The pdfPresenter app
pdfPresenter is a lightweight software that supports your presentation based on PDF slides. Our app is based on the observation that there are various tools that are used in different areas to create slides. However, only very few of them provide suitable support for the presentation itself the way we assume appropriate. A particularly prominent example in the scientific context is the use of the LaTeX text typesetting system with the Beamer class. As a rule, programs allow slides to be exported in PDF format and it is still common for users to resort to Apple’s Preview app or to use Acrobat Reader to display their slides. As these programs were designed for completely different applications, they lack any kind of presentation support.
The idea of our app is to prepare and give a presentation according to the following workflow:
- First, you plan the presentation and create slides using the most suitable tool.
- The slides are then saved as a PDF file and opened in pdfPresenter where they are annotated with handwriting and textual notes so that all the necessary thought support etc. for the presentation are stored.
- The final step is to use pdfPresenter to guide you through the presentation and access valuable tools and aids.
A small selection of the particularly useful features of our app is
- Special view of the workspace for using pdfPresenter in combination with an iPad – this is particularly useful for handwritten additions to the slides using a pen;
- various writing tools such as pen and highlighter, virtual laser pointer, undo, redo, …;
- two logically separated writing surfaces for handwritten annotations – one classic, one with color invisible to the audience (magic ink);
- borderless (without page breaks) writing areas that can be extended to any depth under each slide;
- textual notes as an additional option to support the presentation;
- various export options for handwritten and/or textual annotations of the slides.
The notes and (magic) handwritten annotations can now be used to support your thoughts during the presentation, while the classic presentation writing area can be used to develop content during the presentation. The writing surface, which can be enlarged to any size without borders, leaves plenty of room for action and magical annotations make it possible to prepare such an evolving presentation in detail without the audience noticing.
Annotations and notes are logically linked to a slide and can be added to, changed or deleted at any time. Despite this link, slide sets can also be easily exchanged at any time. This makes it easy to make changes or additions to a presentation. Our app supports this with a convenient administration interface that allows notes and annotations to be copied or moved simply by dragging and dropping.
If you are interested in further details on how to use our app, please read our instructions. You can also take a look at our tool for yourself and install a free version of the program from the App Store.