Adobe Acrobat DC Help Guide EN

User Manual: adobe Acrobat - DC - Help Guide Free User Guide for Adobe Acrobat Reader Software, Manual

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ADOBE
®
ACROBAT
®
%$ HELP
Last updated 4/7/2015
Legal notices
Legal notices
For legal notices, see http://help.adobe.com/en_US/legalnotices/index.html.
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Contents
Chapter 1: Workspace
Workspace basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Mobile Link: open once, read anywhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Viewing PDFs and viewing preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Navigating PDF pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Adjusting PDF views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Flash Player needed | Acrobat DC, Acrobat Reader DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Asian, Cyrillic, and right-to-left text in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Opening PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Updating Acrobat DC and using Adobe Digital Editions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Working with online accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Acrobat in Mac OS | Acrobat Pro DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Grids, guides, and measurements in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Chapter 2: Creating PDFs
Create PDFs with Acrobat DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Create PDFs with PDFMaker (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Print to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Scan documents to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Overview of PDF creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Using the Adobe PDF printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Converting web pages to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Creating PDFs with Acrobat Distiller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
PDF fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Adobe PDF conversion settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Chapter 3: Editing PDFs
Edit text in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Edit images or objects in a PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Edit scanned PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Rotate, move, delete, and renumber PDF pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Optimizing PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Setting up PDFs for a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Action wizard (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
PDF articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Page thumbnails and bookmarks inPDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
PDF properties and metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Links and attachments in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
PDF layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
PDFs converted to web pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Geospatial PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Applying actions and scripts to PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
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Chapter 4: Forms
PDF forms basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Creating and distributing PDF forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Filling in PDF forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fill and sign PDF forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
About Forms Tracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Collecting and managing PDF form data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Setting action buttons in PDF forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Publishing interactive PDF web forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
PDF barcode form fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
PDF form field properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
PDF form field basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Chapter 5: Combining files
Combine or merge files into single PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Rotate, move, delete, and renumber PDF pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Crop PDF pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Add watermarks to PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Add backgrounds to PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Publish and share PDF Portfolios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Working with component files in a PDF Portfolio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Create and customize PDF Portfolios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Overview of PDF Portfolios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Chapter 6: Reviews and commenting
Mark up text with edits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Preparing for a PDF review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Starting a PDF review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Commenting in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Sharing PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Participating in a PDF review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Approval workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Managing comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Tracking and managing PDF reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Send and track large files online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Importing and exporting comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Adding a stamp to a PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Chapter 7: Saving and exporting PDFs
Saving PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Convert or export PDFs to other file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
File format options for PDF export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Reusing PDF content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Chapter 8: Security
Enhanced security setting for PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Securing PDFs with passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
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Digital IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Securing PDFs with certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Opening secured PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Removing sensitive content from PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Protected View feature for PDFs (Windows only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Security warnings when a PDF opens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Setting up security policies for PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Securing PDFs with Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
JavaScripts in PDFs as a security risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Choosing a security method for PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Attachments as security risks in Acrobat Reader DC and Acrobat DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Allow or block links to the Internet in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Chapter 9: Electronic signatures
Sign PDF documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Send PDF documents for signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Certificate-based signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Validating digital signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Validating certificate-based signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Manage trusted identities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Chapter 10: Printing
Basic PDF printing tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Print Booklets and PDF Portfolios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Printing color PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Printing PDFs in custom sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Advanced PDF print settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Chapter 11: Accessibility, tags, and reflow
Create and verify PDF accessibility (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Accessibility features in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Touch Up Reading Order tool for PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Edit document structure with the Content and Tags panels (Acrobat Pro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Creating accessible PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Chapter 12: Searching and indexing
Searching PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Creating PDF indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Chapter 13: Multimedia and 3D models
Add audio, video, and interactive objects to PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Displaying 3D models in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Interacting with 3D models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Setting 3D views in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
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Adding multimedia to PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Chapter 14: Print production tools (Acrobat Pro DC)
Print production tools overview (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Printer marks and hairlines (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Previewing output (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Transparency flattening (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
Color conversion and ink management (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Trapping color (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
Chapter 15: Preflight (Acrobat Pro DC)
Advanced preflight inspections (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491
Preflight reports (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Viewing preflight results, objects, and resources (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Preflight profiles (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Output intents in PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Correcting problem areas with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Automating document analysis with droplets or preflight actions (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Analyzing documents with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510
PDF/X-, PDF/A-, and PDF/E-compliant files (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
Additional checks in the Preflighttool (Acrobat Pro DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Chapter 16: Color management
Keeping colors consistent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Working with color profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Understanding color management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Color settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Color-managing documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
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Chapter 1: Workspace
Workspace basics
Workspace overview
Adobe Acrobat DC user interface has three views - Home, Tools, and Document.
Home This is the gateway or the landing page when you don’t have a PDF opened in Acrobat DC.
Tools This is the go to place to discover the tools that’s available in Acrobat DC. All Acrobat DC tools are shown in this
view.
Document This is the default view whenever a document is opened in Acrobat DC.
Home view
This is the gateway or the landing page when you don’t have a PDF opened in Acrobat. When you launch Acrobat, you
see a welcome message with the Learn More button pointing to a quick introduction document.
The Home view displays two file lists - Recent and Sent. All your recently accessed files are displayed in the Recent file
list, and all the files that you sent using Adobe Send & Track and Send for Signature are displayed in the Sent file list.
The Storage option lists various places from which you can open and work on files from within Acrobat - My Computer,
Document Cloud, and Add Account(a SharePoint account).
In the Home > Recent files list, you can:
•See your recently used files, and also sync them across devices using the Mobile Link option at the bottom of the
righ pane.
•Access your files stored securely in Adobe Document Cloud uisng the Document Cloud link in the left pane.
•Add SharePoint accounts using the Add Account link in the left pane.
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In the Home > Sent file list, you can:
•Track and manage your sent files online. The available options are displayed when you choose a file in the right pane.
•Manage your files sent for signature using the Manage Document Sent for Signature link at the bottom in the right
pane.
Tools center
This is the go to place to discover the tools that’s available in Acrobat. All the tools are shown in this view. When you
choose a tool, the tool-specific commands or toolbar appears in the document view if a file is opened.
Note: You can also open some tools even without opening a document. If the tool requires a document to be open,
choosing a tool prompts you to select a document.
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Add or remove shortcuts of tools in the right pane
To add a shortcut of a tool in the right pane, click the Add button below the tool name.
To remove the shortcut of a tool from the right pane, click the Down Arrow button next to Open below the tool name,
and then choose Remove Shortcut.
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Alternatively, to remove the shortcut, click the cross button for the shortcut in the right pane.
Document view
This is the default view whenever a document is opened in Acrobat.
The menu bar and the toolbar are visible at the top of the work area. The work area for the stand-alone application
includes a document pane in the middle, a navigation pane on the left, and tools or task pane on the right side. The
document pane displays Adobe® PDFs. The navigation pane on the left side helps you browse through the PDF and
perform other options on PDF files. Toolbars near the top of the window provide other controls that you can use to
work with PDFs.
Note: When a tool is opened, you see the tool-specific commands in the toolbar and the right pane.
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Menus and context menus
Ordinarily, it’s a good idea to keep the Acrobat menus visible so that they are available as you work. It is possible to hide
them, using the View > Show/Hide > Menu Bar command. However, the only way to display and use them again is by
pressing F9 (Windows) or Shift+Command+M (Mac OS).
Unlike the menus that appear at the top of your screen, context-sensitive menus display commands related to the active
tool or selection. You can use context menus as a quick way to choose commonly used commands. For example, when
you right-click the toolbar area, that context menu displays the same commands as the View > Show/Hide > Toolbar
Items menu.
1Position the pointer over the document, object, or panel.
2Click the right mouse button.
Note: (Mac OS) If you don’t have a two-button mouse, you can display a context menu by pressing the Control key as you
click with the mouse.
Toolbars
Initially, you may not see various tools in the toolbar. You can add tools to the toolbar for easy access.
To add tools in the toolbar, right-click an empty space in the toolbar and choose the tools that you want to appear in
the toolbar.
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Quick tools
You can add tools you use frequently from the Tools to the Quick Tools toolbar.
1Right-click an empty space in the toolbar and choose Customize Quick Tools.
2In the Customize Quick Tools dialog box, do any of the following:
•To add a tool, select it in the left pane and click the Up Arrow icon.
•To remove a tool, select its icon and click the Delete icon.
•To change a tool’s position in the toolbar, select its icon and click either or .
•To add a vertical line to separate groups of tools in the toolbar, click .
Common Tools
You can add tools to the Common Tools toolbar.
1Right-click an empty space in the toolbar.
2Select a tool from the menu.
3To remove a tool from the toolbar, right-click the tool and deselect it from the menu.
Hide and show toolbars
When your work does not involve using the tools in a toolbar, you can close the toolbar to tidy up the work area. If
several PDFs are open, you can customize the toolbars for each PDF independently. The different customized states
persist as you switch between PDFs.
•To hide all toolbars, choose View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items > Hide Toolbars.
•To return toolbars to their default configuration, choose View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items > Reset Toolbars.
If you have hidden all the toolbars, you can show them again by pressing F8.
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Select a tool
By default, the Select tool is active when Acrobat opens, because it is the most versatile tool.
❖Do one of the following:
•Select a tool in a toolbar.
•Choose View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items > [toolbar name] > [tool].
Create custom tools
You can assemble your own customized collection of Acrobat features, then save it and share with others. It allows you
to quickly access the tools and commands you use the most.
1Choose Tools > Create Custom Tool.
2To customize the Toolbar, do any of the following:
•To add a tool to the toolbar, click the panel on the left, select the tool, and click the Add To Toolbar icon.
•To remove a tool from the toolbar set, select its icon, and click the Delete icon.
•To change a tool’s position in the toolbar, select its icon, and click either the move left or move right
icon.
•To add a vertical line to separate groups of tools in the toolbar, click the Add Vertical Line icon.
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A Arrange or delete tools in the Tool's Toolbar B Add custom panels, instructions, or divider line between tools C Rename, arrange, or delete
tools D Add to Tool's Toolbar above or Custom Tools set on the right
3To customize tools in the Custom set, do any of the following:
•To add a tool in the Custom set, click the panel on the left, and then click the Add To Custom set icon.
•To create your own panel, click the Add Section icon on the right. Give the panel a name, and click Save.
•To add a tool to a panel, select the panel on the right, select the tool on the left, and click the Add To Custom set
icon.
•To remove a tool from the set, select its icon and click the Delete icon.
•To change the position of a tool, select it on the right, and click the Up or Down Arrow icons.
•To add a horizontal line to separate groups of tools, click the Add Divider icon.
•To edit instructions or section name, select it, and click the Edit icon.
4When your tool set is complete, click Save, type its name, and click Save again.
The created custom tool is added to the Tools center. To open the tool, choose To ols > [custom tool name].
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Edit, delete, rename, or share a custom tool
You can edit, rename, copy, delete, rearrange, or share tool sets. You can specify the order the tool sets appear in the
Customize menu by moving them up or down in the list. You can share tool sets with your workgroup using the Import
and Export options.
•Choose Tools > [custom tool name] > click the Down Arrow button and then choose an appropriate option.
Navigation pane
The navigation pane is an area of the workspace that can display different navigation panels. Various functional tools
can appear in the navigation pane. For example, the Page Thumbnails panel contains thumbnail images of each page;
clicking a thumbnail opens that page in the document.
When you open a PDF, the navigation pane is closed by default. Buttons along the left side of the work area provide easy
access to various panels, such as the Page Thumbnails button and the Bookmarks panel button . When
Acrobat is open but empty (no PDF is open), the navigation pane is unavailable.
Show or hide the navigation pane
1To open the navigation pane, do one of the following:
•Click any panel button on the left side of the work area to open that panel.
•Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Show Navigation Pane.
2To close the navigation pane, do one of the following:
•Click the button for the currently open panel in the navigation pane.
•Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Hide Navigation Pane.
Note: The creator of the PDF can control the contents of some navigation panels and may make them empty.
Change the display area for navigation panels
All navigation panels, such as Bookmarks, appear in a column on the left side of the work area.
•To change the width of the navigation pane, drag its right border.
•To view a different panel, on the left side of the navigation pane, select the button for the panel
Options in a navigation panel
All navigation panels have an options menu in the upper-left corner. The commands available in these menus vary.
Some panels also contain other buttons that affect the items in the panel. Again, these buttons vary among the different
panels, and some panels have none.
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Set preferences
Many program settings are specified in the Preferences dialog box, including settings for display, tools, conversion,
signatures, and performance. Once you set preferences, they remain in effect until you change them.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Adobe Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences (Mac OS).
2Under Categories, select the type of preference you want to change.
Restore (re-create) preferences
Restore the Acrobat Preferences folder (Windows)
Restore the Acrobat Preferences folder to eliminate problems that damaged preferences cause. Most preference
problems are caused by these file-based preferences, although most Acrobat preferences are stored within the registry.
Note: This solution removes custom settings for Collaboration, JavaScripts, Security, Stamps, Color Management, Auto Fill,
Web Capture, and Updater.
1Quit Acrobat.
2In Windows Explorer, go to the Preferences folder:
•(Windows 7/Vista) C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\[version]
•(XP) C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat\[version]
3Move the Preferences folder to another location (for example, C:\Temp).
4Restart Acrobat.
If the problem recurs after you restore the Acrobat Preferences folder, then the problem isn’t related to the Preferences
folder. To restore custom settings, drag the folder you moved in step 2 back to its original location. Then click Yes To
All to replace the new Preferences folder.
Restore the Acrobat preferences files (Mac OS)
Restore the Acrobat preferences files to eliminate problems caused by a damaged preferences file.
Note: Re-creating the Acrobat preferences files restores settings to their defaults.
1Quit Acrobat.
2Drag the following files from the Users/[Username]/Library/Preferences folder to the Desktop:
•Acrobat WebCapture Cookies
•com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist or com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro_x86_9.0.plist
•Acrobat Distiller Prefs and com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist (if you are troubleshooting an issue with Distiller)
•The Acrobat folder, which contains preferences for forms (MRUFormsList), collaboration (OfflineDocs), and
color settings (AcrobatColor Settings.csf)
3Restart Acrobat
If the problem recurs after you restore the Acrobat preferences files, then the problem isn’t related to preferences files.
To restore custom settings, drag the files you moved in step 2 back to their original location. Then click OK to the alert
“A newer item named ‘[filename]’ already exists in this location. Do you want to replace it with the older one you're
moving?”
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More Help topics
PDF Portfolio window overview
Keys for selecting tools
View PDFs in Read mode
Security warnings
Enhanced security
Filling in forms
Commenting
Mobile Link: open once, read anywhere
Access your recent files across all devices using Mobile Link
With the new Mobile Link feature, the files you opened recently on any of your computers or mobile devices are always
with you. You can also access your recent files by signing in to your Adobe Document Cloud account using a web
browser.
When you enable the feature on any one of your devices, the PDF files that you opened recently are available in your
recent file list wherever you are. Sign in on all your devices to access the up-to-date recent files list. Reader/Acrobat
automatically uploads your recently viewed files to Adobe Document Cloud in the background and synchronizes the
recent files list among all your devices. When you open a file from the list, Reader/Acrobat downloads the file in real
time if it’s not available locally, and then displays the file.
Note: The Mobile Link feature is not available in Reader and Acrobat on Windows XP.
Enable Mobile Link
Tur n Mobile Link ON from any device and it's ON everywhere. Simply sign in on your other devices or at
https://cloud.acrobat.com in a web browser and your recently opened PDF files are available for you.
On the desktop
1Launch Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC. Choose Home > Recent file list.
2The Mobile Link status is displayed at the botton of the right pane on the left.
Click the slider button on the left. You see a confirmation message that the feature is ON now.
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If you’re not signed in to Adobe Document Cloud, the Sign In dialog box appears. Enter your Adobe ID and
password, and then click Sign In.
