Apago’s PDF Enhancer Professional 3.5 is an application that performs many useful tasks that are difficult or impossible in Acrobat. For example, it lets you instantly reduce the file size of a PDF, and set its viewing options, metadata and security. It can downsample and compress images and text to be suitable for any delivery medium, and set the viewing mode when opened. From the same source document and in a single operation, PDF Enhancer can prepare a full resolution press-ready PDF with lossless compression and a soft-proof Web-friendly PDF with RGB JPEG compressed images.

It can repair fonts, embed fonts, add page numbers, and watermark documents. It provides tools for rearranging pages for printing booklets or chapters, and for merging multiple PDFs into one. It can assign Title, Author and Subject, as well as passwords for viewing, copying or printing. PDF Enhancer supports Mac OS X’s Automator, lets you add digital signatures, can apply selective color correction to map certain colors to other colors, and can rebuild fonts to comply with the ISO PDF/A document archiving standard and convert problematic CID fonts to regular fonts. Version 3.5 adds AES encryption support, improved scanned document clean up, better color management, improved performance, and more.

PDF Enhancer Professional costs $349. For a less-expensive solution that simply reduces file size, try Apago’s $35 PDFshrink. It compresses and optimizes the resolution of images, removes duplicate images, and removes unnecessary data.

Jeff Gamet

Jeff Gamet is a contributing editor for Design Tools Monthly, the executive summary of graphic design news. He is also the morning editor and reviews editor for The Mac Observer and iPodObserver.com, and contributing writer for Layers Magazine and Photoshop User. He writes the InBrief column for InDesign Magazine, and is the author of “The Designer’s Guide to Mac OS X,” from Peachpit Press

When Jeff isn’t writing about the graphic design world, he’s talking about it on the Design Tools Weekly podcast with co-host Jay Nelson. He also talks about Apple and the Mac world every week on The Mac Observer’s Apple Weekly Report.

Jeff studies, tests and reviews new software and technologies for the Macintosh community as well as the design and print industries. He is a former Pre-press specialist, and has nearly 25 years experience with computer technology. Jeff trains, lectures and consults on techniques for more efficiently using Mac OS X in creative environments throughout the country.

In the rare moments when he can get away from his MacBook Pro, Jeff spends his time climbing and biking in the Colorado mountains.