Ever wish you could easily display a PDF full screen? Every other Zoom or Google Meet meeting, I found myself wishing I could make a PDF into a full-screen presentation without having to install fancy software. Now, turning your PDF into a dynamic presentation is easier. A tool to use is Sumatra PDF. It is simple to use and free. Use it to read PDFs, ebooks, comic books, as well as view images on Windows computers. And, you will also find a grab bag of AI PDF Summary tools below. Come along and take a look.
Before I share more about Sumatra PDF, let’s see how these align to the TCEA Essential Learning Expectations (ELEs) for Teachers.
Essential Learning Expectations (ELEs) Alignment
The most important alignment is the one focused on Digital Literacy. Working with digital documents to create presentations remains a challenge for many. How many times have you gotten a PDF from the web or a colleague, then had to share it at a staff meeting?
| ELE | Alignment |
|---|---|
| 1.0 Tech Integration | Sumatra PDF seamlessly integrates technology into teaching practices (1.1) |
| 2.0 Digital Literacy | Enhances digital document presentation skills (2.1) |
| 5.0 Critical Thinking | Allows for interactive analysis of digital content (5.1) |
There are several ways to share a PDF full-screen, of course.
Alternate Ways to Share a PDF
You can always drop a PDF into Canva for Education (free), Google Slides, or MS Powerpoint. You can even choose to use Adobe Acrobat.
Once there, you can turn it into a presentation. But the drawback to that? That PDF is now filling up your cloud storage space. And, the translation of an Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) may not work well.
If you are on Windows, you have another alternative that is free and portable. In fact, I’m putting PDF Slideshow on my USB flash drive as one of my must-have tools on the go.
Unleashing the Power of PDFs
With Sumatra PDF, you can now view or present your PDF files. It describes itself in this way:
SumatraPDF is a free PDF, EPUB, MOBI, CHM, XPS, DjVu, CBZ and CBR reader for Windows. It’s small, fast, customizable and full of features.
As you can see in the screenshot above, it’s easy to flip to fullscreen or presentation mode with a Ctrl+L or press F11 function key on your keyboard.
Pricing
If you are wondering, “How much does Sumatra PDF cost?” you need not worry. It is free. You can get it in a variety of versions, including a portable version that can be run from a USB drive. This makes it a perfect helper in situations where you are working in an academic setting and want a reliable PDF viewer on the go.
AI-Powered Summaries
Before you leave, let me share a list of AI-powered PDF Summary tools. These are popping up everywhere, so make sure to check out my list. If you don’t see your favorite one, let me know, ok?
Conclusion
SumatraPDF offers an easy to use, versatile solution. Use it to quickly display PDFs full-screen, or set up a computer to cycle through the PDF. What’s more, it comes in a portable version you can take with you on a USB flash drive. That might make it the perfect solution for a presentation station or wall-mounted display. Give it a spin.
Additional Resources
- Converting PDFs/Images to Digital Worksheets
- PDF Annotation Tools for Educators
- Quick, Free PDF Converter
2 comments
Hi,
This is exciting news, but the product has to be registered and there is a $29.95 fee to get the serial code for registration.
Thank you for sharing the tool and other information.
Thanks, Karen. That is a disappointing bait-and-switch on the part of the publisher. As such, I’ve updated the blog entry to reflect an old favorite of mine, SumatraPDF.
SumatraPDF (https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/free-pdf-reader) works great on Windows. While viewing a PDF, press Ctrl+L for presentation mode or “F11” to go full-screen. There are no watermarks and it’s been free a long time.
With appreciation,
Miguel Guhlin