# So how the heck did I get Acrobat PDFWriter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 31, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463 "2002-08-31T18:06:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463/1 "2002-08-31T18:06:25Z")
I’ve got a notebook that nobody else ever uses. I’ve never had reason to print off of it, so I’ve never really looked at the printing options in my various apps. Well yesterday I set up a NetBEUI peer to peer network with my girlfriend’s computer for file and print sharing. While printing out test pages from my notebook, I noticed that I have Acrobat PDFwriter set up as one of my printers. I have Acrobat Reader 5.0, but I don’t have a copy of the full version of Acrobat, and I was under the impression that you have to purchase Acrobat to get PDFwriter. I’m not complaining, but I _would_ like to know how I got it so I can get it back the next time I reinstall Windows. I _swear_ I haven’t downloaded a pirated copy or anything. It appears to be a full version… no watermarks or anything. I’ve only made a couple of PDFs, though, so I don’t know if it’s gonna ask me to buy it after thirty uses or something. Any ideas? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463/2 "2002-08-31T18:33:59Z")
Did you install a scanner? Acrobat PDF writer is often bundled with scanner software. It’s just the writer – you can’t edit the files – but that works just fine. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463/3 "2002-08-31T18:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*Did you install a scanner? Acrobat PDF writer is often bundled with scanner software. It’s just the writer – you can’t edit the files – but that works just fine. \*\* I did indeed… Umax Vistascan, about a year ago. I ended up giving the scanner to my dad, and he’s got the CD. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463/4 "2002-09-01T00:24:36Z")
That’s the answer – UMAX does include Acrobat on the CD. ---
**Author:** ![JS\_Princeton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JS\_Princeton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JS_Princeton)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463/5 "2002-09-01T00:53:47Z")
For your information, if you convert all of your files to dvi files, you can write them all (for free) to postscript or pdf. No “AcrobatWriter” required. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463/6 "2002-09-01T10:08:16Z")
So TeX does PDF too? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463/7 "2002-09-02T01:07:00Z")
For that matter if you print to file after selecting a postscript printer, you can then use the freeware GhostScript to convert it (or any other raw postscript file) to PDF. (Works for any platform). ---
**Author:** ![foxymoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@foxymoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxymoron)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-the-heck-did-i-get-acrobat-pdfwriter/126463/8 "2002-09-02T01:31:33Z")
Urban Ranger, dvipdf converts from .dvi to .pdf.