On mobile devices
1Launch Adobe Acrobat DC or Reader DC on your mobile device.
2Do one of the following:
•Tap Recents> Turn on.
•From the home page, tap My Account > Mobile Link Off.
You see the Mobile Link ON/OFF status page. Tap the ON/OFF button.
If you’re not signed in to Acrobat.com, the Sign In dialog box appears. Sign in with your Adobe ID and password to
complete the procedure.
What to do on your second or other devices once the feature is turned ON?
Simply sign in on your second device to see all your recent files.
Note: For a seamless experience, remain signed in on all your devices.
View a recent file
The Recent file list displays recently opened files on all your devices. You can also sign in to the web at
https://cloud.acrobat.com, and see your recent files.
Viewing PDFs and viewing preferences
The initial view of the PDF depends on how its creator set the document properties. For example, a document may open
at a particular page or magnification.
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Note: The Organizer and Organizer-related commands are not available in Acrobat X and later.
View PDFs in Read mode
When you’re reading a document, you can hide all the toolbars and task panes to maximize the viewing area on your
screen.
The basic reading controls, such as page navigation and zoom, appear in a semi-transparent floating toolbar near the
bottom of the window.
•To open Read mode, choose View > Read Mode, or click the Read Mode button in the upper-right corner of the
toolbar.
•To restore the work area to its previous view, choose View > Read Mode again. You can also click the close button
in the floating toolbar.
Note: Read mode is the default viewing mode when you open a PDF in a web browser.
View PDFs in Full Screen mode
In Full Screen mode, only the document appears; the menu bar, toolbars, task panes, and window controls are hidden.
A PDF creator can set a PDF to open in Full Screen mode, or you can set the view yourself. Full Screen mode is often
used for presentations, sometimes with automatic page advancement and transitions.
The pointer remains active in Full Screen mode so that you can click links and open notes. There are two ways to
advance through a PDF in Full Screen mode. You can use keyboard shortcuts for navigational and magnification
commands, and you can set a Full Screen preference to display Full Screen navigation buttons that you click to change
pages or exit Full Screen mode.
Set the Full Screen navigation bar preference
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Full Screen.
2Select Show Navigation Bar, then click OK.
3Select View > Full Screen Mode.
The Full Screen navigation bar contains Previous Page , Next Page , and Close Full Screen View buttons. These
buttons appear in the lower-left corner of the work area.
Read a document in Full Screen mode
If the Full Screen navigation bar is not shown, you can use keyboard shortcuts to navigate through a PDF.
Note: If you have two monitors installed, the Full Screen mode of a page sometimes appears on only one of the monitors.
To page through the document, click the screen displaying the page in Full Screen mode.
Choose View > Full Screen Mode.
1Do any of the following:
•To go to the next page, press the Enter, Page Down, or Right Arrow key.
•To go to the previous page, press Shift+Enter, Page Up, or the Left Arrow key.
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2To close Full Screen mode, press Ctrl+L or Esc. (Escape Key Exits must be selected in the Full Screen preferences.)
To show a Full Screen tool in the Common Tools toolbar, right-click the toolbar area and choose Page Display > Full
Screen Mode. Then click the Full Screen tool to switch to Full Screen mode.
Touch mode for tablet and mobile devices
Touch mode makes it easier to use Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC on touch devices. Toolbar buttons, panels, and
menus shift apart slightly to accommodate selecting with your fingers. The Touch reading mode optimizes viewing and
supports most common gestures. Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC automatically switch to Touch mode when on
a touch-enabled device. You can add a Touch mode toggle button to the toolbar or change the default preference setting
for Touch mode.
Display Touch mode button on toolbar
You can display a toolbar button to toggle Touch mode on and off.
❖Choose View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items > Touch Mode.
Set Touch Mode preference
You can set how Acrobat DC enters Touch mode, if at all, for touch enabled-devices.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Adobe Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences (Mac OS).
2Under Categories, select General.
3In Basic Tools, choose the desired default setting from the Touch Mode menu.
Change the PDF/A viewing mode
PDF/A is an ISO standard for long-term archiving and preservation of electronic documents. Documents you scan to
PDF are PDF/A-compliant. You can specify whether you want to view documents in this viewing mode.
When you open a PDF/A compliant document in PDF/A viewing mode, the document is opened in Read mode to
prevent modification. A message is displayed in the document message bar. You will be unable to make changes and
add annotations to the document. If you turn off PDF/A mode, you can edit the document.
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Documents.
2Choose an option for View Documents In PDF/A Mode: Never, or Only For PDF/A Documents.
You can switch in or out of PDF/A viewing mode by changing this preference setting.
For a video on working with PDF/A files, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_pdfa_en.
Display PDFs in Line Weights view
The Line Weights view displays lines with the weights defined in the PDF. When Line Weights view is off, it applies a
constant stroke width (1 pixel) to lines, regardless of zoom. When you print the document, the stroke prints at the true
width.
Choose View > Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Line Weights. To turn off Line Weights view, choose View > Show/Hide
> Rulers & Grids > Line Weights again.
Note: You cannot turn off Line Weights view when viewing PDFs within a web browser.
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Compare a revised PDF to an earlier version (Acrobat Pro DC)
Use the Compare Documents feature to show the differences between two versions of a PDF. You can customize many
options for displaying the compare results. For a video on comparing PDFs, see
www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_011_acrx_en. (Video applies to both Acrobat X and Acrobat XI.)
1Choose View > Compare Documents.
2Specify the two documents to compare. If one or both of the documents is in a PDF Portfolio, select the PDF
Portfolio. Under Package Item, select the component PDF.
3As needed, specify the page ranges in the documents to compare in the First Page and Last Page boxes.
4Select the Document Description that best describes the documents you are comparing, and click OK.
Once the two documents are analyzed, a results document appears with the Compare panel open. The new
document is shown with annotations indicating the changes. The first page shows a summary of the comparison
results.
5From the Compare panel, do any of the following:
•To hide the annotations that display changes, click Hide Results.
•To specify the display options for compare results, click Show Options. You can specify the type of changes to
display, and the color scheme and opacity of the annotations. To return to the page thumbnails, click Hide
Options.
•To show each of the documents in its own window, from the options menu , choose Show Documents Tiled
or Show Documents Side By Side. To synchronize the relevant pages while showing the documents in their own
windows, from the options menu, choose Synchronize Pages.
•Click a page thumbnail to go directly to that page. To change the size of the page thumbnails, from the options
menu, choose Thumbnail Size > [option].
•Drag the splitter bar at the bottom of the Compare panel up to show thumbnails of the old document. Click a
thumbnail from the old document to open it in a new window.
Document Description options
Reports, Spreadsheets, Magazine Layouts Compares the content as one continuous text body, from end to end.
Presentation Decks, Drawings Or Illustrations Looks at each slide or page as a mini-document, and matches ones that
are similar. Then compares the content of each matching document. Identifies documents that have moved, such as
slides in presentation.
Scanned Documents Creates an image capture of each scanned page and compares pixels. Looks at each scanned page
and matches ones that are similar. Also identifies pages that are in a different order. This option is useful for comparing
images or architectural drawings.
Compare Text Only Use this option with any document type. This option is designed for comparing text in large
documents (250 pages or more). This option also compares text between documents that have background artwork on
each page, which slows processing.
•With either the reports or presentation options selected, the Compare Text Only option identifies only the text
differences between two documents.
•With Scanned Documents selected, the text is compared separately from the graphics, and then the results are
combined. In documents containing magazine advertisements that have text on top of background image art, a
reflowed passage is compared in text-only mode. The artwork is compared separately in the background. The
differences (both text and line art and images) are combined into a single results document.
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Preferences for viewing PDFs
The Preferences dialog box defines a default page layout and customizes your application in many other ways. For
viewing PDFs, examine the preferences options for Documents, General, Page Display, and 3D & Multimedia.
The preferences settings control how the application behaves whenever you use it; they are not associated with any
particular PDF document.
Note: If you install any third-party plug-ins, set these preferences using the Third-Party Preferences menu item.
Documents preferences
Open Settings
Restore Last View Settings When Reopening Documents Determines whether documents open automatically to the
last viewed page within a work session.
Open Cross-document Links In Same Window Closes the current document and opens the document being linked to
in the same window, minimizing the number of windows open. If the document being linked to is already open in
another window, the current document is not closed when you click a link to the open document. If you do not select
this option, a new window opens each time you click a link to a different document.
Allow Layer State To Be Set By User Information Allows the author of a layered PDF document to specify layer visibility
based on user information.
Allow Documents To Hide The Menu Bar, Toolbars, And Window Controls Allows the PDF to determine whether the
menu bar, toolbar, and window controls are hidden when the PDF is opened.
Documents In Recently Used List Sets the maximum number of documents listed in the File menu.
Save Settings
Automatically Save Document Changes To Temporary File Every _ Minutes Determines how often Acrobat
automatically saves changes to an open document.
Save As Optimizes For Fast Web View Restructures a PDF document for page-at-a-time downloading from web
servers.
PDF/A View Mode
View Documents In PDF/A Mode Specifies when to use this viewing mode: Never, or Only For PDF/A Documents.
Hidden Information
Searches the PDF for items that may not be apparent, such as metadata, file attachments, comments, and hidden text
and layers. The search results appear in a dialog box, and you can remove any type of item that appears there.
Remove Hidden Information When Closing Document (Not selected by default.)
Remove Hidden Information When Sending Document By Email (Not selected by default.)
Redaction
Adjust Filename When Saving Applied Redaction Marks Specifies a prefix or suffix to use when saving a file to which
redaction marks have been applied.
Choose Localization For Search and Redact Patterns Specifies which installed language version of Acrobat to use for
the patterns. For example, if you installed both the English and German versions, then you can choose either language
for the patterns. The Patterns option appears in the Search and Redaction dialog boxes.
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Full Screen preferences
Full Screen Setup
Current Document Only Specifies whether the display is limited to a single PDF.
Fill Screen With One Page At A Time Sets the page view to the maximum screen coverage by a single page.
Alert When Document Requests Full Screen Displays a message before going into Full Screen mode. Selecting this
option overrides a previous selection of Do Not Show This Message Again in that message.
Which Monitor To Use Specifies the monitor on which full-screen display appears (for users with multiple-monitor
configurations).
Full Screen Navigation
Escape Key Exits Lets you exit Full Screen mode by pressing the Esc key. If this option is not selected, you can exit by
pressing Ctrl+L.
Show Navigation Bar Shows a minimal navigation toolbar regardless of the document settings.
Left Click To Go Forward One Page; Right Click To Go Back One Page Lets you page through an Adobe PDF document
by clicking the mouse. You can also page through a document by pressing Return, Shift-Return (to go backward), or
the arrow keys.
Loop After Last Page Lets you page through a PDF document continuously, returning to the first page after the last.
This option is typically used for setting up kiosk displays.
Advance Every _ Seconds Specifies whether to advance automatically from page to page every set number of seconds.
You can page through a document using mouse or keyboard commands even if automatic paging is selected.
Full Screen Appearance
Background Color Specifies the window’s background color in Full Screen mode. You can select a color from the color
palette to customize the background color.
Mouse Cursor Specifies whether to show or hide the pointer when Full Screen mode is in operation.
Full Screen Transitions
Ignore All Transitions Removes transition effects from presentations that you view in Full Screen mode.
Default Transition Specifies the transition effect to display when you switch pages in Full Screen mode and no
transition effect has been set for the document.
Direction Determines the flow of the selected default transition on the screen, such as Down, Left, Horizontal, and so
on. The available options vary according to the transition. If no directional options affect the selected default transition,
this option is not available.
Navigation Controls Direction Mimics the user’s progress through the presentation, such as transitioning from top to
bottom when the user proceeds to the next page and from bottom to top when the user backtracks to the previous page.
Available only for transitions with directional options.
General preferences
Basic Tools
Use Single Key Accelerators To Access Tools Enables you to select tools with a single keystroke. This option is
deselected by default.
Create Links From URLs Specifies whether links that weren’t created with Acrobat are automatically identified in the
PDF document and become clickable links.
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Make Hand Tool Select Text & Images Enables the Hand tool to function as the Select tool when it hovers over text in
an Adobe PDF.
Make Hand Tool Read Articles Changes the appearance of the Hand tool pointer when over an article thread. Upon the
first click, the article zooms to fill the document pane horizontally; subsequent clicks follow the thread of the article.
Make Hand Tool Use Mouse-wheel Zooming Changes the action of the mouse wheel from scrolling to zooming.
Make Select Tool Select Images Before Text Changes the order in which the Select tool selects.
Use Fixed Resolution For Snapshot Tool Images Sets the resolution used to copy an image captured with the Snapshot
tool.
Touch Mode Sets how Acrobat enters the Touch mode, if at all, for touch enabled-devices. In Touch mode, Toolbar
buttons, panels, and menus shift apart slightly to accommodate selecting with your fingers. The Touch reading mode
optimizes viewing and supports most common gestures.
Warnings
Do Not Show Edit Warnings Disables warning boxes that would normally appear when you delete items such as links,
pages, page thumbnails, and bookmarks.
Reset All Warnings Restores default settings for warnings.
Messages From Adobe
Show Me Messages When I Launch Acrobat Allows in-product marketing messages from Adobe to appear in the
Welcome Screen when you launch the application without a document open. Click a message to get information about
features, updates, or online services, or to open an element in the application, such as a task pane. Deselect the option
to prevent in-product marketing messages from appearing.
Note: Transactional messages, which facilitate the Adobe Online Service, cannot be turned off.
Application Startup
Show Splash Screen (Mac OS) Determines whether the application startup screen appears each time the application
starts.
Use Only Certified Plug-Ins Ensures that only Adobe-certified third-party plug-ins are loaded. The notation Currently
in Certified Mode indicates either Yes or No depending on its status.
Check 2D Graphics Accelerator (Windows only) (Appears only if your computer hardware supports 2D graphics
acceleration.) When selected, allows hardware acceleration usage when the first document is opened. When deselected,
hardware acceleration usage starts after the first document is opened. This option can slow startup time, so it is
deselected by default.
Note: This option is available only when the option Use 2D Graphics Acceleration in the Page Display preferences is
selected.
Select Default PDF Handler (Windows only) Specifies which application, Reader or Acrobat, is used to open PDFs. This
setting applies if you have both Acrobat and Reader installed on your computer. In Windows 7 or earlier, a browser uses
this setting only if it is using the Adobe plug-in or add-on for viewing PDF files. In Windows 8, this setting controls
which application is the default PDF application for your system, including in your browser. Windows 8 prompts you
to allow this change before applying it to your system. Once set, Windows 8 also uses the selected PDF application for
tasks related to PDF files, such as previewing, displaying thumbnails, and providing file information.
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Page Display preferences
Default Layout And Zoom
Page Layout Sets the page layout used for scrolling when you first open a document. The default setting is Automatic.
The Page Layout setting in File > Properties > Initial View overrides this value.
Zoom Sets the magnification level for PDF documents when they are first opened. The default setting is Automatic.
The Magnification setting in File > Properties > Initial View overrides this value.
Note: Two conditions can affect page layout and zoom. 1) Someone has already set an individual PDF to a different initial
view in File > Properties. 2) You have the option Restore Last View Settings When Reopening Documents selected in Edit
> Preferences > Document category.
Resolution
Use System Setting Uses the system settings for monitor resolution.
Custom Resolution Sets the monitor resolution.
Rendering
Smooth Text Specifies the type of text-smoothing to apply.
Smooth Line Art Applies smoothing to remove abrupt angles in lines.
Smooth Images Applies smoothing to minimize abrupt changes in images.
Use Local Fonts Specifies whether the application uses or ignores local fonts installed on your system. When
deselected, substitute fonts are used for any font not embedded in the PDF. If a font cannot be substituted, the text
appears as bullets and an error message appears.
Enhance Thin Lines When selected, clarifies thin lines in the display to make them more visible.
Use Page Cache Places the next page in a buffer before the current page is viewed to reduce the time required to page
through a document.
