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There is a large amount of Windows programs that can be used to create an XPS file. However, you can only view, sign, and specify permissions of an XPS file through XPS Viewer. Also, once you save the XPS contents in the XPS format, you can no longer edit the XPS file. There are several XPS reader for Windows on the market, but application which can open XPS file on Mac is not that many. Opening XPS file needs a third-party Mac XPS viewer, here according to affordability, features, performance and simplicity to use, we pick Cisdem Document Reader as the best XPS viewer for mac users.
First released in 1993, Adobe Reader can be found on countless home, school, and businesses computers around the world. This free PDF viewer is available in most major languages, and its comprehensive support for the PDF file format is often used as a reference point for other PDF applications to meet. But just because Adobe Reader is the most widespread PDF viewer on Mac and other operating systems doesn’t necessarily have to mean that it’s also the best.
The goal of this article is to examine what makes Adobe Reader, and more specifically Adobe Reader for Mac, so popular and compare it to select PDF reader for Mac applications to see if it’s really as good as its download and user statistics would suggest.
Best Features of Adobe Reader for Mac
- Adobe Reader for Mac is a capable PDF viewer that allows you to view, print, and annotate PDF files for free. If you register with Adobe, you can connect Adobe Reader for Mac to Adobe Document Cloud, which is a suite of cloud-based software applications from Adobe Systems that provides PDF-related services, including conversion and document exchange.
For example, EchoSign lets users send, e-sign, track, and file documents online; ExportPDF makes it possible to convert PDF files into editable Word or Excel documents; and Adobe Send is an alternative to email attachments and FTP sites for sending, sharing, and tracking large files. Adobe Document Cloud is fully localized in English, German, French, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish.
- Apart from the cloud, Adobe Reader for Mac also supports your mobile devices, allowing you to work with PDF files on your iPad or iPhone thanks to the free Adobe Acrobat Reader mobile app. Just like its Adobe Reader for Mac, the mobile app supports Adobe Document Cloud, annotating, digital signatures, text editing, and more.
- Wanting to take the mobile PDF experience to the next level, Adobe also released the Adobe Scan and Fill & Sign mobile apps. Adobe Scan quickly scans any documents and turns them into versatile Adobe PDFs, while the Fill & Sign mobile app lets you fill, sign, and send any form electronically from any mobile device.
- Adobe Reader for Mac can also convert PDF files to Word documents with a single click. This is particularly useful in the business world, where documents are often shared as PDF files for compatibility reasons, only to be edited multiple times as they are passed around.
- Another feature aimed at businesses and institutional users is the possibility to extend Adobe Reader for Mac using the free Acrobat SDK. This set of tools contains header files, type libraries, simple utilities, sample code, and documentation, and it helps software developers interact with Acrobat technology, allowing for inter-application communication and the creation of plugins and scripts.
As you can see, Adobe Reader for Mac is a highly capable PDF viewer, so it might surprise you to learn that it’s not even the most capable PDF application developed by Adobe, that would have to be Adobe Acrobat DC.
Steps on How to Download Adobe Reader for Mac
To download the free Adobe PDF reader for Mac, head to Adobe’s official website and follow our instructions:
- Select the “PDF & E-signatures” option from the menu at the top of the website.
- A pop-up menu will appear. Select “Reader DC” under Featured Products.
- Click on “Download now”.
- The download page should automatically suggest you Adobe Reader for Mac. If it doesn’t, click on “Do you have a different language or operating system?” and select the right version for your operating system.
- Pay special attention to the middle column, titled Optional offers. Unless you uncheck both offers, Adobe Reader for Mac will automatically install McAfee Security Scan Plus utility and McAfee Safe Connect.
- Click on “Install now” to download the Adobe Reader for Mac installer.
- Install Adobe Reader for Mac as you would any other Mac application.
Top Alternatives to Adobe Reader for Mac
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Adobe Reader for Mac is often the only PDF application people know about, but there are actually many excellent alternatives, most free and some with more features than Adobe Reader for Mac.
1. Foxit Reader
Foxit Reader is a lightweight and fast PDF solution with a familiar user interface and plenty of features. Going being PDF viewing, Foxit Reader features ConnectedPDF, cutting-edge technology that powers document intelligence, security, and collaboration services for PDF files.
With ConnectedPDF, users can grant and revoke access to the document, grant specific readers with specific document access rights, track document usage, view all versions of the document in an intuitive document version tree, and share content quickly, easily, and securely by generating a file link and sending it via email or to social media, among many other things.
