In June of this year we reviewed pdfFactory Professional a tool for converting almost any document to PDF format. In that review we touched on the history of PDF and the rationale for using it as opposed to other formats.

Introduction

Shortly after publishing that review we received several emails from ABXZone members suggesting that we look at one of the other PDF conversion offerings on the market, namely ScanSoft's PDF Converter 3 Professional. The emails went on to say that in addition to performing all of the tasks we covered in our first review that PDF Converter 3 offered significantly more editing capabilities along with a much more robust environment for essentially the same cost.

Approximately a week after receiving the email I went to ScanSoft's website to do a bit of research and review their product information for PDF Converter 3 Professional. I found published claims of a bevy of additional features that certainly sparked my interest. I then wrote Erica Hill, ScanSoft's Corporate Communications Manager, Productivity Applications and requested a copy of the software for analysis and review. Erica was extremely helpful and honored my request for a review copy by supplying me with a retail boxed copy of PDF Converter 3 Professional.

Today we'll take an in depth look at what this product has to offer. For the record I'm not going to attempt to compare and contrast the differences between this product and pdfFactory Professional. I'll let you read both reviews and draw your own conclusions.

ScanSoft's Description of PDF Converter 3 Professional & Features

"ScanSoft PDF Converter Professional is the complete PDF solution for business users. PDF Converter Professional offers an unmatched combination of creation, conversion, and editing, plus commenting and security features to give business users total document control and maximum efficiency. Now you can edit directly within a PDF file - just like working in the original file. Standard PDF forms can be instantly converted into fillable PDF forms. In addition, PDF Converter Professional features new mark-up and commenting tools, plus cutting edge security features. Add to all this the fact that PDF Converter Professional is less than a third the price of the leading PDF business software and you truly have a cost effective PDF powerhouse - Better PDF for Business!"

PDF Creation Features

• Industry-Standard PDF:  Creates 100% industry-standard PDF files that can be read, printed, or processed by popular PDF viewer programs - such as ScanSoft PaperPort® Professional and Adobe® Reader®. Supports PDF v1.3, v1.4, and the latest v1.5; also supports PDF XML tags.
• High Quality PDF:  Creates the highest quality PDF files from nearly all Microsoft® Windows® applications, retaining the precise layout of the original document.
• Superior Creation Speed:  ScanSoft PDF Create! produces PDF files up to 3 times faster than the leading PDF creation application.
• Optimized, Small File Sizes: Creates highly optimized PDF files that are dramatically smaller than the original document. Supports industry-standard compression options, including loss-less, JPG 2000 and enables optimization for the Web.
• Passwords and Security:  Secure PDF files by requiring others to know a password in order to view or print a document. 40-bit and 128-bit encryption can also be applied to a PDF file with the user able to control whether the document can be viewed, printed, edited, copied or annotated.
• Automated Batch Creation:  The PDF Create! Assistant makes it fast and easy to create PDF documents - from multiple files and multiple file types at the same time. Use drag & drop to add files to a batch, or can simply select a range of pages you wish to turn into PDF files.
• Merging Documents:  Select a range of original files of different types and have them copied as PDF files - into separate PDF files or into a single combined PDF document. You can also merge multiple documents into a single PDF file page-by-page, which is ideal for merging letter text into a letterhead template document, or to merge form data into a form template.
• Automatic PDF-to-e-Mail:  Choose to have PDF files automatically added as an attachment to an e-mail message simplifying the sharing of documents over the Internet.
• Watermarks and Stamps:  Apply watermarks and stamps to your documents from a pre-made library or create your own. Custom watermarks can be applied from other PDF files or created from within the PDF Create! Assistant.
• Short-cuts and Application Integration:  Create PDF files from practically every PC application through a printer interface or by using the right-mouse shortcut when clicking on any file in Windows Explorer. ScanSoft has also integrated toolbar icons for PDF Create! within a number of popular applications, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Outlook®.
• Advanced Font Embedding, Graphics and Page Size Controls:  Supports font embedding for all standard and non-standard fonts, shading and transparency conversions. Select the graphics resolution and control PDF page size and orientation. Supports the creation of custom page sizes and automatically scales in inches, millimeters and points.
• International Language Support:  Supports international double-byte character sets enabling creation of PDF documents using nearly any Latin, Cyrillic or Asian character set.
• Does Not Require Adobe® Acrobat®:  Create and view PDF files without the need for any additional software.

