Products » ABCpdf

PDF Component Comparison Chart

ABCpdf is perfect for PDF generation under VB, ASP and .NET. This is just a summary of the extensive list of features supported by ABCpdf.

If you are doing a product comparison why not print off this feature chart and use it as a ticklist for other products you're evaluating? We guarantee it will be a revealing experience!

	Feature available in both Standard and Professional Editions Feature available in Professional Edition only
Feature	ABCpdf 3	ABCpdf 4	ABCpdf 5	ABCpdf 6	ABCpdf 7
Designed for .NET / ASP / VB
There are two versions of ABCpdf - ABCpdf ASP and ABCpdf .NET. Although functionally similar, on an architectural level they are fundamentally different. Under Version 7 ABCpdf ASP was discontinued and in its place an identical COM interface was layered over ABCpdf .NET to provide backward compatibility with ABCpd ASP.
Native Support for .NET Platform
Support for VB / ASP / COM Platform
Support for both .NET and VB / ASP / COM in one Package
Designed for Blazing Performance in High Stress Multithreaded Environments
Support for Windows Vista
Support for Windows 2008
Native 64 Bit Support for .NET
Native 64 Bit Support for VB / ASP / COM
Requires .NET 1.1 or Later
Requires .NET 2.0 or Later
Dynamic Linking into .NET 3.0 / 3.5 if Available
100% PDF Compatible
ABCpdf is constantly being updated to support newer versions of the PDF specification. You won't be left behind with ABCpdf.
Acrobat 2 [PDF 1.1] Compatible
Acrobat 3 [PDF 1.2] Compatible
Acrobat 4 [PDF 1.3] Compatible
Acrobat 5 [PDF 1.4] Compatible
Acrobat 6 [PDF 1.5] Compatible
Acrobat 7 [PDF 1.6] Compatible
Acrobat 8 [PDF 1.7] Compatible
Acrobat 9 [PDF 1.8] Compatible
Auto-fix Corrupt PDFs
Document Level Operations
Some of these operations are very similar. For example an Append and a Merge operation are essentially the same In the documentation we refer only to the Append method. All these operations are easy using ABCpdf but the precise method you use to accomplish them may vary depending on what you are trying to achieve.
Read Documents
Modify Documents
Append / Stitch / Merge Documents
Draw Between Documents
Delete Pages
Import / Extract Pages
Save to Disk
Save to Memory
Stream to Browser
Shuffle / Remap Pages
Linearization / Fast Web View
Tagged PDF [.NET Only]
Incremental Update
Refactor on Save
Text Support
ABCpdf supports an extremely wide range of text formatting options from simple options like bold or italic synthesized typefaces to advanced features like textrise and tracking. We keep these easy to use via HTML Styled Text which allows you to specify your styles simply and easily using HTML style coding.
Multistyled Text Support
HTML Styled Text Support
Internal Hyperlink Support
External Hyperlink Support
Full Unicode Support
Horizontal or Vertical Layout
Itemized Lists [eg bullet points]
Text Flow Between Pages
Text Flow Between Columns
Tracking / Kerning
Alignment
Justification
Line Spacing
Line Break Rules
Text Annotations
Precise Control over PDF Text Operators
Raster Image Support
ABCpdf allows you to import an unparalleled range of raster image formats. Most importantly it allows you to import them properly color corrected in their native color spaces. Very few other PDF libraries allow either of these functions and none will allow you the same flexibility of import options.
JPEG
TIFF
GIF
PNG
BMP
EXIF
EMF
WMF
JPEG 2000 [.jp2 or .jpx]
Multiple Frame Support [eg for Fax TIFF]
Watermarking
Transparent Masks
Alpha Channels
ICC Colorspaces
Import in Native Color Space [RGB, CMYK, Grayscale, B&W or Lab]
Vector Image Support
ABCpdf allows you to import highly complex formats like vector EPS and XPS. Most importantly it does things properly ensuring that the vector representation is preserved when the source document is converted. Very few other PDF libraries allow either of these functions and none will allow you the same flexibility of import options.
True Vector Import
PostScript
EPS / EPSF
XPS / XML Paper Specification
WPF / Windows Presentation Foundation / Silverlight
SWF / Flash
SWF / Flash [rasterization only]
SVG / Scalable Vector Graphics
Preserves Color Spaces [where possible]
Preserves Fonts [where possible]
Graphics Support
ABCpdf gives you simple one-line methods for common graphics operations. However it doesn't restrict you. The entire gamut of PDF operators is available using ABCpdf.
Rectangles
Rounded Rectangles
Circles
Ovals
Lines
Pie Slices
Polygons
Custom Operators [Bezier Curves, Paths etc]
RGB Graphics
CMYK Graphics
Grayscale Graphics
Spot Color Graphics
ICC Based Colorspace Graphics
Transparent Graphics
Advanced Graphics Classes [.NET Only]
HTML Support
ABCpdf is the only product we are aware of which fully supports HTML/CSS placed content.
Full Support for HTML
Full Support for CSS
Place Content Anywhere on the Page
Render Local Web Pages
Render Remote Web Pages
Flow HTML Over Multiple PDF Pages
Support CSS page break tags
