Nitro PDF Creator & Producer
Understanding PDF metadata that shows Nitro as the Creator or Producer — learn how Nitro Pro, Nitro PDF Creator, and Nitro Sign create and process PDF documents for businesses worldwide.
📄 About This PDF Metadata
When you examine a PDF file's properties and see Nitro Pro or Nitro PDF Creator as the Producer, it indicates that the document was created or modified using Nitro software — one of the leading alternatives to Adobe Acrobat, trusted by over 67% of the Fortune 500.
Sample PDF Metadata from Nitro:
Title: Contract Agreement
Author: Legal Department
Creator: Microsoft® Word for Microsoft 365
Producer: Nitro Pro 14
Creation Date: 2025-01-27 14:30:00
PDF Version: 1.7
Nitro sets the Producer field to identify which Nitro product processed the PDF. The Creator field typically shows the original application (like Microsoft Word) when converting documents, or "Nitro Pro" when creating PDFs directly within the application.
PDF Creator
Shows the originating application (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel) or Nitro Pro when creating new PDFs directly in Nitro.
PDF Producer
Shows Nitro Pro [version] or Nitro PDF Creator depending on which component created or last modified the PDF.
📚 What is Nitro?
Nitro Software is a global document productivity company founded in May 2005 in Melbourne, Australia by Sam Chandler, Karl De Abrew, Chris Marks, and Richard Wenzel. The company was established to provide a powerful alternative to Adobe Acrobat, and launched its first product, Nitro PDF, in 2007. Today, Nitro is recognized as a leading alternative to Adobe Acrobat, serving over 13,000 business customers in 157 countries.
Company Information
| Founded: | May 2005 |
| Founders: | Sam Chandler, Karl De Abrew, Chris Marks, Richard Wenzel |
| Headquarters: | San Francisco, CA, USA |
| Customers: | 13,000+ businesses, 3M+ licensed users |
| Website: | gonitro.com |
Technical Details
| First Product: | Nitro PDF (2007) |
| Platforms: | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web |
| Owner: | Alludo (acquired 2022) |
| Compliance: | SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, QTSP |
| Fortune 500: | 67%+ customers |
Key Features:
Full PDF Editing
Edit text, images, pages, annotations, OCR, and more
eSign Solutions
Secure, legally binding electronic signatures with identity verification
Analytics & Insights
Track usage, ROI, and sustainability savings
💡 Alludo Acquisition
In November 2022, Nitro was acquired by Alludo (formerly Corel Corporation), a KKR-backed company that owns brands like Parallels, CorelDRAW, MindManager, and WinZip. Nitro was subsequently delisted from the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX: NTO) in April 2023.
⚙️ How Nitro Creates PDFs
Nitro creates PDF documents through various methods depending on the product and workflow:
PDF Creation Methods:
Desktop Applications
- Nitro PDF Creator: Virtual printer from any application
- Office Integration: Direct conversion from Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Direct Creation: Create blank PDFs in Nitro Pro
- Scan to PDF: From scanner or images with OCR
Web & Enterprise
- Nitro Workspace: Cloud-based PDF creation
- Batch Conversion: Process multiple files
- Nitro API: Programmatic PDF generation
- SharePoint/OneDrive: Cloud storage integration
Nitro PDF Creator supports configurable output quality settings including Web Ready (optimized for browser viewing), Office Ready (standard quality), Print Ready (maximum quality), and Custom settings for fine-tuned image compression and font embedding.
🛠️ Nitro Product Suite
Nitro offers a comprehensive document productivity platform:
Nitro PDF Pro
Full-featured desktop PDF editor for Windows and Mac.
- Edit text, images, pages
- Convert to/from PDF
- OCR for scanned documents
- Annotate and collaborate
Nitro Sign
Enterprise-grade electronic signature solution.
- Legally binding eSignatures
- Identity verification
- Workflow automation
- Compliance (eIDAS, QTSP)
Nitro Analytics
Usage tracking and insights dashboard.
- PDF software usage metrics
- ROI tracking
- Sustainability savings
- License management
Smart Redact
AI-assisted sensitive data removal.
- Auto-detect 30+ PII types
- Names, addresses, IDs
- Removes metadata & scripts
- Compliance-ready output
Nitro PDF Creator
Virtual printer for PDF creation.
- Print to PDF from any app
- Configurable quality settings
- PDF/A compliance support
- Custom metadata presets
Nitro API
Developer integration toolkit.
- Programmatic PDF operations
- eSign API access
- Workflow automation
- Enterprise integrations
📤 How to Use Nitro
Create PDFs using Nitro's desktop applications or virtual printer:
Method 1: Nitro PDF Creator (Virtual Printer)
The Nitro PDF Creator virtual printer is installed with Nitro Pro and allows PDF creation from any application that can print. Configure quality settings via Devices and Printers → Nitro PDF Creator → Printing Preferences.
Method 2: Create Directly in Nitro Pro
Create PDFs from files (Word, Excel, images), blank pages, scanners, or by combining multiple documents. Use batch conversion to process multiple files at once.
Method 3: Microsoft Office Integration
Nitro integrates directly with Microsoft Office applications, providing one-click PDF creation with full formatting preservation.
View/Edit Metadata in Nitro Pro:
Edit Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords. Add custom metadata fields by clicking Edit, entering Name and Value, then clicking Add. Note: Creator, Producer, and dates cannot be modified.
