PDF Text Help!!

PDF Text Help!!

by Floyd Collins -
Number of replies: 7

Today I got a request from a fellow teacher and I was almost in tears to have to say no. Here is the deal; she took the time to create all her labs into pdf fill in text forms. Then asks me how the students are to save the text with Acrobat Reader, I sadly told her that AR would not save the text in the files. But that I would check around and see if there was a free reader that would save PDF after text has been added. If anyone knows of anything or a way to save text in a PDF for free can you please let me know..


Thank You.

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In reply to Floyd Collins

Re: PDF Text Help!!

by Jason Hando -
I just tried this so I know it works....but maybe you don't use Macs mixed

- open pdf in acrobat reader
- type answers into text field
- file>print
- click on "save as pdf"
- text entered is save as part of the pdf

As for Windows solution... I found 298 "pdf" apps at versiontracker:

http://www.versiontracker.com/php/search.php?mode=basic&action=search&str=pdf&plt%5B%5D=windows&x=0&y=0

Perhaps there is an app that works?
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In reply to Jason Hando

Re: PDF Text Help!!

by Floyd Collins -

Thanks Jason,

No this lab does not have Macs to bad because that idea would do the trick. As for the links, I already went to that site today and looked over all the freeware software, none of the freeware seem to have an editor.

I did try your trick on a windows computer with reader, but once it saves the file it lost its formatting for adding text. So thats not going to work.

Thank You for your post, maybe someone will come along with a freeware package that will work.

Thanks for your help!

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In reply to Floyd Collins

Re: PDF Text Help!!

by Jason Hando -
PDF995 is freeware for windows and sounds like it would do the trick:

http://www.pdf995.com/

It has a sponsor page displayed every time you use it or you can pay $9.95 to get it removed.

Second time lucky perhaps smile
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In reply to Jason Hando

Re: PDF Text Help!!

by Floyd Collins -

Thanks Jason, but I just installed it and it is more like a util then an editor. It is not like AR where you see what your working with, it is a util that allows you to change things with a PDF or add pages ect ect. Not a editor in the since of being able to edit and read the pdf.. So that one is out. You would think a programer someware has made a simple pdf editor that allows you to add text in a text form and save it.

Thanks for your help,

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In reply to Floyd Collins

Re: PDF Text Help!!

by Roland Gesthuizen -

There is another pdf creator that you should consider evaluating. We have it installed on most college computers and like Moodle, it is opensource.

http://www.pdfcreator.de.vu/
http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/

Like the previous suggesion, to save the contents of PDF form fields, students would need to print to this PDF authoring utility tp create another PDF file.

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In reply to Roland Gesthuizen

Re: PDF Text Help!!

by Floyd Collins -

Roland,

Thanks for the suggestion,

The only issue I have with using a PDF printer for this is that once the student edits and prints to the pdf creator they no longer can go back and add more data to the pdf. Lets say a student does all the vocab assignment in the pdf, fills in that information then prints it. Next they decide to open the document they printed to add more vocab or do other assignments in the pdf. The problem is they cant add text, after pdfcreator has printed it. The printer idea works well for quick form filling but not for using a PDF as a lab man.

I think I have tried and installed just about everything that is out there for free. Dont get me wrong, I think paying for software is good and I think everyone should do there part to support programmers. Yet, I think filling out a form to be such a little part of PDF that at least adobe could let us do that with their reader. So what I really need is a simple notepad style util that will allow one to add the text needed and save it to open and add more later.

Another option would be to convert the pdf to word!! But that is if I cant find something.

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In reply to Floyd Collins

Re: PDF Text Help!!

by Jason Hando -
We use Word docs for what you have described. You can even lock content so that students can only edit their sections and it means files can be edited on most home PCs. Sounds like a more appropriate method than pdf IMO.
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