Use 2D Graphics Acceleration (Windows only) (Appears only if your computer hardware supports 2D graphics
acceleration.) Speeds up zooming, scrolling, and redrawing of page content, and speeds the rendering and
manipulation of 2D PDF content. This option is selected by default.
Note: If this option is not available in the Page Display preferences, you may need to update your GPU card driver to enable
this hardware feature. Contact your card vendor or computer manufacturer for an updated driver.
Page Content And Information
Show Large Images Displays large images. If your system is slow to display image-intensive pages, deselect this option.
Use Smooth Zooming (Windows only) When deselected, turns off animation effects, which improves performance.
Show Art, Trim, & Bleed Boxes Displays any art, trim, or bleed boxes defined for a document.
Show Transparency Grid Displays the grid behind transparent objects.
Use Logical Page Numbers Enables the Number Pages command for matching the position of the page in the PDF to
the number printed on the page. A page number, followed by the page position in parentheses, appears in the Page
Navigation toolbar and in the Go To Page and Print dialog boxes. For example, i (1 of 1) if the printed number of the
first page is i. If this option is not selected, pages are numbered with arabic numbers starting at 1. Selecting this option
helps prevent unexpected behavior when clicking Back or Go Back in your web browser.
Always Show Document Page Size Displays the page measurements beside the horizontal scroll bar.
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Use Overprint Preview Specifies whether Overprint Preview mode is on only for PDF/X files, never on, always on, or
set automatically. When set to Automatic, if a document contains overprints, then Overprint Preview mode is activated.
The Overprint Preview mode lets you see (onscreen) the effects of ink aliasing in the printed output. For example, a
printer or service provider could create an ink alias if a document contains two similar spot colors and only one is
required.
Default Transparency Blending Color Space Sets the default color space, Working RGB or Working CMYK, for
transparency blending.
Reference XObjects View Mode
Show Reference XObject Targets Specifies the type of documents in which reference XObjects can be viewed.
Location Of Referenced Files (Optional) Specifies a location for the referenced documents.
More Help topics
Open a PDF in a web browser
Setting up a presentation
About PDF/X, PDF/E, and PDF/A standards
3D preferences
Multimedia preferences
Setting accessibility preferences
Change updating preferences
Keyboard shortcuts
For common keyboard shortcuts you can use with Windows, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449.
Keys for selecting tools
To enable single-key shortcuts, open the Preferences dialog box, and under General, select the Use Single-Key
Accelerators To Access Tools option.
Tool Windows/UNIX action Mac OS action
Hand tool H H
Temporarily select Hand tool Spacebar Spacebar
Select tool V V
Marquee Zoom tool Z Z
Cycle through zoom tools: Marquee
Zoom,Dynamic Zoom, Loupe
Shift+Z Shift+Z
Temporarily select Dynamic Zoom tool (when
Marquee Zoom tool is selected)
Shift Shift
Temporarily zoom out (when Marquee Zoom
tool is selected)
Ctrl Option
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Keys for working with comments
To enable single-key shortcuts, select the Use Single-Key Accelerators To Access Tools option in General preferences.
Temporarily select Zoom In tool Ctrl+spacebar Spacebar+Command
Select Object tool R R
Edit Object tool O O
Enter/Exit Forms editing A A
Crop tool C C
Link tool L L
Text Field tool F F
Cycle through tools in forms authoring mode:
Text Field, Check Box, Radio Button, List Box,
Dropdown Box, Button, Digital Signature,
Barcode
Shift+F Shift+F
3D tool M M
Cycle through Multimedia tools: Flash, Video Shift+M Shift+M
Edit Document Text tool T T
Redaction Y Y
Cycle through Touch Up tools: Touch Up Text,
Touch Up Reading Order, Touch Up Object
Shift+T Shift+T
JavaScript Debugger Ctrl+J Command+J
Insert Blank Pages tool Shift+Ctrl+T Shift+Command+T
Insert Files Ctrl+Shift+I
Delete pages Ctrl+Shift+D
Open Output Preview ~ ~
Touch Up Reading Order tool (or if already
selected, return focus to dialog box)
Shift+Ctrl+U Shift+Command+U
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
Sticky Note tool S S
Text Edits tool E E
Stamp tool K K
Current highlighting tool U U
Cycle through highlighting tools:
Highlighter,Underline Text, Cross Out Text
Shift+U (Windows only) Shift+U
Current drawing markup tool D D
Cycle through drawing markup tools: Cloud,
Arrow, Line, Rectangle, Oval, Polygon Line,
Polygon, Pencil Tool, Eraser Tool
Shift+D (Windows only) Shift+D
Tool Windows/UNIX action Mac OS action
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Keys for navigating a PDF
Keys for working with PDF Portfolios
These keys are available in the files list of the Details pane.
Cloud tool Q (Windows only) Q
Text Box tool X X
Current Stamp or Attach tool J J
Cycle through Stamp, Attach File, Record
Audio Comment
Shift+J Shift+J
Move focus to next comment or form field Tab Tab
Move focus to previous comment or form field Shift+Tab Shift+Tab
Open pop-up note (or text field in Comments
List) for comment that has focus
Enter Return
Closes pop-up (or text field in Comments List)
for comment that has focus
Esc Esc
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
Previous screen Page Up or Shift+Enter Page Up or Shift+Return
Next screen Page Down or Enter Page Down or Return
First page Home or Shift+Ctrl+Page Up or Shift+Ctrl+Up
Arrow
Home or Shift+Command+Up Arrow
Last page End or Shift+Ctrl+Page Down or
Shift+Ctrl+Down Arrow
End or Shift+Command+Down Arrow
Previous page Left Arrow or Ctrl+Page Up Left Arrow or Command+Page Up
Next page Right Arrow or Ctrl+Page Down Right Arrow or Command+Page Down
Previous open document Ctrl+F6 (UNIX) Command+F6
Next open document Shift+Ctrl+F6 (UNIX) Shift+Command+F6
Scroll up Up Arrow Up Arrow
Scroll down Down Arrow Down Arrow
Scroll (when Hand tool is selected) Spacebar Spacebar
Zoom in Ctrl+equal sign Command+equal sign
Zoom out Ctrl+hyphen Command+hyphen
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
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Keys for navigating task panes
Result Windows Action Mac OS Action
Move forward or backward among the current
column header selected for sorting, the
current row with focus, and the Go Back
button if in a folder
Tab or Shift+Tab Tab or Shift+Tab
Move focus to the next or previous row when
in the body of the file list on the left
Up Arrow or Down Arrow Up Arrow or Down Arrow
Selects the next or previous column header
for sorting
Left Arrow or Right Arrow Left Arrow or Right Arrow
If pressed in the body of the file list, navigate
one level up from within a folder
Backspace Delete
Press the Go Back button in a folder if focus is
on the button.
Enter or Spacebar Enter or Spacebar
If pressed when focus is on a row in the file list
representing a subfolder, navigate to a
subfolder, or open an attachment in Preview
mode.
Enter Enter
If in the body of the file list, move to the first or
last row
Home or End Home or End
If in the body of the file list, move to the next
or last set of rows to fit the screen
Page Down or Page Up Page Down or Page Up
Select or deselect all files Ctrl+A or Shift+Ctrl+A Command+A or Shift+Command+A
If in the body of the file list, extend the
selection by adding the next row above or
below the selected row
Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow
Change whether the row with focus is in the
selection
Ctrl+Spacebar Command+Spacebar
Move focus up or down one row without
changing the selection
Ctrl+Up Arrow or Ctrl+Down Arrow Command+Up Arrow or Command+Down
Arrow
Reverse the sort order when focus is on a
column header
Spacebar Spacebar
Result Windows Action Mac OS Action
Move focus to the next item among
Document pane, Task panes, Message bar,
and Navigation bar
F6 F6
Move focus to the previous item among
Document pane, Task panes, message bar,
and Navigation bar
Shift+F6 Shift+F6
Move focus to the next panel in the Task pane Ctrl+Tab Command+Tab
Move focus to the previous panel in the Task
pane
Ctrl+Shift+Tab Command+ Shift+Tab
Navigate to the next panel and panel control
within an open Task pane
Tab Tab
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Keys for general navigating
Navigate to the previous panel and panel
control within an open Task pane
Shift+Tab Shift+Tab
Navigate to the next command button within
a panel
Down Arrow Down Arrow
Navigate to the previous command button
within a panel
Up Arrow Up Arrow
Expand or collapse panel in focus (press F6 to
move focus to Tools pane, then tab to desired
panel)
Spacebar or Enter
Left Arrow or Right Arrow
Spacebar or Enter
Left Arrow or Right Arrow
Open or close the Task pane Shift+F4 Shift+F4
Close the pane that lists the tasks of an Action Ctrl+Shift+F4 Ctrl+Shift+F4
Open the menu and move the focus to the
first menu option when focus is on a
command with a submenu or submenu
element with a flyout
Spacebar or Enter Spacebar or Enter
Move the focus back to the parent command
button with a submenu or submenu element
with a flyout
Esc Esc
Run the command in focus Spacebar or Enter Spacebar or Enter
Navigate to the next item in the active panel
in the Create New Action, Edit Action, Create
New Tool Set, or the Edit Tool Set dialog boxes
Tab Tab
Navigate to the previous item in the active
panel in the Create New Action, Edit Action,
Create New Tool Set, and the Edit Tool Set
dialog boxes
Shift+Tab Shift+Tab
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
Move focus to menus (Windows, UNIX);
expand first menu item (UNIX)
F10 Control+F2
Move focus to toolbar in browser and
application
Shift+F8 Shift+F8
Move to next open document (when focus is
on document pane)
Ctrl+F6 Command+F6
Move to previous open document (when
focus is on document pane)
Ctrl+Shift+F6 Command+Shift+F6
Close current document Ctrl+F4 Command+F4
Close all open documents Not available Command+Option+W
Move focus to next comment, link, or form
field in the document pane
Tab Tab
Move focus to document pane F5 F5
Move focus to previous comment, link, or
form field in the document pane
Shift+Tab Shift+Tab
Result Windows Action Mac OS Action
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Keys for working with navigation panels
Activate selected tool, item (such as a movie
clip or bookmark), or command
Spacebar or Enter Spacebar or Return
Open context menu Shift+F10 Control+click
Close context menu F10 Esc
Return to Hand tool or Select tool Esc Esc
Move focus to next tab in a tabbed dialog box Ctrl+Tab Not available
Move to previous search result and highlight it
in the document
Shift + F3 Not available
Move to next search result and highlight it in
the document
F3 F3
Search previous document (with Search
results displaying multiple files)
Alt+Shift+Left Arrow (Windows only) Command+Shift+Left Arrow
Search next document (with Search results
displaying multiple files)
Alt+Shift+Right Arrow (Windows only) Command+Shift+Right Arrow
Select text (with Select tool selected) Shift+arrow keys Shift+arrow keys
Select next word or deselect previous word
(with Select tool selected)
Shift+Ctrl+Right Arrow or Left Arrow Not available
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
Open and move focus to navigation pane Ctrl+Shift+F5 Command+Shift+F5
Move focus among the document, message
bar, and navigation panels
F6 F6
Move focus to previous pane or panel Shift+F6 Shift+F6
Move among the elements of the active
navigation panel
Tab Tab
Move to previous or next navigation panel
and make it active (when focus is on the panel
button)
Up Arrow or Down Arrow Up Arrow or Down Arrow
Move to next navigation panel and make it
active (when focus is anywhere in the
navigation pane)
Ctrl+Tab Not available
Expand the current bookmark (focus on
Bookmarks panel)
Right Arrow or Shift+plus sign Right Arrow or Shift+plus sign
Collapse the current bookmark (focus on
Bookmarks panel)
Left Arrow or minus sign Left Arrow or minus sign
Expand all bookmarks Shift+* Shift+*
Collapse selected bookmark Forward Slash (/) Forward Slash (/)
Move focus to next item in a navigation panel Down Arrow Down Arrow
Move focus to previous item in a navigation
panel
Up Arrow Up Arrow
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
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Keys for navigating the Help window
Keys for accessibility
Navigating PDF pages
Opening pages in a PDF
Depending on the PDF you open, you may need to move forward through multiple pages, see different parts of the
page, or change the magnification. There are many ways to navigate, but the following items are commonly used:
Note: If you do not see these items, choose View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items > Reset Toolbars.
Next and Previous The Next Page and Previous Page buttons appear in the Page Navigation toolbar. The text
box next to them is also interactive, so you can type a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page.
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
Open Help window F1 F1 or Command+?
Close Help window Ctrl+W (Windows only) or Alt+F4 Command+W
Move back to previously opened topic Alt+Left Arrow Command+Left Arrow
Move forward to next topic Alt+Right Arrow Command+Right Arrow
Move to next pane Ctrl+Tab See Help for your default browser
Move to previous pane Shift+Ctrl+Tab See Help for your default browser
Move focus to the next link within a pane Tab Not available
Move focus to the previous link within a pane Shift+Tab Not available
Activate highlighted link Enter Not available
Print Help topic Ctrl+P Command+P
Result Windows Action Mac OS Action
Change reading settings for the current
document
Shift+Ctrl+5 Shift+Command+5
Reflow a tagged PDF, and return to
unreflowed view
Ctrl+4 Command+4
Activate and deactivate Read Out Loud Shift+Ctrl+Y Shift+Command+Y
Read only the current page out loud Shift+Ctrl+V Shift+Command+V
Read out loud from the current page to the
end of the document
Shift+Ctrl+B Shift+Command+B
Pause reading out loud Shift+Ctrl+C Shift+Command+C
Stop reading out loud Shift+Ctrl+E Shift+Command+E
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Scroll bars Vertical and horizontal scroll bars appear to the right and bottom of the document pane whenever the view
does not show the entire document. Click the arrows or drag to view other pages or different areas of the page.
Select & Zoom toolbar This toolbar contains buttons and controls for changing the page magnification.
Page Thumbnails panel The Page Thumbnails button on the left side of the work area opens the navigation pane to
the Page Thumbnails panel, which displays thumbnail images of each page. Click a page thumbnail to open that page
in the document pane.
Page through a document
There are many ways to turn pages in a PDF. Many people use the buttons on the Page Navigation toolbar, but you can
also use arrow keys, scroll bars, and other features to move forward and backward through a multipage PDF.
The Page Navigation toolbar opens by default. The default toolbar contains frequently used tools: the Show Next Page
, Show Previous Page , and Page Number. Like all toolbars, the Page Navigation toolbar can be hidden and
reopened by choosing it in the Toolbars menu under the View menu. You can display additional tools on the Page
Navigation toolbar by right-clicking the toolbar and choosing an individual tool, Show All Tools, or More Tools and
then selecting and deselecting tools in the dialog box.
Move through a PDF
❖Do one of the following:
•Click the Previous Page or Next Page button in the toolbar.
•Choose View > Page Navigation > [location].
•Choose View > Page Navigation > Page, type the page number in the Go To Page dialog box and then click OK.
•Press the Page Up and Page Down keys on the keyboard.
Jump to a specific page
❖Do one of the following:
•From Single Page or Two-Up page display view, drag the vertical scroll bar until the page appears in the small
pop-up display.
•Type the page number to replace the one currently displayed in the Page Navigation toolbar, and press Enter.
Note: If the document page numbers are different from the actual page position in the PDF file, the page’s position within
the file appears in parentheses after the assigned page number in the Page Navigation toolbar. For example, if you assign
numbering for a file that is an 18-page chapter to begin with page 223, the number shown when the first page is active
is 223 (1 of 18). You can turn off logical page numbers in the Page Display preferences. See Renumber pages and
Preferences for viewing PDFs.
Jump to bookmarked pages
Bookmarks provide a table of contents and usually represent the chapters and sections in a document. Bookmarks
appear in the navigation pane.
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A Bookmarks button B Click to display bookmark options menu. C Expanded bookmark
1Click the Bookmarks button, or choose View > Show/Hide >Navigation Panes > Bookmarks.