🔍 Understanding PDF Metadata
Nitro Pro stores metadata in the Document Information Dictionary. Access via File → Document Properties:
| Metadata Field | Editable | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Title | ✅ Yes | Document title |
| Author | ✅ Yes | Document author |
| Subject | ✅ Yes | Document subject |
| Keywords | ✅ Yes | Searchable keywords |
| Creator | ❌ No | Application that created the original |
| Producer | ❌ No | Shows Nitro Pro version (set automatically) |
| CreationDate | ❌ No | Original creation date and time |
| ModDate | ❌ No | Last modification date and time |
| Custom Fields | ✅ Yes | User-defined name/value pairs |
Sample Producer Values:
| Product/Method | Producer Value |
|---|---|
| Nitro Pro 14 | Nitro Pro 14 |
| Nitro Pro 13 | Nitro Pro 13 |
| Nitro PDF Creator | Nitro PDF Creator |
| Older versions | Nitro Pro 7, Nitro Pro 9, etc. |
| Legacy | Nitro PDF Professional |
⚠️ Removing Sensitive Metadata
Use Protect tab → Remove Metadata in Nitro Pro to permanently remove all metadata from the Document Information Dictionary and XMP metadata streams. The Smart Redact feature also removes metadata along with sensitive content. Note: You cannot view XMP metadata streams within Nitro Pro — only the Document Information Dictionary fields are displayed.
Nitro PDF Creator Metadata Settings:
Configure default metadata for all PDFs created with the virtual printer:
- Open Devices and Printers (Windows)
- Right-click Nitro PDF Creator → Printing Preferences
- Go to the Metadata section
- Enter standard values for Title, Author, Subject, Keywords
- These values will be applied to all PDFs created with the printer driver
🛠️ Troubleshooting
Common issues when using Nitro:
Nitro PDF Creator Printer Not Showing
Cause: The Nitro PDF Creator virtual printer was not installed or has been disabled.
Solution: Reinstall Nitro Pro and ensure the PDF Creator component is selected. If already installed, check Windows Settings → Printers & Scanners to verify it's listed and enabled. Run the Nitro Pro installer with "Repair" option to restore missing components.
Cannot Edit Metadata Fields
Cause: Some metadata fields (Creator, Producer, dates) are read-only by design, or the PDF has security restrictions.
Solution: Only Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, and custom fields can be edited. Check File → Document Properties → Security tab to see if the document has restrictions. If you need to change read-only fields, you'll need to recreate the PDF from the source document.
PDF File Size Too Large
Cause: Images not compressed, or quality settings too high.
Solution: When creating PDFs, use "Web Ready" quality preset for smaller files. For existing PDFs, use File → Optimize PDF to reduce file size by compressing images and removing unnecessary objects. In Nitro PDF Creator preferences, adjust Conversion Quality settings.
Remove Metadata Not Working Completely
Cause: XMP metadata streams may contain additional data not visible in Document Properties.
Solution: Use Protect tab → Remove Metadata to remove both the Document Information Dictionary and XMP metadata streams. For sensitive documents, use Smart Redact which removes all hidden content including metadata and scripts. Save as a new file after removing metadata.
OCR Not Recognizing Text
Cause: Poor image quality, skewed pages, or incorrect language settings.
Solution: Ensure scanned images are at least 300 DPI for best OCR results. Use the Deskew option before running OCR. Verify the correct language is selected in OCR settings. For handwritten text, OCR accuracy will be limited.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When a PDF shows "Nitro Pro" followed by a version number (like "Nitro Pro 14") as the Producer, it means the PDF was created or modified using Nitro Pro software. Nitro Pro is a full-featured PDF editor recognized as a leading alternative to Adobe Acrobat, used by over 67% of the Fortune 500 and more than 13,000 business customers worldwide.
Nitro Pro offers a 14-day free trial, after which a paid license is required. Nitro provides various subscription plans for individuals, teams, and enterprises with different feature sets and support levels. There is no permanent free version of Nitro Pro, unlike some competitors that offer free PDF readers.
Nitro was founded in May 2005 in Melbourne, Australia by Sam Chandler, Karl De Abrew, Chris Marks, and Richard Wenzel. The company launched its first product, Nitro PDF, in 2007. Nitro later moved its headquarters to San Francisco in 2008 and was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX: NTO) in 2019 before being acquired by Alludo in 2022.
Nitro PDF Creator is a virtual printer that is installed alongside Nitro Pro. It allows you to create PDFs from any application that can print by selecting "Nitro PDF Creator" as the printer. You can configure quality settings (Web Ready, Office Ready, Print Ready, Custom), PDF version, PDF/A compliance, security options, and default metadata through the Printing Preferences dialog.
Nitro was acquired by Alludo (formerly Corel Corporation) in November 2022. Alludo is backed by KKR and owns brands including Parallels, CorelDRAW, MindManager, and WinZip. Following the acquisition, Nitro was delisted from the Australian Stock Exchange in April 2023 and continues to operate as part of the Alludo family of productivity software brands.
Nitro Pro is available for Windows desktop and macOS. Nitro also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a web-based platform called Nitro Workspace. The company integrates with Microsoft Office suite, OneDrive, Dropbox, SharePoint, and other enterprise platforms for seamless document workflows.
Nitro maintains enterprise-grade security certifications including SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and QTSP (Qualified Trust Service Provider for eIDAS compliance). These certifications make Nitro suitable for industries with strict data protection requirements such as healthcare, financial services, and legal sectors.
🛠️ Related Tools
PDF Metadata Viewer
Free tool to view PDF metadata including Creator, Producer, and version information.
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📝 Summary: Nitro PDF Metadata
- Nitro Software founded May 2005 in Melbourne
- First product Nitro PDF launched 2007
- Producer shows Nitro Pro [version]
- Acquired by Alludo in November 2022
- 13,000+ business customers worldwide
- Founded by Sam Chandler and co-founders
- 67% of Fortune 500 use Nitro
- Certifications: SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001
- Nitro PDF Creator virtual printer included
- Smart Redact AI-powered redaction