The PDF format is remarkable in that it allows you to preserve the original formatting of the document and at the same time protects it from further editing. This is useful when you want to show your article, presentation or web page exactly as it was originally intended.
A special program is used to create such documents. It is called a virtual PDF printer and allows you to convert almost any text or graphic file into this format. Below we will consider the best of these applications, and you can independently choose the one that meets all your requirements.
Windows 10 standard tool
Previously, users of Windows operating systems had to use third-party programs as a virtual PDF printer, while in Linux this functionality was available out of the box. But, fortunately, this unfair situation changed with the release of the top ten. It has the Microsoft Print to PDF application installed by default, which, as you might guess from its name, is used to convert ordinary documents to this format.
To enable a virtual printer in Windows 10, do the following:
- Go to "Settings" via the "Start" menu.
- Open the "Devices" section.
- Click the Add Printer button.
- Now select the option "The printer is not in the list", mark the line "Local or network" and click "Next".
- Find "Print to file" in the drop-down list. Click Next and then select the Print to PDF application in the right column.
- Give your device a name and confirm the operation.
That's all. Now you have a virtual PDF printer on your computer. It is enough to send any document to this device, and it will be automatically converted to the new format.
CutePDF Writer
How to install PDF virtual printer if you don't want to install Windows 10 on your PC? The answer is obvious - to use a special program for these purposes. One of such applications is CutePDF Writer. Installation of this free utility is a two-step process. The first step is to install the program itself, and then it will ask you to add a separate converter. Be sure to agree to this, otherwise the application will not work correctly.
When the installation process is complete, you can start converting the document of interest to PDF. To do this, just send the file for printing and select CutePDF Writer as the device, and then specify the folder in which you want to save the final result. Also note that you can set up a PDF virtual printer just like a regular device. For example, make all converted documents black and white, calibrate their quality, select orientation, and so on.
PDF Creator
It should be said right away that this virtual PDF printer in Russian is noticeably different from its counterparts. So, this program not only adds its icon to the desktop and to the list of devices for printing, but also integrates into many popular applications. For example, an option appears in the browser that allows you to quickly convert the Internet page you are currently viewing to PDF. Plus, you can customize the quality of your documents, quickly email them, change colors, and more.
Unfortunately, the latest versions of PDF Creator are not translated into Russian as quickly as we would like. Therefore, if this is a problem for you, you can either use earlier editions of the application, or pay attention to alternative options.
DoPDF
For those users who do not want to bother with numerous settings, this virtual PDF printer is perfect. The program is distributed free of charge and does an excellent job with its main task - converting documents. Also, doPDF is remarkable in that it can greatly degrade the quality of the file during the conversion process, and this, in turn, reduces its size.
The disadvantage of the application is the absence of the Russian language. Nevertheless, the translation is already in progress, so this problem will disappear after a while.
BullZIP PDF Printer
This program is highly compatible with all operating systems of the Windows family. If desired, it can be installed even on the "top ten", if the local converter does not suit you with something. In addition, the application works great on 64-bit OS, which is an additional point to his piggy bank.
Also, in addition to the basic functions of BullZIP PDF Printer, it is worth highlighting the ability to set a password, watermarks, encryption and other attributes on documents. This is useful if you want to hide some important information from prying eyes or protect it from illegal copying.
Online services
Well, for those who do not want to load their computer with additional programs, virtual PDF printers that work online are suitable. To use one of them, it is enough to upload the source file to the corresponding site, and then convert it to PDF, following the prompts.
For the most part, online services are useful for those who don't work with documents very often. After all, it is not entirely logical to install a virtual printer on your PC if you want to convert only one file with it. However, to convert a large number of documents, it is still better to use desktop programs.
In this article, we'll talk about the ability to quickly create pdf documents using a free virtual printer BullzipPDFPrinter.
That is, if, for example, from some image or text file you need to make a file in pdf format, then by installing a virtual printer on your computer (such as the one that will be considered in this article) you can send the desired image to print or document. Then choose BullzipPDFPrinter as the printer and instead of printing the document, save it as a pdf file.
Also, through BullzipPDFPrinter, from any document that is printed out, you can create not only a pdf file, but also an image in the popular jpg or png formats (a complete list of document formats that can be created using this virtual printer will be given below).
In general, there are several different free virtual printers, but I personally liked BullzipPDFPrinter more than all that I used, so I will first of all tell about it on my website.
Download Bullzip Virtual PrinterPDFPrinter
This virtual printer is updated periodically by the creators. Download the version of BullzipPDFPrinter described in this article from the following link:
Alternatively, you can go directly to the developer site to be sure to download the latest version. First, click on the links, as shown in the picture:
Only the installation file will still be packed by the archiver. So, if you fail to unpack, you can additionally install.
