Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat Professional is a costly piece of software, but there are several alternatives available.

Creators

PrimoPDF.com is an in-page PDF creator that converts more than 300 file types to PDF format. Type your email address, upload your file and PrimoPDF will email the converted PDF file. If you favor software you can download, OpenOffice.org offers a full office software suite that will convert documents to PDF.

Editor

PDFEscape.com is a free online PDF editor that can be used with online files and as files on your computer. Use the easy interface to edit and manipulate PDF files. Register an account to keep your saved documents online.

Readers

The FoxIt Reader from FoxItSoftware.com is a light, quick and free PDF reader. The FoxIt Reader has an annotation tool and can convert a PDF to a text document. Sumatra PDF is an open-source PDF reader designed for portability via a USB flash stick.

Converters

SomePDF.com has free software that converts PDF to Word, Text and HTML formats. The Some PDF to Word converter preserves images and formatting for editing. The converter performs batch conversions from PDF to Text files. And it preserves formatting, images and layout for easy viewing within a Web browser.

Manipulation

MergePDF.net allows you to merge two or more PDF files into one document. Merge up to 10 files with a 5MB limit on each file using the in-page interface.

Adobe is continually trying to improve its products to fit the needs of its target audience better. Adobe's upgrade from Acrobat 8 Professional to Acrobat 9 Professional is seeking to expand customers' capabilities to collaborate using Portable Document Format (PDF) files while retaining the same features from Acrobat 8.

Track Forms

Adobe improved its wizard to make it easier to create forms, but it is still very similar to the way forms were created in Acrobat 8. The greatest change for PDF forms is that Adobe now includes a way to track forms using an included account on Acrobat.com.

Synchronize Pages

Page synchronization is a way to collaborate with another party. Users can chat about the document while Adobe makes sure that members are viewing the same portion of the document,

Compare Documents

Acrobat 9 can compare two versions of a document and highlight changes. If you have multiple copies of a PDF, you will be able to quickly see which version has the correct changes.

Play Videos in PDF

Purchasing Flash from Macromedia in 2005 gave Adobe the capability to implement better integration between Flash videos and Adobe software. As a result, Acrobat 9 Professional can include a Flash video within a PDF file that can be played using Adobe Reader.

Create PDF Portfolios

With the ability to incorporate other video and other files, Acrobat has become an excellent tool for creating a professional portfolio. Adobe realized this and allows you to package all types of files, such as Flash, Excel, PowerPoint and Word documents within a PDF without converting the files to static PDF files.

Adobe offers four products in the Acrobat family: Reader, Standard, Professional and Professional Extended. Editions beyond Reader provide expanded functions to create and edit PDF files, as well as to manipulate documents to other formats such as pictures and forms. Adobe integrates multimedia and interactive functions from other products, such as LiveCycle and Flash, with the advanced functions in Acrobat Pro to produce the Acrobat Pro Extended edition.

Significance

Adobe pioneered the portable document format (PDF) to digitally share documents across computer platforms and to facilitate electronic records management. Adobe Acrobat software enables users to read and create PDF files. Acrobat Standard and Professional editions provide PDF creation, editing and conversion functions. In 2008, Adobe introduced a new edition that incorporates design and multimedia utilities: Acrobat 9 Professional Extended.

Function

All editions of Acrobat can open PDF files for viewing. The advanced functions beyond Acrobat Reader include creating PDF files through a virtual PDF printer, inserting comments and annotations to PDF pages and exporting documents to text files or pictures (e.g., JPEG). Segments can be highlighted and copied or cropped to use in other applications. Multiple types of documents, such as spreadsheets, word processing files and pictures, can be combined into a single PDF file.

Acrobat Pro Features

Acrobat Professional features creating a professional portfolio of mixed document types using a design template for an integrated look. The program includes an advanced function to set up fields to create forms from scanned documents, Word or Excel files. Character recognition utilities built into Acrobat Pro translates scanned documents into editable text files. Users can distribute PDFs and track the comments and review progress among the team. Passwords and access rights can secure PDFs, as well as set printing controls.

Acrobat Pro Extended Features

The Pro Extended version includes the same functions as Acrobat Professional and adds four utility modules to the software: Adobe LiveCycle Designer ES, Adobe Presenter, Adobe 3D Reviewer and Adobe 3D Capture Utility. These utilities enable users to create a customized PDF portfolio of mixed media files containing spreadsheets, documents, drawings, video, audio and maps with a specific design theme and logos. Users can also insert video and media files into PDF files and Microsoft Office documents (i.e., Word, Excel and PowerPoint). PDF files with embedded media don't require specific software for playback because the video or audio is converted to an Adobe Flash file to run within the open PDF file. The utilities enhance the function of PowerPoint by adding interactive tools for quizzes and extend the privileges of reviewers to comment and digitally sign PDFs using only Acrobat Reader.

