PDF reader

Do you need to view and possibly also edit PDF documents but you don’t know which program to use? Would you like to try a PDF reader  that is fast enough to open and / or with more advanced features related to document editing? OK, there is no question. You have come to the right place at the right time. Give me a few minutes of your time and let me show you some excellent applications that allow you to view and edit PDFs without hassle and totally free. Try them and you won’t regret it.

Below you will therefore find those that in my opinion represent the best software in the category, both for Windows and for Mac. They are all rather simple to use and able to perform flawlessly for the purpose for which they are intended. Don’t worry, it is absolutely not necessary to be a great expert in IT and new technologies to be able to exploit them: they can be used without particular difficulties even by those who, a bit like you, do not consider themselves a “geek”.

How do you say? Would you like to know if I can recommend some useful resources also for smartphones and tablets? Of course yes, God forbid. I had already thought about it. And in fact at the end of the guide you will find a step dedicated to what I believe to be the most interesting apps used for this purpose for smartphones and tablets. You just have to choose the one you think would do the most for you, download it on Android or iOS and that’s it. But now just chat and let’s take action. I wish you, as usual, happy reading and I wish you a very big good luck for everything.

Index

• Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (Windows / Mac)
• Sumatra PDF (Windows)
• Nitro Reader (Windows)
• Skim (macOS)
• PDF reader for smartphones and tablets

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (Windows / Mac)

Talking about PDF readers without mentioning Adobe Acrobat Reader DC makes virtually no sense. We are in fact in the presence of the program par excellence for viewing (and editing) files belonging to the aforementioned category. It is available for both Windows and Mac and is usable in two different variants: one totally free and one for a fee.

The free variant, the one I used to write this step, allows you to view the PDFs but also to make some changes. For example, it allows you to insert digital signatures, add annotations and export files in various other formats. The paid version, on the other hand, in addition to including the functions of the no-cost version, also offers some advanced features, such as editing texts.

You ask me how to use it? I’ll point it out to you right away. First, connect to the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC website and click on the Install Now / Download button on the right. If the box for the download of any additional software (eg Google Chrome ) is checked, uncheck it in advance to avoid downloading unwanted software.

When the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and in the window appears on the desktop click on the Run  button and then presses on Yes . Therefore, wait for all the Adobe Reader installation files to be downloaded from the Internet (it may take a few minutes!) And the program will be installed automatically. At the end of the procedure, click on  Finish  to conclude the setup.

If, on the other hand, what you are using is a Mac, open the .dmg package you just obtained, start the file in .pkg format contained in it and wait a few minutes for all the files necessary to install the application to be downloaded from the Internet. At the end of the procedure, click on the Finish button and it’s done. Then go to the Applications folder , right-click on the program icon and select Open twice in a row.

Regardless of the operating system you are using, once the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC window is displayed on the screen, click on the Yes button in response to the warning you see appearing on the screen if you want to set the program as the default reader for PDF files. Then click on the File item attached to the menu bar, choose  Open… and select the PDF document in relation to which you intend to go to act.

Then use the cards (and the tools to be attached) available on the screen according to what are your preferences and needs. In the Home tab   you will find the list of recently viewed files with a list of predefined paths from which to load documents, in the Tools tab   you will find the complete list of the functions included in the program, while in the tab with the  title of the  document  you will find the file currently displayed in Adobe Reader with all the tools necessary for its consultation.

At the top, however, there is a toolbar with buttons to print the file and send it by e-mail, the one to search for phrases and words in the document and the one to browse the pages. Then there are buttons to adjust the zoom level and to change the way the document is displayed. On the right, however, you will find all the tools you need to edit PDFs or create new ones.

Sumatra PDF (Windows)

As an alternative to the aforementioned Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and above all if you are looking for a PDF reader that is first and foremost fast and light, therefore able to work even on computers no longer of the very first hair, I suggest you download Sumatra PDF which makes essentiality its main reason for existence.

But be careful: what is written above does not absolutely mean that it is devoid of interesting functions, on the contrary. It is able to read e-books in ePub or Mobi format, XPS files , digital comics in CBZ or CBR and search within PDF documents. It is free, only for Windows and is available in both standard installable and portable edition (which I recommend), which works without the need for installation and can be carried on any USB stick.

To download it to your PC, connect to the program’s website and click on the SumatraPDF-xxzip link . When the download is complete, open the archive you just downloaded and extract the contents to any folder, then start the .exe file that was contained within it.

You will immediately find yourself in front of the main Sumatra PDF screen. Then click on the folder icon located at the top left to open a PDF. Alternatively, you can open your files by clicking on the Open document … link in the center. Also in the central part of the window, you also find frequently opened PDFs.

If you then want to make PDF documents open automatically with Sumatra PDF, right-click on any file that has this extension and select Properties from the menu that appears. In the window that opens, click first on the Change button and then on Browse , select SumatraPDF.exe from the folder where you extracted it before and that’s it. To save the changes, click OK twice in succession.

