pdfFactory is a Windows program from FinePrint Software that creates PDF files from any application that can print. It installs as a printer driver. Choosing pdfFactory in the program’s Print dialog instead of a physical printer turns a document into a PDF. pdfFactory is commercial software with a trial version, and it sits below pdfFactory Pro in the same product line.
Printing to a PDF
Because pdfFactory works as a virtual printer, it does not need a plug-in for each application. pdfFactory captures whatever it receives as printed output. A preview window opens showing the pages that will go into the PDF. Some users set pdfFactory as their default printer so every print job produces a PDF. They then decide whether they need a paper copy.
Files can also be converted without opening them first. Selecting documents in a Windows folder and choosing “Send to pdfFactory” from the right-click menu prints them to the driver. With the pdfFactory dialog turned off in the driver’s printing preferences, each file is saved as its own PDF in the Autosave folder. This makes batch conversion possible.
Combining print jobs into one file
While the pdfFactory window stays open, every new print job is added to it rather than starting a new file. A user can print a spreadsheet, then a letter from a word processor, then a web page. pdfFactory collects all of them into a single PDF. Each job appears as an entry on the Jobs tab, and dragging entries up or down changes their order in the final document. The window header shows the running job count and current file size.
Arranging pages in the preview
The preview window doubles as a PDF viewer. A thumbnail view, opened from the zoom-out button, shows the pages as small images for rearranging their order. Users can also rotate, insert or remove pages with the delete-page toolbar button. This keeps blank or unwanted pages from a print job out of the file.
Saving, email and paper copies
pdfFactory saves every PDF automatically under a default name in an Autosave folder. In the Settings dialog, users can choose that folder and the default save location. Files can be renamed through the title field on the Jobs tab or saved under a new name. For documents that will be revisited, pdfFactory also saves in its own FP format. This keeps job information and notes editable, and a double-click reopens the file in pdfFactory.
The Send button attaches the PDF to a new message in the default MAPI-compatible email client, such as Outlook or Thunderbird. Users can also drag the PDF into an email or a folder, or copy it to the clipboard and paste it into a message. The Print button sends the document on to a physical printer when a paper copy is needed.
Encryption, fonts and links
pdfFactory can secure a PDF from the Security dialog and regenerates the file each time an option changes. By default it uses 256-bit AES encryption. When the user chooses a specific PDF level, pdfFactory uses the strongest method that level supports, down to 128-bit RC4. Advanced settings such as the encryption method, metadata encryption and the master password are hidden until enabled in the general settings. Secure PDFs cannot be combined with a PDF/A level.
The Fonts dialog selects which fonts to embed. Recipients then see the document as it was created, even if those fonts are not installed on their computer. pdfFactory turns fully written web addresses into clickable links. Phrases such as “click here” lose their underlying link during printing and stay as plain text in the standard edition.
What pdfFactory Pro adds
pdfFactory Pro includes everything in pdfFactory and adds tools for page layout, markup and organization:
- Electronic letterheads and page tags for page numbers, headers, footers and watermarks
- Cropping, grayscale conversion and image compression settings
- Automatic bookmarks for each job and a generated table of contents
- Text notes, signatures and initials, highlighting, text editing, form filling and redaction
- A link dictionary that turns chosen text into links in every printed document
- PDF/A archiving, single-page PDF series and custom drivers for specific tasks
Workstation and Server Editions
pdfFactory comes as a workstation edition for desktop Windows and a Server Edition for Windows Server and Citrix environments. The Server Edition is licensed per named user who accesses it over the network, not per concurrent session. One user license covers access on several servers.
