PDF Reader

What Is a PDF Reader?

A PDF Reader is a powerful software application designed for viewing PDF documents, converting PDF files from/to diverse file formats like MS Word and Google Docs while keeping similar fonts and formatting, editing contents and pages of PDF files, merging PDFs, compressing PDF file size for faster file sharing, and protecting confidential PDFs through the use of passwords and permissions. It is a beneficial reading and editing tool for many kinds of documents such as delivery forms, technical reports, and retail price lists used by many professionals in business, banking, construction, government, education, and healthcare, as well as for students and individuals.

A recent CommonCrawl data report stated that PDF documents account for almost 1% of all links located on the internet which is more than any other file format aside from HTML. Also, a WebAIM survey report revealed that 78% of surveyed screen readers use a screen reader on a desktop computer, 58% use a screen reader on a laptop, and 12% utilize a screen reader on a mobile phone. A PDF reader is a noteworthy screen reader software and document editing and viewing app that can easily be accessed by many people around the world.

Best PDF Reader and PDF Viewer Apps

There are eclectic PDF reader and PDF viewer apps, as well as PDF signer apps that can be used on your desktop, laptop, android mobile, tablet, iPhone, iPad, Mac OS, Windows 7, Windows 10, and other smart devices and operating systems. What are the best PDF reader software applications for students, working professionals, and other individuals? 

1. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC or Adobe PDF Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a free PDF viewer app software for reading, commenting, and printing PDF files and other PDF forms. It offers multiple viewing modes to help users reduce eyestrain. Some of the notable benefits of Adobe PDF Reader are it hides unnecessary menus when using the full-screen mode, it works across multiple devices, provides easy integration with the Adobe Cloud System, and supports the extraction of images and words.

2. Foxit Reader

It is an accessible PDF reader tool that enables users to view, create, annotate, fill, and sign PDF documents across desktop, mobile, and web. For team collaboration, Foxit Reader helps you to grant access for collaboration work with your colleagues and friends on the same PDF file. You can also monitor the people who opened the PDF, edit it, and check all their activities and other actions in real-time. Use this PDF reader if you need to leverage existing forms and project management workflows with standard PDF form filling.

3. Google Drive PDF Reader

Being one of the widely used cloud storage services worldwide, Google Drive also includes a PDF reader that people can use for viewing, printing, and saving their PDFs which is called Google Drive PDF Reader. It supports Open Document Format (ODF), a file format generally accepted in many industries and sectors. This PDF reader app assists the user to share PDFs and other documents seamlessly while having free storage.

4. Javelin PDF Reader

Available on both desktop and mobile platforms, Javelin PDF Reader is a free PDF reader app that highlights a sophisticated and user-friendly interface and supports wide-ranging file formats like Word and Docs. It is an excellent PDF reader app that has built-in tools that help you in annotating, commenting, and sharing your documents.

5. Slim PDF Reader

If you want to use a PDF reader with advanced annotation tools and modern UI design, Slim PDF reader is the right PDF reader for you. It is a free, lightweight, high-quality, and open-source PDF reader tool that has numerous features that are better than other PDF readers. It contains notable features such as annotations and notes, embedded images, bookmarking/filing, support for multiple languages, password protection, and easy social media and email sharing. 

Advantages of PDF Reader

Select the right PDF reader application software and use it for your business documents and personal projects and tasks like dissertation proposal forms. What are the advantages of PDF Reader?

Read Largest PDF Documents: A PDF Reader app helps you to check and view the largest PDF document even though you are using an Android mobile or iPhone. Combine two large PFD files and reorder their pages if you need to. Extract one or more pages out of a large PDF file if it is necessary to send to your client as it presents specific details from the large PDF file. Create Clear Annotations and Notes: Most PDF reader apps like Adobe Acrobat Reader allow users to create annotations and notes on their PDF documents as they utilize virtual pens and other PDF editing tools in the app. Make some necessary edits immediately without the cluttered annotation scribbles on your PDF. Stay Connected and In Sync with All Cloud Storage Accounts: Whether you are using DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or other well-known cloud-based service accounts, many PDF readers offer seamless connection and in sync to your cloud accounts. In this way, you become time efficient as you no longer have to switch apps to access your PDF files and documents from other accounts. Easily store your PDF files and other documents in different cloud storage accounts. Insert Electronic Signatures: Project managers, team leaders, and other professionals use their PDF Reader apps to easily create, edit, and insert their personal electronic signatures. This is very important for professionals who are always on the go as they don’t need to worry about carrying their laptops when meeting clients for signing contracts. PDF Files with Password Protection: PDF reader apps are fundamental tools for business owners and professionals who need their files to be confidential or private. They offer high levels of security features to prevent potential leakage, alteration, and fabrication of documents. The users can also restrict viewing access when they set a username and password.

