PDF Files and the Acrobat Reader

	What are PDF Files?
	Acrobat Reader Tips
	Downloading the Acrobat Reader

What are PDF Files?

PDF files (or Portable Document Format files) preserve the exact look and content of an original document—complete with fonts and graphics—and are used to quickly and effectively exchange documents across the World Wide Web. Original documents may be stored in an electronic format such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Word or may be scanned in from an original source such as a text book, journal article, or newspaper clipping. Original documents are converted into PDF documents for viewing and printing over the Internet through a program called Adobe Acrobat. Adobe offers companion product called Acrobat Reader which allows individuals browsing the Web to display and print PDF files once they are created. Acrobat Reader is offered free by Adobe as a browser plug-in and can be downloaded through the Internet and installed on a local computer.

Acrobat Reader Tips

Acrobat Reader is required to view all PDF (Portable Document Files). Once you have installed this plug-in on your computer, simply click on the PDF file's hyperlink while in a browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape) to load a PDF document into the Acrobat Reader. Acrobat Reader will open and display the PDF file on the screen and will also allow you to print it, if necessary. The first page of the PDF document will appear in the browser window and the Acrobat Icon will show on the toolbar at the top as shown below:

If the text of the PDF document you open is too small to easily read, select the Zoom In Tool icon located on Acrobat's top toolbar (shown below) to zoom in closer to the document's text until it is large enough.

Alternatively, zoom in or out by selecting the Page Size drop-down bar located in Acrobat's bottom left corner (shown below) to select the size you wish to view (150%, 100%, 50%, Fit in Window, Actual Size, Fit Width, Fit Visible, etc.).

Use the side and bottom scroll bars to move through the document. As an alternative, select the Hand Tool icon located on Acrobat's top toolbar (shown below) to turn your mouse cursor into a hand—allowing you to move around the document by clicking and dragging the mouse on the pages themselves.

Quickly move to a specific page in the document by selecting the Page Number drop-down bar located in Acrobat's bottom left corner (shown below) to select a specific page to view.

Save the file locally to read off-line or print later by selecting the Save File Tool icon (shown below).

Print the file to a local printer by selecting the Print Tool icon (shown below).

If the text appears sideways on the screen, rotate it by selecting one of the Rotate View Tool icons (shown below) to rotate the view Counter Clockwise (CCW) or Clockwise (CW). Click on one of these icons again to rotate the document back to its original view when needed.

If you wish to find something specific in a PDF document, select the Find Tool and Find Again Tool icons (shown below) to search for a specific string of text within the document.

Downloading the Acrobat Reader


	Acrobat Reader is required to view all PDF (Portable Document Files). Various modules throughout this Web site use Acrobat Reader to share written information. Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in by clicking on the Get Acrobat Reader button to the left.

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