Nuance PDF Creator & Producer
Understanding PDF metadata that shows Nuance as the Creator or Producer — learn about Nuance PDF Converter, Power PDF, OmniPage, and other document imaging software that creates and manipulates PDF files.
📄 About This PDF Metadata
When you examine a PDF file's properties and see Nuance PDF Converter, Nuance Power PDF, or ScanSoft as the Producer or Creator, it indicates the document was created or processed using Nuance document imaging software — tools known for their OCR capabilities and PDF conversion features.
Sample PDF Metadata from Nuance Products:
Title: Scanned Document
Author: John Smith
Creator: Nuance PDF Converter Professional 8
Producer: Nuance PDF Converter Professional 8
Creation Date: 2018-06-15 14:30:00
Keywords: scanned, OCR, document
Nuance PDF products set both the Creator and Producer fields to identify the software used. Common values include "Nuance PDF Converter Professional", "Nuance Power PDF", "ScanSoft PDF Create!", and "OmniPage" depending on the product and version.
PDF Creator
Shows the Nuance application that created the PDF — e.g., "Nuance PDF Converter Professional 8" or "Power PDF Advanced".
PDF Producer
Identifies the PDF generation engine — typically the same as Creator for Nuance products, with version number included.
📚 What is Nuance?
Nuance Communications was a technology company known for speech recognition (Dragon NaturallySpeaking) and document imaging software. The company traces back to 1992 when Visioneer was founded, later acquiring ScanSoft (which had origins in Raymond Kurzweil's 1974 OCR company acquired by Xerox). In 2005, ScanSoft merged with the original Nuance Communications and adopted the Nuance name.
Company History
| Founded: | 1992 (as Visioneer) |
| Renamed: | 1999 (ScanSoft), 2005 (Nuance) |
| Headquarters: | Burlington, Massachusetts |
| Doc Imaging Sold: | February 2019 (to Kofax) |
| Acquired By: | Microsoft (April 2021, $19.7B) |
Key Products (PDF/Imaging)
| PDF Converter: | Versions 1-8 Professional |
| Power PDF: | Standard, Advanced |
| OmniPage: | OCR software |
| PaperPort: | Document management |
| Current Owner: | Kofax/Tungsten Automation |
⚠️ Important: Nuance PDF Products Are Now Kofax/Tungsten
In February 2019, Kofax acquired Nuance's Document Imaging Division (PDF Converter, Power PDF, OmniPage, PaperPort). The software is now branded as Kofax Power PDF and later Tungsten Power PDF after Kofax rebranded. Microsoft's 2021 acquisition of Nuance was for speech recognition/AI technology, not PDF products.
📦 Nuance PDF Products
📄 PDF Converter Professional
The flagship PDF editor and converter with OCR capabilities.
- Versions 1 through 8 (discontinued)
- Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Edit text and images directly in PDFs
- OCR for scanned documents
- Form creation and filling
⚡ Power PDF
Successor to PDF Converter, now owned by Kofax/Tungsten.
- Standard and Advanced editions
- Microsoft Office-style ribbon interface
- Advanced editing with OCR proofreader
- Enterprise security features
- Cloud storage integration
👁️ OmniPage
Industry-leading OCR software for document conversion.
- Highly accurate text recognition
- 190+ languages supported
- Batch processing capabilities
- Convert to searchable PDF
- Now Kofax OmniPage
📁 PaperPort
Document management and scanning software.
- Organize scanned documents
- Desktop search integration
- PDF creation from scanner
- Annotation and markup tools
- Now Kofax PaperPort
✨ Key Features
🔍 OCR Technology
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
- Logical Form Recognition (LFR)
- Multi-language support
- Handwriting recognition
- OCR proofreader tool
📝 PDF Editing
- Edit text directly in PDFs
- Move and resize images
- Advanced Edit mode (v8+)
- Typewriter and text box tools
- Annotations and markup
🔄 Conversion
- PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Preserve formatting and layout
- Batch conversion
- Create PDF from any application
- Virtual PDF printer
🔒 Security
- 128-bit and 256-bit AES encryption
- Password protection
- Permission controls
- Digital signatures
- Microsoft Rights Management
📤 How to Use Nuance PDF
Nuance PDF products are Windows desktop applications with familiar Microsoft Office-style interfaces:
Create PDF from Any Application:
- Open any document in its native application (Word, Excel, browser, etc.)
- Select File → Print
- Choose Nuance PDF as the printer
- Click Print to create a PDF file
- Save the PDF with your desired filename
Convert PDF to Word/Excel:
- Open Nuance PDF Converter or Power PDF
- Click File → Open and select your PDF
- Click File → Save As or use the Convert Assistant
- Choose output format (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
- For scanned PDFs, OCR runs automatically
Edit PDF with Advanced Edit (v8+):
- Open PDF in PDF Converter Professional 8 or Power PDF
- Click the Advanced Edit tab (above menu bar)
- Edit text, images, and layout like a word processor
- Click Finalize Advanced Edit when done
- Save the document to make changes permanent
Note: Finalize Advanced Edit removes editing metadata and ensures changes are visible in other PDF viewers.