2To jump to a topic, click the bookmark. Expand or collapse bookmark contents, as needed.
Note: Depending on how the bookmark was defined, clicking it may not take you to that location but perform some
other action instead.
If the list of bookmarks disappears when you click a bookmark, click the Bookmarks button to display the list again.
If you want to hide the Bookmarks button after you click a bookmark, select Hide After Use from the options menu.
Use page thumbnails to jump to specific pages
Page thumbnails provide miniature previews of document pages. You can use thumbnails in the Page Thumbnails panel
to change the display of pages and to go to other pages. The red page-view box in the page thumbnail indicates which
area of the page appears. You can resize this box to change the zoom percentage.
1Click the Page Thumbnails button or choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Page Thumbnails to display
the Page Thumbnails panel.
2To jump to another page, click its thumbnail.
Automatically scroll through a document
Automatic scrolling advances your view of the PDF at a steady rate, moving vertically down the document. If you
interrupt the process by using the scroll bars to move back or forward to another page or position, automatic scrolling
continues from that point forward. At the end of the PDF, automatic scrolling stops and does not begin again until you
choose automatic scrolling again.
1Choose View > Page Display > Automatically Scroll.
2Press Esc to stop scrolling.
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Retrace your viewing path
You can find PDF pages that you viewed earlier by retracing your viewing path. It’s helpful to understand the difference
between previous and next pages and previous and next views. In the case of pages, previous and next refer to the two
adjacent pages, before and after the currently active page. In the case of views, previous and next refer to your viewing
history. For example, if you jump forward and backward in a document, your viewing history retraces those steps,
showing you the pages you viewed in the reverse order that you viewed them.
Choose View > Page Navigation > Previous View.
1To continue seeing another part of your path, do either of the following:
•Repeat step 1.
•Choose View > Page Navigation > Next View.
Note: You can make the Previous View button and Next View button available in the toolbar area by right-
clicking the Page Navigation toolbar and choosing them on the context menu, or choosing Show All Tools.
Navigate with links
Links can take you to another location in the current document, to other PDF documents, or to websites. Clicking a
link can also open file attachments and play 3D content, movies, and sound clips. To play these media clips, you must
have the appropriate hardware and software installed.
The person who created the PDF document determines what links look like in the PDF.
Note: Unless a link was created in Acrobat using the Link tool, you must have the Create Links From URLs option selected
in the General preferences for a link to work correctly.
1Choose the Select tool.
2Position the pointer over the linked area on the page until the pointer changes to the hand with a pointing finger. A
plus sign (+) or a w appears within the hand if the link points to the web. Then click the link.
PDFs with file attachments
If you open a PDF that has one or more attached files, the Attachments panel automatically opens, listing the attached
files. You can open these files for viewing, edit the attachments, and save your changes, as permitted by the document
authors.
If you move the PDF to a new location, the attachments automatically move with it.
Article threads
In PDFs, articles are optional electronic threads that the PDF author may define within that PDF. Articles lead readers
through the PDF content, jumping over pages or areas of the page that are not included in the article, in the same way
that you might skim through a traditional newspaper or magazine, following one specific story and ignoring the rest.
When you read an article, the page view may zoom in or out so that the current part of the article fills the screen.
Open and navigate an article thread
1Click the Hand tool on the Common Tools toolbar.
Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Articles to open the Articles panel.
Note: You cannot open the Articles panel if you are viewing the PDF inside a web browser. You must open the PDF in
Acrobat.
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2Double-click the Article icon to go to the beginning of that article. The icon changes to the Follow Article pointer
.
Note: If the Articles panel is blank, then the author has not defined any article threads for this PDF.
3With the article thread open, do any of the following:
•To scroll through the article one pane at a time, press Enter or click in the article.
•To scroll backward through the article one pane at a time, Shift-click in the article, or press Shift+Enter.
•To go to the beginning of the article, Ctrl-click within the article.
4At the end of the article, click in the article again.
The previous page view is restored, and the pointer changes to the End Article pointer .
Exit a thread before the end of the article
1Make sure that the Hand tool is selected.
2Shift+Ctrl-click the page.
The previous page view is restored.
More Help topics
Adjust page magnification
About bookmarks
About page thumbnails
Set the page layout and orientation
Links and attachments
Multimedia preferences
Open, save, or delete an attachment
Attachments
Articles
Adjusting PDF views
Adjust page magnification
Tools on the Select & Zoom toolbar can change the magnification of PDF documents. Only some of these tools appear
on the default view of the toolbar. You can see all the tools by right-clicking the Select & Zoom toolbar and choosing
either individual tools, Show All Select & Zoom Tools.
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A Marquee Zoom tool B Continuous Zoom tool C Zoom Out button D Zoom In button E Zoom Value menu button F Actual Size button G Fit
Width button H Zoom To Page Level button I Pan & Zoom tool J Loupe tool
•The Marquee Zoom tool works in a few different ways. You can use it to drag a rectangle around a portion of the
page that you want to fill the viewing area. Or, simply clicking the Marquee Zoom tool increases the magnification
by one preset level, centering on the point where you clicked. To decrease the magnification by one preset level, Ctrl-
click the Marquee Zoom tool.
•The Continuous Zoom or Dynamic tool zooms in when you drag it up the page and it zooms out when you drag
down. If you use a mouse wheel, this tool zooms in when you roll forward and zooms out when you roll backward.
•Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons change the document magnification by preset levels.
•The Zoom Value option changes the page view according to a percentage you type in or select from a pop-up menu.
•Actual Size displays the page at 100% magnification.
•Fit Width adjusts the magnification so that the PDF fills the document pane horizontally.
•Zoom To Page Level adjusts the magnification so that one page fills the document pane vertically.
•The Pan & Zoom tool adjusts the magnification and position of the view area to match the area in an adjustable
rectangle in the Pan & Zoom window’s thumbnail view of the page.
•The Loupe Tool window displays a magnified portion of the PDF that matches the area in an adjustable rectangle
on the document pane.
Resize a page to fit the window
•To resize the page to fit entirely in the document pane, choose View > Zoom > Zoom To Page Level.
•To resize the page to fit the width of the window, choose View > Zoom > Fit Width. Part of the page may be out of
view.
•To resize the page to fit the height of the window, choose View > Zoom > Fit Height. Part of the page may be out of
view.
•To resize the page so that its text and images fit the width of the window, choose View > Zoom >Fit Visible. Part of
the page may be out of view.
To see keyboard shortcuts for resizing the document, open the View > Zoom menu.
Show a page at actual size
❖Choose View > Zoom > Actual Size.
The actual size for a PDF page is typically 100%, but the document may have been set to another magnification level
when it was created.
Change the magnification with zoom tools
❖Do one of the following:
•Click the Zoom In button or the Zoom Out button in the toolbar.
•Enter a magnification percentage in the Common Tools toolbar, either by typing or choosing from the pop-up
menu.
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•Drag the Marquee Zoom tool to define the area of the page that you want to fill the document pane. (View >
Zoom > Marquee Zoom)
•Drag the Continuous Zoom tool (also called Dynamic Zoom) up to increase the magnification and down to
decrease magnification. (View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items > Select & Zoom > Dynamic Zoom)
When the Marquee Zoom tool is selected, you can Ctrl-click or Ctrl-drag to zoom out. Holding down Shift switches
temporarily from the Marquee Zoom tool to the Dynamic Zoom tool.
Change the magnification with the Pan & Zoom Window tool
1Choose View > Zoom > Pan & Zoom, or click the Pan & Zoom tool in the Common Tools toolbar.
2Do any of the following:
•Drag the handles of the box in the Pan & Zoom window to change the document magnification.
•Drag the center of the box to pan across the area you want to see.
•Click the navigation buttons to move to a different page.
•Enter a value in the zoom text box, or click the plus or minus buttons to increase or decrease the
magnification by preset levels.
Change the magnification with the Loupe tool
Choose View > Zoom> Loupe Tool.
1Click the area of the document you want to view in closer detail. A rectangle appears in the document,
corresponding to the area shown in the Loupe Tool window. You can drag or resize the rectangle to change the
Loupe tool view.
2To change the magnification of the Loupe tool, do any of the following:
•Drag the slider.
•Click the plus or minus buttons.
•Enter a value in the zoom text box.
You can change the color of the Loupe tool rectangle. Click the Line Color pop-up menu in the lower-right corner of
the Loupe Tool window, and select a new color.
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Change the magnification by using a page thumbnail
1Click the Page Thumbnails button in the navigation pane on the left side of the window.
2Locate the thumbnail for the page. Then position the pointer over the lower-right corner of the page-view box until
the pointer changes into a double-headed arrow.
3Drag the corner of the box to reduce or expand the view of the page.
4As needed, move the pointer over the zoom box frame within the thumbnail until it changes into a Hand icon. Then
drag the frame to see a different area of the page in the document pane.
Change the default magnification
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Page Display.
2Open the Zoom pop-up menu and choose a default magnification level.
Display off-screen areas of a magnified page
When you zoom in to a high magnification, you may be able to see only part of a page. You can shift the view to show
other areas of the page without changing the magnification level.
❖Do either of the following:
•Use the vertical scroll bars to move up and down the pages or the horizontal scroll bars to move across the page.
•Select the Hand tool in the Common Tools toolbar and drag to move the page, as if moving a piece of paper on
a table.
Set the page layout and orientation
Changing the page layout is especially useful when you want to zoom out to get an overview of the document layout.
Choose View > Page Display, and select any of the following page layouts:
Single Page View Displays one page at a time, with no portion on other pages visible.
Enable Scrolling Displays pages in a continuous vertical column that is one page wide.
Two Page View Displays each two-page spread with no portion of other pages visible.
Two Page Scrolling Displays facing pages side by side in a continuous vertical column.
If a document has more than two pages, you can ensure that the first page appears alone on the right side of the
document pane. Select either Two Page View or Two Page Scrolling. Also select View > Page Display > Show Cover Page
In Two Page View.
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You can also display buttons for each of these options in the Quick Tools toolbar by choosing View > > Show/Hide >
Toolbar Items > Page Display, and selecting them in the menu.
Note: In Single Page View, choosing Edit >Select All selects all text on the current page. In other layouts,Select All selects all
text in the PDF.
Rotate the page view
You can change the view of a page in 90-degree increments. This changes the view of the page, not its actual orientation.
•To temporarily rotate the page view, choose View > Rotate View > Clockwise or Counterclockwise. You can’t save
this change.
•To save the rotation with the document, click the Rotate Page button in the Quick Tools toolbar, or choose Tools
> Pages > Rotate.
Change the default page layout (initial view)
You specify the default initial view settings in the Preferences dialog box. (See Set preferences.)
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Page Display.
2Open the Page Layout menu and choose Automatic, Single Page, Single Page Continuous, Two-Up, or Two-Up
Continuous.
Note: The PDF opens with the page layout specified in Preferences unless a different page layout is specified in Document
Properties (File > Properties > Initial View). The Document Properties setting overrides the Preferences setting. If using
Document Properties, be sure to save and close the document for the change to take effect. Acrobat users can change the
initial view, unless security settings prevent changes. Reader users cannot change the initial view.
Use split-window view
You can view a PDF with the document pane divided into two panes (Split command) or four panes (Spreadsheet Split
command).
With Split view, you can scroll, change the magnification level, or turn to a different page in the active pane without
affecting the other pane.
The Spreadsheet Split view is useful if you want to keep column headings and row labels visible while scrolling through
a large spreadsheet or table. In this mode, changing the magnification in one pane changes the magnification in all
panes. Also, scrolling is coordinated between the panes. Scrolling a pane horizontally also scrolls the pane above or
below it. Scrolling vertically also scrolls the pane to the left or right of that pane.
1Start creating the type of split view you want:
•To split the view into two panes, choose Window > Split, or drag the gray box above the vertical scroll bar.
•To split the view into four panes with synchronized scrolling and zoom levels, choose Window > Spreadsheet
Split.
2Drag the splitter bars up, down, left, or right to resize the panes, as needed.
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3Adjust the zoom level, as needed:
•In Split view, click a pane to make it active, and change the zoom level for that pane only.
•In Spreadsheet Split view, adjust the zoom level to change the displays in all four panes.
4Scroll, as needed:
•In Split view, click a pane to make it active, and scroll to change that pane only.
•In Spreadsheet Split view, click a pane, and scroll vertically to change the views in the active pane and the pane
beside it. Scroll horizontally to change the views in the active pane and the pane above or below it.
5To restore single-pane view, choose Window > Remove Split.
View a document in multiple windows
You can create multiple windows for the same document using the New Window command. New windows have the
same size, magnification, and layout as the original window and open at the same page and on top of the original
window. When you open a new window, Acrobat adds the suffix 1 to the original filename and assigns the suffix 2 to
the new window. You can open multiple windows with the suffix incrementing with each new window. Closing a
window causes the remaining open windows to be renumbered sequentially; that is, if you have five windows open and
you close the third window that you opened, the windows are renumbered with the suffixes 1 to 4.
Note: This feature is not available when PDFs are viewed in a browser.
Open a new window
❖Select Window > New Window.
Close a window
❖Click the close box in the window. You are prompted to save any changes. Closing a window does not close a
document if more than one window is open.
Close all windows for a document
❖Choose File > Close. You are prompted to save any changes before each window is closed.
More Help topics
About PDF layers
Viewing PDFs and viewing preferences
View document properties
Flash Player needed | Acrobat DC, Acrobat Reader DC
Why an alert about Flash Player?
You need Flash Player to view Flash content in PDFs, PDF Portfolios, and other features. Adobe Reader and Acrobat
no longer include Flash Player and features that require Flash now leverage the machine’s local copy of Flash. This new
strategy allows users and administrators to manage Flash Player updates independently of Acrobat product updates.
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Note that the Flash Active X component is not enough to display this content. A full Flash player must be installed.
Flash Player installs for end users
1Right-click and download the Flash Player Installer for Windows (Active X and Plugin) or the Flash Player Installer
for Mac OS.
2Choose Save Link As or Save Target As to download the installer to your computer.
3Specify a location for the installer (such as your desktop), and click Save.
4Browse to the installer
5Double-click it to begin the installation.
NOTE: For Windows, download both Active X and Plugin.
Flash Player installs for IT
Enterprise IT and administrators should download an installer suitable for distibution across their organization by
starting here: http://www.adobe.com/products/players/flash-player-distribution.html.
System requirements for Flash Player
Windows
•2.33 GHz or faster x86-compatible processor, or Intel® Atom™ 1.6 GHz or faster processor for Netbooks
•Microsoft® Windows® XP (32 bit), Windows Server® 2003 (32 bit), Windows Server 2008 (32 bit), Windows Vista®
(32 bit), Windows 7 (32 bit and 64 bit)
•128 MB of RAM (1 GB of RAM recommended for Netbooks); 128 MB of graphics memory
Mac OS
•Intel Core™ Duo 1.33 GHz or faster processor
•Mac OS X 10.6, 10.7, or 10.8
•256 MB of RAM; 128 MB of graphics memory
Asian, Cyrillic, and right-to-left text in PDFs
Asian language PDFs
You can use Acrobat to view, search, and print PDF documents that contain Asian text (Traditional and Simplified
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean). You can also use these languages when you fill in forms, add comments, and apply
digital signatures.
Almost all of the Acrobat features are supported for Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean text if
you install the respective Asian language font packs.
In Acrobat in Windows, you must install the Asian language support files by using the custom installation and selecting
the Asian Language Support options under Create Adobe PDF and View Adobe PDF.
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PDFMaker and the Adobe PDF printer automatically embed most Asian fonts in your file when creating PDF files. You
can control whether Asian fonts are embedded.
In Windows, you may be able to view and print files that contain Asian languages without having the necessary Asian
language support installed on your system. If you try to open a PDF file for which language support is required, you are
automatically prompted to install the required fonts.
