best computer software for opening pdf files

Read our full Adobe Acrobat DC review (opens in new tab).

With Adobe Acrobat, scanning your document really is just the beginning, but the caveat with this platform, like so many Adobe tools, is that it doesn’t come cheap. Storing all these converted files is made easier too, thanks to integrations with Dropbox, OneDrive and Box. Key features include passwords and permission for added security, standardized templates to keep your documents consistent in style, the ability to edit and annotate both normal text and data in tables, a comparing tool to identify differences between different versions of the document, and ‘reverse’ conversions from PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The platform allows you to create PDFs from just about everywhere: Microsoft Office applications, the camera of your phone when you’re out and about, HTML pages, and even from disparate emails, spreadsheets and documents which can be merged and organized into a simple PDF file. If there’s a software company that knows how to handle a document or two, it’s Adobe, and when it comes to PDFs, you’re in safe hands with Acrobat DC ,which stands for ‘Document Cloud.’ After all, just about everyone has used Adobe Acrobat Reader for opening a PDF at some point. Luckily, these days most scanning solutions provide excellent quality documents, but if you're not confident about your own software, you can always deliver your documents to a scanning company to do it for you.

Quality is also an essential consideration, as scanned documents need to remain accurate and readable, which means that scanning software that is unable to properly represent numbers and letters won't be useful for accurate records. Often this will be PDF files, as this is a universal file, but sometimes Word or other office file formats will be required, as well as different image formats. The best scanning software will be able to cater for a range of different needs and especially be able to store documents in different formats as required. However, there are many different types of scanning software available, and different document types available. Using document scanning apps (opens in new tab) to turn files into electronic copies that can be stored locally or in the cloud is now a common practice of many businesses. Scanning technology has become increasingly available and accessible, meaning that the paperless office now has a real chance of becoming a reality.

Best computer software for opening pdf files