Free Software to create word documents, PDFs, and more
Software programs to help your horse business
Free Office Software
OpenOffice
OpenOffice is a multiplatform office suite and an open-source project. OpenOffice is compatible with other major office suites and is free to download, use, and distribute. I bought Microsoft Office 2007; but if I could go back in time I would NOT buy it again. I would go with Openoffice.
Youtube video: Microsoft Office 2007 (DON’T GET - BAD) recommend OpenOffice
OpenOffice video tutorials on youtube…
Google Docs
Google Docs Create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online. You can save and export your documents and spreadsheets to your own computer in DOC, XLS, CSV, ODS, ODT, PDF, RTF and HTML formats. Google Docs is great if you are working with other people on a project; like sending written lessons to your riding students or your coaching clients.
Youtube video: Google Docs in Plain English
PDF File Software
You can use OpenOffice to make PDF files from your word files or Google Docs to make and save files to PDF files. Or if you already have and use Microsoft Word and you want to make PDFs from your word documents check out PrimoPdf a Free PDF creation tool. This free software allows you to create PDF files from within virtually any program that allows you to print. Or try PrimoOnline a Free online conversion to PDF. Zamzar is another free online file conversion site. No software to download or install. Convert files to many different types of file formats - PDF and Zip are just two of many options. LOOP is a free web-based application that allows you to upload, convert and combine files to PDF even web pages. No need to install software or be working from your desktop computer. PDF files on-demand and available 24/7 through a web browser.
LOOP video tutorial on youtube: Convert Files to PDF for Free with LOOP.
Other helpful software you should consider…
Photo and Image Software
GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program that is free and useful for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. An alternative to Adobe PhotoShop.
Youtube video: GIMP: Free Alternative to Photoshop
Why use image software? Brighten, sharpen, add contrast, crop, resize, and re-save your horse photos to post on your web pages, blog or for printing in your marketing ads or business brochures. I use Irfanview for most of these image adjustments. Irfanview is $12 for commercial use or free for personal nonprofit use.
Youtube video: How To Resize Photos Using IrfanView
Drawing Program
Inkscape, the free vector drawing program or graphics editor, similar to Adobe Illustrator, open source.
Youtube videos about Inkscape to give you a idea of what you can use this program for:
Inkscape-Screencast5 - Photo Popping Fun, How to Use Inkscape to Design a Logo
I use Serif DrawPlus X2. It is not free but it is inexpensive, easy to learn and use, and full featured. DrawPlus X2 is Serif’s Vista-certified vector-drawing and graphics software that puts the power of a professional design studio on your PC. It can create high impact Flash animations and you can create PDF files. I use it for my horse logo design work, creating logos, business card, letterhead, postcard, ads, and business envelope designs.
Website Creation Program
NVU - free, open source Web Authoring System to rival programs like FrontPage and Dreamweaver. Now anyone can create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML.
Youtube video: How to create a website with free software
Presentation Software
OpenOffice makes digital presentations like PowerPoint with a full-featured presentation tool named Impress. With Impress you can create Flash (.swf) versions of your presentations.
Preezo is a website you can build free presentations, much like the kind made with PowerPoint. Create, access, reuse, collaborate, and share professional quality presentations over the web without software or plugins. You can also used Google Docs to make and share Presentations.
Audio Software
Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder, open source software for recording and editing sounds.
Anti-Virus Software
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
Free Ftp Software
FileZilla, the free FTP solution
Youtube video: Free Ftp Software
Spell Checker
I use and love tinySpell which helps you check your spelling in applications that do not have a spell checker - like in a text or a drawing program or while you are filling out forms online. tinySpell has a free and a pay version. I have the pay version but used their free version for a long time before upgrading.
tinySpell 1.6 - a tiny spell checker for Windows. Checks text in the clipboard and/or on the fly, small and easy to use and sits in your system tray.
Free Video Lessons Online…
- Lesson on creating Business Cards in Microsoft Word
- How to Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation
- Camstudio Quick Lesson - Create Your Own Video Lessons with Video Capture Open Source Software - Camstudio
- Use Google Docs for business research
- Improve Sound Quality of your Videos with Audacity a Free software
- Video Narration Using Audacity
- Recording an Audio Podcast mp3 with Audacity
Do you know of any free or inexpensive software that small business owners would find useful? Please leave a comment. Thanks!
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December 20, 2007 at 8:42 pm
While on Phil Steller’s blog site: http://www.esotropiart.com/blog I read a posting about a free program named, Artweaver - http://www.artweaver.de
Phil likes Artweaver better than the program, “GIMP” that I just told you about so you might want to read his article, ”
“Artweaver Circle Biff” - http://www.esotropiart.com/blog/blog.php?end=390
Artweaver is a good choice if you would like to try your hand at digital painting. I have Art Rage and love the way the paint acts like real paint. Art Rage is not free, but is a great low cost program that can do some fascinating things.
Art Rage - http://www.ambientdesign.com/artrage.html
February 7, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Thanks for the link. I’m not a big GIMP fan simply because of its lack of usability. The interface elements are absolutely horrible. As far as functionality, it is a fully functional, powerful program. I simply don’t like the interface. When you do computer art a lot, you start sweating the small things - things that save you time and effort. Many of these things are related to shortcut keys and interface helps.
Oh, small correction - Art Rage is free. More accurately, they have a free “starter edition” that is lacking some of the more powerful features of the paid version. But it is fully functional with the features it does have. $25 for the paid version, a program produces such realistic results is worth it. You will never beat that price for such natural looking brush strokes. And with the paid version you get to draw on multiple layers (awesome!), have more artistic mediums at your fingertips, and a bunch of other great features. It’s an amazing program.
Open source is pretty cool. It’s amazing how much time people spend on these projects with little promise of reward. I don’t understand it, but I like it.
February 8, 2008 at 10:56 am
Dear Phil,
Thanks for visiting and for your comment.
It is really helpful to hear from people that are using a software product and about what they like and dislike about it.
Yes, I forgot that Art Rage has a free product, because once I downloaded the free version I just had to get the paid one and the extra features for that cheap price.
March 26, 2008 at 11:40 am
i want to be able to make postcards on my computer and take out copys
March 26, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Dear Diana,
What do you mean by “take out copys”?
Are you saying that you need to send the postcard file to a print shop for printing?
Or are you wanting to self print the postcards yourself from your computer and printer?
If you plan on self printing your postcards, then you don’t want to design postcards with a lot of ink coverage or they will use too much ink and cost more than commercial printing.
May 10, 2008 at 6:47 pm
If I didn’t mention a software program that you need, check out this web page…
List Of Open-source Programs (LOOP) for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ListOfOpenSourcePrograms
http://snipurl.com/287vu
May 10, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Here is another place to look for open source programs:
SourceForge.net
http://sourceforge.net
SourceForge.net hosts over 160,000 Open Source projects making it the world’s largest destination for Open Source.