Cyrillic, Central European, and Eastern European language PDFs
You can work with Adobe PDF files that contain Cyrillic text (including Bulgarian and Russian), Central European text,
and Eastern European text (including Czech, Hungarian, and Polish) if the fonts are embedded in the PDF files. If the
fonts are embedded, you can view and print the files on any system. Fonts do not need to be embedded to use the Search
feature.
Note: If you open a PDF file in which form fields or text boxes contain these languages but the fonts are not embedded and
are not installed on your system, choosing Help > Check For Updates Now automatically prompts you to download and
install the necessary fonts.
Hebrew, Arabic, Thai, and Vietnamese language PDFs
Acrobat supports the entry and display of Thai and Vietnamese text. In Windows only, Arabic and Hebrew are also
supported. By default, Right-To-Left Language Options is enabled under Arabic and Hebrew regional settings (in
Windows).
Enable right-to-left languages
Enabling right-to-left language options displays the user interface elements for controlling paragraph direction, digit
style, and ligature. When this option is selected, you can specify the writing direction (left-to-right or right-to-left) and
type of digits (Western or Arabic-Indic) used for creating and filling out certain form fields, adding digital signatures,
and creating text box markups.
Enable Right-To-Left Language Options is enabled by default under Arabic and Hebrew regional settings.
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Language.
2Select Enable Right-To-Left Language Options.
Opening PDFs
You can open a PDF in many ways: from within the Acrobat DC application, from your email application, from your
file system, or on a network from within a web browser.
Note: The Organizer and Organizer-related commands are not available in Acrobat X and later.
Open a PDF in the application
❖Start Acrobat DC and do one of the following:
•Open a file from the Home > Recent view.
•Choose File > Open. In the Open dialog box, select one or more filenames, and click Open. PDF documents
usually have the extension .pdf.
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If more than one document is open, you can switch between documents by choosing the document name from the
Window menu.
Open a PDF from the desktop or within another application
❖Do one of the following:
•To open a PDF attached to an email message, open the message and double-click the PDF icon.
•To open a PDF linked to an open web page, click the PDF file link. The PDF usually opens in the web browser.
•Double-click the PDF file icon in your file system.
Note: In Mac OS, you sometimes cannot open a PDF created in Windows by double-clicking the icon. Instead, choose
File > Open With > Acrobat > DC.
Open a PDF in a web browser
When PDFs open in a web page, they open in Read mode. Read mode displays the PDF without the menus, panes, or
toolbars visible. Near the bottom of the window, a floating toolbar appears with basic functionality for viewing
document.
•To show the toolbar, roll your cursor near the bottom of the window.
•To page through the PDF, use the navigation buttons in the toolbar.
•To close Read mode and display the work area, click the Acrobat icon in the toolbar.
•To disable Read mode within the browser, open the Acrobat or Reader Preferences (in Windows, choose Edit >
Preferences, in Mac OS, choose Acrobat DC/ Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences). Select Internet from the left pane.
Deselect Display In Read Mode By Default.
Note: If you have more than one Adobe PDF application on your computer, you can specify which one is used to open PDFs.
See the Select Default PDF Handler in General preferences.
About viewing PDFs in a web browser
Options in the web browser control how you view a PDF, either within the browser or directly in Acrobat or Reader. To
change the current display behavior, see the browser documentation on managing add-ons or plug-ins. If you open
PDFs in Acrobat outside the browser, you cannot use the preference Allow Fast Web View in a browser.
Because keyboard commands can be mapped to the web browser, some Acrobat shortcuts cannot be available.
Similarly, you may need to use the tools and commands in the Acrobat toolbar rather than the browser toolbar or menu
bar. For example, to print a PDF document, use the Print button in the Acrobat toolbar rather than the Print command
in the browser. (In Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can choose File > Print, Edit > Copy, and Edit > Find On This Page
on the Internet Explorer toolbar.)
Note: Having multiple versions of Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed on the same computer is not recommended. Mixed
versions on your system can prevent you from viewing PDFs in a web browser. Examples include Acrobat XI with Adobe
Reader X, or Acrobat 9 with Reader XI, and so on. For more information about coexisting installations, see this TechNote.
Internet preferences
Display In Read Mode By Default Select to display PDFs in the browser without the menus, panes, or toolbars visible.
Allow Fast Web View Select to allow page-at-a-time downloading for PDFs that have been saved with Fast Web View
enabled. With Fast Web View turned on, a web server can send just the requested page, rather than the entire PDF.
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Allow Speculative Downloading In The Background Choose to allow the browser to continue downloading PDF pages
from the web, even after the first page displays.
Connection Speed Choose a connection speed from the menu. The connection speed helps Acrobat or other media
provide a smooth display when content is read on the Internet.
Internet Settings [or Network Settings] Click to open the Internet or network connection dialog box or panel for your
computer. For more information, consult your operating system Help, your Internet service provider, or your local
network administrator.
Updating Acrobat DC and using Adobe Digital Editions
Updating Acrobat DC
Acrobat DC application files and components can be updated in a variety of ways. Some updates are available when you
open a PDF that triggers the updating process automatically. For example, if you open a form that uses Asian-language
fonts, you are asked whether you want to download the fonts. Other updates are available only from the Help menu,
and must be installed manually. Some updates are available both automatically and manually.
Manually update the software
❖Choose Help > Check For Updates, and follow any onscreen instructions.
Change updating preferences
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Adobe Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences (Mac OS).
2From the Categories on the left, select Updater.
3In the Check For Updates section, select one of the following options for installing updates:
Automatically install updates (recommended) (Windows) Acrobat regularly checks for important updates,
downloads them, and installs them automatically. When finished, you are alerted via a small message in the system
tray that your software has been updated. This method is the best way to keep Acrobat up-to-date and more secure.
Automatically download updates, but let me choose when to install them Acrobat regularly checks for important
updates and downloads them. Acrobat prompts you to start the installation.
Notify me, but let me choose when to download and install updates Acrobat regularly checks for important
updates and notifies you. You can choose to download and install the updates at your convenience.
Do not download or install updates Acrobat doesn't check for updates. Instead, you check for updates yourself
(Help > Check For Updates). This option is the least secure and recommended only for organizations that deploy
updates using other methods.
Manage security settings
If your organization uses server-based security policies, you can set up Acrobat to regularly check for updates to these
policies. Server-based security is set up by an administrator who provides the URL from which to get security updates.
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Security.
2In the Security Settings, select Load Security Settings From A Server.
3Type the server address in the URL field.
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4Select how often you want to check for security updates.
5Select Ask Before Installing to receive notification before the server is checked for policy updates.
Adobe Digital Editions
Use the free Adobe® Digital Editions software to read and organize eBooks and other publications.Adobe Digital
Editions is a separate web-based rich Internet application (RIA) that replaces the eBooks features in previous versions
of Acrobat.
When you install Adobe Digital Editions, your existing bookshelf items are automatically imported and available
within the new Adobe Digital Editions bookshelf experience. You can also manually import individual PDFs into your
Adobe Digital Editions bookshelf.
Note: When you open an eBook for the first time, the Adobe Digital Editions software is automatically installed on your
computer.
For more information about Adobe Digital Editions and to download the software, see
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_digital_en.
Working with online accounts
Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC let you open and save files to online file management services such as Adobe
Document Cloud and Microsoft SharePoint. You can access PDF files hosted on these online services either through
their web interface or directly in Adobe Acrobat DC or Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.
Note: Your SharePoint administrator must configure the SharePoint server to enable editing of PDF documents. See this
TechNote for details.
Access PDF files in an online account
The Home > Document Cloud view lets you choose files that are available in your account.
To access or save to SharePoint resources, choose Home > Add Account. You can specify the URL using the following
options:
•(Windows) URL of the repository; for example, http://mysharepointserver/mysite/mydoclib
•(Windows) Complete UNC path; for example, \\mysharepointserver\mysite\mydoclib
•Mapped network drives
Check out a file from SharePoint
The safest way to work on a PDF file that resides on a SharePoint Server is to check out the file. Other users cannot edit
the file while you're working on it.
1To check out a PDF file, do one of the following:
•(Windows) Using Internet Explorer, navigate to the PDF file on the SharePoint portal. Click the document or
choose Edit Document from the file pop-up menu.
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•In Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC, choose Home > Add Account. Then specify the URL or complete UNC
path of the PDF file.
2A dialog box displays the filename and location. Click one of the following:
•Check Out and Open
•Open, to open the file without checking it out
Note: If you are required to sign in to the SharePoint server, enter your user name and password when prompted.
Cancel checkout
You can discard the checked-out version of a PDF file if you don’t want to save your changes.
1Choose File > SharePoint Server > Discard Check Out.
2A confirmation message appears. Click OK.
Note: You cannot edit a document offline.
Prepare document properties
You can specify the document’s SharePoint properties from within Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC.
1Choose File > SharePoint Server > Prepare Document Properties.
2Double-click the property to edit. The Edit dialog box appears. Enter a value and click OK.
Check in
When you complete your edits, you can check the file into the SharePoint server. Other users can see the changes. If
versioning is enabled, SharePoint also manages version history for the file.
1Choose File > SharePoint Server > Check In. The Check In dialog box appears.
2If version numbering is enabled, the version information appears. Choose major version, minor version, or
overwrite current version.
3Enter the Version Comments.
4Optionally, enable Keep the Document Checked Out After Checking In This Version and click OK.
Acrobat in Mac OS | Acrobat Pro DC
Generally, Acrobat works the same for Windows and Mac OS. Some exceptions are noted throughout Help. In addition,
be aware of the following differences:
Common keyboard actions and functions
Windows Mac OS
Right-click Control-click
Alt Option
Ctrl+[character]Command+[character]
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Open the Preferences dialog box
To open the Preferences dialog box in Mac OS, choose Acrobat Pro DC > Preferences.
Expand a nested list
Items such as bookmarks sometimes appear in nested lists that can be expanded or collapsed. To expand a list in Mac
OS, click the right-pointing triangle to the left of the icon. Click the down-pointing triangle to collapse the list. To
expand or collapse all items in a multilevel list, Option-click the triangle.
More Help topics
Keyboard shortcuts
Grids, guides, and measurements in PDFs
View grids
Use grids to accurately line up text and objects in a document. When turned on, the grid is visible over the document.
The Snap To Grid option aligns an object with the nearest grid line when you move the object.
View or hide the grid
❖Choose View > Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Grid. A check mark appears next to the command name when the
grid is displayed.
Turn the Snap To Grid option on or off
❖Choose View > Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Snap To Grid. A check mark appears next to the command name
when the option is turned on.
Change the grid appearance
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Units & Guides.
2To change grid settings, do any of the following:
•To change the spacing between grid lines, enter a value for Width B etween L ines and Height Between Lines.
•To change the origin of the grid, enter a value for Grid Offset From Left Edge and Grid Offset From Top Edge.
•To change the number of subdivisions within each grid square, enter a value for Subdivisions. Subdivision lines
are lighter than grid lines.
•To change the color of the grid lines, click theGrid Line Color square and choose a new color from the Color pop-
up menu.
Ctrl-click Option-click
Ctrl-drag Option-drag
My Computer [disk name]
Windows Explorer Finder
Windows Mac OS
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Create ruler guides
Horizontal and vertical rulers let you check the size of objects in your document. You can also create guides in your
document, which are especially useful for lining up objects, such as form fields. You can change the unit of
measurement and color used in the ruler.
Create new ruler guides
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Rulers.
2Do one of the following:
•Drag down from the horizontal ruler to create a horizontal guide, or drag right from the vertical ruler to create
a vertical guide.
•Double-click a location on the horizontal ruler to create a vertical guide, or double-click a location on the vertical
ruler to create a horizontal guide.
Show or hide guides
❖Choose View > Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Guides.
Move or delete ruler guides
1To move a guide, click the guide to select it and then drag it to a new location.
2To delete a guide, click the guide to select it and press the Delete key.
3To delete all guides, right-click in the ruler area and choose Clear All Guides or Clear Guides On Page.
Change guide colors
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Units & Guides.
2Click the Guide Color square and choose a new color from the Color pop-up menu.
Measure the height, width, or area of objects
Use the measuring tools to measure distances and areas of objects in PDF documents. The measuring tools are useful
for showing the distances and areas associated with objects in a form or computer-aided design (CAD) drawing. You
can also use these tools to measure certain areas of a document before sending it to a professional printer. The
measuring tools are available to Acrobat Reader DC users only if the PDF creator enables measuring functionality.
When you use a measuring tool, the Measurement Info panel shows information about the measurement, such as
current measurement, delta values, and scale ratio. Acrobat DC inserts comments with the values calculated for
distance, perimeter, or area.
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A Measuring toolbar B Object being measured C Measurement Info panel
1Choose Tools > Measure.
The measurement toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Measuring Tool.
The Measuring toolbar and the Measurement Info panel are displayed.
3To measure areas of your PDF document, select any of the following measurement types:
•Select the Distance tool to measure the distance between two points. Click the first point, move the pointer
to the second point, and click again.
•Select the Perimeter tool to measure a set of distances between multiple points. Click each point you want
to measure. Then, double-click the last point.
•Select the Area tool to measure the area within the line segments that you draw. Click each point you want
to measure. After you have clicked at least two points, click the first point to complete the area measurement.
4While measuring objects, do any of the following:
•To snap the measurement to the end of a line, select Snap To Paths .
•To snap the measurement to the endpoint of a line, select Snap To Endpoints .
•To snap the measurement to the midpoint of a line, select Snap To Midpoints .
•To snap the measurement to the intersection of multiple lines, select Snap To Intersections
•To constrain the measurement lines to increments of 45º, hold down the Shift key.
•To discontinue a measurement, right-click and chooseCancel Measurement.
•To delete a measurement markup, click it with theMeasurement Tool and press the Delete key.
Measuring tool options
To set measuring tool options, select the tool, then right-click anywhere in the PDF to view the options.
Change Scale Ratio Change the scaling ratio (such as 3:2) and unit of measurement on the drawing areas.
Change Markup Label Add or change text that appears with the measurement.
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Disable/Enable Measurement Markup When enabled, the measurement lines you draw are added to the PDF. When
disabled, the measurement lines disappear when you measure another object or select another tool.
Turn Ortho On/Off When enabled, measurement lines are orthographic only.
Show/Hide Rulers Show or hide vertical and horizontal rulers on the page. (Has the same effect as choosing View >
Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Rulers.)
Snap To Page Content/Don’t Snap To Page Content Turn all Snap Enables on or off.
Export Measurement Markup To Excel Save the information for all the measurements in your PDF to a CSV file.
Preferences Open the Measurement (2D) preferences.
Measuring preferences
Change the 2D Measuring preferences to determine how 2D data is measured.
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, Measuring preferences apply to PDFs that have commenting enabled.
Use Scales And Units From Document (When Present) When enabled, measurements based on the units generated
from the original document, if present, are used. Deselect this option to specify the units of measurements manually.
Use Orthographic Lines When enabled, measurement lines are orthographic only.
Measuring Line Color Specifies the color or the line that appears while drawing.
Enable Measurement Markup When enabled, the measurement lines you draw are added to the PDF. When disabled,
the measurement lines disappear when you measure another object or select another tool. You can use the default
measurement labels or specify your own label.
Use Default Leader Length (Distance Tool only) When deselected, each time you draw a distance measurement, you
move the mouse to determine the leader length.
Default Line Ending (Distance Tool only) Specifies the appearance of the line endings in distance measurements.
Caption Style (Distance Tool only) Specifies whether the distance measurement caption is Inside or on Top of the
measurement line.
Default Leader Length (Distance Tool only) Specifies the length of the line leader that appears on one side of the
measurement points.
Default Leader Extension Above Line (Distance Tool only) Specifies the length of the leader extension that appears
above the measurement line.
Default Leader Offset From Line Points (Distance Tool only) Specifies the amount of blank space that appears between
the measurement points and the leader.
2D Snap Settings Specify snap behavior. Sensitivity indicates how close the pointer must be to the item being snapped
to. Snap Hint Color specifies the color of the snap line that appears when you hold the pointer over the object.
