19.2.07

What software will make PDF’s in AutoCAD R14?

A client asked us this question last week. As, proponents of interoperability, we keep reiterating, many AutoCAD users are still on R14.

We recommended PDF4Free because it is a neat little app which installs quickly and only lets you know it is around by the promotional watermark on the PDF’s it creates.

http://www.pdfpdf.com/pdf4free.html

A friend of ours, currently running R2007 swears by CutePDF (professional), despite the fact that AutoCAD 2007 now has the capability to create PDF files. We decided to give the free version a try.

Our McAfee red flagged their site, CutePDF.com,as potential trouble, so we downloaded it from
http://www.download.com/3000-6675-10206470.html.

Smooth sailing, until; upon running the app for the first time, we were prompted to download a mandatory PS2PDF converter. The link took us back to the red flagged CutePDF.com. We decided to proceed anyway and did not encounter any noticable problems.

We found that the free version of CutePDF provides more options than PDF4Free sans any watermark. The only advertising we can find (to date) is unobtrusive promotional copy urging us to upgrade to the complete version of the application in the Saveas Dialog box. PDF's can be created for full size plot sheets even if you do not have a plotter.

Both applications will work with AutoCAD R14.

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