Printing

Adobe Acrobat Q & A

Q: What is Adobe Acrobat?

A: Adobe Acrobat is a group of programs that can create, edit and read PDF files (Portable Document Format). The "Portable" part means that files saved as PDFs can be sent to and viewed on a wide variety of computer platforms. A PDF file retains the original document formatting which means that images, fonts and layout are consistent across platforms.

Q: I have a PDF file. How can I open it?

A: To open and view a PDF file (usually has the extension ".pdf"), you need Adobe's Acrobat Reader. Acrobat Reader is a free program that can be installed on a wide variety of platforms (currently: Macintosh, Windows and many flavors of UNIX). Acrobat Reader allows you to view PDF files, but not edit them. You need the full version of Adobe Acrobat to create/edit PDF files.

Download Adobe Acrobat Here

NOTE: In a pinch, if you do not have Acrobat Reader and cannot install it on your machine for whatever reason, you can VIEW a PDF in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and many other graphics programs. In these programs, PDFs are essentially treated as EPS files.

Q: What do most people use PDFs for?

A: Acrobat PDFs are most commonly used for document exchange. Not everyone has QuarkXPress or PageMaker, but everyone CAN have Acrobat Reader. With the right tools, the document originator can produce a PDF file and this can be viewed by anyone with Acrobat Reader. Many software manuals are now distributed on disk in PDF format and Acrobat Reader is included on disk. PDFs are also commonly distributed via email.

Many prepress houses use PDF to produce proofs for clients. Because the PDF retains all formatting it looks exactly as it does on the designer's computer and the client can be assured of this accuracy with PDF. (However, color may not always be accurate)

PDFs are also used widely on the web. Many organizations post their forms and documents in PDF format on a web page for download by anyone. Forms can be filled out online in a browser if the PDF includes this capability. Form information may even be submitted online if the webmaster attaches a CGI script to the PDF. Contact our webmaster at heinsius@u.washington.edu for more information about this capability.

Q: How can I view PDFs in my web browser?

A: To view a PDF in your web browser on a Mac you need to have the PDFViewer plug-in installed. To find out if you have the plug-in, select "About Plug-ins" from your browser menu or open the program folder on your hard disk and see if the plug-in exists in the "Plug-ins" folder for the browser.

For PC: If you're using Internet Explorer, see if you have "pdf.ocx" installed in your ActiveX folder for your browser (means you're set to go). If you're using Netscape, check for "nppdf32.dll" and "ewb2.api" (these may be hidden files, so set your system to view hidden files if necessary).

If you cannot find these files on your machine and your browser cannot open PDF files, simply download Acrobat Reader (see above) and install it.

Q: Can I make PDF files?

A: Most of the time, creating PDFs is a fairly simple process. However, if you are unfamiliar with PDF and the programs used to create PDFs, you can cause headaches for everyone that uses your files. In most cases, PDFs should be made by the experienced person who originally created the source files. This means your prepress person or designer is best equipped to produce PDFs for you.

Q: I'd like to have documents made into PDFs. Can Creative Communications do this?

A: YES!! If we produced your original documents then we should be producing the PDFs.

We can also make PDFs for you if your documents were not built by Creative Communications. Contact your Account Manager.

Q: I view PDF documents all the time online. How come I can't "Save" them to my computer?

A: Acrobat Reader does not allow you to "Save" PDF files.

You can save a PDF file to your computer from a web page by "right-clicking" on the link to the PDF file and selecting "Save Target as.." (Windows). On a Mac, "option-click" on the link to the PDF and select "Save Link As...". This will allow you to save the file to your hard drive.

Q: Can I make color separations of my PDF file?

A: Producing separations from PDF files should be done by someone experienced in color printing. If you are unsure or if you did not make the PDF yourself consult a professional.

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