View cursor coordinates
The Cursor Coordinates show the coordinate position of the pointer within the document pane. The position
numbering begins in the upper-left corner of the document. Cursor Coordinates also shows the width and height of a
selected object as you resize it.
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View x and y coordinates
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Cursor Coordinates.
2Move the pointer to view x and y coordinates.
Change the Cursor Coordinates measurement units
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Units & Guides.
2Choose a different unit of measurement from the Page & Ruler Units drop-down list.
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Chapter 2: Creating PDFs
Create PDFs with Acrobat DC
There are various ways to create a PDF file using Acrobat DC. Generate a PDF quickly by using menu commands,
dragging-and-dropping files onto the Acrobat DC application icon, or converting clipboard data.
This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC. If you're using Acrobat Reader DC, see What can I do with
Acrobat Reader DC. if you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help . And, if you're using Adobe Acrobat 7, 8, or 9, see
previous versions of Acrobat Help.
Convert a file to PDF using Acrobat DC menu commands
1On the Acrobat DC File menu, choose Create > PDF From File.
2In the Open dialog box, select the file that you want to convert. You can browse all file types or select a specific type
from the Files Of Type drop-down menu.
3Optionally, click Settings to change the conversion options if you're converting an image file to PDF. The options
available vary depending on the file type.
Note: The Settings button is unavailable if you choose All Files as the file type or if no conversion settings are available
for the selected file type. (For example, the Settings button is unavailable for Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel files.)
4Click Open to convert the file to a PDF.
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Depending on the type of file being converted, the authoring application opens automatically, or a progress dialog
box appears. If the file is in an unsupported format, a message appears, telling you that the file cannot be converted
to PDF.
5When the new PDF opens, choose File > Save or File > Save As; then select a name and location for the PDF.
When naming a PDF that’s intended for electronic distribution, limit the filename to eight characters (with no spaces)
and include the .pdf extension. This action ensures that email programs or network servers don’t truncate the filename
and that the PDF opens as expected.
Drag-and-drop to create PDFs
This method is best reserved for small, simple files, such as small image files and plain text files, when the balance
between file size and output quality is not important. You can use this technique with many other types of files, but you
cannot adjust any conversion settings during the process.
1Select the icons of one or more files in the Windows Explorer or Mac OS Finder.
2Drag the file icons onto the Acrobat DC application icon. Or (Windows only) drag the files into the open Acrobat
DC window.
If a message appears saying that the file could not be opened in Acrobat DC, then that file type cannot be converted
to PDF by the drag-and-drop method. Use one of the other conversion methods for that file.
Note: You can also convert PostScript and EPS files to PDF by dragging them onto the Acrobat DC window or the
Acrobat DC application icon.
3Save the PDF.
(Windows only) You can also right-click a file in Windows Explorer and choose Convert to Adobe PDF.
Convert clipboard content to PDF
You can create PDFs from text and images that you copy from applications on Mac OS or Windows.
1Capture content in the Clipboard:
•Use the copy command in the applications.
•Press the PrintScreen key (Windows).
•Use the Grab utility (Applications > Utilities > Grab), and choose Edit > Copy to place the content on the
clipboard. (Mac OS)
•In a PDF file, you can select objects using the Edit Object tool (Tools > Print Production > Edit Object), and
then copy the selected objects.
2In Acrobat DC, choose File > Create > PDF from Clipboard. Or Choose Too l s > Create PDF > Clipboard >
Create.
Note: The PDF from Clipboard command appears only when content is copied to the Clipboard. If the Clipboard is
empty, the command is disabled.
Create a blank PDF
You can create a blank PDF, rather than beginning with a file, a clipboard image, or scanning.
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This process can be useful for creating a one-page PDF. For longer, more complex, or heavily formatted documents, it’s
better to create the source document in an application that offers more layout and formatting options, such as Adobe
InDesign or Microsoft Word.
1In Adobe Acrobat DC, close all open documents.
2Choose Tools > Create PDF > Blank Page > Create.
A blank single-page PDF is created.
To add a blank page to an existing PDF, open the PDF and then choose Tools > Organize Pages > Insert > Blank Page.
Create multiple PDFs from multiple files (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can create multiple PDFs from multiple native files, including files of different supported formats, in one operation.
This method is useful when you must convert a large number of files to PDF.
Note: When you use this method, Acrobat DC applies the most recently used conversion settings without offering you access
to those settings. If you want to adjust the conversion settings, do so before using this method.
1Choose File > Create > Create Multiple PDF Files.
2Choose Add Files > Add Files or Add Folders, and then select the files or folder.
3Click OK. The Output options dialog box appears.
4In the Output Options dialog box, specify your target folder and filename preferences, and then click OK.
More Help topics
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Scan documents to PDF
Using the Adobe PDF printer
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Converting web pages to PDF
Creating PDFs with PDFMaker
Create PDFs with PDFMaker (Windows)
About Acrobat PDFMaker
PDFMaker is an Acrobat feature that operates within many business applications, such as Microsoft Office applications,
AutoCAD, and Lotus Notes. When you install Acrobat, PDFMaker controls appear in the work area of the authoring
application.
Note: Some PDFMaker features are not available in certain versions of the authoring applications. For a comparison chart,
see Compatible web browsers and PDFMaker applications | Acrobat, Reader.
Using PDFMaker within an authoring application is a simple, one-click procedure. It involves clicking an Acrobat
PDFMaker toolbar button or choosing a command on the Adobe PDF menu. It is not necessary to open Acrobat.
Convert a file to PDF using PDFMaker
In Windows, Acrobat installs both an Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar and an Adobe PDF menu in many popular authoring
applications. You can use either the toolbar buttons or the Adobe PDF menu (the Action menu in Lotus Notes) to create
PDFs, but the menu also provides access to conversion settings. Although many of the conversion options are common
to all authoring applications, a few are application-specific.
For Microsoft Office 2007 and later applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the options for creating PDFs
are available from the Acrobat ribbon.
Note: If you don’t see the PDF toolbar buttons in an application, you must show or activate the PDF toolbar. For other
troubleshooting issues, see Troubleshoot Acrobat PDFMaker Problems.
Show or activate PDFMaker in Microsoft Office and Lotus Notes
If the PDF toolbar buttons don’t appear in your Microsoft Office or Lotus Notes application, use one of the following
methods to show or activate PDFMaker.
For Lotus Notes 8 or later, choose File > Preferences. In the dialog box that appears, choose Toolbar > Toolbars, and
select the Visible option for Acrobat PDFMaker.
For Office 2003 or earlier, choose View > Toolbars > Acrobat PDFMaker.
For Office 2007 or Office 2010, follow these steps:
1Do one of the following:
•(Outlook 2007) Choose Tools > Trust Center.
•(Other Office 2007 applications) Click the Office button, and then click the [Application] Options button, where
[Application] is the Office application name. For example, in Word, the button name is Word Options.
•(Office 2010 applications) Click the File tab, and then click Option.
2Click Add-Ins on the left side of the dialog box.
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3Do one of the following:
•If PDFMOutlook or Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Add-in is not listed, choose COM Add-Ins from the
Manage pop-up menu and click Go.
•If PDFMOutlook or Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Add-in is listed under Disabled Application Add-ins, select
Disabled Items from the Manage pop-up menu and click Go.
4Select PDFMOutlook or Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Add-in and click OK.
5Restart the Office application.
Convert a file to PDF
1Open the file in the application used to create it.
2Click the Convert To Adobe PDF button on the Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar.
For Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, click the Create PDF button
on the Acrobat ribbon.
3Enter a filename and location for the PDF, and click Save.
4(Optional) Check View Result to open the PDF or enable Protect PDF to specify the Security settings for the PDF.
Create a PDF as an email attachment
1Open the file in the application used to create it.
2Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF And Email.
For Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, click the Create And Attach
To Email button on the Acrobat ribbon.
When the conversion has finished, a blank message with the new PDF included as an attachment automatically
opens in your default email application. You can then address and complete the message and either send it or save
it as a draft.
Attach a file as PDF (Outlook)
1In the Outlook email Message window, click the Attach As Adobe PDF button.
Note: If the Attach As Adobe PDF button isn’t visible, choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings, and then select
Show Attach As Adobe PDF button. This option is not available in Outlook 2007 or later.
2Select a file to attach, and click Open.
Convert files to a secured PDF and attach it to an email message (Outlook)
1In the Outlook email Message window, click the Attach As Secured Adobe PDF button .
Note: The Attach As Secured Adobe PDF button appears only after you’ve configured an Adobe LiveCycle® Rights
Management Server using the Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings dialog box.
2Click Browse, select a file to convert, and click Open.
3Specify the users that can open the PDF, and then click OK:
•To specify only users that receive the PDF, select Restrict Access Only To People In This Message’s To:, Cc:, And
Bcc: List. In this case, the PDF isn’t secured until you send the email message.
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•To specify only users that are specified by a security policy, select Restrict Access By Applying The Following
Security Policy, and then select a security policy in the list. In this case, the PDF is secured before it is attached
to the email message.
4If prompted, enter your user name and password to log in to the Adobe LiveCycleRights Management Server.
Create a PDF and send it for review
1Open the file in the application used to create it.
2Click the Convert To Adobe PDF And Send For Review button on the Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar, or (if
available) choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF And Send For Review.
For Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, click the Create And Send For
Review button on the Acrobat ribbon.
3When the Identity Setup dialog box appears, enter the appropriate information about yourself, and click Complete.
4Follow the directions in the wizard that appears, as described in Start an email-based review.
Create a PDF and run an action
1Open the file in the application used to create it.
2Click the Convert To Adobe PDF And Run Action button on the Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar, or (if available) choose
Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF And Run Action.
For Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, click the Create PDF And Run
Action button on the Acrobat ribbon.
3Click an action to from the button menu, and follow the onscreen prompts to save the files.
4The PDF opens in Acrobat. Click Start in the right-hand pane to process the file.
View PDFMaker conversion settings
PDFMaker conversion settings vary according to file types. For example, the options available for PowerPoint files
aren’t the same as the options available for Outlook files. Once you’ve selected conversion settings, those choices apply
to all subsequent PDFs you create from that file type. It’s a good idea to review the settings occasionally.
1Open a PDFMaker-enabled application (such as Word or Excel).
2Do one of the following:
•(Lotus Notes) Choose Actions > Change Adobe PDF Conversion Settings.
•(Office 2007 or 2010 applications) In the Acrobat or Adobe PDF ribbon, click Preferences.
•(All other applications) Choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings.
3(Optional) To revert to the original default settings, click Restore Defaults on the Settings tab.
Settings tab of the Adobe PDFMaker preferences
The settings available for PDFMaker depend on the application in which you’re using PDFMaker.
Conversion Settings Specifies the standard by which the PDF will be optimized. When you choose an item in the
menu, a description of that preset appears immediately below it.
View Adobe PDF Result Opens the converted document directly into Acrobat. (Exception: when you choose Convert
To Adobe PDF And Email.)
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Prompt For Adobe PDF File Name Lets you enter a custom filename for the resulting PDF. Deselect this option to save
the file in the same folder as the source file, using the same name but with a .pdf extension.
Convert Document Information Adds document information from the Properties dialog box of the source file. This
setting overrides the printer preferences and settings in the Advanced panel of the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box.
Note: The Advanced Settings button opens the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box, which contains many additional conversion
options. These conversion settings apply to all Acrobat features that create PDFs, such as Acrobat Distiller, PDFMaker, and
the Acrobat application itself.
PDF/A Compliance Creates the PDF so that it conforms to the selected ISO standard for long-term preservation of
electronic documents.
Security tab of the Adobe PDFMaker preferences
The settings available for PDFMaker depend on the application in which you’re using PDFMaker.
Require A Password To Open The Document When selected, makes the Document Open Password option available,
where you enter a password that users must use to open the document.
Restrict Editing And Printing Of The Document When selected, makes the other Permissions options available.
Change Permissions Password Specifies a password you set that users must use in order to do any allowable printing
or editing.
Printing Allowed Specifies whether users who use the Permissions Password can print the document and at what
resolution.
Changes Allowed Specifies what changes users who use the Permissions Password can make.
Enable Copying Of Text, Images, And Other Contents Prevents or allows users from copying from the PDF.
Enable Text Access For Screen Reader Devices For The Visually Impaired Prevents or allows screen reader devices to
read text. (Selected by default.)
Enable Plaintext Metadata Specifies whether the search engine can read the document metadata. Available only when
the PDF-compatibility is set to Acrobat 6.0 (PDF 1.5) or later.
Convert Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files to PDF
When creating a PDF from Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel, you can set conversion options for the current file.
You can also select a range of content in the file to convert. The conversion options that you can set in the following
steps are some of the most commonly used settings from the Acrobat PDFMaker dialog box. Any changes you make to
the conversion options apply to the current conversion only.
In Acrobat Pro, PDFMaker includes an option to embed many types of multimedia files in Microsoft Word and
PowerPoint files. The files are converted to FLV format files. When you convert the document to PDF, the PDF includes
a playable FLV file.
Convert Excel files to PDF
1Open a file in Excel.
2Optionally, select the cells to convert.
3Do one of the following:
•(Office 2003 or earlier) From the Adobe PDF menu, select one of the Convert To Adobe PDF options.
•(Office 2007 or 2010) From the Acrobat ribbon, select one of the Create options.
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4In the Acrobat PDFMaker dialog box, select a Conversion Range, then click Convert To PDF.
5In the Save Adobe PDF File As dialog box, specify a filename and location for the PDF.
6Optionally, click the Options button to change the conversion settings.
7Click Save to create the PDF.
Convert Word and PowerPoint files to PDF
1Open a file in Word or PowerPoint.
2Optionally, select objects and text (Word) or slides (PowerPoint), as needed.
3Do one of the following:
•(Office 2003 or earlier) From the Adobe PDF menu, select one of the Convert To Adobe PDF options.
•(Office 2007 or 2010) From the Acrobat ribbon, select Create PDF, Create And Attach to Email, or Create And
Send For Review.
4In the Save Adobe PDF File As dialog box, specify a filename and location for the PDF.
5Optionally, click the Options button to change the conversion settings.
6Select a Page Range (Word) or Slide Range (PowerPoint). The Selection option is available only if you have selected
content in the file.
7Click OK, then click Save to create the PDF.
Embed multimedia files into Word and PowerPoint documents (Acrobat Pro)
1Do one of the following:
•(Office 2003 or earlier) Choose Adobe PDF > Embed Video And Convert To Flash Format
•(Office 2007 or 2010) In the Acrobat ribbon, click Embed Flash.
2In the Insert Flash dialog box, choose a multimedia file from the menu, or click Browse to locate and select the file.
3(Optional) To select a video frame to use as a poster, click Set Poster Image From Current Frame.
4Choose a media player skin from the menu.
5Click OK. Acrobat converts the file to FLV format and inserts it into the document.
6When you are ready to create a PDF, follow the steps to create a PDF as usual. (PowerPoint only) In the Save Adobe
PDF File As dialog box, click Options and make sure that the Convert Multimedia option is selected.
Convert email messages to PDFs
You can use PDFMaker to convert one or more Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes email messages or entire folders of
messages to a merged PDF or PDF Portfolio. Within a PDF Portfolio, each email message appears as a separate PDF file.
The Acrobat PDFMaker Conversion Settings dialog box contains the option that determines whether email messages
are merged into one continuous PDF or assembled into a PDF Portfolio.
The controls that activate an email conversion to PDF appear in two places within the email application: on the Acrobat
PDFMaker toolbar and on a menu. In Outlook, the menu is called Adobe PDF and appears to the right of the Outlook
Help menu. In Lotus Notes, PDF commands appear under the Actions menu.
You can convert one currently open email message to PDF (not to a PDF Portfolio) by choosing File > Print, and
selecting Adobe PDF as the printer in the Print dialog box. The PDFMaker conversion settings do not affect this process.
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Specify whether email messages become merged PDFs or PDF Portfolios
1Do one of the following:
•(Outlook) Choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings.
•(Lotus Notes) Choose Actions > Change Adobe PDF Conversion Settings.
