Create PDF documents with one click
Screenshots
CutePDF Writer is a free Windows software that provides you with advanced control over PDF document output. You can merge multiple fields and create printable PDFs from almost any application.
A virtual printer for creating PDFs
This simple software is easy to use and allows you to seamlessly carry out document editing. CutePDF offers a variety of tools for creating forms and adding comments. You can also merge PDF files to create new documents. Despite the name, this program is powerful and streamlines your business needs.
Small and simple
The CutePDF install is small, so it won’t take up too much space on your PC. The PDF writing software also conveniently installs itself as a printer within Windows.
Users of any level will be able to take advantage of CutePDF, especially the free version. CutePDF Writer has been simplified, so there is no control panel or excess of options. All that the interface appears as is a “save” dialog box. It’s not fancy, but it serves its purpose well.
All CutePDF products have a simple interface. If your organisation works with a lot of PDFs, it may be worth upgrading to CutePDF Pro. This program offers a variety of options. There is a slight learning curve for some users and no tutorial. It can be difficult to locate all of the tools straight away.
Virtual PDF Printer
CutePDF writer is a virtual printer that can save any kind of printable document as a PDF file. It makes workflow much smoother and hassle-free. All you need to do is hit print, from almost any program and you’ll be able to save it as a .pdf.
Portable Document Format (pdf) is one of the most widespread formats for document exchange. It was once an Adobe Proprietary format but in 2008 is was accepted by ISO as an open standard.
Virtual printers are considered to be the most reliable solutions for creating PDF documents. Cute PDF installs itself as a printer subsystem, which means that Windows applications can be turned into a professional quality document with just the push of a button.
To install itself as a printer driver CutePDF interfaces with one of the free postscript PS2PDFs available to you. It requires a PS2PDF converter such as Ghostscript.
Once both of these are installed on your computer, you can convert any document easily. First, open up the original document and select the ’Print’ command or press CTRL+P.
The second step is to select CutePDF Writer as the printer. You don’t have to worry about configuring the program as your virtual printer, it should appear automatically after installation. You’ll be prompted by the ‘Save As’ dialog box and then you’ll select it’s desired location. Finally, click ’Save’.
You can change the document properties through the appropriate dialog box before saving. Add a title, subject, author, and relevant keywords.
You’re also able to set open options such as the page layout and show. Once you’ve defined the information you need, click OK.
Document management
CutePDF Writer integrates with other Cute products such as their editor, PDF converter, and paid professional version. While CutePDF is free, these additional products come at a cost.
Integrating CutePDF Editor, however, is a useful free cloud-based software. This program allows you flexibility to edit and add security to your documents. With this program, you can combine multiple PDF documents into one file. There is an action clearly laid out on the right side of the interface for merging documents.
With CutePDF Writer integrated with the editor, you can easily add headers and footers and you can extract and reorder pages. It’s easy to make the edits, especially since the interface has a dark and minimalist design. The menu isn’t crowded even when you’re working on a split screen. The options are clear and straightforward.
Aside from merging and editing, you can also add security measures to your documents. Add passwords and other barriers to sensitive files. Together, these two small-but-mighty programs offer you a complete and simple alternative to the hefty classic- Adobe Acrobat.
Permissions and security
CutePDF Writer even allows you to make your PDF files password protected and encrypted. This is especially useful when you’re working with any sensitive or confidential files.
On the dialog box that appears with CutePDF Writer, you can choose to set a user password that anyone must input to open the document. You can also require that a password is inputted in order to change permissions and credentials.
CutePDF Writer allows you to decide on the encryption level of your document. You can also put restrictions in place in terms of content copying or extraction. If you want to, you can also enable form fields fill-in and annotations.
Alternatives
CutePDF writer is surprisingly comprehensive, especially for a free PDF software. It completely eliminates the need to pay for the expensive Adobe Acrobat, but it’s not the only option. There are many virtual PDF printers that allow you to create files from printable documents.
One alternative called PDF Combine from CoolUtils allows you to seamlessly merge PDFs, encrypt documents, and combine documents by folder or file name. The downside of this alternative is there a steep learning curve.
PDF Creator for Windows 7 is another propriety software that also automatically installs as a ‘virtual’ printer. The PDFs that you receive are high-quality and searchable. One highlight of this alternative is that you can embed fonts and choose CMYK,sRGB, or RGB output for images.
A powerful utility
Despite the name, CutePDF is a strong and no-frills program. Since it installs as a printer driver, interfacing with one of the free postscript PS2PDFs, it’s simple to use. CutePDF writer works perfectly for your document editing, converting, and sharing needs.
The latest version has added support for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista and Windows 7. There is also improved support for foreign languages.
