Writing to pdf files?

**paul_oshea** · 25/01/2009, 12:17 PM

I am trying to design a sorta brochure for an organistaion over here and i got passed on a front page in pdf format. I was wondering is there any open source software that I can write or edit these pdfs?!

**pineapple stu** · 25/01/2009, 3:59 PM

Google pdf creator

**paul_oshea** · 25/01/2009, 4:49 PM

sorry went googling couldn't seem to find it?!

**pineapple stu** · 25/01/2009, 6:39 PM

It's the very first match! Download pdf creator 9.0.

**Battery Rover** · 25/01/2009, 7:37 PM

Cute PDF
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

**tetsujin1979** · 25/01/2009, 8:19 PM

I think the newest version of openoffice.org can write PDF docs, but I don't know if you can edit existing ones with it

**dahamsta** · 26/01/2009, 1:34 AM

He's looking for an editor lads, not a pseudo printer. I don't think you're going to find anything for free paul_oshea, but it might be worth looking at OpenOffice to see if it can open PDF files. It can certainly output docs you're working on to PDF.

adam

**pineapple stu** · 26/01/2009, 9:11 AM

Doh! You're right. As always...

Isn't the point of Adobe that you can cnovert for free, but have to pay for Acrobat to edit?

Alternatively, ask for the file in non-pdf format. It most likely wasn't created in pdf.

**paul_oshea** · 26/01/2009, 9:56 AM

ya thats right adam, exactly what i was looking for.

Stu i dont think I can to be honest, as I think thats the only format they have it in themselves.....

**Pauro 76** · 26/01/2009, 9:57 AM

If it's a brochure, every chance it may have been done in InDesign/Quark. Best to get the person who originally did it to edit down their end...

Paul, do you want to put up a screenshot of the pdf? I can tell whether it's Quark or InDesign by the crop marks if there's any...

**paul_oshea** · 26/01/2009, 10:54 AM

I reckon its indesign Pauro. If i get it changed to jpg or something like that is it possible to get a picture editer to change the text without changing the background colour?! Does that make sense?!

**Pauro 76** · 26/01/2009, 11:20 AM

It's probably best not to fix the text in Photoshop, typing in Photoshop isn't the best of ideas, the text will come out very pixellated when printed. Photoshop is great for everything except for editing text. Maybe you could download a demo version of InDesign, that might do it... but then again there's the problem of what version it's done in. If you have the original InDesign file, I could have a look...

**paul_oshea** · 26/01/2009, 11:55 AM

ok what about just copying the background colour all over the current text thats on there and re-write over it, how do you use a background colour and copy and paste it over the text without it looking like its been copied and pasted? Is it possible to just set the background colour to be the same as the highlighted colour for example?!

**Pauro 76** · 26/01/2009, 12:45 PM

Really think it's best to set up a new template in InDesign or something. I dont think Photoshop or Paint will do it justice, looks like its a Photoshop pdf, it's pretty much uneditable.

**dahamsta** · 26/01/2009, 3:43 PM

Open it in GIMP for the images, run it through OCR for the text, and put it all back into Writer, Word or perhaps Scribus for final editing? A lot of work I know.

(Writer doesn't seem to open PDF btw, however there might be a plugin or extension of some kind. Scribus doesn't seem to open them yet either.)

adam