2Do one of the following:
•To convert and merge email messages into a PDF as sequential pages of one document, deselect Output Adobe
PDF Portfolio When Creating A New PDF File.
•To assemble converted email messages as components of a PDF Portfolio, select Output Adobe PDF Portfolio
When Creating A New PDF File.
Convert an open email message to PDF (Outlook)
❖Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF.
You can also convert a different file to PDF from within an open Outlook email message if the Attach As Adobe PDF
toolbar is shown. Clicking this button opens a series of dialog boxes for selecting and saving the new PDF and also starts
Acrobat, if it is not already running. The resulting PDF is attached to the open email message.
Convert email messages to a new PDF
1In Outlook or Lotus Notes, select the individual email messages.
2Do one of the following:
•(Outlook) Choose Adobe PDF > Convert Selected Messages > Create New PDF.
•(Lotus Notes) Choose Actions > Convert Selected Messages To Adobe PDF.
3In the Save Adobe PDF As dialog box, select a location, type a filename, and click Save.
Add email messages or folders to an existing PDF
1In Outlook or Lotus Notes, select the individual email messages or folders.
2Do one of the following:
•(Outlook) Choose Adobe PDF > Convert Selected Messages > Append To Existing PDF, or Adobe PDF >
Convert Selected Folders > Append To Existing PDF.
Note: If you have already created one or more PDF Portfolios, you can choose from recently created PDF Portfolios in
addition to the Append To Existing PDF option.
•(Lotus Notes) Choose Actions > Append Selected Message(s) To Existing Adobe PDF, or Actions > Append
Selected Folder(s) To Existing Adobe PDF.
3Locate and select the PDF or PDF Portfolio to which you want to add the converted emails, and click Open.
Note: Do not type a new name for the PDF. If you do, a warning message appears telling you that the PDF was not found.
Click OK, and select a PDF without changing its name.
4(Outlook only) If a message appears, alerting you that the existing PDF was created using an earlier version of
PDFMaker, do one of the following:
•To create a PDF Portfolio from the original PDF archive, click Yes, and select a name and location for the new
archive. (The default name adds _Portfolio to the original PDF filename.) When the conversion is complete and
the Creating Adobe PDF dialog box closes, the new archive opens in Acrobat.
•Click No to cancel the process.
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Note: For PDF Portfolios of email converted or migrated in Acrobat 8 or later, only new messages—that is, messages that
are not already part of the PDF Portfolio—are appended.
Convert email folders to a new PDF
PDFMaker can convert multiple folders to PDF in one procedure. It is not necessary to select the folders at the
beginning of the process because you can select them in a dialog box that appears automatically.
1Do one of the following:
•(Outlook) Choose Adobe PDF > Convert Selected Folders > Create New PDF.
•(Lotus Notes) Choose Actions > Convert Selected Folder(s) To Adobe PDF.
2In the Convert Folder(s) To PDF dialog box, select the folders. Then select or deselect the Convert This Folder And
All Sub Folders option.
3In the Save Adobe PDF File As, select a location and name for the PDF Portfolio.
When the conversion is complete, the new PDF opens in Acrobat.
Set up automatic email archiving
1Do one of the following:
•(Outlook) Choose Adobe PDF > Setup Automatic Archival.
•(Lotus Notes) Choose Actions > Setup Automatic Archival.
2On the Automatic Archival tab of the Acrobat PDFMaker dialog box, select Enable Automatic Archival. Then select
options for Frequency and the time of day at which automatic archiving occurs.
3Select other options, according to your needs:
Maintain Log Of Archival Creates a record of each archiving session.
Choose File Specifies the name and location of the archiving log.
Embed Index For Faster Search Creates an index that you can search to find specific words or characters instead of
having to search each individual document.
4Click Add, and select the email folders and subfolders. Then select or deselect the Convert This Folder And All Sub
Folders option, as preferred, and click OK.
5In the Save PDF Archive File As dialog box, select a name and location for the archived email PDF. Then click Open.
6Review the settings and the archive folder names listed in the Acrobat PDFMaker dialog box, and do any of the
following:
•To add other email folders to the list, click Add and select the folder.
•To remove folders from the list, select the folders and click Delete.
•To change an archive file, select any folder name from the list, click Change Archive File, and specify the name
and location.
•To start archiving email immediately, click Run Archival Now.
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Create PDFs from Word mail merges
Mail merges from Word generate documents like form letters—for one common example—that are personalized with
information like the names and addresses of the recipients. With Acrobat PDFMaker, you can save steps by using a
Word mail merge document and corresponding data file to output mail merges directly to PDF. You can even set up
PDFMaker to attach those PDFs to email messages that are generated during the PDF-creation process.
Note: For information on setting up files for the Word Mail Merge feature, see Microsoft Office Word Help.
1In Microsoft Word, open the template that you have created as the basis of your mail merge, or create the file using
the Word Mail Merge toolbar and Mail Merge wizard, as needed.
Note: Do not complete the mail merge in Word. Instead, set up and preview the mail merge as usual, so that you can
verify that the merge will work correctly.
2Do one of the following:
•Choose Adobe PDF > Mail Merge To Adobe PDF.
•Click the Mail Merge To Adobe PDF button on the Mail Merge toolbar (View > Toolbars > Mail Merge).
•(Word 2007) From the Acrobat ribbon, click Mail Merge.
3In the Acrobat PDFMaker - Mail Merge dialog box, select the options you want:
•To specify which records in the data file will be imported into the merged files, select All or Current, or enter a
range of pages by typing in the From and To boxes.
•To name the PDF that will be created, type in the Specify PDF File Name box.
Note: The PDF will be named using this text plus a series of numbers. For example, if you type JulyLetter in the Specify
PDF File Name box, the mail-merged PDFs might appear as JulyLetter_0000123, JulyLetter_0000124,
JulyLetter_0000125, and so forth.
4For Automatically Send Adobe PDF Files By Email, do one of the following:
•To create and save merged PDFs for printing or sending later in email, leave the option deselected, and click OK.
•To create merged PDFs and attach each one to an email message to the appropriate recipient, select this check
box, and fill in the other Email options.
5When the Browse For Folder dialog box appears, navigate to the location you want to use and click OK.
Status indicators appear as PDFMaker generates the individual PDFs,
6If you selected Automatically Send Adobe PDF Files By Email, a dialog box appears asking for your email profile.
Enter the appropriate information and click OK.
When the job has finished, a message appears, telling you that the process was successful.
Email options for PDF mail merges
To Use the pop-up menu to select the field or column in the associated data file that contains the email addresses in
each individual’s record.
Subject Line Type the text that you want to appear in the subject line of each message.
Message Type to add or edit text that you want to appear in the body of the email messages.
PDFs from Microsoft Project (Acrobat Pro)
There are specific differences to be aware of when you create PDFs from files authored in Microsoft Project.
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You can create PDFs of only the current selected view. Views designated as non-printable in Project cannot be
converted to PDF.
Convert Visio files to PDF (Acrobat Pro)
PDFs created from Visio files preserve page sizes and support layers, searchable text, custom properties, links,
bookmarks, and comments, depending on the conversion settings. To specify the properties
•(Visio 2007 or 2003) Choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings to review these settings, if needed.
•(Visio 2010) From the ribbon choose Acrobat > Preferences
When you convert your Visio file, only shapes and guides that are printable and visible in the Visio drawing are
converted and appear in the PDF. Shapes are converted regardless of their protection or behavior. Shape custom
properties can be converted to PDF object data.
When you convert the Visio file to a PDF, you can preserve all or just some layers, or you can flatten all layers. If you
flatten layers, the PDF will look like the original drawing, but won’t contain any layer information. When flattened, the
contents of only visible and printable layers will appear in the converted PDF.
Convert Visio files
1If you want to change the PDFMaker conversion settings, do one of the following. (For information about a setting,
place the pointer over the setting to display a tool tip below.)
•(Visio 2007 or 2003) Choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings
•(Visio 2010) Choose Acrobat > Preferences
2If you want to convert each page in the Visio file to a bookmarked page in the PDF file, choose Adobe PDF > Convert
All Pages In Drawing. If this option is deselected, only the current page is converted.
3Do one of the following:
•(Visio 2007 or 2003) Click the Convert To Adobe PDF button in the Adobe PDF toolbar.
•(Visio 2007 or 2003) Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF.
•(Visio 2007 or 2003) Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF And Email. The PDF file attaches to a new
email message in your default email application.
•(Visio 2007 or 2003)Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDFAnd Send For Review. The file converts to an
Adobe PDF file, and an email-based review process begins.
•(Visio 2010) Choose Acrobat > Create PDF.
•(Visio 2010) Choose Acrobat > Convert To Adobe PDF.
•(Visio 2010) Choose Acrobat > Create and Attach To Email. The PDF file attaches to a new email message in your
default email application.
•(Visio 2010) Choose Acrobat > Create and Send For Review. The file converts to an Adobe PDF file, and an
email-based review process begins.
4If you want to include the custom properties of shapes, select that option.
5Click Continue.
6Select a layers option to retain or flatten layers in the resulting PDF, and click Continue.
Note: If you select Retain Some Layers In The Selected Page, you’ll be prompted to choose which Visio layers to include.
7Click Convert To Adobe PDF, specify a location and filename, and click Save.
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Select Visio layers to convert (Acrobat Pro)
You can convert a Visio drawing that contains layers to a PDF and retain some or all of the layers in the resulting PDF,
or you can flatten the layers. You can also organize the Visio layers in layer sets, which are folders in the Acrobat Layers
panel.
1With the multilayered file open in Visio, click a button in the Adobe PDF toolbar, and select Retain Some Layers In
The Selected Page.
Note: If the Retain Some Layers In The Selected Page option is not available, deselect the Convert All Pages In Drawing
option.
2Select one or more layers in the Layers In Visio Drawing list.
3To add the selected Visio layers to the list of layers to convert to the PDF file, do one of the following:
•To convert the selected Visio layers to individual PDF layers within a PDF layer set, click Create Layer Set, and
optionally, type a layer name.
•To convert the selected Visio layers to individual layers (but not grouped under a layer set), click the Add Layer(s)
button.
Note: The name of a layer in the Layers In Visio Drawing list is unavailable if that layer is included in the Layers In
PDF list. When you select that layer in the Layers In PDF list, a bullet appears next to the layer’s name in the Layers In
Visio Drawing list.
4Optionally, do any of the following:
•To reorder the layers in the Layers In PDF list, drag an item up or down in the list.
•To include a visibility property that can be switched on or off in Acrobat, deselect Locked On adjacent to the PDF
layer; to lock the resulting PDF layer’s visibility on, select Locked On.
•To save the current settings of Visio layers selected, click Save PDF Settings, and click OK. These settings are used
the next time you convert the current Visio file to a PDF file.
5Click Convert To PDF, specify a folder in the Save In box in which to save the PDF file, type a filename, and then
click Save.
Note: Visio layers that were selected for conversion and that have Visio settings for visible, printable, or lock are
converted to PDF layers; the visible and printable properties are included in the resulting PDF layers. If the Visio file
contains a background page, header, or footer, the PDF file automatically has PDF layers named for those items.
Convert AutoCAD files to PDF (Acrobat Pro for Windows)
Use PDFMaker to convert AutoCAD files from within the AutoCAD application. You can also use the Batch
Conversion feature to convert many AutoCAD files in one operation. Even if you don’t have AutoCAD, you can convert
AutoCAD files to PDF from Acrobat.
Acrobat PDFMaker allows you to preserve selected layers and layouts when converting AutoCAD files to PDF.
Convert AutoCAD files when AutoCAD is not installed
The default Acrobat installation installs Autodesk filters. These filters allow you to convert files in DWG, DWF, DST,
DWT, and DXF format into PDF, without the native application installed.
1In Acrobat, choose File > Create > PDF From File.
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2(Optional) From the Files Of Type menu, select Autodesk AutoCAD, then click the Settings button and change the
conversion settings as needed. The settings are the same as the AutoCAD-specific Acrobat PDFMaker settings, with
the following additions:
Convert Model Space To 3D When selected, the model space layout is converted to a 3D annotation in the PDF.
Click Choose 3D Settings to specify 3D conversion options.
Configuration Preferences Click this button to specify resource directories for SHX font files, plot configuration
files, and plot style tables for AutoCAD drawings. If an SHX Font File Search Path is not specified, all SHX fonts are
replaced with MyriadCAD in converted PDFs.
Always Show This Dialog During Conversion When selected, this dialog box appears during the conversion process.
3Locate and select the AutoCAD file.
4If the Adobe PDF Settings For Autodesk AutoCAD Documents dialog box appears, specify the settings as needed,
and click OK.
Convert AutoCAD files when AutoCAD is installed
When converting individual AutoCAD files, you don't usually need to change page size and plotting settings.
PDFMaker uses the appropriate layout page size and plotting information to create a correctly sized PDF file.
1To change the PDF conversion settings, choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings in AutoCAD.
2Do one of the following:
•Click a button in the Adobe PDF toolbar: Convert To Adobe PDF or Convert To Adobe PDFAnd Send For
Review .
•Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF.
•Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF And Email.
•Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDFAnd Send For Review.
3In the Choose Layouts dialog box, add or remove layouts as needed. To reorder the layouts, select a layout from the
Layouts In PDF list, and click Move Up or Move Down.
4To determine how the AutoCAD layers are converted, select one of the following, and then click Continue:
•Flatten All Layers. When layers are flattened, only those entities belonging to layers that are not frozen and are
printable appear in the converted PDF.
•Retain All Or Some Layers. In the next dialog box, specify the layers to include in the resulting PDF.
5Specify a filename and location in the Save As dialog box, and click Save.
Select AutoCAD layers to convert
If you choose to retain all or some AutoCAD layers when converting to PDF, you can specify which layers are preserved
in the PDF.
1In AutoCAD, start to convert an AutoCAD file and select the Retain All Or Some Layers option.
2To show specific AutoCAD layers in the Layers In Drawing list, do any of the following:
•Choose an option from the Named Layer Filters menu to list all layers that fit that criterion.
•Select the Invert option to list all layers except those layers that are described by the selected choice in the Named
Layer Filters menu.
•To change the sort order of the layers, click the headings.
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Note: To change the On, Frozen, or Plot properties for a layer, click Cancel, change the properties in the AutoCAD
drawing, and restart the procedure.
3To select the AutoCAD layers to convert, do any of the following:
•Choose a previously saved set of layers from the PDF Layer Settings menu.
•Select one or more layers from the Layers In Drawing List.
•To convert all of the layers in the drawing, click Add All Layers, and go to step 5.
4To add the selected AutoCAD layers to the Layers In PDF list, do one of the following:
•To convert the selected AutoCAD layers to individual layers within a PDF layer set, click Create Layer Set. This
action creates a folder of layers in the Layers navigation pane in Acrobat.
•To convert the selected AutoCAD layers to individual layers, click Add Layer(s).
5Optionally, do any of the following in the Layers In PDF list:
•To reorder layers, drag an item up or down in the list.
•To include a visibility property that can be switched on or off in Acrobat, deselect Locked On for the PDF layer.
To lock the resulting PDF layer’s visibility on, select Locked On.
•To save the current list of selected AutoCAD layers, click Add PDF Setting. Later, you can retrieve this list from
the PDF Layer Settings menu.
6Click Convert, specify a filename and location, and then click Save.
Convert AutoCAD files in batches
1Choose Adobe PDF > Batch Conversion.
2Specify your preferences for layers, page size, plot style, and output PDFs. Click Conversion Settings to specify the
Acrobat PDFMaker settings.
3In the DWG List, do any of the following:
•Click Add Folder or Add Files, and then specify the folder or files.
•To load a previously saved list of files, click Append List, and then specify the list.
•As needed, expand individual files and select or deselect the items you want, such as model space and layouts. To
exclude or include all model space, click the associated buttons.
•To exclude a file from the conversion, deselect the file box. As needed, select or deselect all of the files in the list,
change the order of the files, remove files, or clear the list.
•To show the complete file paths, select Expand File Name(s).