Because Foxit Reader utilizes a familiar ribbon toolbar, learning about its capabilities and accessing all of its features is effortless. PDF compatibility isn’t a problem with Foxit Reader. You can leverage existing forms and workflow with standard PDF (Acroforms) and XFA (XML Form Architecture) form filling, and open any PDF file without being greeted with an indecipherable mess of letters and numbers.
2. Okular
Okular is a universal document viewer developed by KDE, an international free software community that develops free and open source software. Apart from Mac, Okular also runs on Linux, Windows, and *BSD. It supports PDF, Postscript, DjVu, CHM, XPS, ePub, and several other document file formats. Okular is a suitable Adobe Reader Mac alternative for those who only want to open PDF files and aren’t concerned with their editing.
To use Okular on Mac, you first need to install KDE. You can learn how to do so on this page. We recommend using Homebrew, a package manager for macOS.
3. Skim
Skim is a compact yet capable PDF reader and note-taker for macOS. It was designed to help Mac users read scientific papers in PDF, but you can, of course, use it to open and read any PDF file you want. Its features include text highlighting, making snapshots for easy reference, navigating using the table of contents or thumbnails, convenient reading in full screen, magnification, smart cropping tools, Spotlight support, and more.
Bonus: Disk Drill
None of the PDF applications we’ve mentioned so far support one critical feature: PDF recovery. To recover your lost or deleted PDF files, you need to install a dedicated data recovery application, and Disk Drill for Mac is easy to recommend. Unlike many other data recovery applications, Disk Drill is extremely easy to use, featuring a signature one-click data recovery process that makes data recovery absolutely effortless. Apart from its ease of use, Disk Drill also stands out with its support for over 200 file formats and most storage devices.
Data recovery for free
Your Companion for Deleted Files Recovery
Your Companion for Deleted Files Recovery
Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac Versus Adobe Acrobat DC
Adobe Acrobat DC is a complete PDF viewing and editing solution packed with best-in-class tools to satisfy all PDF needs. Whereas Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac is aimed chiefly at the consumers of PDF files, Adobe Acrobat is aimed at the authors of PDF files.
You can use it to easily scan and transform any document into an editable PDF file, compile multiple PDFs into a single one, or convert files into rich PDFs in a single click. Let’s say your boss sends you a year old white-paper that she would like to be updated. Instead of having to recreate the whole thing from scratch, you can simply open it in Adobe Acrobat DC and individually edit each element of the document.
Versions
Adobe Acrobat DC is available in two versions: Pro and Standard. Compared to the Standard version, the Pro version adds one-click creation of rich PDFs from the Acrobat ribbon in Word, the option to add or edit text in a PDF on your iPad, the ability to scan paper to PDFs you can edit instantly with fonts that match the original and compare two versions of a PDF using an easy-to-scan results summary of all differences, and it also supports the creation and validation of PDFs based on WCAG 2.0 and PDF/UA accessibility standards.
Price
As you might expect, Adobe Acrobat DC, both Pro and Standard, isn’t free. Individuals can purchase Acrobat Pro DC for €18.14 if they pay annually or for €30.24 if they pay monthly. Adobe Acrobat Standard DC costs €15.72 a month when paid annually or €27.82 when paid monthly. Adobe also sells Acrobat DC for teams and enterprises with several extra features, including advanced 24/7 tech support.
Just by reading what features Adobe Acrobat DC brings to the table, it should be obvious to you whether you need it or not. Generally, everyone who works with PDFs on a regular basis should consider upgrading to Adobe Acrobat DC from Adobe Acrobat Reader Mac.
Are you on the hunt for good software that will allow you to edit, view and convert your XPS files? We have just the thing you’re looking for.
Related:
We have compiled a list of the best and most popular XPS Editors in the market. These editors are tried and tested and are extremely reliable and efficient. They have a wide range of useful features and are an absolute must have. Here’s the list
XPS Annotator
XPS Annotator is a free of cost downloadable software that allows users to convert their XPS files into image formats, view XPS documents, text search on XPS documents and perform other related functions. The user can also add notes and comments to his XPS documents. The software has a very simple and easy to use interface.
Code Industry
Code Industry is a XPS editor software that is compatible with both Mac, Windows as well as Linux operating systems. This XPS program supports net certificates and encryption. Users can view, print and open any XPS file with the help of this software. There are both paid as well as free versions of this software available. The paid version offers additional features of editing PDF texts, converting XPS files to image formats and so on.
XPS Editor Winsite
XPS Editor Winsite is a software that permits users to add comments notes, text, properties such as language, title etc. to the XPS documents and even convert the XPS files into image formats. Some of the image formats that the user can convert his XPS files into include PNG, TIFF, BMP and others.
