I’ve been working on “live” files using Acrobat 8 Professional for some time now, so my initial reactions to the latest version of Acrobat are a little more seasoned. I had this in mind during a recent interview for MacAddict magazine. Since I went on at greater length than they could possibly print, I thought […]
View PostWhen I first tell someone that blind people can read PDF files, I often get a slightly puzzled expression. Sighted people sometimes appear to assume that the blind can’t read; that maybe somehow blind professors and programmers and lawyers are born, not taught. I digress. The fact is that blind and other disabled individuals can […]
View PostI was sufficiently intrigued by the Adobe Document Center to put it to the test with a real document distributed to a reasonably savvy group of people. I’m one of those people who finds Flash more than a little overused. Once the initial buzz from the soft-focus feel of the all-Flash UI wore off, the […]
View PostFor those who do more with heavy technical reference tomes than merely prop open the window, you’ll be interested to know of Adobe’s latest opus; the (now) 30.9 MB, 1,310 page PDF Reference (and accompanying Errata and Redaction Addendum). When Adobe Systems originally decided to publish the PDF Reference, the document that describes in all […]
View PostFor those who yearn for maximum PDF power, Adobe has posted essential new reading in the latest JavaScript Reference for Acrobat 8. As the brag states, Acrobat JavaScript “…implements objects, methods, and properties that enable you to manipulate PDF files, produce database-driven PDF files, modify the appearance of PDF files, and much more. You can […]
View PostEver since it became possible to view PDF files online via the Adobe Reader plug-in to a Web browser, a debate has raged about whether and how one should take advantage of this fact. While for many this debate appears to be over – Google now counts 1.2 billion hits for “pdf” – a fierce […]
View PostOne of the new features in Acrobat 8.0 Professional garnering significant comment is redaction. This handy tool allowing users to permanently eliminate text or graphics from a PDF page. Solid, simple idea – what’s not to like? Thus far, Acrobat 8’s redaction tool has been generally well received in principle, although a few discriminating reviewers […]
View PostThe single most important feature of Acrobat Professional 8 is a dramatic expansion in the Reader Extensions that Acrobat Professional may apply to PDF files, bestowing new “Extended Rights”. Of these, the most important such “Right” is commonly known as “Reader Save”. Within the new End User License Agreement (EULA) and certain other technical limitations, […]
View PostWhen Adobe Systems began expanding PDF beyond the original mission of a portable file with reliable printed output, they added navigational, interactive and other features intended to improve the end-user experience. Hence, Acrobat became RAD = Rapid Application Development (Wikipedia definition). Beginning with links and bookmarks, then adding form field elements, buttons, javascript, movies, full-screen […]
View PostA lot of people sat up and took notice when Google announced their book-scanning initiative. And not for nothing; when a company as powerful and innovative as Google says they are going to do something, it’s usually worth watching. Per my earlier promise, I’ve been sniffing around this new Google site. From the PDF Perspective, […]
View PostA PDF form enabled for Reader Save in Acrobat 8 Professional may now be completed and SAVED using the free Adobe Reader! From the introduction of forms technology to PDF nine years ago until today, users with the free Adobe Reader could certainly fill out and print a PDF form (if, in fact, it included […]
View PostBookmarks are simultaneously one of the most valuable and least-used features of PDF. Located to the left of the displayed page (the F4 key toggles them in and out of view), bookmarks provide an intuitive navigational and functional system that is highly desirable for any file and absolutely vital for longer documents. Inefficiency Systems vs. […]
View PostAs noted by my esteemed fellow Blogger and AUC Editor Kurt Foss, AcrobatUsers.com has now made it easier to learn how to get things done with Acrobat by posting the Acrobat Help file online. Now, why do they need to post it online, you might ask? Isn’t the Acrobat Help file available right there in […]
View PostThere are loads of nifty features scattered throughout the electronic document tool-chest that is Adobe Acrobat. Even though I don’t have much occasion to use it, one of my favorite such gems is the Measuring Tool. It’s come in handy on several occasions for the very simple reason that I can quickly and easily measure […]
View PostTo optimize HTML, you need to really know your way around the HyperText Markup Language. Optimizing PDF with usability features that will satisfy the vast majority of users is much easier. The following guidelines for optimizing PDF documents are not a panacea for bad or thoughtless design. If you insist on multi-column pages, exotic text […]
View PostI offer a simple sketch of views on the “ideal” Reader Extensions business model. Suggestions for amendments or additions to the Manifesto are encouraged! If this post threatens to become a serious document, I’ll move it to it’s own page for further development. Background For these purposes, “Reader Extensions” amount to a “switch” within a […]
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