Readdle rolls out PDF Expert 5 with iCloud, shared folders, new Review mode and more

Readdle PDF Expert 5.0.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 001)

The Ukraine-based app maker Readdle today released a big update to its PDF management app, PDF Expert for iPad. The software makes reading, annotating or editing PDF documents on your iPad a snap, with advanced capabilities like highlighting and handwriting support, the ability to sign your PDFs digitally (useful for contracts and other legal documents), insert text and stamps and more.

PDF Expert can even merge multiple PDF documents into one so it’s much like the OS X Preview app feature-wise.

The fifth major iteration offers such enhancements as the new shared-folder capability, AirDrop sharing, a revamped file manager, iCloud storage and sync for your PDFs and lots more. The full breakdown is after the break…

The enhanced experience starts with an all-new light iOS 7 design which includes a revamped file manager that makes it easier than ever to manage PDFs stored on your iPad. The app’s signature red navigation bar and vertical layout has remained intact, but the tools now appear when needed.

Readdle PDF Expert 5.0.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 002)

As depicted above, PDF Expert’s file manager lets you attach color tags to files and folders, access Windows Shares (SMB), stack oft-accessed PDFs or folders on a sidebar for easy one-tap access and more. The wonderful new shared folder feature allows you to send documents back and forth between PDF Expert and Readdle’s free Documents app seamlessly.

I was particularly sold on the ability to not only drag and drop files between folders, but also combine PDFs with other files to create a separate folder or drop PDFs directly to Dropbox or iCloud to upload them to your accounts.

And now, document downloads run in the background so you can continue reading or even editing your PDFs while simultaneously downloading that 100MB presentation from Dropbox.

Here’s the promo clip.

You will also love the new Microsoft Word-like Review mode.

Readdle explains:

Just tap anywhere on the text where you need changes and correct it in the text editor. The text that you delete is marked as removed while everything you add is shown as new text in different colors.

All your modifications are standard PDF annotations that do not affect text in the PDF itself, which is very important.

Because your modifications don’t destroy contents of the PDF, you can easily edit modified documents in any desktop PDF reader, including Preview in OS X.

Here’s Review mode in action.

Readdle PDF Expert 5.0.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 003)

PDF Expert’s viewer now supports full screen annotations, pinch zooming, smart guides and the ability to share PDFs device-to-device via AirDrop. The Reading mode has been improved with Night or Sepia mode, brightness control, horizontal or vertical page scrolling and Crop mode to remove unnecessary document margins automatically.

Readdle PDF Expert 5.0.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 004)

Last but not least, PDF Expert 5 now lets you listen to audio books or any standard sound file for that matter, via the iOS 7 text-to-speech capability.

This is a paid upgrade available as a new application in the App Store.

You can pick up PDF Expert for iPad for $9.99 from the App Store.

The download comes in at 33MB and requires an iPad that can run iOS 6 or later.

An iPhone version is in the works, Readdle told us.