Overview

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Adobe offers two commonly used PDF applications: Acrobat Reader (free) and Acrobat Professional (licensed). Most employees can perform everyday PDF tasks using Acrobat Reader. Acrobat Professional should be requested only when advanced features or compliance requirements are necessary.

This article explains the differences between the two versions and helps you determine whether Acrobat Professional is required for your role.

Glossary

• Acrobat Reader - A free Adobe application used to view, print, comment on, fill, and sign PDF documents.
• Acrobat Professional - A licensed Adobe application that provides advanced PDF creation, export, security, and compliance capabilities.
• PDF (Portable Document Format) - A file format used to present documents consistently across devices and platforms.
• Accessibility Standards - Requirements that help ensure documents are usable by people with disabilities, including screen‑reader compatibility.

Feature Comparison

When You Do Not Need Acrobat Professional

You do not need Acrobat Professional if your work is limited to:

• Viewing and printing PDFs
• Adding comments, highlights, or annotations
• Filling out forms
• Signing documents
• Creating PDFs from Office applications using built‑in tools

Creating PDFs without Acrobat Professional

You can create PDF files without Acrobat Professional using Microsoft tools:

• From Word documents or Excel spreadsheets

  • Select File → Export → PDF (*.pdf)

• From email or other files

  • Select Print
  • Choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer

These options produce standard PDFs suitable for everyday use.

When You Do Need Acrobat Professional

You may need Acrobat Professional if your job requires you to:

• Export PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or image formats
• Restrict editing, copying, or printing of PDFs shared externally
• Create or validate PDFs for ISO standards or accessibility compliance
• Perform advanced document preparation or security tasks

Acrobat Professional is typically required for staff who author final, public‑facing, or compliance‑sensitive PDF documents.

Built-in Features of Acrobat Reader

Even though it is free, Acrobat Reader includes powerful built‑in functionality:

Comment on PDFs

• Add sticky notes
• Type text directly onto the page
• Highlight, underline, or strike through text
• Draw freehand annotations

Fill Out Forms

• The Fill & Sign tool automatically detects whether fields are fillable
• Enter text, check boxes, or signatures
• Save changes and send completed forms electronically

Sign Documents

• Sign by typing or drawing your signature
• Insert an image of your signature
• Apply signatures to any existing PDF file

More details on Reader features are available on the Acrobat Reader DC FAQs.

FAQs

Q: Do I need Acrobat Professional to sign a PDF?
A: No. Acrobat Reader includes the built‑in Fill & Sign tool, which allows you to sign documents by typing, drawing, or inserting an image of your signature.

Q: Can I create PDFs without Acrobat Professional?
A: Yes. You can export documents and spreadsheets to PDF from Microsoft Word and Excel, or use Microsoft Print to PDF from most applications.

Q: When should Acrobat Professional be requested?
A: Acrobat Professional is required for exporting PDFs to editable formats, applying document security restrictions, or creating PDFs that must meet ISO or accessibility standards.

Q: Can I comment and annotate PDFs using Acrobat Reader?
A: Yes. Acrobat Reader supports sticky notes, typed comments, highlights, underlines, strikethroughs, and freehand drawing tools.

Additional Resources

• Acrobat Reader DC FAQs
• Service - Application Access

Contact Information

For further information or assistance, contact IT.