About PDF Readers and PDF Editors

Choosing between a PDF reader and a PDF editor depends on the specific needs of the faculty member. For basic tasks like reading, annotating, and filling out forms, a PDF reader is sufficient. However, for creating, editing, securing, and managing documents, a PDF editor is best. Understanding these needs can help faculty members select the right tool to enhance their productivity and efficiency in their academic roles.

PDF Reader: Essential for Basic Interactions

A PDF Reader is a fundamental tool for anyone who needs to view and interact with PDF documents without Making significant changes. Here are scenarios where a PDF reader is sufficient:

Reading and Reviewing Documents
- Lecture Notes and Articles: You can use a PDF reader to open and read lecture notes, research articles, and other academic materials.
- Highlighting and Annotating: Most PDF readers allow users to highlight text and add comments, which is useful for reviewing documents and making notes.
Filling Out Forms:
- Administrative Forms: Faculty can fill out and submit forms such as travel requests, grand applications, and other administrative paperwork using a PDF reader.
Basic Presentations
- Displaying PDFs: During lectures or meetings, faculty can use a PDF reader to display and navigate through PDF presentations.

All Marquette owned and managed desktop and laptop computers have one of the following PDF readers installed:

Adobe Reader
Foxit Reader

PDF Editor: Necessary for Advanced Tasks

A PDF editor offers a broader range of functionalities, making it essential for more complex tasks. Here are situation when a PDF editor is necessary:

Creating or Modifying Documents
- Syllabus and Course Materials: Faculty members who need to create or extensively edit syllabi, course materials, or research papers will benefit from a PDF editor.
- Combining Documents: When merging multiple documents into a single PDF, a PDF editor is required.
Advanced Annotations and Editing
- Detailed Feedback: Providing detailed feedback on student assignments or peer-reviewed articles often requires advanced annotation tools available in PDF editors.
- Editing Text and Images: Making corrections or updates to text and images within a PDF document necessitates a PDF editor.
Form Creation and Management
- Interactive Forms: Creating interactive forms for surveys, quizzes, or data collection requires the capabilities of a PDF editor.
- Form Field Management: Adding and managing form fields, such as text boxes, checkboxes, and drop-down menus, is a task for a PDF editor.
Document Security
- Applying Security Features: Faculty members who need to secure documents with passwords, permissions, or digital signatures will need a PDF editor.
Collaboration and Version Control
- Collaborative Projects: For collaborative research projects, PDF editors allows multiple users to edit, comment, and track changes in real-time.
- Version Management: Keeping track of different versions of a document and integrating changes for multiple contributors is easier with a PDF editor.

IT Services recommends Foxit Editor Pro for PDF Editing.

For information on Adobe Creative Cloud usage, follow this link.