Nitro Reader (Windows)

If you need a PDF reader with more editing features than we have seen together in the previous lines, try Nitro Reader which allows you to add custom texts, arrows, annotations and other elements to PDF documents for free. Among its functions there are also the rotation of document pages and the creation of PDFs starting from Office files and digital photos.

It is only for Windows operating systems and is available in a free variant (the one I used to write this step) and a paid variant (including extra functions for what concerns the modification of open files).

To download the free version of Nitro Reader on your PC, connected to the software website , fill out the form you see on the left by entering your name, surname, email address and country of residence and click on the Download Nitro’s Free PDF Reader button . On the page that opens, click on the Download Nitro Reader (32 Bit) button if you are using a 32-bit system or Download Nitro Reader (64 Bit) if you are using a 64-bit system.

When the download is complete, open the .exe file you just obtained and wait for all the components necessary for installing the software to be downloaded from the Internet. Then accept the conditions of use of Nitro Reader, placing the check mark next to the item I accept the terms in the License Agreement , and complete the program installation process by clicking first on Yes  and then on  Finish .

In the window that opens, when you are pointed out that Nitro Reader is not the default PDF reader on your computer, you can click on the  Set default Programs… button  to make PDFs open automatically with the application. Then close the short introductory tutorial on the use of the program that is proposed to you.

To view a PDF, click on the button with the folder at the top left, select the item  Computer  on the left, then the Browse button and open the file you are interested in going to act. Once this is done, you will finally find yourself in front of your PDF.

Using the buttons on the left you can view all the pages that compose it, search for specific parts of text within it and view the annotations. With the buttons at the top of the Home tab you can instead adjust the degree of zoom, change the viewing mode and rotate the PDF.

To edit a PDF, on the other hand, you can use the Select button to select and copy the text present in the document, the  Add notes button to add annotations and the  Markup text button to highlight passages of the PDF, while with the Type text and QuickSign tools you can insert texts and signatures. If you then want to create a PDF starting from an Office file or a photo, click on the Create from files button and select the document to convert to PDF using the Browse button .

Skim (macOS)

Do you have a Mac and Adobe Acrobat Reader DC did not meet your needs? Then try to take a look at Skim and you will see that you will not regret it. It is in fact a no-cost application available only for Apple branded computers thanks to which it is possible to view files in PDF format as well as perform various other operations, such as adding annotations to documents, creating text clippings, adding bookmarks when needed and much more. It integrates with Spotlight and is very light. In short, what more do you want?

To use it, connect to the program’s website and click on the Download link at the top left. Once the download is complete, open the .dmg file obtained and drag the program icon to the Applications folder in the Finder window that appears on the desktop. Then go to the Applications folder and start Skim by right clicking on its icon and choosing Open twice in a row.

At this point, click on the Document item attached to the menu bar, choose the Open item … and then select the document you intend to open. Once the PDF is displayed in the Skim window, use the sidebar on the left to see the pages that compose it and the one on the right to view the annotations within it. The search field at the top right, on the other hand, allows you to find specific text within the document.

As far as editing is concerned, you have to use the buttons at the top of the program window, corresponding to the Tools Mode and Add Note section . If, on the other hand, you want to adjust the zoom level, you have to use the buttons located above the Resize item , always in the upper part of the program window.

To set Skim as the default PDF reader for your Mac, right-click on any PDF file, select the item Get information from the menu that appears, choose Skim from the menu below the wording  Open with: in the window that appeared on the desktop and then presses on the Edit All button … which is further down.

PDF reader for smartphones and tablets

As anticipated at the beginning, to conclude on a high note, as they say, I would also like to point out the apps for Android and iOS that can perform the function of PDF reader on the go.

Below you will therefore find indicated those that in my opinion represented some of the best solutions of this type. Take a look at it immediately and download what you prefer and which, of course, you think can do more for you.

• Foxit PDF Reader & Converter( Android / iOS ) – Probably the best PDF reader for mobile devices. It is free and in addition to offering the basic functionality of any tool of this type, it includes features such as protecting PDFs with certificates, signing PDF documents with digital certificates, creating blank PDFs, etc. To unlock these functions, however, you must make an in-app purchase.
• Xodo PDF( Android / iOS ) – Another excellent application belonging to the category in question as regards the mobile side. In addition to allowing you to open and view documents in PDF format, it integrates some editing features that can be very useful: highlighter, underline, freehand drawing, etc. It also supports document synchronization across multiple devices via cloud storage.
• Google PDF Viewer( Android ) – Application usable only on Android developed by Google that provides only the basic functions offered by any other PDF file reader: view files, copy notes, print, search in text, etc. It’s free.
• PDF Expert from Readlle( iOS ) – Excellent application for Apple-branded devices through which you can not only view documents in PDF format but also make any changes by inserting signatures, drawings, texts, notes, etc. It has a nice user interface and is super easy to use. It costs 10.99 euros.