Considerations

Adobe offers Acrobat Professional editions for Windows and Mac operating systems. Minimum system requirements for Windows include 1.3 GHz processor and Windows XP or Vista. Minimum system requirements for Mac operating systems include G4, G5 or Intel processors and OS 10.4 or higher. Acrobat Pro Extended only works on Windows computers with the same minimum system requirements as Acrobat Pro. As of April 2010, Adobe sells the full software for Acrobat 9 Professional for $449 or upgrade from an earlier version for $159); the full version of Acrobat 9 Professional Extended sells for $699 or $229 as an eligible upgrade. Windows users who incorporate multimedia and interactive components to documents and digital portfolios may find the additional modules in the Pro Extended edition valuable.

Adobe Acrobat 8 Pro is a software program designed to work on both PC and Mac platform computers. As a pro level product, the software has additional features, which separate it from the consumer version.

What It Does

Acrobat 8 Pro is used to access, read, and create type and visual PDFs. The software allows you to access PDF format documents that would otherwise be inaccessible with other word processing products.

How It Works

The PDF viewer and creator allows you to customize and create highly visual documents using text, graphs and photographs, then compresses these down to a smaller size. The compression of the documents means that it will download quickly on websites without taking up much room.

How It Differs From Consumer Version

The consumer version of Acrobat 8 does not have post-print production tools, such as collaboration features, making it easier to combine documents from other programs in to high-resolution PDFs. The consumer version is a reader and basic PDF fabricator.

Acrobat 9 and Acrobat 9 Pro are programs that were created by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Both programs have similar features, but there are some features that are available for Acrobat 9 Pro, and not for Acrobat 9.

Comparison

Acrobat 9 and Acrobat 9 Pro are both used to view, print, search and create PDF files. While both versions of Acrobat have the same basic features, Acrobat 9 Pro provides advanced features, such as the ability to import FLV and H.264 video files into PDF documents, the ability to digitally sign PDF documents, and to convert AutoCAD, Microsoft Visio, and Microsoft Project files into PDF format.

Cost

Acrobat 9 is available at the Adobe website for $299, while Acrobat 9 Pro is slightly more expensive, at a price of $449 (as of August 2010).

Function

Adobe Acrobat 9 is ideal for home users and office workers with any variety of computer knowledge. Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro is generally used by business and creative professionals due to its additional security features.

Adobe Acrobat has come a long way since it first entered the market. The Version 9 Extended software adds many sophisticated features not previously available, such as video and conferencing. Seminar coordinators and marketers, particularly, will appreciate the form tracking capabilities that allow users to keep track of their email campaigns.

One-Button PDF Conversion

Adobe Acrobat Pro V9 converts a wide variety of file formats into PDF files with the click of a button. Some of the file formats include Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Visio, Autodesk Auto Cad and Lotus Notes.

Interactive Presentations

Together with Adobe Presenter, Acrobat 9 Pro Extended can add visual, audio and interactive appeal to your presentations. The features include voice-over, video, demos and interactive quizzes. You can convert these presentations into multimedia PDF files that are cross-platform compatible.

Online Forms

If you are planning a big event, such as a conference or a birthday bash, send a mass email to your guests. The forms-tracking dashboard will show you the status of who responded and who did not, so that you may send out reminders. Sort, filter and export the responses to your favorite spreadsheet.

Protect and Control Sensitive Information

Adobe Acrobat Pro V9 allows you to set passwords and permissions for your documents, remove data and sensitive information and certify PDF documents. It also gives you the option to sign your documents digitally.

Videos in PDF

Embed your videos in Word or PowerPoint and convert them to the FLV format in your PDF file. Alternately, you may convert a variety of video formats to FLV for reliable cross-platform sharing capability. Play these videos in Acrobat or Adobe Reader.

Convert Email and Web Pages to PDF

Email has a way of filling up your inbox fast. With Acrobat 9 Extended, you can archive your Outlook or Lotus Notes email or email folders in a searchable PDF file.

Convert entire or partial Web pages into PDF files for print, markup, or sharing. Include or exclude any interactive media that is on the page.

