How to read PDF

Every time you open a PDF file on your office computer, do you have to wait long endless seconds for Adobe Reader to load the whole document? Would you like to read some ebooks in PDF format on your tablet but you don’t know which app to use? No problem, I’ll help you.

Fortunately for us, there are excellent free applications that allow you to view PDF documents very quickly both on your computer and on portable devices. I recommend some immediately.

Take a few minutes of free time and find out how to read PDFs for free without having to wait a lifetime for the document to load 100%.

Windows

Let’s start with a couple of software for Windows, a super-minimalist one that only allows you to read documents in PDF format, and a slightly more comprehensive one that also includes several editing functions.

Sumatra PDF

Sumatra PDF is an essential application that allows you to view PDF, ePub, Mobi, XPS, DjVu, CHM, CBZ and CBR documents very quickly. It does not require installation to work and does not include advanced functions: it offers only those essential to read PDF in a comfortable way, such as zooming, searching and selecting text. Nothing more.

To download Sumatra PDF on your PC, connect to the program’s website and click first on the Download tab (top) and then on the SumatraPDF-x.zip and portable (zip) items .

When installation is complete, open the zip package that contains the software and extract the contents in any folder, then start the SumatraPDF.exe executable and, in the window that opens, click on the folder icon at the top left to select the PDF to view.

If you want to set Sumatra PDF as the default PDF reader on your computer, so that all PDFs are automatically opened with it, do this: right-click on a PDF document and select  Properties  from the menu that appears. In the window that opens, click on the Change button  and select SumatraPDF.exe . If you are using Windows 8 or later, you must click on More options> Look for another app on this PC before selecting the program .

PDF-XChange Viewer

If you need editing functions to add custom text, arrows, notes and highlights to PDF files, download PDF-XChange Viewer . It is a very light free software available in two versions: a traditional one to be installed via exe package and a portable one that works without installations.

To download the standard one, connected to the program’s website, make sure there is a check mark next to the ZIP installer item (in the right sidebar) and click on the Download now button . If you prefer the portable one, check the Portable version (ZIP) item and click on Download now .

Once the download is complete, if you have chosen the portable version of PDF-XChange Viewer, simply extract the contents of the zip package you downloaded in any folder. Otherwise, open the PDFXVwer.zip package , start the installation file PDFXVwer.exe and click first on OK and then on Next .

Then accept the conditions of use of the software, placing the check mark next to the item I accept the terms of the license agreement , and complete the setup by clicking on Next five consecutive times, selecting the Free version option and pressing Install and then on Finish . Also deselect the items related to add- ins for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Chrome to prevent the PDF-XChange Viewer plugin (useless) from being installed in the browser you use to browse the Internet.

When installation is complete, start PDF-XChange Viewer, click on the Open button to select the PDF to view and call up the toolbar with the editing tools by going to the View menu > Toolbars> Comment and annotate . A series of icons will appear through which you can add notes, custom text fields, arrows and geometric shapes to the document (which you can then save by selecting the appropriate item from the File menu ).

Mac

On Mac it is difficult to find a faster application than Preview (the one included “standard” in OS X) to read PDFs . If your computer is no longer the default application for opening PDF documents, solve this: click on any PDF document and press the key combination cmd + i on the Mac keyboard to view the technical details of the file .

In the window that opens, expand the Open With section , select Preview from the drop-down menu below and click the Edit All button to save the changes.

And if you need an app that allows you to edit your documents in more depth by adding annotations, highlights, etc. I recommend Notability which costs € 5.99.

Portable devices

In conclusion, let me recommend some apps that allow you to view PDF documents (and edit them) directly from smartphones and tablets. There is a wide range of choices.

• Xodo PDF– is one of the most complete free applications for viewing and, above all, for editing PDFs on mobile devices. It includes tools to add custom text, highlights, notes, arrows and many other elements to PDF files. It is available for  Android ,  iPhone and iPad  and  Windows .
• Foxit Mobile PDF– another very interesting free app. It displays PDFs quickly even on older terminals and includes some basic editing functions, such as adding notes and highlights. It is compatible with Android ,  iPhone / iPad and Windows .
• Notability– the application I was talking about before, before arriving on Mac was developed for iPhone and iPad . It costs 2.99 euros and offers a very simple solution to annotate PDFs or create documents in this format from scratch.