The Best Free PDF Tools For Teachers

The Best Free PDF Tools For Teachers
Summary: Do you have a problem dealing with PDF files? A PDF tool is just what you need. This is used in modifying PDF files, converting these files into other formats or vice versa, and sometimes, simply viewing existing PDF files. There may be over a hundred PDF tools in the market, but this article will talk about the best free PDF tools for teachers.

The Best Free PDF Tools with multiple features

PDF tools are classified into General tools, which offer multiple features, and Specific Tools which have particular functions.

1. Adobe Reader XI
Adobe Reader is a trusted high quality tool that allows you to view and print your PDF files. It also lets you interact with PDF content, including multimedia. Other features covered are adding and verifying digital signature, annotating on PDF pages, creating and filling out PDF forms, and printing out these documents.

2. Doro PDF Writer by CompSoft
Doro PDF Writer is very easy to use and is pretty straightforward. It doesn’t have all the other options that other PDF tools have but it works great in printing PDF files. It is installed as a virtual print driver and converts any printable document or image to PDF format. It can be powerful too as it lets you set the author name and even protect it with a password before conversion. Just select it from the program’s setting menu before printing a PDF document and it will launch and provide you the option to change the document’s metadata. On top of those mentioned is the ability to enable and disable copying, pasting and printing functions of the document. It is compatible with XP, Vista, Windows 7 and 8.

3. BullZip PDF Printer by BioPDF
BullZip is another PDF tool that works as a virtual print driver and uses Ghostscript to convert documents. Like Doro, it also allows you to convert printable document or image to PDF format but on top of that, it also lets you add watermarks, merge PDF files and even add protection to your PDF files. It is free for up to 10 users and offers installation of promotional, third party components. You may check the guidelines here.

4. PDFTK Builder
This is an open source PDF tool used which allows you to easily reorder or merge selected pages. It is also capable of splitting and rotating pages and adding stamp and encryption to your file. Aside from those mentioned it doesn’t offer too much and even lacks the basic function of watermarking with background text.

5. PDFill PDF Tool
This is probably one of the most user-friendly free PDF tools that offer you so many features. It provides the most important functions such as merging, splitting, reordering, rotating and cropping pages and even allows you to add headers, footers and watermarks. It also offers additional features such as encrypting and decrypting security options, and deleting, flattening and adding form fields. It requires GhostScript and Java to run.

6. jPDF Tweak
It can be a good choice when you want to get as many features as you can in just one application.  It lets you merge, split, reorder and rotate pages, and add watermarks and encryption too.  You can also digitally sign PDF documents using it. There are features for attaching files to PDF and editing metadata as well. jPDF Tweak requires Java 5, or even higher, to run. It uses iText library to manipulate PDF documents and JGoodies Forms for its GUI.

7.PDF Pro

PDF Pro is an online, all-in-one PDF Editor and Converter. It can convert images and different document formats like Word, PPT, and Excel to and from PDFs online. Edit PDFs to add watermarks, images, text, annotations, passwords, or signatures. Furthermore, PDF Pro also features the ability to merge, compress, reorder and split PDFs as well as create fillable PDF forms. Good clarity of documents and quality of compression. Free for limited uses per month, but students and educators may be able to extend the limits of free use with no extra charge.

The Best Free PDF Tools with specific functions

FreeOCR.net is used in scanning PDF documents and converting extracted data into text.

7-PDF Maker is used in converting many different types of document formats, including images, to PDF.

Foxit Reader and PDF-XChange Viewer let you annotate PDF documents. Their features include crossing, highlighting, underlining, stamping, drawing lines and shapes, and even filling out form fields. However, advanced features are not included.

PDFescape is a web-based PDF tool that you can use as form filler. It also lets you annotate, password protect and edit your PDF documents.

PDF-to-Word Converter and PDF-to-Excel Converter are two valuable free PDF tools.