned into Microsoft Word forms that can be edited or filled.
• PDF Converter Assistant:  PDF Converter Professional delivers unmatched ease-of-use with the PDF Converter Assistant. Accelerate the PDF conversion process PDF by eliminating the need to open the document in its native application.
• PDF Thumbnail Preview and Page Ranges:  Converting only a few pages from a long PDF document is now a breeze. Quickly preview the pages within a PDF file and select a specific page or page range for the conversion process.
• Support for PDF Passwords and Encryption:  Use passwords to access and convert protected PDF files when additional document security is required.
• Scanned Paper PDF (Image) Files:  PDF Converter Professional processes files that are created from scanners or image applications. Control the number of image pages processed as well as the resolution used for graphics in converted pages.
• Application Integration:  Developed in collaboration between Microsoft and ScanSoft, PDF Converter Professional is seamlessly integrated into the "File Open" menu in Microsoft Word. Short cut buttons and right mouse access is available within Microsoft Word, Outlook, Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer and the Microsoft Windows desktop.
• Does not require additional software or Adobe® Acrobat®:  PDF Converter Professional works without the need for any Adobe PDF creation or viewing software.

PDF Editing Features

• Design and Publish Fillable PDF Forms:  The amazing FormTyper feature automatically discovers form fields and check-boxes, adding standard PDF form elements to your form without changing the original. You can also manually add form elements, including buttons, checkboxes, digital signature fields and more. Full attribute settings are also supported.
• Reorder, Cut, Copy and Paste Pages:  PDF page thumbnails and assembly tools allow you to easily manipulate pages in a PDF document to rearrange, add or delete pages with drag & drop ease.
• Copy Text, Graphics and more into Microsoft Office:  Have you ever wanted to use a chart or graphic in a PDF within a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation? Now you can with PDF Converter Professional - just select the area to copy, then paste into Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and more.
• Select, Edit, Cut, Copy and Paste Text within PDF Documents:  Text tools provide an easy way to add, delete, move or modify text within a PDF file. Change colors, fonts, or point sizes with only a few mouse clicks.
• Select, Resize, Cut and Paste Images:  Easily add, delete, move, reshape or resize images, including individual graphical elements in pie and bar charts without having to manipulate the entire graphic.
• Add Comments and Markup Documents:  Streamline group collaboration using sticky notes and highlighting tools that allow you to emphasize text or certain portions of documents during the creation or review process.
• Add and Edit Bookmarks and Hyperlinks:  Add bookmarks and hyperlinks to your documents to quickly find a place in a document or embed a link to important information eliminating wasted time spent searching for information.
• Attach Application Files, Audio and Video Files:  Make your PDF files more complete and dynamic by adding application, audio or video files.
• Compare Changes Across Two PDF Files:  Compare two documents to identify small changes instantly without having to read through the entire document.
• Search for Text or Files:   Use a key word or phrase to find documents on your workstation or network quickly and efficiently.