Bullzip Virtual Printer InstallationPDFPrinter
At the very beginning of the installation, we select the language we need:
In the next window, you don't have to select anything, so just click Next.
We accept the terms of the agreement:
Next, it is shown where on the computer (in which folder) this program will be installed. By default it will be in the folder Program Files on the system drive (where the operating system is installed). This installation location does not need to be changed. Let's go further:
The next window shows the name of the folder in the Start menu, which will contain the shortcuts of this virtual printer. These shortcuts in the Start menu have never come in handy for me, since the virtual printer is launched from the application from which you need to create a document (how this is done will be shown below).
Therefore, when installing, I put a check mark on the options: Don't create a folder in the start menu... And if you leave a check mark on this option, then the Bullzip folder along with shortcuts will simply be added to the Start menu. You can even remove it later, without affecting BullzipPDFPrinter:
The shortcuts on the Desktop and in the Quick Launch Panel from this program are also not useful, so you can not check the boxes:
The only negative is the next step - you need to download the add-ons (another 9 MB), without which the virtual printer will not be able to work. Check the box and go Further:
We press Install:
We are waiting for the download of the add-on:
And the button remains Complete:
How to use the BullzipPDFPrinter virtual printer
Let's say we need to create a pdf file from a text document. Being in the text editor LibreOffice, Microsoft Office, Notepad, etc., in an open document that we want to convert to pdf format, click Ctrl + P... A window will appear in which we, as a printer, select Bullzip PDF Printer and click Printing.
For example, if we are in, then after pressing Ctrl + P it will look like this:
In Microsoft Office 2010 like this:
And in Notepad like this:
In other programs, the Print window may look different, but the essence is the same: you need to select a virtual printer Bullzip PDF Printer and press Printing.
A window with settings will appear. In the first tab General:
1. Choose the format into which we are going to convert the document. As you can see in the drop-down list, there are several different formats. Since in this case we are creating a PDF file, so we select it.
2. Specify the name of the file and the location on the computer where you want to save this created file.
3. And also, if after creating a document you need to view it immediately, we can put a tick on the options: Open document after creation:
And in each particular case we can choose our quality, depending on what the file is created for.
For example, an e-book: "", I created, choosing the best quality Preprintso that pictures and text have minimal loss in quality. As a result, 30 pages took up 3.7 MB.
But, if the same book is created with quality Electronic book, then only 1.4 MB comes out, and the quality will be slightly worse, which is especially evident from the pictures. In general, I recommend creating something with different quality in order to see the differences in quality and size of the output file. This will help in the future to imagine what quality to choose in certain situations.
The following tabs are rarely used already. In the tab Picturethe quality is adjusted, similar to the one discussed above, only here there are settings for formats when we want to create an image, not PDF.
Using other tabs, if necessary, you can add watermarks, merge the created PDF document with some other PDF document, and also encrypt the file and protect it with a password.
After specifying the necessary parameters, click Saveand we get a file that we can find where we indicated in the tab General.
As you can see, everything is quite simple and convenient:
Ctrl + P -> Bullzip PDF Printer-> Printing -> Save.
Now, if we, for example, created a PDF file, then you can open it using any program designed to view PDF. If the file does not open automatically when you open it, then no such program is installed on your computer. Then you can install, for example, a free nimble and lightweight program.
PDF Printer is a program that allows you to convert almost any graphic and text files to PDF. In fact, it is a virtual printer and does not have a graphical shell. Despite the lack of an interface, working with the program is quite convenient. The user is required to select the desired image or document, and then send it to print. In the print settings window, switch from a "physical" printer (if one is connected to the computer) to a virtual one - PDF Printer. After that, you can change the parameters of the original document and specify where to save the finished PDF file. Saving, despite the laws of logic, occurs when you press the "Print" button.
Among the disadvantages of the program, it is worth noting that it does not allow you to convert files in batch mode. But there are several major advantages. For example, PDF Printer gives you the ability to convert web pages and emails to PDF. To do this, you just need to send them to print and perform the previously described operations. Before saving the document, the user is allowed to change the font, page orientation and resolution. You can also add a password to the file, remove hidden layers, and select the compression ratio of the original file. In order to go to the window with the parameters, press the "Settings" button after switching to the virtual printer.
The virtual printer driver will not "conflict" with other software. It works correctly on all versions of the Windows operating system and is removed from it without leaving any "traces" behind.
Key features and functions
- the ability to customize font settings, page orientation, resolution and other parameters of the source file;
- the ability to convert web pages and letters;
- a convenient window with parameters, which is opened by pressing the "Settings" button in the "Print" window;
- support for compressing files to a specified degree using selected algorithms;
- a separate section with color options;
- the ability to remove hidden layers and data from the document;
- the presence of an automatic conversion mode with the choice of the optimal settings, according to the programs.
