Adobe PDF is perhaps one of the most ubiquitous file formats on the Internet today. It allows users with the Adobe Reader (or other PDF compliant reader software) to view and print (if allowed) PDF documents. The beauty of the PDF format is that it can be created from any originating file format, be it Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, vector images, PowerPoint slideshows, Websites. Anything at all that can be printed out by your computer, can be converted into a PDF document. The best part of the conversion is that the layout of the original document, along with its fonts is retained so your readers get to see your content exactly the way you created it, without having to have the originating software.

While viewing PDF documents is free with the Adobe Reader, Adobe charges big money for its Adobe Acrobat software which is their solution to creating PDF documents. But we don’t want to have to pay to create PDF documents, do we? So I scoured the web and discovered that there are in fact a few free PDF creation tools available for FREE!

BullZip is perhaps the best of the lot, and is downloadable free of charge from here : http://www.bullzip.com/products/pdf/info.php. It works just like Adobe Acrobat, since installs as a printer driver. The generated PDFs do not contain any kind of advertising or popups which is a major plus point for this program. The only limitation is that its FREE for personal and commercial use for up to 10 users. In most cases, this is not a limitation anyway.

BullZip’s features include :

  • Print to PDF from almost any Windows program
  • Runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/XP x64/2003/2003 x64/Vista/Vista x64/2008
  • Supports 64-bit operating systems
  • Direct output to the same file each time or prompt for destination
  • Control if the printer should ask if you want to see the resulting PDF document
  • Control output and prompts programmatically
  • Setup can run unattended
  • Graphical user interface
  • Password protect PDF documents
  • 128/40 bit encryption
  • Quality settings (screen, printer, ebook, prepress)
  • Set document properties, Watermark text, size, rotation, and transparency.
  • Superimpose/background documents.
  • Appending/prepending documents.
  • User interface control.
  • Command line interface to all settings.
  • COM/ActiveX interface for programmatic control.
  • Support for Citrix MetaFrame
  • Support for Windows Terminal Server
  • Multiple output types supported: BMP, JPEG, PCX, PDF, PNG, and TIFF.

So, if you are looking for the perfect solution to being able to create PDF documents from any Windows program for FREE and without any hassle or limitations, go get BullZip. You will thank yourself you did.