Blog Tip - Hosting and Converting to PDF Files!

I have been using the Blogger Platform for many years and have always struggled with a way to upload and host .pdf files.  I even went so far as to venture into the WordPress realm as one of the perks of this platform is that your .pdf files can be easily uploaded, stored and accessed within this program.  Self hosted WordPress is a wonderful platform to use, but for my needs the cost was just too much, so I switched back to Blogger and the age old dilemma of where to put my .pdf files so that my readers could easily access all of the documents, forms and files that I create.

Free PDF Hosting has two different levels that you can use to host your .pdf files - FREE or Donation.  The free version will host your file for 30 days and each individual file size has to be less than 2 MB.  You will receive a link to access your file and then after 30 days it is deleted.  I signed up for the Donation plan - with the donation plan my .pdf files are hosted forever and I can upload files that are up to 20 MB - that is per each file/document.  There are no limits to the total files that you can upload with a Donation Account.  The suggested donation is usually between $15 - $25 and you can donate just once or many times - the choice is yours.

The catch - there really isn't any catch, but there are a couple of things to be aware of.  First of all your files have to be in a .pdf format before they can be uploaded and the file name can have no spaces or symbols and second - you don't get to choose the file name when it is uploaded - the program chooses for you.

If you don't have a program to create .pdf files, then you might want to check out CutePDF - this is a free download that acts as a printer so anything you can print can be converted to a .pdf.  Once it is uploaded it will show up in your available printers as a printer choice.  You choose it as a printer, click print and then instead of printing it will save your file as a .pdf (you choose where you want it saved on your computer).

Downloading the program is a little tricky as you have to wade through all of the various ads and software that they try to get you to download.  Here is the link to download: http://www.cutepdf.com - you will need to choose the Cute PDF Writer version.

Now back to the Free PDF Hosting - here it the link for that program: http://freepdfhosting.com/index.php - you can also check out their Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.

Overall, both for the cost, convenience and ease of use, I give each of these programs a big "thumbs up".

DISCLAIMER:  I am not an affiliate of either of these companies nor do I get any form of compensation for referrals - the opinions expressed here are my own and are only given in order to pass along information which I believe to be a great resource.  I am also not a computer expert, so you are on your own with the technical aspects of downloading and using these programs.