ConnectNow Web Conferencing

ConnectNow Web Conferencing and desktop-sharing are sophisticated tools that enable you and your colleagues to hold meetings via text, video and audio. Access documents on the Acrobat online site or via SharePoint workspaces, network folders or WebDAV.

Combine Files from Multiple Applications

Professionals who rely on portfolios to present their work now have the capability to combine multiple files in varying formats into one PDF file, while maintaining the original file settings. Attach native files, unify the overall design layout and optimize your PDF for the best quality. Include only the pages you need for a customized presentation.

Converting a PDF to a Microsoft Word document can be a useful option in Adobe Acrobat Pro 9. However, PDF documents are designed to be transmitted as is, preserving the format, text and pictures of the original document. Due to the differences in programming, PDF documents do not lend themselves well to translation between formats. Converting a document from PDF to Microsoft Word format can lead to problems with the formatting and text.

The Basics of Converting PDFs with Acrobat 9

Documents in PDF format can be exported to Rich Text, Microsoft Word and plain text formats. To export a PDF to Microsoft Word format, open the "File" menu and hover your cursor over the "Export" option. It will open a sub-menu that allows you to choose the export format. Select "Word Document." It will open a dialog box that allows you to select where to export the file and what to name it. Save the file.

Export Settings

The settings you use to export a PDF document to Microsoft Word can greatly affect the quality of the exported Word document. To access the settings, click the "Settings" button in the dialog box that allows you to determine where to save the file. The button is on the bottom right side of the dialog box. Among the most important is whether you choose to retain "text flow" or "document formatting." According to Adobe, preserving text flow is important in documents with complex formatting where the format may not be preserved, but keeping the text in order will allow format editing within Microsoft Word.

Problems with Exporting PDF Documents

The two primary problems encountered when exporting a PDF to a Word document are incorrect character recognition and incorrect formatting. Adobe notes that "some coding information may be lost in conversion." Documents with complicated formatting will tend to look quite different when converted from PDF to Word. In addition, if the text is less than perfect, being either grainy from copying or hand-written, it often will be replaced with incorrect text during the conversion process.

Dealing with these Problems

The first step in ensuring that the document is exported correctly is using the best settings for your document. If you try to preserve text flow and get poor results, try preserving formatting to see if it is better. Another option is Adobe Pro's built-in OCR engine. If the document does not contain images, you can choose to have Adobe attempt to recognize the letters through optical character recognition (OCR). To do this, open the "Document" menu, hover your cursor over "OCR Text Recognition" and select "Recognize Text Using OCR." This option will allow Adobe Acrobat to attempt to identify the letters contained in the document. If dealing with a pure text document, this often produces better results when you export to Microsoft Word.

Adobe is regularly updating their software lines, including Adobe Acrobat. In creating Adobe Acrobat Pro 9, Adobe expanded the ability for users to collaborate using PDF files, while also keeping many of the features offered by Acrobat 8.

Forms

One of the features from Acrobat 8 that was improved upon was the ability to create forums. While the method is largely the same as in Acrobat 8, the new wizard makes it easier and Adobe 9 also allows users to track forms using an Acrobat website account.

Tracking Changes

Adobe 9 can compare two PDF documents, highlighting differences. This is useful when a user wants to track edits or check a document for the latest version. Adobe 9 also gives users a way to collaborate with each other. It also ensures that everyone viewing a document is looking at the same section in order to discuss specific content.

Video and Other Files

Adobe PDF documents can now contain Flash videos and other types of media which can be viewed using Adobe Reader. Many types of files, such as Flash, Excel, PowerPoint and Word documents can be placed within a PDF without requiring them to be converted to the static PDF format.

Considerations

While Adobe 9 contains a number of new features, it is a considerably larger program at 1GB.

Photoshop 9, more generally referred to as Photoshop CS2, was one of the major steps forward in the Photoshop line. However, it is now a fairly old version of the famous Photoshop product (CS5 was released in 2010). Despite this, CS2 is still a powerful and versatile product that many people and organizations have on their computer. There are several sources you can turn to for video tutorials.

YouTube

One of the most abundant sources for Photoshop 9 tutorial videos is YouTube. These videos are put up by professionals, companies and everyday users alike. Some tutorials cover a single aspect of using the program, while others are part of a multi-video project. Videos are posted by the talented and not-so-talented, so you will have to sort the wheat from the chaff. Don't dismiss a video just because it is for a later version of Photoshop. Generally, if the feature you are interested in exists in both versions, it will work the same.

