Many industry design applications, such as InDesign, QuarkXpress, PhotoShop and Illustrator can create PDF files natively, however this isn't always the case with popular word processors or office programs. Here are some free software options to help you create PDFs suitable for digital printing.
SaveAsPDF plugin for Word 2007 for Windows
If you have Word2007 for Windows, it's possible to add the capability to save directly to PDF format via a plugin released by Microsoft. You can download the installer file from our site at:
ftp://ftp.dpa.net.au/dpa/files/SaveAsPDF.zip
Once downloaded, you will need WinZip or some other file compression utility (eg WinRAR, 7-Zip) to extract the SaveAsPDF.exe file. Double click on SaveAsPDF.exe to install the plugin to Word. The next time you start Word, there will be an additional option for PDF under the Save As command.
PDF995
PDF995 is a free PDF conversion application that will create a PDF from any application that has a Print command. It works by installing a virtual printer that, instead of printing to a physical printer connected to the computer, produces a PDF file of the print output. For more information and to download PDF995 visit:
