Opens your PDF documents, displays their content and sets bookmarks, adds comments, validates signatures and embeds text-to-speech support. The tool also includes security features, such as the ability to automatically stop JavaScripts from executing their code or to prevent URLs from being accessed directly from the PDF.
Though originally devised as a closed file for printing houses, PDF files are now not only ubiquitous but also the most popular format for exchanging information in a secure yet flexible way. As one of the most popular free PDF tools, Foxit Reader is all you’ll need to view, read, and annotate any PDF document securely and effectively, and sign and share your own PDFs just as safely.
The program is both simple and intuitive, especially if you are already familiar with the ribbon design present in all Office tools. The look and feel of the program’s interface and its ribbon will immediately remind you of the latest versions of Word or Excel, thus reducing the interface’s learning curve to a minimum.
You will find basic viewing options, such as the fit-to-page feature, the “zoom lens”, the rotation tool, and – and this is a feature you won’t come across with very often – a “reflow” option. This feature breaks the PDF’s fixed layout principle and performs a temporary transformation of your document into a text-based file that the program’s viewer can reflow according to your needs. This can make an excellent accessibility tool for those who find it difficult to read PDF files with small-sized fonts and long fixed lines.
Not being an editing tool per se (Foxit has a specific tool for that), you won’t find many features to help you “alter” the content of a PDF file. What the program offers you in this department is the capability to insert new text and images anywhere in the page, though always on top of the existing text and images. This is really useful to create margin annotations or comments close to (or on top of) pictures, though you also have a specific tool to annotate images. Also, you can highlight text in any color and add as many bookmarks as you wish anywhere in the document.
When it comes to signing and protecting your PDF files, Foxit Reader allows you to use your handwritten signature or make use of eSignature to verify digital ones. AIP decryption and encryption are also available, even if the file is on a SharePoint server, as the whole tool seamlessly works with Microsoft specifications and protocols.
Foxit Reader is an excellent tool to have installed on all your devices and thus make the most of your PDF documents regardless of where you are. It is everything you’ll ever need to view, read, customize, and share your PDFs securely.
v11.0 [May 25, 2021]
- The software has been renamed from Foxit Reader to Foxit PDF Reader.
- The user interface is now simpler, clearer, and more intuitive to improve efficiency and productivity.
- Redesign the overall interface, including icons, the ribbon, and panels, with simple appearances and clear function arrangement.
- Discard the Arrange tab and Format tab that appear on the ribbon when you annotate. Instead, a Format tab appears in the right panel when you make comments.
- We now provide the Share function on the File page.
- The software update workflows have been redesigned to offer tips and guidance, to improve usability.
- Support more 3D functions.
- View PRC format 3D PDF files.
- Add (2D) comments to a 3D model, or convert 3D measurements to comments.
- Enhanced the 3D measurement tool with radius measurement support, and provide Snap To options that can help you to precisely position the elements of 3D content you want to measure.
- Digital signature enhancements
- Support EUTL (European Union Trusted Lists) certificates for convenient signature validation
- Provide an option to customize the logo (Foxit PDF Editor icon by default) shown on digital signature appearances.
- More seamless integration with ECM
- Various enhancements in SharePoint integration. For example, when saving a PDF document in a SharePoint library that is configured with Content Types, enable users to change the document content type, and access and edit the metadata related to content type.
- Offers more text patterns (like IBAN and Driving License Number) and countries in the Search panel.
- Adjust the login Ul for easier access to your DocuSign account, and allow login using your corporate SSO.
- Provide more settings for enterprise deployment using GPO (Group Policy) or FCW (Foxit Customization Wizard).
- Show the number of files contained in the folder in PDF portfolios. Users can work with PDF files directly in the portfolio preview pane.
- (MSI Package Only) Classify and protect with labels in Microsoft Azure Information Protection (AIP)
- The feature is helpful for enterprises to classify and protect documents by applying labels that are configured by administrators with protection settings such as which people can read and use protected documents.
- Other enhancements to the user experience.