Adobe TV

Adobe TV is a free source of video tutorials covering virtually all current Adobe products, including Photoshop. The caveat here is that they are for the current version. As mentioned, this will not be a problem for features that exist in both version and have not changed, but you will have to make sure you don't waste time with a tutorial using features you don't have in Photoshop 9.

Lynda.com

Lynda.com is a commercial provider of video tutorials about Photoshop. Lynda offers online video tutorials for many versions of Photoshop, including Photoshop 9 (CS2). You can access these videos by signing up for one of the monthly subscription plans, which at the time of this writing (2011) start at $25. For an additional monthly change, you get access not only to all the videos on the site, but the exercise files related to each video.

VTC.com

VTC is another online commercial provider of online video tutorials. It also has a monthly subscription fee ($30 in 2011). VTC has fewer videos directly related to Photoshop 9 (CS2), but it does have a number of tutorials related to other versions of Photoshop, many of which would still apply to the older version

Adobe Acrobat offers a series of presets that a user can choose when creating a PDF. These presets are designed to produce the best results for the intended purpose of a PDF, be it printed on a desktop printer, viewed electronically or sent to a commercial printer. Each preset balances the quality of the file output with how it's going to be ultimately viewed. You can select these presets when exporting a file as a PDF out of document design programs.

Quality-Printing

Using the setting "High Quality Print" when creating a PDF optimizes the document for quality output on desktop printers and proofing devices. This setting downsamples grayscale and color images to 300 pixels per inch for any images set at a higher resolution. For monochrome images, the setting downsamples to 1200 PPI. This setting does not change RGB color images to CMYK. It flattens transparency in artwork to reduce the file size and embeds subsets of all fonts used. This setting is suitable for files submitted to quick-print shops.

Press-Quality Printing

The "Press Quality" preset creates files for high-quality commercial presses. These outputs can be used for digital printing or for creating color separations to send to an imagesetter or platesetter. This setting downsamples images to the same resolution as the high-quality print setting, but includes all information in the file needed by a commercial printer to produce an accurate print. It converts colors to CMYK and preserves transparency, and like the high-quality print setting, it embeds subsets of all fonts. This setting produces the highest quality of file reproduction and results in a large file size. However, you can't assume this is the setting a commercial printer wants for submitted PDFs. Printers often require a more specific preset.

Other Commercial Press Presets

A commercial printer may specify PDFs be submitted as PDF/X-1a or a PDF/X-4 compliant files, which give specific information on how the document is to be printed. Both of these settings set color to appear as CMYK or as spot color, where the color is mixed in a specialty ink and placed on one press plate rather than placing percentages of cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks on four plates to reproduce the desired color on a page. These settings use International Color Consortium color settings and the same color management so that the colors a designer puts in a design accurately matches the color output on the press.

Custom Settings

A printer may provide publication designers a ".joboptions" file with settings customized for his operation. The custom setting may specify image resolutions that are higher or lower than those in the standard presets to create the best image on the press and paper used in the job. Placing the .joboptions file in the "Settings" folder of Acrobat allows you to choose the printer's settings when exporting your document as a PDF for printing. Check with your printer before submitting a completed PDF file.

Definition

The word e-book originated as an abbreviation for "electronic book." And that is what e-books are: books that are produced for distribution and subsequent reading on a computer or other electronic device, rather than being printed and bound as traditional books are.

Format and Reading

The vast majority of e-books on the market are distributed as PDF files, meaning they can be read on any computer or device that can read PDF files. (For example, if your computer has Adobe Acrobat or Preview installed, you can read e-books that are distributed as PDFs.) In other cases, e-books may be distributed in file formats that are specific to different individual e-book reader devices, such as Amazon's Kindle reader.

Reading an e-book consists of opening the file on your computer or other device and reading the text on the screen. Some e-book reading devices and software programs even simulate page turning.

Distribution

You can buy e-books directly from Amazon.com, particularly if you have a Kindle reader. Otherwise, there are numerous online e-book publishers and sellers with wide selections. Sometimes books that are published only in electronic format are considerably less expensive than those that exist as electronic versions of existing print books, given that the costs of publishing an e-book are much lower than the production costs of a print book.

Creation

One interesting consequence of e-book production being less expensive is that new authors find it easier to get published. In fact, it is quite easy to publish an e-book yourself without even involving a publishing company. Amazon offers authors the ability to post their work for sale in the Kindle format (although Amazon takes a cut of the profits), but it is also possible to publish an e-book on your own merely by formatting your work as a PDF and then posting it for sale on your own website (using payment software such as PayPal to accept orders). Note that you are likely to get more traffic by going through a popular site such as Amazon, however.

