blayne
04-03-2006, 07:22 PM
A friend sent a 19 page PDF created by PrimoPDF. I could view it, but when I tried to print it, the text was all overlapping C's or copyright symbols. I suspected a font problem. I searched this forum and found many problems, including a problem with Times New Roman font, which was used for this PDF.
I'm using Linux, and of course the PrimoPDF was created with Windows.
I applaud PrimoPDF for trying to make a PDF authoring tool but the entire idea of of a PDF is a Portable Document Format. If Primo writes a PDF that only works sometimes and only works with Windows, it's not doing anyone any good.
When is a PDF not a PDF? When it's a PrimoPDF and it can't be viewed on all computers. It's little better than a DOC file.
I use OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org) to create PDFs. OpenOffice is free and it's very powerful. Unlike PrimoPDF, every PDF I've created with OpenOffice and every PDF I've received that was created with OpenOffice can be opened, viewed and printed on every computer. The OpenOffice PDF is truly a PDF, not a PDF wannabe.
For now, PrimoPDF is giving the PDF a bad name. People receive a PDF and it won't open or print, and they blame the PDF format or their Adobe PDF viewer. I wouldn't be surprised if Adobe could sue PrimoPDF and win. With their "Windows only" attitude and the way their PDFs break the compatibility of PDFs on all systems, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft was behind PrimoPDF in an effort to discredit the PDF format and send everyone scurrying back to the DOC file that is used to keep MS Office users buying the latest version.
PrimoPDF is a step in the wrong direction for document portability. OpenOffice, OASIS, and the ODF are steps in the right direction.
I'm using Linux, and of course the PrimoPDF was created with Windows.
I applaud PrimoPDF for trying to make a PDF authoring tool but the entire idea of of a PDF is a Portable Document Format. If Primo writes a PDF that only works sometimes and only works with Windows, it's not doing anyone any good.
When is a PDF not a PDF? When it's a PrimoPDF and it can't be viewed on all computers. It's little better than a DOC file.
I use OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org) to create PDFs. OpenOffice is free and it's very powerful. Unlike PrimoPDF, every PDF I've created with OpenOffice and every PDF I've received that was created with OpenOffice can be opened, viewed and printed on every computer. The OpenOffice PDF is truly a PDF, not a PDF wannabe.
For now, PrimoPDF is giving the PDF a bad name. People receive a PDF and it won't open or print, and they blame the PDF format or their Adobe PDF viewer. I wouldn't be surprised if Adobe could sue PrimoPDF and win. With their "Windows only" attitude and the way their PDFs break the compatibility of PDFs on all systems, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft was behind PrimoPDF in an effort to discredit the PDF format and send everyone scurrying back to the DOC file that is used to keep MS Office users buying the latest version.
PrimoPDF is a step in the wrong direction for document portability. OpenOffice, OASIS, and the ODF are steps in the right direction.