a nursing informatics toolbox

Primo PDF…the best free PDF creation tool

documents to pdf

Document sharing is an integral part of our job as Nursing Informatics professionals. We send files to our boss, to our colleagues and sometimes to our vendors. The problem is that sharing files in its native format is cumbersome and can sometimes lead to problem such as version incompatibility or changes in formatting. Adobe addressed this problem by providing Portable document format (pdf) as a standard in document management. There is, although, one caveat to that; cost. Adobe’s PDF writer can cost you a lot. It is , however, a minor issue if you know how to look for a free alternative. Among available choices, I believe that PrimoPDF is one of the most advanced and stable PDF creation tool, and most of all; its free!

Here’s what they say about it:

PrimoPDF is a freeware program that creates a PDF file from Microsoft Windows documents. It works as a virtual printer. It does not present the user with advertisements.PrimoPDF is developed by the same company that develops the commercial Nitro PDF software.

PrimoPDF requires the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. When the program runs, it connects with www.primopdf.com each time it prints. This can be stopped with a firewall, or by disabling automatic updates within the program settings. It uses the Ghostscript file format converter and RedMon (software) printer redirection software.

According to its documentation, PrimoPDF has the following features:

  • Consistent PDF creation. Use PrimoPDF’s creation profiles to produce the same kind of PDF file every time. Profiles include Screen, eBook, Print, Prepress, and Custom.
  • Append PDF files. Combine each newly created PDF file into the one PDF.
  • Secure PDF. Protect and encrypt your information with strong password-based PDF security.
  • PDF metadata. Set the document properties information fields, — including author, title, subject, and keywords—to index your PDF files and make them easier to search.
  • PDF versions. Create different version PDF files: 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5

Download PrimoPDF from here.