Reading a PDF

A PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It is a distribution file or format that Adobe developed. It allows the transfer of electronic information between various types of computers such as Macintosh and a PC. Acrobat is the name of the software developed by Adobe to allow this transfer. PDF files are web accessible, just like HTML (Hyper Text Mark-Up Link), however, the PDF contains images, text and hyperlinks packing all of them in a single file. A PDF is preferable over HTML because it would appear the same in any kind of computing platform, whether in a view or print form.

Viewing PDF Files Using Adobe Acrobat Reader

One must download Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view and print a PDF file. Adobe's website offers free downloadable Adobe Acrobat Reader software. After installing the software, you can click on the link of the PDF file; usually it comes as a file or link with a suffix .pdf. Adobe will then load the file to be viewable on your computer.

Creating PDF Files

Adobe Acrobat comes in different updated versions; it can create PDF files and can work with other word processing and desktop publishing applications to create PDF files. For example, Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro can actually convert Excel files, Visio, Project, PowerPoint and Word documents into PDF. It can combine documents, drawings, spreadsheets and emails using a single compressed portfolio.

Editing PDF Files

Using Adobe Acrobat Reader alone will not allow you to edit PDF files. It can only let you view or read files and print them. If you would like to edit PDF files, you would need another Adobe product, such as Adobe Acrobat 9 or third-party software similar in nature. Adobe Acrobat can edit PDF files to make simple and extensive updates. With the Adobe Acrobat 9, you can also complete web pages, or any portions including interactive media, which you can save, print and mark up, then share with any Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Printing PDF Files Using Adobe Acrobat

It is best to print web PDF files using the print button on the Adobe Acrobat toolbar. Click on the toolbar print icon and it will give you a print preview to which you can choose the number of pages to print and the number of copies to make. Printing from the toolbar will ensure that all pages will print clearly and the PDF file showing properly aligned.

Top Adobe Acrobat Troubleshooting Issue

Try the following if you are unable to click on "Accept" or "Deny" for the software license agreement and have one or more of the following symptoms: you don't see the "Accept" or "Deny" buttons; when you move the mouse over the buttons, it changes to an editing cursor; or, the "Accept" and "Deny" buttons disappear when you click somewhere else in the dialog box.

First, press "Enter" to accept the license agreement. If this does not work, change your screen's resolution to 1024 by 768. Finally, try setting the display dots per inch and font size for your video driver to "Default" or "Normal."

Installation Problems

Before installing, make sure that your computer satisfies Acrobat's minimum system requirements. Install Adobe Acrobat from an account with administrator privileges. If Acrobat does not install successfully, create a new administrative account and try installing Acrobat from that account. If the software does not install, reboot your computer and then copy the "Acrobat" directory from your DVD to your hard drive. Run the installer from the "Acrobat" directory on the hard drive.

If the installation does not complete successfully, reboot your computer and delete the temporary installer files before trying to reinstall. Go to "Documents and Settings/(your user account name)/Local Settings/Temp/" and delete any files you find there. Next, defragment your hard drive and run a virus scan. Install Acrobat when the scan completes. If it doesn't install, reboot the computer and try to install Acrobat again, but this time select "custom" on the install menu. Select only the minimum required files. If they install correctly, reboot your computer and start the installer again. This time, select "Modify" and add one additional feature that you want installed. Reboot your computer and repeat this install process until you have installed all the features you want.

Cannot Print a Specific File

If you can't print a PDF file, try to print a different PDF. If you successfully print the second file, the first file could be damaged. First, try to print the file as an image--select "Advanced" from the print dialog, then "Print as image." If that doesn't work, use "Save as" to save the file under a new name, then try to print the new file. If it doesn't print to your printer, select the Adobe printer and print to that--it will re-create the file.

Try printing the re-created file on your printer. If you still aren't successful, try printing the file one page or one section of pages at a time to see if you can discover what part of the file has the problem. When you discover the problem, redo or remove that page.

Cannot Print Any PDF File

If you cannot print any PDF files, try to print another file type, such as a text file. If this works, restart your computer and try to print the PDF file again. If that doesn't work, turn off your printer and wait 30 seconds. Turn it back on and try to print the file. If you still aren't successful, try printing from another computer or to another printer.