Softworld editor's review -
Read and edit PDF documents
PDF-XChange Viewer is a PDF reader and editor for Windows.
After launching the program, in order to open a PDF document, you can either double click into the main window or you can press on the Open button, located at left near the top of the interface.
The moment the PDF file has been loaded, to navigate through its pages, just scroll up and down.
However, you can also use the controls which can be seen right at the bottom.
Here the application can be set to display the PDF document into the main window in various ways: Single Page, Continuous, Facing and Continuous Facing.
In the same section, by accessing the Options, you can make the PDF file to be shown in full screen. You will be able to navigate through the pages by using the forward and backward buttons.
To exit the full screen mode, on your keyboard simply press Escape. In Options you may also decide to Hide All Bars. To restore them to their previous state, press the F11 button.
What i want to mention is that, you can easily go into full screen just by pressing on your keyboard the F12 command.
In Options, if you click on View, you will be able to add toolbars and access various functions: Bookmarks, Page Thumbnails, Layers, Fields, Comments and Attachment.
Right at the top of the interface, you are provided all sorts of controls with which to handle the document. You have a zoom bar that can instantly increase or decrease the size of the text.
Next to this, there is a small box in which you can introduce manually a zoom value.
Some other zoom functions that are offered by the program: Actual Size, Fit Page, Fit Width, Zoom In/Zoom Out tools, Loupe Tool, Pan and Zoom Tool.
In this section you may choose to rotate your document counterclockwise, clockwise and access some very useful utilities such as the Hand and Snapshot tools.
Here you can also select to print the PDF file and to send the document by email.
In the File category you are allowed to open a PDF directly from an URL and create new PDF documents from various sources: Text File, Rich Text Format, Image File, Scanner.
Going into the Edit field, which may be found at the top of the interface, can be accessed the Preferences.
Here you are provided a wide variety of settings. To name just a few: Color Management, Page Display, Rendering, Performance, Languages, File Associations, Measurement, Security.
In the next section, View, you get the opportunity to add various toolbars, access several zoom functions, establish the page layout, rotate and switch the document to full screen, enable navigation tabs etc.
The Navigation Tabs feature is extremely useful when opening numerous PDF's into the application.
All the documents that have been opened, are shown on the interface as tabs. To enter a different PDF file, just pick from the available tabs.
In Document you may select to Insert Pages, Insert Empty Pages, Extract, Delete, Crop Pages and Attach a File.
The Tools category gives you quick access to various tools: Hand, Snapshot, Zoom Tools, Comment and Markup Tools, Measuring and Link Tools.
If you want an easy to use application with which to handle all of your PDF documents, then i must say that you can't go wrong with PDF-XChange Viewer.
Good:
-very nice interface
-you can open a PDF just by double clicking into the main window
-excellent selection of tools
-plenty of configuring options
-Navigation Tabs feature
Bad:
-none
Version 2.5.197 reviewed on: 07 Nov 2011
Publisher's description
Those wishing to View/Modify or perform simple editing of PDF files on their Windows PC's now have a FREE alternative!
The PDF-XChange Viewer is smaller, faster and more feature rich than any other FREE PDF Reader/Viewer/Editor available. This version also allows users to try the extended functionality offered by the PDF-XChange Viewer 'PRO' in evaluation mode - for free. No PDF reader or Viewer offers more features than PDF-XChange.
-Add Comments and Annotations to any PDF file (subject to security settings) - unlike the Adobe Viewer which requires the PDF creation tool to be 'certified' by Adobe !
-Add & apply Custom Stamps from any Image or PDF File and even your Windows Clip board !
-Measurement Tools incl. perimeter and area
-Mark-up pages with text and objects
-Type directly on any PDF page, not just Adobe enabled forms documents - in Typewriter mode.
-Export PDF pages or entire files to any one of the supported Image formats including BMP, JPEG, TIFF, PNG and many more ...
-Extract text from a PDF page/File
-Make your navigation of large or complex PDF files both simple and enjoyable with the extended functionality of our 'Loupe' and the 'Pan' Window tools
-PDF Security Support including 40/128 bit RC4 and 128/256 bit AES Encryption Password and Permissions Add/Edit
-Data Execution Prevention (DEP) - stops the execution of nefarious scripts from Virus's/trojans etc.
-Fill and Save Adobe Forms to disk, email or 'post' - including XFA and dynamic forms (new in V2.5) !
-UI Customization (color scheme, borders, scroll bars visibility).
-Full Javascript Engine included
-Store/Restore of last opened files (last session)
-Updated JPEG2000 Compression support - improving speed.
-Plug-Ins for both MS IE or Firefox Browser's included
-Integrate seamlessly with your favorite translation software to translate text on the 'fly' - including : ABBYY Lingvo 12, Translate It!, Lingoes.
-Auto-Highlights Fillable Form Fields
Changes on the new version:Fixed issue with some combo box fields in dynamic and static XFA files.|
Resolved issue with saving dashed borders for link annotations.|
Resolved issues with text positioning after performing OCR when page is rotated or cropped.|
Resolved possible issue with printing hidden form fields.|
Fixed refresh/repainting bug with ActiveX control on the DialogForms.|
Fixed issue with layer grouping in layers view.|
Fixed issue with preview control in Export-to-Image dialog.|
Fixed issue with left/right scrolling using a mouse middle-button.|
Resolved an issue with the handling of mouse clicks on the image-fields (XFA-forms).|
Resolved issue with updating date/time info in comments pane during editing of comments.|
Added workaround for reading PDF files with broken /ID fields.