PDF Conversion Features

• Precise Conversion of PDF into Popular Word Processing Formats:  Instantly Convert PDF files into fully formatted Microsoft Word and Corel® WordPerfect® documents that look just like the originals - complete with text, columns, tables and graphics.
• Spreadsheet Conversions:  Convert PDF files into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and retain accounting, currency, percentage, date, time and other special formatting that makes it much easier to perform calculations or change data on a converted spreadsheet.
• Convert PDF Forms into Microsoft Word Forms:  PDF Converter Professional includes Logical Form Recognition™ (LFR), advanced form conversion technology used by the IRS, Secret Service and other leading organizations that allows PDF forms to be turned into Microsoft Word forms that can be edited or filled.
• PDF Converter Assistant:  PDF Converter Professional delivers unmatched ease-of-use with the PDF Converter Assistant. Accelerate the PDF conversion process PDF by eliminating the need to open the document in its native application.
• PDF Thumbnail Preview and Page Ranges:  Converting only a few pages from a long PDF document is now a breeze. Quickly preview the pages within a PDF file and select a specific page or page range for the conversion process.
• Support for PDF Passwords and Encryption:  Use passwords to access and convert protected PDF files when additional document security is required.
• Scanned Paper PDF (Image) Files:  PDF Converter Professional processes files that are created from scanners or image applications. Control the number of image pages processed as well as the resolution used for graphics in converted pages.
• Application Integration:  Developed in collaboration between Microsoft and ScanSoft, PDF Converter Professional is seamlessly integrated into the "File Open" menu in Microsoft Word. Short cut buttons and right mouse access is available within Microsoft Word, Outlook, Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer and the Microsoft Windows desktop.
• Does not require additional software or Adobe® Acrobat®:  PDF Converter Professional works without the need for any Adobe PDF creation or viewing software.

PDF Editing Features

• Design and Publish Fillable PDF Forms:  The amazing FormTyper feature automatically discovers form fields and check-boxes, adding standard PDF form elements to your form without changing the original. You can also manually add form elements, including buttons, checkboxes, digital signature fields and more. Full attribute settings are also supported.
• Reorder, Cut, Copy and Paste Pages:  PDF page thumbnails and assembly tools allow you to easily manipulate pages in a PDF document to rearrange, add or delete pages with drag & drop ease.
• Copy Text, Graphics and more into Microsoft Office:  Have you ever wanted to use a chart or graphic in a PDF within a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation? Now you can with PDF Converter Professional - just select the area to copy, then paste into Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and more.
• Select, Edit, Cut, Copy and Paste Text within PDF Documents:  Text tools provide an easy way to add, delete, move or modify text within a PDF file. Change colors, fonts, or point sizes with only a few mouse clicks.
• Select, Resize, Cut and Paste Images:  Easily add, delete, move, reshape or resize images, including individual graphical elements in pie and bar charts without having to manipulate the entire graphic.
• Add Comments and Markup Documents:  Streamline group collaboration using sticky notes and highlighting tools that allow you to emphasize text or certain portions of documents during the creation or review process.
• Add and Edit Bookmarks and Hyperlinks:  Add bookmarks and hyperlinks to your documents to quickly find a place in a document or embed a link to important information eliminating wasted time spent searching for information.
• Attach Application Files, Audio and Video Files:  Make your PDF files more complete and dynamic by adding application, audio or video files.
• Compare Changes Across Two PDF Files:  Compare two documents to identify small changes instantly without having to read through the entire document.
• Search for Text or Files:   Use a key word or phrase to find documents on your workstation or network quickly and efficiently.

Ease of Use & Installation

As per usual I followed my "no instructions needed approach" for installation and implementation of PDF Converter 3 Professional. I found no issues with the installation process and in less than five minutes part 1 of the installation was completed. Part 2 consisted of product activation either using manual activation over the telephone or the automatic activation over the Internet. I opted for the automatic approach as all program elements are activated quickly and seamlessly. The manual approach necessitates the separate activation of two of the product's components.

I liken this process to Microsoft's current product activation ritual that must be performed after installing most of their newest products. The main difference with ScanSoft's approach to product activation is that you are only able to use PDF Converter 3 Professional a total of five times before product activation is mandated. The entire activation process took less than 30 seconds and required no further data entry on the part of the user.

ScanSoft does provide a Quick Reference Guide both for online purchasers as well as for those that opt for purchase of its boxed retail counterpart. The reference guide is more than adequate to guide the less adventurous user through installation, product activation, and the rudimentary tasks associated with basic product function.