Live Hyperlinks
Live Form Fields
Live Movies (eg Flash, AVI, MPEG, WMV)
Parameter Driven Movies (eg Flash Charts)
Flash Vector Import
Custom Tagged Content
Access to raw HTML Pages via Callbacks
Control over Font Substitution and Embedding
Control over Authenticated Access
KiloPage™ Large Document Optimizations
MHT Support
Document Support
ABCpdf can read a variety of document formats when helper applications like OpenOffice.org are installed . OpenOffice.org is freely distributed under the LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License).
Microsoft Word [.doc] [.NET only]
Microsoft Excel [.xls] [.NET only]
Microsoft PowerPoint [.ppt] [.NET only]
Microsoft InfoPath [.xsn] [.NET only]
Microsoft OneNote [.one] [.NET only]
Microsoft Project [.mpp] [.NET only]
Microsoft Publisher [.pub] [.NET only]
Rich Text Format [.rtf] [.NET only]
WordPerfect [.wpd] [.NET only]
Lotus 1-2-3 [.wk1] [.NET only]
Microsoft AutoCAD [.dxf] [.NET only]
All Formats Supported by Helper Applications
Can use OpenOffice.org
Can use Microsoft Office
Can use Internet Explorer
Can use other Applications
OpenOffice.org Custom Parameters
Font Support
ABCpdf operates a blazingly fast font sub-setting routine.
Base 14 Fonts
TrueType Fonts
OpenType Fonts
Type 1 Fonts
Dynamic Loading of Fonts
Font Subsetting
Font Metrics
Enhanced Font Metrics
Page Layout
The documentation contains examples for the following common types of page layout.
Page Numbers
Headers and Footers
Content in Columns
Content in Tables
Complex Optimized Tables [Enhanced for .NET]
System.Drawing Code
WPF Code
Treat Documents as Images
Treat Images as Documents
eForms
eForms provide a useful method of locating content on the page. Typically a template is prepared and fields are used as placeholders for the location of dynamic content.
Change Values of Fields
Stamp Values into Fields
Use Fields as Placeholders
On Demand Generation of Field Appearances
Improved Generation of Field Appearances
Generation of Annotation Appearances
Comb Field Support
Enhanced Complex Script and Unusual Character Support
Digital Signature Support [.NET Only]
Rendering / Display / Rasterization
ABCpdf allows you to export or rasterize PDF documents for output in a variety of image formats, for print or for display on screen.
Render to File or Stream
Render to Memory
Render Direct to Screen [.NET only]
Print PDF [.NET only]
Optimized Printing [.NET only]
Enhanced Complex Script and Unusual Character Support
Render to TIFF
Render to JPEG
Render to JPEG 2000 [.jp2 or .jpx]
Render to GIF
Render to PNG
Render to BMP
Render to Vector EMF
Render to Vector EPS or PostScript [Grayscale, RGB or CMYK]
Render to Vector EPS or PostScript [RGB only]
Render to Vector SWF / Flash
Render to Vector XPS [.NET 3.x]
Render to Vector SVG
Full PDF Transparency Support
Full eForm Support
Support for Native Color Spaces [RGB, CMYK, Grayscale, or Lab]
Support for Named Separation or Spot Color Output
Support for Alpha Transparency Output
Support for Device Color Spaces
Support for ICC or Calibrated Color Spaces
Fully Calibrated Output in any Color Space
Control over Rendering Area of Interest
Control over Rendering Resolution
Different Horizontal and Vertical Resolutions
Multipaged Output [eg for TIFF]
Control over Compression [eg for CCITT TIFF]
1 bit per component [eg B&W] output
8 bit per component [eg 32 bit CMYK] output
16 bit per component [eg 48 bit RGB] output
Custom Halftone Support
Font Substitution and Warnings Report
Page and Document Settings
ABCpdf allows you to use a variety of page sizes and orientations. It also allows access to advanced page metrics such as the CropBox and ArtBox.
Page Size
Page Orientation
Page View Mode
Read Document Information
Insert Document Information
Support Custom Information Fields
Support Bookmarks
Enhanced Bookmark Support
Text Extraction
SVG Extraction
SVG+ Extraction
Deconstruct Page Content Stream
Encryption and Signatures
ABCpdf fully supports encryption within the legal framework set down by Adobe.
Support 40 bit keys
Support 128 bit keys
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Encrypt Documents
Decrypt Documents
Read Document Permissions
Apply Document Permissions
Apply Password Protection
Creation of Signed Documents
Validation of Signed Documents
Creation of Sequentially Signed Documents
Other
You can never be boxed into a corner with low level access to the raw PDF objects. ABCpdf - unlimited flexibility.
Low level access to PDF objects
Decompress any Stream
Compress Streams using Flate
Compress Streams using JPEG
Compress Streams using JPEG 2000
Compress Streams using CCITT
Resize PDF Images
Resample PDF Images
Change Color Space of PDF Images
Change Color Space of PDF Content

PDF Update Pages

1. What's New in ABCpdf Version 7?
2. What's New in ABCpdf Version 6?
3. What's New in ABCpdf Version 5?
4. What's New in ABCpdf Version 4?
5. What's New in ABCpdf Version 3?
6. What's New in ABCpdf Version 2?