How to download and use
free PDF writing software

Important: Any document created using a Systems2win template that is distributed outside of licensed users must be in a non-editable format, such as a printed paper, or PDF.

Exception: You can allow your hired consulting firm to use your Systems2win templates on your behalf - as long as the template is used only on your behalf, and each template is provided one-at-a-time on an as-justified basis. To use the templates for any other client, your consulting firm will need to purchase a consulting license.  See License Agreement.

How to use ANY PDF writing software

Ctrl+P > choose the PDF writing software that has been installed on your computer

Or to use the PDF writing software that now comes as a standard feature in Office 2007 or higher -
File (or Office button) > Save As > PDF or XPS

Free PDF writing software

Office 2007 and higher now includes PDF writing software as a standard feature.
Simply use File (or Office button) > Save As > PDF or XPS

Even if you are using Office 2007 or higher - you still might want to install PDF writing software,
because (unlike the standard Office PDF writing feature) you can use PDF writing software just like any other printer
(which is particularly helpful when using any of the special print buttons found on several Systems2win templates)

If your company has not already provided you with PDF writing software,
then you can download free PDF writer software.

One popular choice is available for free download at http://pdf995.com. Or do an Internet search for "free PDF writer".

PDF 995 has the advantage of being free - and with the helpful training we provide here, installation only takes 3 minutes.

Tips for installing pdf995

You must install 2 separate downloads: pdf995 printer driver, and free converter

To do advanced editing (like including active hyperlinks in your PDF's), you will also download and install a third free file: PDFedit995

And if you want the option to encrypt PDF's - you can optionally install the free signature995.

Tip: Sometimes during installation, you might need to minimize an advertising or help screen in order to reveal the product screen beneath it.

How to use pdf995

Ctrl+P > pdf995.  (or File > Print > pdf995)

This will create a basic PDF file, which can then optionally be enhanced with additional features using pdfedit995 and/or signature995.

Tip: If using the free version, a pop-up ad page will display for about a minute before showing your completed PDF file. If this annoys you, you can pay (you guessed it) $9.95 for the version without ads, or $29.95 for their entire suite of 10 products.

Other ways to comply with
your Systems2win license agreement

If you find pdf995 or any other freeware too difficult to install or use, then there are many inexpensive PDF writing applications to choose from.

Perhaps your IT Department suggested different PDF writing software when they personalized your Systems2winInstallReadMe file.

Or you can comply with your Systems2win license agreement by distributing your documents in some other non-editable format, such as printed paper or an image file. (You can capture a screenshot as an image file by pressing the Print Screen key on your keyboard, and then pasting into any application.)

Cash rewards for reporting unauthorized piracy of Systems2win templates. See details in your License Agreement.

 

Bookmark = links

How to include active hyperlinks in your PDF's

Office 2007 and 2010

Hyperlinks are automatically active in PDF's created using Office 2007 and 2010.

File (or Office button) > Save As > PDF or XPS

Office 2013

Microsoft changed Office 2013,
so that hyperlinks are only active in the PDF if they are active in Excel -
which would require the unpleasant "sea of underlined blue text" (explained below).

No matter which version of Office you're using,
we highly recommend to install and use full-featured PDF writing software (such as PDF 995).

 

PDF 995

requires installation of third free download: PDFedit995

Immediately after generating a simple PDF file (using File > Print> pdf995)...

Open pdfedit995   (Start > All Programs > software995 > pdfedit995)

On the Links tab, select Auto-Convert URL's to links.

This will automatically make active hyperlinks for any text in your document that starts with www. or http://

 PDF screenshot
PDF link icons

Get rid of the annoying "sea of blue underlined text"

The problem

The default way that Excel ships,
whenever you enter a hyperlink anywhere within a cell...
(even a tiny URL buried within a very long paragraph)
Excel will automatically convert the entire cell into a "sea of blue underlined text".

This is not only ugly, but is also dangerously easy to click by mistake.
You don't want this. Instead, you want to turn off this annoying "feature".

How to turn off this annoying "feature"

Tools > Auto-Correct Options > Auto-Format As You Type tab > uncheck the box for Replace As You Type > Internet and Network Paths with Hyperlinks

Excel 2007+: Office Button > Excel Options > Proofing > Auto-Correct Options > Auto-Format As You Type tab > uncheck the box for Replace As You Type > Internet and Network Paths with Hyperlinks.

 

 

 

Link icons
Systems2win menu > Insert Link Icon

Two professional ways to make hyperlinks

1) If your document will be used as an Excel file

(by licensed users of your Systems2win templates)

Simple insert a Link icon from the Systems2win menu.

Users can just click the Link icon.

2) If some users will be using the document as a PDF file

Then in addition to (or instead of) the Link icon,
you will type the full URL path within your text.

Then, when you follow the above instructions for how to include active hyperlinks in your PDF's, the user will see all of your professional-looking colors and fonts (rather than a sea of ugly blue underline text), and ONLY the URL will be an active hyperlink.

Tip: If you Format Cells to Shrink To Fit, then a very long hyperlink can fit within a very small cell, and the (perhaps unreadably tiny) link will still be active in your PDF

If you use tiny hyperlinks, then you will need to teach your people to look for the tiny text link nearby wherever they see a link icon symbol in a PDF, and teach them how to hover their mouse over such a tiny little thing to select it, but once people get used to this convention, it can be extremely useful for distirbuting great-looking PDF's with active hyperlinks to related documents and videos.

Also see Tips to Avoid Broken Links
All hyperlinks in any PDF should always be hard links that specifiy the full path to the linked file.

Two more tips

If you are working with a document received from a novice who didn't follow our advice,
and it contains cells swimming in a sea of blue underlined text,
then here are a couple tips...

  • To select a cell containing a hyperlink, (without following the link), either:
    a) Hold down your left mouse button for a couple seconds when selecting the cell, or...
    b) Select a nearby cell, and then use your arrow keys to select the cell containing the link
  • When you delete the contents of a cell that contained a hyperlink - the cell format will sometimes still have the blue underline hyperlink format. To restore the default cell format - copy and paste a similar cell.

Extra bonus free training from Systems2win:
How to use pdf995 to create encrypted PDFs

Notice: It is not a Systems2win requirement for your PDF to be encrypted. An unencrypted PDF is sufficient for license compliance.

You might, however, have other reasons for wanting to encrypt some of your PDF's. Unlike most other PDF writing applications, which can create an encrypted PDF in one step simply by choosing a few setup options...
creating an encrypted PDF with pdf995 requires two steps:

Step 1) Create an unencrypted PDF file

(Instructions above)
Step 2) Create an encrypted PDF file

Start > All Programs > pdf995 > signature 995

Tip: If you are using the free version, you will need to wait for their advertising screen to run it's ad.
Even then, you might need to minimize the help page that comes up - in order to get to the window containing the signature995 program.

On the Encryption tab, press the PDF Rights Management button.

(Again, you might need to minimize the help page in order to view the PDF Rights Management screen, which is shown below.)

 PDF Rights Management
PDF screenshot Select the file to encrypt (if not selected already). Select the checkboxes to Restrict copying content to clipboard, and Restrict modification. (Tip: you do not need to password protect the document unless you have your own reasons for wanting it password protected). Then press Encrypt the document button.

You then need to choose a name for your encrypted document - which must be different from the original unencrypted PDF file that you started with. Suggestion: Add a capital E to the original filename. (Example: original.PDF, and orginalE.PDF)