There are many ways to print a PDF file. You can directly send a PDF document for printing without even opening it or viewing it in any program, but as a result you risk getting a completely different kind of paper document that you would like. Adobe Reader allows you to fine-tune the printing of PDF files and get printed documents of the desired quality and size.
PDF Print
Printing PDF documents with Adobe Acrobat Reader is the most common way to print this type of file. In the simplest case, this requires just a few steps.
Problems sometimes occur when printing PDF files. There may be several reasons, but, first of all, you should pay attention to file protection. Perhaps the owner of the document protected it from printing and other manipulations with the document. In this case, it will be impossible to print the document without knowing the password.
How to print PDF on multiple sheets
Printing PDF on multiple sheets can be useful, for example, if you want to print an A1 drawing, but only a standard A4 printer is available. Or, for example, when you have a map of the area in PDF format and you need to enlarge it and print it on A4 sheets, which will then be glued together.
You can split the PDF file into multiple sheets using the "Poster" button in the print settings. 
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The figure shows that the document will be divided into 8 parts when printed. If you select the "Cut marks" option, the printed sheets will be marked where they should be glued.
How to print multiple PDF pages on one
Printing multiple PDF pages on one page can be used to save paper or create pocket-size PDFs. In order to do this, you need to open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader and select Print from the File menu. In the print settings, click on the "Several" button. 
As a result of these actions, additional options will appear in the "Print" window that determine the parameters of the pages located on one sheet. 
To print the document with the selected parameters, click the "Print" button.
How to print PDF as a book
The latest versions of Adobe Reader have the convenient ability to print PDF files as a book. Previously, for this purpose, you had to use special plugins or programs. To print the PDF in the form of a book, select the "Print" option and in the print options window, click the "Booklet" button. 
Under the buttons for adjusting the size and processing of pages, options appear for setting the print parameters of the book. 
- "Brochure Range". This section determines which side of the paper will be printed on. If you have a printer with two-sided printing, just select the "Both Sides" option. If the printer only prints on one side of the page, select Front Side Only and print only the front sides of the pages. Then you need to turn over the printed pages, place them in the printer, in the print settings, click the "Booklet" button again and in the "Booklet range" section select the item "Back side only".
- "Sheets with". Here Adobe Reader automatically determines the number of the first and last sheet of the book.
- "Spine". If the text will be read from left to right, the spine of the book should be located on the left.
How to print selection in PDF
What if you need to print not the entire PDF sheet, but only part of it? For example, this may be required when you need to print not the entire drawing, but only part of it in an enlarged form. It's easy to do this with a few advanced options in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Click the "Print" button and enter the print options. Select the "Advanced Options" section and check the "Current View" option. 
Please note that now not the entire document will be visible in the preview window, but only the required fragment of it.
Printer does not print PDF files
As practice shows, problems with printing PDF files are not so rare. This is often due to printer settings. In other cases, the PDF file may be protected from printing by the author of this document. To check this, open the file in Adobe Acrobat go to the "Editing" section, select the "Protection" item and go to the "Protection Options". 
In the window that opens, make sure that the document is allowed to print. 
If printing is prohibited, it will be impossible to print the document without knowing the password.
Another problem with printing PDF files is that the printed document contains incorrect characters. This is because the program cannot recognize the fonts used in the document, or some elements of the PDF file are damaged. In order to print such a document, you must send it to print as an image. This is how it is done.
The free PDF24 PDF printer works with all current versions of Windows, and you can create PDF files through the Windows print dialog. The PDF creation process is as follows: Create a document in your favorite application such as Word. To create a PDF file of your document, simply print it through the virtual PDF24 PDF printer. This will create a PDF based on the content of the document.
Free PDF Printer for Windows
With the free PDF24 PDF printer, you can create PDF files from any application that has a print function. PDF24 Creator will install a virtual PDF printer that can be used like any other printer. When you print on this printer from PDF24, you receive a PDF file. The PDF printer functions like a regular Windows printer.
Using a PDF printer to create PDF files is convenient since the printer is available in all applications that have a print function. To create PDF files, simply click the print button in the application, and select the dedicated PDF24 PDF printer to create the PDF file.
Example of using a PDF printer
If you are writing something in the Word application, then you can print it to a PDF printer instead of printing to a regular printer. Select the PDF24 PDF printer, print the document to Word, and after that you will have a PDF file of your Word document.
Create PDF files for document exchange
It is always better to exchange PDF files instead of Word files because the PDF file looks the same on all devices and this is what the PDF format was designed for. With the PDF24 PDF printer, you can create PDF files from any printed document.
Alternative: Use PDF24 Toolkit to Create PDF Files Online for Free
With tools from PDF24, you can create PDF files in many different ways. Take a look at PDF24's online PDF utilities where you can use over 25 PDF tools to create PDF files for free. Most of the problems with PDF can be solved with these PDF utilities.
