CNET Editors' review
PDF files are a common format for most businesses today. However, altering and creating fresh PDFs remains a mystery for many people. PDFill PDF Tools hopes to make this process simpler with a number of options, but the busy interface may overwhelm less experienced users.
This freeware program has a cluttered interface that will take some studying and experimentation to master. However, all the elements serve a purpose, and many will look familiar to those who have used a word-processing program. The screen looks very much like Microsoft Word's display, with a ruler running down the side and familiar buttons for saving, creating, printing, and fonts along the top. Along the left side are a string of icons with tools for creating PDF-specific tools like check boxes, drop-down menus, radio buttons, and more. The right side of the screen features icons that help give PDFs a professional sheen, by sizing and balancing the page with various tools. Along the bottom are still more buttons; these allow users to do everything from drawing text boxes, highlighting text, or even adding videos.
PDFill allows users to alter existing PDFs or create documents from scratch. One of its most unique aspects is the helpful hints. When our test PDF opened, it contained no fillable fields and offered to show us how to create them. Boxes pop up regularly throughout and offer other helpful hints.
The only negative is PDFill's crowded interface. With all four sides covered in buttons, it can get overwhelming. However, with a little practice we think that anyone can create and alter PDFs using this excellent download.
Publisher's Description
From PlotSoft:
Free PDF Tools to Merge, Split, Reorder, Encrypt, Decrypt, Rotate, Crop, Reformat, Header, Footer, Watermark, Images to PDF, PDF to Images, Form Fields Delete/Flatten/List, PostScript to PDF, PDF Information, Scan to PDF, and Create Transparent Image.
Merge two or more PDF files into a single PDF file; Extract or Reorder pages from a PDF file into a new file;Encrypt or Decrypt PDF documents with 40 or 128 bit Encryption;Rotate pages by 90, 180, and 270 degree;Crop a page to modify its layout of Print or View by specifying its margins;Put multiple pages into one page to save paper and inks when printing hard copies with note lines for handout;Add Headers and Footers to present information, such as date, time, page numbers, or the title of the document, in the top or bottom margins of a document;Add stamp using a formatted text in your international language;Add Stamp using image file (bmp, jpg, gif, png, tiff, and wmf);Convert images (bmp, jpg, gif, png, tiff, and wmf) into a PDF file with layout options;Convert PDF pages into images (png, jpg, bmp and tiff) with DPI options;Delete, Flatten or List the PDF Form Fields inside a PDF file; Convert Postscript file into PDF;Add information (Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Created, Creator, Producer and Version) to the PDF document;Scan your Paper Form or Photo into images (PNG, JPG, BMP, TIF and GIF) or PDF;Create a transparent image with options to adjust one Color and the left Colors' transparency.
What's new in this version: Version 9.0 has a lot of bugs fixed; supports Big PDF, more free options, and supports 32 and 64 bit.
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All versions:
3.6 starsout of 134 votes
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Current version:
3.1 starsout of 23 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Free? NOT!: It wants to stamp everything with watermark"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
It is nice if you want to have an extensive play thing to muck around in your PDF document and you don't mind what the actual end result looks like.
Cons
- A simple page shuffle after a document merge is not possible.
- Saving the document will put a watermark on it
- It does not work together with other PDF printers without being adament to stamp the blasted watermark all over your document. You cannot save the document without it, unless you pay up.Summary
The watermark limitation on the free version was not in the sales pitch. I hate surprises, where the developer tries to hold me at ransom. So either it is free or it isn't. This one isn't. It is a trial version with clearly limiting features. You can use it, but the resulting documents are basically useless. On top of that, it doesn't even do the most basic of operations, being a multiple document merge and page shuffle + annotation. The interface to MSoffice and thus to One Note is not in the free version. And that was what I actually was looking for. But I was prepared to settle for a good tool that can merge my seperate odd and even page scans into one nice document and some editing in the same tool, before sending it to OneNote via the PDF printer. Alas. It's not this one.
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"TROJ_DLOADER.BMC"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
Let's you know that your Trend Micro Security is working
Cons
TROJ_DLOADER.BMC
Summary
TROJ_DLOADER.BMC
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"Works perfectly...absolutely no problems"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
After reading the reviews, I downloaded the program FREE (as it says) and used it exactly as it says it is intended to be used.
Cons
none so far that I have come across.
Summary
After reading the reviews, I don't understand why some people are saying its not free and it doesn't work.
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"I highly recommend it"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
Full of features at no cost
Cons
It might have to be updated more frequently
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"It does not work"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
Software shuts down when trying to merge 2 PDF pages
Cons
I do not see any
Summary
I do not recommend.
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"Kept Crashing"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
None, couldn't get it to work.
Cons
Didn't work.
Summary
I am running Windows Vista, Home Premium, SP2, 32-bit OS. Not sure the issue, but this program is getting uninstalled.
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"LIES, NOT FREE"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
Wasted my time downloading this turd
Cons
After you get your pages extracted, it does the mafia thing and says, PAY ME or I PUT TATTOO ON YOU. It puts a damn water mark on ever extracted page.
Summary
NEVER does it say that it's NOT FREE and that it puts watermarks on all your extracted PDFs.
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"It's lying. It doesn't convert any PDFs to Images."
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
nothing nothing nothing
Cons
It doesn't convert PDFs to images, it only opens the folder but the images are not there... I've tried for so many times with so many PDF files, it doesn't work at all.. I should give this piece of junk 0 star. half is one too many.
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"Yeahhh... but it's not free, is it"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
? not going to try it after reading the above reviews
Cons
It costs $20 on the PDF Fill website
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"Works great!"
Version: PDFill Free PDF Tools 9.0
Pros
Quickly and simply pulls pages you need out of large documents and converts pdf to jpeg and vice versa. That's all I've used it for so far, but I'm keeping it.
Cons
None found so far.
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