Small Firm Exchange

Hi,
I was happily using Bluebeam Revu on my Mac to edit, mark-up and stamp Shop Drawings and Submittals until they stopped making the software for Macintosh in 2020. Does anyone know of a similar PDF editing and mark-up software (for Macs). I've tried Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Pro and Preview, but nothing is as intuitive and geared towards the construction industry as Bluebeam.

Wow, they stopped making Bluebeam for Apple products? I'm so sorry. I hope you get some good suggestions here!

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Sarah Mannes Homstad AIA
Prairie Line Architecture
Yankton SD
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Hi Dennis,
Wow! why would they abandon a market share of users? Interesting. Maybe working with Mac OS and iOS is cumbersome and way too closed or who knows... I did a quick search on line and found an app that is inviting, its called PDF Expert. Here is a link to check it out. It looks like it allows similar mark ups as we are used to in Bluebeam. 
https://pdfexpert.com/blog/bluebeam-for-mac-alternative
Let us know if this is a viable alternative for Mac users. 

Best,

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Daniel Guich, NCARB, CDT, LEED ap
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I also downloaded and tried to use PDF Expert. It is not even close to Bluebeam. Like not at all. It may be the next best thing but as a Bluebeam daily user it is not a replacement. Bluebeam has also gone away from the perpetual license to a subscription platform that is $400 /- per year. We are now having trouble printing from our perpetual licenses with font size and type. I figured this would be inevitable as the existing versions become obsolete with other software upgrades.

If anyone has other pdf editor apps for architects, especially Mac based please share!

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Eric Simonsen AIA
Simonsen Architect
Billings MT
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-27-2023 01:11 PM
From: Daniel Guich
Subject: Bluebeam Alternative

Hi Dennis,
Wow! why would they abandon a market share of users? Interesting. Maybe working with Mac OS and iOS is cumbersome and way too closed or who knows... I did a quick search on line and found an app that is inviting, its called PDF Expert. Here is a link to check it out. It looks like it allows similar mark ups as we are used to in Bluebeam. 
https://pdfexpert.com/blog/bluebeam-for-mac-alternative
Let us know if this is a viable alternative for Mac users. 

Best,

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Daniel Guich, NCARB, CDT, LEED ap
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Did you check out Bluebeam Cloud?
It looks like a web based version.  The Bluebeam website directs you to it if you use a MAC or IOS.

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Kenneth Crutcher AIA
Crutcher Studio Architects
Farmington MI
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The Adobe Acrobat family is about as good as it gets now that Bluebeam left for the darkside PC-world only.  Definitely not geared for anything like what Bluebeam delivered.

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R. Ashley Coco AIA
Parkhill
Midland TX
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We have been using PDF Studio Pro from Qoppa as a replacement to BlueBeam and are happy with it.  It is great for mark ups, dimensioning, notes and edits.  Good price point as well.

https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio/

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Paul Rivers AIA
Rivers Barden Architects
Houston TX
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Thanks for the Studio Pro recommendation. I'm installing the trial and will see how it compares. I've always been very happy with Bluebeam and consider it a great value considering how much more productive it's made me, but I'm also always looking for a good/better deal!

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Sarah Mannes Homstad AIA
Prairie Line Architecture
Yankton SD
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-30-2023 05:35 PM
From: Paul Rivers
Subject: Bluebeam Alternative

We have been using PDF Studio Pro from Qoppa as a replacement to BlueBeam and are happy with it.  It is great for mark ups, dimensioning, notes and edits.  Good price point as well.

https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio/

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Paul Rivers AIA
Rivers Barden Architects
Houston TX
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