Feature Foxit Reader features.

[Skip]

Can the Foxit Reader convert Word Perfect and rtf documents into PDF format?

[cherry]

Hi Skip,

Foxit Reader doesn't include the convert non-PDF documents to PDF document feature, but Foxit PhantomPDF program does. There will be a Foxit PhantomPDF Printer added to your printer list if you install Foxit PhantomPDF program. Then you can simply open the Word Perfect and rtf document and print with Foxit PhantomPDF Printer to get them converted into PDF format.

[Skip]

Is Foxit PhantomPDF free?

[cherry]

Foxit PhantomPDF is not free but it is free to try out for 30 days.

[Skip]

Hi Skip,

Foxit Reader doesn't include the convert non-PDF documents to PDF document feature, but Foxit PhantomPDF program does. There will be a Foxit PhantomPDF Printer added to your printer list if you install Foxit PhantomPDF program. Then you can simply open the Word Perfect and rtf document and print with Foxit PhantomPDF Printer to get them converted into PDF format.

Am I correct that, after printing, I would have to scan the now-PDF document to put it back in my computer?

[cherry]

No Skip, the PhantomPDF Printer is a virtual printer that converts any non-PDF to PDF's. After the converting, it'll ask you where to save the newly created PDF document. You don't need to do scanning.

[Skip]

I found I can use my old HP Scan Jet 5300C to convert Word Perfect documents to PDF format by setting the “Scan To” function to “Image and Text”. It will open Word Perfect, then set “Save as type” to “PDF".

Thanks for the advice.

[jakob.bohm]

Skip, please beware that PDF files created by scanning a picture of a printed document are very inferior to PDFs created from the document in a more direct way (such as PhantomPDF or the "convert to PDF" functions in MS Office and OpenOffice).

The biggest problem with printing out and scanning to PDF is that the text is no longer stored as text and you can no longer copy and paste or search for words in the PDF file. If you put such a PDF file on the web, Google cannot search it properly for the same reason.

When using a "print to PDF" system such as PhantomPDF, anything the program tells the "printer" is text becomes real text in the PDF file, though some programs will try to "pretty up" their print out in ways that break up the text.

When using a "convert directly to PDF" function in an office suite, the PDF file will also include bookmarks, tables of content etc. so you can use the nice buttons at the right side of Foxit Reader and other readers.