XPS Viewer
XPS Viewer is a downloadable and free of cost software that allows users to view their XPS files. This software offers the feature of multiple view modes such as dual page scroll, scroll and flip book. The program is compatible with computers as well as tablets. XPS Viewer allows users to convert their XPS files into image formats too.
NiXPS Edit
NiXPS Edit is a powerful XPS editing software that is absolutely free of cost. It allows the user to view, edit and manipulate their XPS files. The user can also change the text font, colour and size in the XPS file with the help of this software. The user can also extract pages from a particular XPS file with the assistance of this software.
Free XPS To PDF Converter
XPS to PDF Converter is a free of cost conversion tool that allows users to convert their XPS files into PDF format. The user can convert a single file at a time or even convert an entire folder with the help of this software. This software is lightweight program and has a simple and easy to use interface.
XPS Signer
XPS Signer is a paid software that allows users to add signatures to their XPS files. The software has a simple and easy to use interface. It is lightweight and is compatible with all the latest versions of the Windows operating system. The program offers the feature of batch signing too.
What Is A XPS Editor Software?
A XPS Editor software is a program that allows users to view, convert and edit their XPS files. Typically XPS files cannot be viewed on any other software programs except for the XPS editor tools. Even editing and converting XPS files is not possible on most editors and conversion tools. Thus, anyone who wishes to access and edit an XPS file has to compulsorily download an XPS viewer or editor software. XPS editor software also allow the user to change their XPS files into image formats, add comments and notes to their XPS documents, add signatures to them and also perform various other functions. The XPS editors also allows users to search for text in the XPS files, zoom into the XPS files, print them out, copy them to clipboard and extract specific pages from the XPS files. With the help of the XPS editors, users can also change the font, colour and size of the text in the XPS file.
How To Install The XPS Software
Installation of the XPS software is very easy. All you have to do is click on the link given the software that you wish to download. This link will redirect you to the download page. Once you have arrived at the download page, hit the download button. On completion of the download of the software, there will be certain installation steps provided to you, all you need to do is follow them. Keep in mind certain software programs will require you to reboot your system before you can start using the program, while others can be run on installation itself.
Target Audience And Benefits Of Using XPS Editors
In terms or target audience, almost anyone and everyone can use the XPS editors. From students to lawyers, professors, doctors, accountants, writers and several others, people from various professionals across the globe use the XPS editors and viewers to various view edit and convert their XPS files. These editors are extremely beneficial because there is no other way that a person can access an XPS file. It is only through XPS viewer and editor software can a person view, edit or convert his XPS files. Further these software programs are beneficial to those who wish to convert their XPS files into image or PDF formats. The XPS editors are also beneficial for those who wish to extract only specific pages from the XPS file. These software make it possible for people to extract only the pages they require from the file in question.
Other XPS Editors For Different Platforms
There are different XPS editors for different platforms. For Mac users there are a variety of XPS software available in the market, Linux users have a separate set of XPS editors and viewers available, Windows users have a list of XPS viewers available for use and so do users of various other operating systems.
Free Windows XPS Editor Software
XPS Viewer is a free of cost software that is compatible with most versions of the Windows operating system. It allows users to view their XPS files in a variety of modes including flip book as well as scroll viewing. It also allows users to convert their XPS files into PDF format.
Free Android XPS Editor Software
Fri PDF XPS Reader is a free of cost software that allows users to view their PDF and XPS files. It has a very simple and easy to use interface and is compatible with all Android devices. This program also supports a variety of other image formats such as TIFF, PNG, BMP and others.
Xps Reader Download
Free Mac XPS Editor Software
XPS To PDF For Mac is a Mac compatible software that allows users to view their XPS files and convert them to PDF format too. The program is free of cost and also supports a variety of other formats such as TIFF, BMP, PNG and various others. The software has a simple and easy to use interface.
Some Other Noteworthy XPS Viewer And Editor Software
Besides the above mentioned list, there are lots other XPS viewer and editor software available in the market. Some of these include XPS Reader Download, XPS Viewer, Convert XPS to PDF and several others. Offering the features of viewing XPS files to converting them to image formats, these software are extremely popular and very reliable.
Xps On Mac
Most Popular XPS Editor Software 2016
XPS Viewer is a free of cost and tremendously popular XPS file viewing and editing software. The viewed files can be saved, opened, zoomed into and also rotated. The software is a lightweight one and does not occupy much space on the computer. This program has a very simple and easy to use interface.