Inside PDF Converter 3 Professional

After only a few minutes of perusing the elements of PDF Converter 3 Professional it became quite evident to me that this was not a single piece of software. Instead I found what I would describe as a suite of integrated tools for:

1. Creation of new PDF documents
2. Conversion of almost any existing document format to PDF
3. Conversion of a PDF document to either of two popular Word Processing formats
4. Conversion of a PDF document into an Excel spreadsheet
5. Creation of new documents and conversion of existing documents to interactive PDF forms
6. Highly complex editing capabilities including drawing tools

When first opening PDF Converter 3 Professional you will be presented with what Scan Soft refers to as the "Work Area" which contains:

Main Toolbar:  contains tools grouped by functionality. Right-click on the toolbar area to display the shortcut menu. You can show or hide the tool groups by clicking their names in the shortcut menu.

Document Window:  Located just below the main toolbar contains is the Document Views area which in turn may have a Page Panel to show Bookmarks, Pages, Document Info, Annotations, etc. (Shown with PDF Converter Professional Manual opened)

Organizer:   This versatile area gives you access to Document and Digital Signature Preferences; Comment, Form, and Touchup Text Properties; the Search Tool, Actions, Stamps, Watermarks and Clip Art.

Converting Documents to PDF

There are a number of different ways to create PDF files using PDF Converter 3 Professional:

PDF Create Assistant is one of the modules included with PDF Converter 3 Professional. It allows for creation of one or many PDF documents in a single function. The documents can be created as:

• One document per file
• Combined into one single file
• Overlay multiple files into one PDF document

It should be noted that some types of document formats are not readily handled with PDF Create Assistant and require one of the other methods of creation as described below. Examples of files that work well with PDF Create Assistant are Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I found that some HTML documents and other file formats could be created into PDF files using PDF Create Assistant and others couldn't depending on the complexity of the document. A layout tool is also part of PDF Create Assistant allowing:

• Control of your document's layout to allow it to fit almost any standard or custom paper stock or size format currently available
• Control of your document's resolution: Screen (72 dpi), Low (150 dpi), Medium (300 dpi), High (600 dpi), 1200 or 2400 dpi (dots per inch).
• Control your documents' scale. Reduce or enlarge a document, and by what percentage, between 1 and 1000 percent.

Finally, PDF Converter Assistant allows the user to:

• Select the revision of PDF to be converted to either: 1.3 which is compatible with Acrobat Reader versions prior to version 5; 1.4 which is compatible with version 5; and 1.5 which is compatible with version 6 and later
• Embed any non-standard font that your document may contain
• Choose document compression ranging from loss level 100 to 0, with 100 being the most exact
• Choose security ranging from none to: no copy, no print, no modify, & no annotate just to name a few
• Choose the addition of a watermark from an included library or create your own

Other PDF creation techniques include:

• Choosing File / Create PDF / from File in main toolbar
• Choosing File / Create PDF (also in the main toolbar) and choosing a multiple file command, to call the Create PDF dialog box. This can also be done with the corresponding icons from the Main Toolbar.
• From the print dialog box in any print-capable Microsoft Windows application. A special printer driver is installed allowing you to create PDF files from most documents that you send to this driver.
• Using the shortcut menu of a source file. Simply right click on the document to reveal the short cuts installed by PDF Converter 3 Professional.
• Using "drag-and-drop". You can drag-and-drop PDF files onto the PDF Converter Professional program window to have them opened - up to a "Maximum Opened Files" limit , preset under Preferences. You can also drag-and-drop documents (*.doc, *.txt), Excel sheets (*.xls), PowerPoint slides (*.ppt) to have them converted.

Converting PDF Files

One of the more interesting features of PDF Converter Professional is the ability to convert PDF documents to one of the following formats:

• Word document
• Word form
• Excel document
• Word Perfect Document

PDF Converter assistant is one of the modules included in this robust package. It can be opened either from the tool bar or from any of the following:

• The Open dialog box in Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Windows Explorer
• Microsoft Excel
• Corel WordPerfect

Once an input PDF file name is chosen, a preview of its first page appears in the Preview pane. Click inside it to see an enlarged view in a separate window. Close this window with OK if you want to view other pages. Use the navigation buttons to go to the next page, last page, previous page and first page. The display shows how many pages are in the file.

Converting PDF Files con't.

