Help on Creating PDF Files


If you create documents with LaTeX, then use pdflatex.

If you use Word, there are several options. One is to simply install the 2007 Microsoft Office Add-in: Microsoft Save as PDF, which will allow you to directly save PDFs from Office programs, including Word.

Another choice is to use Acrobat from Adobe. They developed the PDF format and have a complete set of tools available for mapping to PDF from many formats. You can also mark up PDF files directly with Acrobat. Of course, the down side is that you have to pay for it (Acrobat Reader, the free package, doesn't convert files). But you can use a copy available on the department's server.

Finally, other available packages, some with free demo versions, include (in no particular order):

I have not tried the above software, so I cannot personally endorse them.


Last modified 23 August 2013; please report problems to sscott.