For many writers and editors, this is an important, if not the most important, difference between the two programs because many of us need to convert PDFs to Word files in order to edit them with Word’s Track Changes tools. Acrobat Reader doesn’t include this functionality without purchasing an add-on package. These tools aren’t available in Acrobat Reader.Īcrobat Pro’s Export tool lets you convert PDFs to Microsoft Word files and PowerPoint slides, as well as a variety of other formats.
In the Adobe universe, Editing tools don’t relate to copyediting but to direct manipulation of text and images, such as adding, moving, deleting, and rewriting text boxes, as well as adding images, watermarks, and headers and footers (which includes page numbers). These tools are included in Acrobat Pro and the most up-to-date version of Acrobat Reader.Ī significant difference between the two programs is that only Acrobat Pro lets you create and print comment and edit summaries and export comments and edits to Microsoft Word.Īdditionally, Acrobat Pro offers more options for selecting and copying text into comment pop-ups. What most of us think of as editing tools (e.g., comments, strikethroughs, insertions, highlights), Adobe calls Comment tools.