The Document Options Panel affords you the following controls for document conversion:

• The ability to convert image-only documents using OCR; a built in OCR is included
• Change the recognition language and the reject characters
• Skip image-only pages
• Define page inspection range
• Choose which elements to retain or drop during the conversion.
• Retain or drop dividing lines in tables and other lines on the page.
• Select or deselect headers and footers to be converted
• Select the option to detect and transfer hyperlinks during conversion
• Control text and background color during transfer
• Choose from flowing column or true page layout
• The ability to retain PDF tags
• Recognize non-standard encoded pages
• Control graphic resolution on transfer from 72 to 300 dpi
• Panels for control of form and spreadsheet transfer

Editing, Annotation, & Markup of PDF Files

One of the most impressive features of PDF Converter 3 Professional is the vast array of editing, annotation, and markup options that it possesses.

Annotation and Markup

• Create Bookmarks
• Add Links
• Add sticky notes
• Text Box: Enter text phrases directly on pages with selectable font, style, color,and transparency.
• Drawing: Enter graphic objects - or even a stamp, directly on pages with selectable shape, color, and other property settings.
• Markup: Emphasize text parts on pages with highlight, strike-out, or underline.
• Attachment: Attach files, sounds, movies to the document. Add digital signatures
• Add page stamps from and included library or create your own custom stamps
• Add watermarks from an included library or create your own custom watermarks
• Insert clip art including creation of custom clip art

Water Mark & Stamp Organizer Closets

Clip Art Closet

Editing Features

• Select and copy text
• Select and copy images
• Introduction of new objects into a current file
• Insert a PDF or non-PDF file by drag and drop (non-PDF files will be converted)
• Manipulate objects including moving, scaling and rotation
• Edit objects and text with the "Touchup Tool"
• Overlay files
• Unlimited Undo and Redo
• Font smoothing

More extensive editing than that listed above should take place in the original document before conversion.

Product Support

The only negative that I found with PDF Converter 3 Professional was ScanSoft's policy of pay per incident for product support. Email support will cost you $9.95 per incident and telephone support will cost $19.95. It is my policy to send moderately difficult question to any software vendor's support team to check for both timeliness of a reply and accuracy of that reply. ScanSoft's policy dissuaded me from using that technique in this review.

To be fair, I must state that ScanSoft does provide not only and excellent Quick Reference Guide but also a very in depth 90 page manual with this product. The also have an on-line FAQ that is quite complete. Most users should find the answers to any questions they might have if they properly avail themselves of any or all of these options.

This product is targeted more for the business or home office user than it is for the casual home user. In this "prosumer environment" pay per incident support or buying a time based support policy is much more the norm.

Product Cost

The retail price of PDF Converter 3 Professional is $99.95. Considering how feature rich this product is and the market for which it is intended I find the price to be quite reasonable. I have recently seen specially priced full-versions of this product as cheap as $79.95 offered in conjunction with software authored by associate companies of ScanSoft. In short, you get a great deal of the functionality associated with Adobe Acrobat Professional for between 25% - 33% of the price!

Conclusion

My experience with PDF Converter 3 Professional over the last ten days has proved to be as pleasurable as I have spent with a software package in quite some time. I found many different ways to achieve the same end result depending on the file format I was testing in conversion. I literally found no document that I had in my files that couldn't be converted with a small amount of time and energy. I did find that spreadsheet conversion was not as smooth as I would have liked but with work it to was more than acceptable.

I found the flow and operation of the program to be quite smooth and fully intuitive in its integration. This is one of the most feature laden packages I have yet to see for PDF conversion with even the advanced features being quite simplistic with a very gentle learning curve.

This product comes as close to perfect as I have seen for the for the business user, home office user, and home enthusiast needing these advanced capabilities for PDF conversion.

Pros (+)

• Excellent conversion of almost any file format to PDF
• Excellent conversion of PDF documents to Microsoft or Corel word processing formats
• Superior editing tools
• Watermark and page stamp creation tools
• Excellent built in OCR
• Extremely fast document conversion
• Sticky notes can be added
• Reasonably priced
• Simple to learn
• Excellent manual
• Simple straight-forward installation
• Automatic PDF to email option

Cons (-)

• Pay per incident product support
• Excel spreadsheet conversion could use some bolstering

Overall I would give it a 9 out of a possible 10 with the only drawback being the two cons I listed.

I would also like to sincerely thank Erica Hill at ScanSoft Software for her help and cooperation in providing me the opportunity to review this excellent product.