🔍 Understanding PDF Metadata
Nuance PDF products set standard PDF metadata fields when creating or editing documents:
| PDF Metadata | Description | How to Set |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Document title | File → Properties → Description |
| Author | Document author name | File → Properties → Description |
| Subject | Document subject/topic | File → Properties → Description |
| Keywords | Search keywords | File → Properties → Description |
| Creator | Application that created the document | Set automatically by Nuance software |
| Producer | PDF generation engine | Set automatically by Nuance software |
| Creation Date | When PDF was created | Set automatically |
| Modification Date | When PDF was last modified | Updated automatically on save |
Sample Producer Values by Product:
| Product | Producer/Creator Value |
|---|---|
| PDF Converter Professional 8 | Nuance PDF Converter Professional 8 |
| PDF Converter Professional 7 | Nuance PDF Converter Professional 7 |
| PDF Converter Professional 6 | Nuance PDF Converter Professional 6 |
| Power PDF Advanced | Nuance Power PDF Advanced |
| Power PDF Standard | Nuance Power PDF Standard |
| OmniPage | OmniPage [version] |
| ScanSoft PDF Create! | ScanSoft PDF Create! |
| Kofax Power PDF (post-2019) | Kofax Power PDF |
| Tungsten Power PDF | Tungsten Power PDF |
💡 ScanSoft vs Nuance
If you see "ScanSoft" in PDF metadata, it's from older Nuance software. ScanSoft was the company name before the 2005 merger with Nuance Communications. Products like "ScanSoft PDF Create!" were later rebranded as Nuance PDF Converter.
🛠️ Troubleshooting
Common issues with Nuance PDF products:
Can't Find Nuance PDF Converter Download
Cause: Nuance sold its PDF division to Kofax in 2019; older versions are discontinued.
Solution: For current software, visit Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax) for Power PDF. Legacy serial numbers may work with Kofax/Tungsten versions — contact their support. Consider modern alternatives like Adobe Acrobat or Foxit PDF Editor.
OCR Results Are Poor Quality
Cause: Low-quality scan, skewed pages, or wrong language settings.
Solution: Scan at 300 DPI or higher for text documents. Use the deskew feature before OCR. Verify the correct language is selected in OCR settings. For complex layouts, try OmniPage instead of built-in PDF Converter OCR for better accuracy.
Advanced Edit Changes Not Visible in Other Viewers
Cause: Document wasn't finalized after Advanced Edit.
Solution: Click Document → Finalize Advanced Edit or use the "Finalize Advanced Edit" button in the Format toolbar. This removes editing metadata and makes changes permanent. Always finalize before sharing PDFs.
Software Not Compatible with Windows 10/11
Cause: Older Nuance versions (5, 6, early 7) weren't designed for modern Windows.
Solution: PDF Converter Professional 8 and Power PDF have better Windows 10/11 compatibility. Try running in compatibility mode (right-click → Properties → Compatibility). For best results, upgrade to current Tungsten Power PDF which fully supports modern Windows.
Can't Activate Legacy Software
Cause: Nuance activation servers may no longer be available for discontinued products.
Solution: Contact Tungsten Automation support with your original serial number — they may be able to help with legacy licenses. For enterprise customers, volume license keys may still work offline. Consider upgrading to current Tungsten Power PDF.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When a PDF shows "Nuance PDF Converter" or "Nuance Power PDF" as the Producer, it means the PDF was created or converted using Nuance document imaging software. Nuance was a company known for OCR technology and PDF tools. Their PDF products could create PDFs from any application, convert PDFs to editable formats, and edit PDF content directly.
Not under the Nuance brand. In February 2019, Kofax acquired Nuance's Document Imaging Division. The software is now called Kofax Power PDF (later Tungsten Power PDF after Kofax rebranded to Tungsten Automation). Legacy Nuance PDF Converter versions are no longer officially supported, but existing licenses may still work.
Microsoft acquired Nuance in April 2021 for $19.7 billion, primarily for its speech recognition (Dragon) and healthcare AI technology. However, the PDF and document imaging products (PDF Converter, Power PDF, OmniPage, PaperPort) were already sold to Kofax in 2019. So Microsoft doesn't own the PDF products — Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax) does.
Power PDF is the successor to PDF Converter Professional. It features a modern Microsoft Office-style ribbon interface, improved OCR with proofreader, better Windows compatibility, cloud storage integration, and enterprise security features. Power PDF comes in Standard and Advanced editions, with Advanced offering more features like Bates numbering and redaction.
OmniPage is Nuance's (now Kofax/Tungsten's) dedicated OCR software, considered one of the most accurate OCR applications available. While PDF Converter/Power PDF includes basic OCR, OmniPage offers advanced features: 190+ languages, better accuracy, batch processing, more output formats, and fine-tuned control over the OCR process. It's ideal for high-volume document conversion.
ScanSoft was the previous name of Nuance Communications (1999-2005). If you see "ScanSoft" in PDF metadata (e.g., "ScanSoft PDF Create!"), it's from older software before the Nuance rebrand. ScanSoft's origins trace back to Raymond Kurzweil's 1974 OCR company, which Xerox acquired in 1980 and later spun off. Visioneer acquired ScanSoft in 1999, then merged with Nuance in 2005.
Contact Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax) for support on PDF products. They acquired the entire Document Imaging Division and may be able to help with legacy Nuance licenses. For very old versions (PDF Converter 5, 6), support is limited. Enterprise customers with maintenance agreements should have continued support through Tungsten.
🛠️ Related Tools
PDF Metadata Viewer
Free tool to view PDF metadata including Creator, Producer, and version information.
View PDF Metadata →
📝 Summary: Nuance PDF Metadata
- Company Founded: 1992 (as Visioneer)
- Rebranded: ScanSoft (1999), Nuance (2005)
- Doc Imaging sold to Kofax (2019)
- Now branded Tungsten Power PDF
- Microsoft acquired Nuance (2021) for AI/speech
- Products: PDF Converter, Power PDF
- OCR Software: OmniPage
- Document Management: PaperPort
- Producer shows Nuance [Product] [Version]
- Legacy software largely discontinued