How to Create a PDF Document

Share your wonderful ideas in your PDF document while using an easy-to-access PDF Reader app. What are the common steps to create a simple PDF document?

Step 1: Place Compelling and Informative Page Title

Open your PDF Reader app software and include thought-provoking page titles that will surely entice your prospective readers to read or view your PDF document. For example, open your PDF document in Adobe Acrobat Pro and select File. Go to Properties and choose the Description tab to see the metadata in the document. Place the page title in the Title field.

Step 2: Use Headings

Convey meaning and structure while using headings on your PDF Reader document. There are two methods that you can use to construct headings on your PDF file using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC: using the tag tree and the reading order tool. If you want to use the tag tree, select Show/Hide, go to Navigation Panes, and go to Tags from the View menu. Make sure that the headings are tagged as headings at the proper levels to create an outline of the page content.

Step 3: Add Text and Visual Contents

Make meaningful link texts and write valuable text alternatives for the images. Insert transcripts and captions for multimedia. Select Tools, Edit PDF, and Add Image. Search the image file you want to include. Then, select the image file, click Open, and click where you want it to be placed on your document.

Step 4: Show Clarity and Conciseness

Make sure that the content of your PDF document is clear and concise. You must express actions in verbs to make sentences more clear, direct, and dynamic, and avoid nominalization or turning verbs into their noun forms. Avoid using strings of prepositional phrases and choose clear subjects.

Step 5: Revise and Finalize the PDF

Check your overall PDF document in your PDF reader app. Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases. Edit and revise your work carefully. Lastly, save and download it to finalize your PDF document.

FAQs

What are the best PDF readers?

Some of the best PDF readers available out there are Adobe Acrobat Reader DC or Adobe PDF Reader, Foxit Reader, Google Drive PDF reader (within Google Drive), Javelin PDF Reader, Slim PDF, Nitro Reader, Icecream Apps PDF Editor, PDF Element,  PDF-XChange Editor, and Soda PDF. 

What are the essential factors that must be considered before selecting and using a PDF reader app software?

The common factors you should highly consider when using a PDF reader app software are easy usage, and seamless compatibility with devices such as android mobile phones, iPhones, macOS, Microsoft Windows 7, and Windows 10. Check if the PDF reader offers data security, customer care support, scan & OCR or Optical Character Recognition features, and proper PDF functionality operations such as create, edit, share, print, and many other notable functions.

FAQs 

What is the difference between Adobe Acrobat Reader and Adobe Acrobat?

Adobe Reader is a free and stand-alone PDF viewer software application that enables the user to open, view, sign, annotate, search, print, and share PDF documents. It helps you to highlight sections, save them, and then, email them to collaborators in your team. It is a fantastic tool for reading, editing, and providing word integration as you can easily work with current or existing PDF files. 

How to stop Chrome from converting PDF to HTML?

Right-click on the PDF file, choose Properties from the drop-down menu, and click Change on the dialog box. When asked to choose the app that you want to use for opening your PDF document, select the default app. Then, you will be directed back to the dialog box, click the Apply button, and then OK. 

How to fix a PDF document that won’t open?

If you can’t open your PDF document, right-click (Windows) or control-click (Mac OS) the link to the PDF document and select the proper download option for your browser. Check if your PDF document is selected for the correct file type and save it. Search the saved PDF document and double-click the file to open it or visit your Downloads window and double-click the PDF document there. 

If you are a student, project manager, secretary, writer, marketing specialist, or any other professional in your respective field and industry, PDF reader and PDF viewer apps are integral for documentation and sharing information online like an employee equipment agreement seamlessly. When choosing the right PDF reader app, consider the accessibility of the PDF document itself, and how well the PDF viewer app presents the document information to the screen reader app. Sample.net provides a wide array of PDF templates that you can easily download and use in your PDF reader apps.