•To save the DWG list for later use, click Save List. This action saves the list in its current state, including the file
order and file selections. You can retrieve this list at any time by clicking Append List.
4Click Convert.
5Once the conversion has finished, you can click Save Details to save a log file of the conversion.
Application-specific PDFMaker settings
Sometimes the conversion settings in one PDFMaker-enabled application are different from the settings in a different
application.
Some PDFMaker settings are common to several or most applications. Some options are unique to a specific
application.
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Settings tab options available from within most applications
The following settings appear on the Settings tab available from within most PDFMaker-enabled applications.
Attach Source File Includes the document being converted as an attachment to the PDF.
Create Bookmarks Converts certain elements in original Office documents to PDF bookmarks: Word headings, Excel
worksheet names, or PowerPoint titles. Selecting this option overrides any settings on the Bookmarks tab of the
Conversion Settings dialog box.
Add Links Includes active links and hypertext in the PDF.
Note: If this option is deselected, but the recipient of the PDF has the create Links From URLs preference selected, URLs in
the PDF are still active.
Enable Accessibility And Reflow With Tagged Adobe PDF Embeds tags in the PDF.
Excel-specific options on the Settings tab
Convert Comments Converts user-created Excel comments to notes and lists them in the Acrobat Comments panel.
Actual Size Uses actual size specified in the worksheet. Worksheets are not resized.
Fit Worksheet To A Single Page Adjusts the size of each worksheet so that all the entries on that worksheet appear on
the same page of the PDF.
Fit To Paper Width Adjusts the width of each worksheet so that all the columns on that worksheet appear on one page
in the PDF.
Prompt For Selecting Excel Sheets Opens a dialog box at the beginning of the file conversion process. In this dialog
box, you can specify which worksheets are included in the PDF and the order in which the sheets appear in the PDF.
PowerPoint-specific options on the Settings tab
Convert Multimedia Converts linked audio-video files to an FLV file and embeds it in the PDF.
Preserve Animation (PowerPoint 2003 only) Converts any animation effects in the PowerPoint file to equivalent
animations in the PDF. This option is not available in PowerPoint 2007 or later.
Preserve Slide Transitions Converts PowerPoint slide transition effects to PDF transition effects.
Convert Hidden Slides To PDF Pages Converts any PowerPoint slides that are not seen in the usual playing of the
presentation to PDF pages.
Convert Speaker Notes Converts any speaker notes for the PowerPoint presentation into Text notes in the PDF.
Use PowerPoint Printer Settings (PowerPoint 2003 only) Uses the same printer settings in the PDF as in the original
file. This option is not available in PowerPoint 2007 or later.
Email-specific options on the Settings tab
The following options appear when you open the PDFMaker settings from within Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes.
Compatibility Sets the compatibility level of the PDF. Use the most recent version (in this case, version 1.7 ADBE-3) to
include all the latest features and functionality. If you’re creating PDFs that are distributed widely, choose an earlier level
to ensure that all users can view and print the document.
Attachments Indicates whether all files attached to email messages are included in the PDF.
Output Adobe PDF Portfolio When Creating A New PDF File When selected, always converts individual messages as
component files of a PDF Portfolio. When deselected, merges individual messages as separate pages of a PDF.
Do Not Include Folder Name Information When selected, excludes mail folder names from PDFs.
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Embed Index For Faster Search Creates an embedded index, which speeds up searches, especially when you convert
large numbers of email messages or message folders.
Block Download Of External Content When selected, prevents the downloading of any external Internet content, such
as images, CSS, and JavaScript.
Page Layout options Specifies page properties, like the properties found in the Print dialog box: page dimensions,
orientation, and margins.
Show This Number Of Recent Archives (Outlook only) When converting email messages and folders, the Adobe PDF >
[Convert Selected Messages and Convert Selected Folders] menus can list recently created PDFs to append. This option
specifies the maximum number of PDFs to list in the menus.
Show “Attach As Adobe PDF” Buttons If selected, the Attach As Adobe PDF button appears in the Outlook email
message window.
AutoCAD-specific options on the Settings tab (Acrobat Pro)
The following options appear when you open the PDFMaker settings from within Autodesk AutoCAD.
Compliance Standard Specify the PDF/A or PDF/E compliance standard, or none.
Open Layers Pane When Viewed In Acrobat Shows the layers structure when a PDF is opened in Acrobat.
Embed Scale Information Preserves drawing-scale information, which is usable with the Acrobat measurement tools.
Do Not Convert Model Space To 3D When selected, the model space layout is not converted to a 3D annotation in the
PDF.
Choose Layout Option Specifies whether Current Layout, All Layouts, or Selected Layouts are included in the PDF.
Exclude Model Space (Available only when Convert All Layouts Without Prompting is selected from Choose Layout
Option.) When selected, all layouts except the model space are included in the PDF.
Choose Layer Option Specifies whether All Layers, Selected Layers, or No Layers are included as layers in the PDF.
Visio-specific options on the Settings tab (Acrobat Pro)
The following options appear when you open the PDFMaker settings from within Microsoft Visio.
Include Visio Custom Properties As Object Data In The Adobe PDF Indicates whether custom properties of the Visio
image are included as object data in the new PDF.
Exclude Visio Objects With No Custom Properties Indicates whether the new PDF excludes Visio objects without
custom properties.
Convert Comments To Adobe PDF Comments Indicates whether the comments in the Visio file are converted to PDF
comments in the new PDF.
Always Flatten Layers In Adobe PDF Specifies if the layers are flattened. If you flatten layers, the PDF looks like the
original drawing, but doesn’t contain any layer information. All shapes in the Visio drawing are converted, regardless
of their protection or behavior, and shape custom properties can be converted to PDF object data.
Open Layers Pane When Viewed In Acrobat Shows the layers structure when a PDF is opened in Acrobat.
Word tab settings (Microsoft Word)
Convert Displayed Comments To Notes In Adobe PDF Changes any Word comment entries to PDF comments. If the
currently open Word document contains comments, more options appear in the Comments list on this tab:
Reviewer Lists the names of reviewers who have entered comments in the current Word document.
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Include When deselected, does not include the comments in the PDF.
Notes Open Specifies whether the PDF comment windows automatically open or are closed for that reviewer’s
comments.
Color Shows the color for that reviewer’s comment icons. Clicking the color icon repeatedly cycles through a limited
set of available colors.
# Of Comments Shows the number of comments that the reviewer made.
Convert Cross-References And Table Of Contents To Links (Word 2002 and 2003) Enables one-click navigation of these
elements in the new PDF. This option is not available in Word 2007.
Convert Footnote And Endnote Links Integrates these into the PDF.
Convert signature fields specified by pdfmarks Converts signature fields indicated by pdfmarks.
Enable Advanced Tagging Integrates this into the PDF.
Bookmarks tab settings (Microsoft Word)
The options you specify on this tab determine which items are converted into PDF bookmarks in the PDF.
Note: To include bookmarks in the conversion process, you must select the Add Bookmarks To Adobe PDF option on the
Settings tab. If you deselect that option, you override any options you select on this tab, and no bookmarks are created.
Convert Word Headings To Bookmarks Selects all the headings in the Elements list for conversion to PDF bookmarks.
Convert Word Styles To Bookmarks Selects all the text styles in the Elements list for conversion to PDF bookmarks
(deselected by default).
Convert Word Bookmarks Converts any user-created Word bookmarks to PDF bookmarks.
Element list Specifies which Word headings and styles are converted to PDF bookmarks.
Element Lists the names of all available Word headings and styles. The icons for Headings and Styles indicate the
element types.
Type Also indicates whether the element is a heading or style in the Word document.
Bookmark Displays X’s, indicating whether individual elements are converted to PDF bookmarks. Clicking an
individual Bookmark option changes the selection status for that element.
Level Specifies where the element fits in the hierarchy structure of the PDF Bookmarks panel. Clicking an individual
Level number opens a menu that you can use to change the value.
Note: When some but not all of the available Word headings and styles are selected for conversion to PDF bookmarks, the
marker in the corresponding check boxes at the top of the tab change. If all elements of the type are selected, a check mark
appears. If only some of the elements of that type are selected, a colored square appears. Otherwise, the check box is empty.
More Help topics
Overview of creating PDFs
Creating simple PDFs with Acrobat
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Scan documents to PDF
Using the Adobe PDF printer
Converting web pages to PDF
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Customize Adobe PDF settings
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Print to PDF
Instead of a physical printer, you can select Adobe PDF in almost any Windows or Mac OS application. Print to PDF
creates an electronic copy of your file that you can save to disk.
When you use Acrobat DC to print a document to PDF, people will see it just like you sent it — whether they're viewing
it on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Print to PDF (Windows)
1Open a file in a Windows application.
2Choose File > Print.
3Choose Adobe PDF as the printer in the Print dialog box.
4Click Print. Type a name for your file, and click Save.
Print to PDF (Mac OS)
1Open a file in a Mac OS application.
2Click the PDF button and choose Save As Adobe PDF.
3Choose the Adobe PDF Settings and click Continue.
4Type a name for your file, and click Save.
Scan documents to PDF
Scan a paper document to PDF and turn it into a smart, searchable PDF with selectable text.
Scan a paper document to PDF
You can create a PDF file directly from a paper document, using your scanner and Acrobat DC. On Windows, Acrobat
DC supports TWAIN scanner drivers and Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) drivers. On Mac OS, Acrobat DC
supports TWAIN and Image Capture (ICA).
In Windows, you can either use the Autodetect Color Mode and let Acrobat determine the paper document’s content
type, or use other presets (Black & White Document, Grayscale Document, Color Image, and Color Document) based
on your judgment. You can configure the scanning presets or use the Custom Scan option to scan with the settings of
your choice.
Note: Preset scanning is available only for scanner drivers that support Hide Scanner’s Native Interface mode. The scanning
presets are not available on Mac OS.
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In Windows, if a WIA driver is installed for your scanner, you can use the Scan button on your scanner to create a PDF.
Press the Scan button, and then in Windows, choose Adobe Acrobat DC from the list of registered applications. Then,
in the Acrobat DC Scan dialog box, select a scanner and a document preset or Custom Scan.
Scan a paper document to PDF using Autodetect Color Mode (Windows)
1Choose File > Create > PDF from Scanner > Autodetect Color Mode.
2If prompted to scan more pages, select Scan More Pages, Scan Reverse Sides, or Scan Is Complete, and click OK.
Scan a paper document to PDF using a preset (Windows)
1Choose File > Create > PDF from Scanner > [document preset].
2If prompted to scan more pages, select Scan More Pages, Scan Reverse Sides, or Scan Is Complete, and click OK.
Scan a paper document to PDF without presets
1In Acrobat DC, do one of the following:
•(Windows) Choose File > Create > PDF from Scanner > Custom Scan.
•(Mac OS) Choose File > Create > PDF from Scanner.
2Select scanning options in the Scan dialog box, as needed, and then click Scan.
Note: If you specify that you want to use the native scanner user interface instead of the Acrobat user interface, other
windows or dialog boxes appear. Consult the scanner documentation information on available options. In Mac OS, the
scanner user interface is always shown.
3If prompted to scan more pages, select Scan More Pages, Scan Reverse Sides, or Scan Is Complete, and click OK.
Enhance or optimize a scanned PDF
1Open a PDF created from a scanned document.
2Choose Tools > Enhance Scans > Enhance > Scanned Document.
3Select options in the Secondary toolbar - click the Settings icon and choose appropriate options in the Enhance
Scanned PDF dialog box, and click OK.
For more information on the options displayed in the dialog box, see Enhance Scanned PDF dialog box.
Configure scanning presets (Windows)
1Choose File > Create > PDF from Scanner > Configure Presets.
2In the Configure Presets dialog box, select a preset: Autodetect Color Mode, Black & White Document, Grayscale
Document, Color Document, or Color Image.
3Adjust the settings as needed.
4Click Save to save the preset, and then click Close.
Scanning options
Scanner Select an installed scanner. You must have the manufacturer scanning software installed on your computer. In
Windows only, click the Options button to specify scanner options.
Presets Select a Preset to modify.
Sides Specify single or double-sided scanning. If you select Both Sides and the settings of the scanner are for only one
side, the scanner setting overrides the Acrobat settings.
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Note: You can scan both sides of pages even on scanners that do not themselves support two-sided scanning. When Both
Sides is selected, a dialog box appears after the first sides are scanned. You can then reverse the original paper documents
in the tray, and select the Scan Reverse Side (Put Reverse Of Sheets) option in that dialog box. This method produces a PDF
with all pages in the proper sequence.
Color Mode (Windows only) Select a basic color mode (Autodetect, Color, Black and White, or Grayscale) that your
scanner supports. This option is enabled if your Scanner Options are set to use the Acrobat scanning dialog box instead
of the scanner application.
Resolution (Windows only) Select a resolution that your scanner supports. This option is enabled if your Scanner
Options are set to use the Acrobat scanning dialog box instead of the scanner application.
Note: If you select a Color Mode or Resolution option not supported by your scanner, a message appears and your scanner
application window opens. Select different options in the scanner application window.
Paper Size (Windows only) Select a paper size or specify a custom Width and Height.
Prompt For Scanning More Pages When selected, a dialog box prompting you to scan additional pages appears after
every scanning session.
New PDF Document Creates a PDF. This option is not available in the Configure Presets dialog box.
Multiple Files Creates multiple files from multiple paper documents. Click More Options, and specify whether to
create a PDF Portfolio of the files, the number of pages for each file, and a filename prefix. These options are not
available in the Configure Presets dialog box.
Append To Existing File Or Portfolio Adds the converted scan to an existing PDF or PDF Portfolio. This option is not
available in the Configure Presets dialog box.
Optimize Scanned Pages Select this option to run the optimization process on the PDF. This option is used to
compresses and filter the images in the scanned PDF.
Small Size/High Quality Drag the slider to set the balance point between file size and quality. Click Options to
customize optimization with specific settings for file compression and filtering.
Make Searchable (Run OCR) Select this option to convert text images in the PDF to searchable and selectable text. This
option applies optical character recognition (OCR) and font and page recognition to the text images. Click Options to
specify settings in the Recognize Text - Settings dialog box. See Recognize text in scanned documents.
Make PDF/A Compliant Select this option to make the PDF conform to ISO standards for PDF/A-1b. When selected,
only Searchable Image is available in the Recognize Text - Settings dialog box for the PDF Output Style option.
Add Metadata When selected, the Document Properties dialog box appears after scanning. In the Document
Properties dialog box, you can add metadata, or information about the scanned document, to the PDF file. If you are
creating multiple files, you can enter common metadata for all of the files.
Scanner Options dialog box
Data Transfer Method Native Mode transfers in the default mode for your scanner. Memory Mode is automatically
selected for scanning in resolutions over 600 dots per inch (dpi).
User Interface The Hide Scanner’s Native Interface option bypasses the windows and dialog boxes provided by the
scanner manufacturer. Instead, scanning starts directly with the settings specified in the Custom Scan settings.
Invert Black And White Images This option creates positive images from black-and-white negatives, for example.
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Enhance Scanned PDF dialog box
The Enhance Scanned PDF dialog box controls the image settings of how scanned images are filtered and compressed
for the PDF. Default settings are suitable for a wide range of document pages, but you may want to customize settings
for higher-quality images, smaller file sizes, or scanning issues.
Apply Adaptive Compression Divides each page into black-and-white, grayscale, and color regions and chooses a
representation that preserves appearance while highly compressing each type of content. The recommended scanning
resolutions are 300 dots per inch (dpi) for grayscale and RGB input, or 600 dpi for black-and-white input.
Color/Grayscale settings When scanning color or grayscale pages, select one of the following:
JPEG2000 Applies JPEG2000 compression to the colored image content. (This setting is not recommended when
creating PDF/A files. Use JPEG instead.)
ZIP Applies ZIP compression to the colored image content.
JPEG Applies JPEG compression to the colored image content.
Note: The scanner uses either the selected Color/Grayscale option or the selected Monochrome option. Which one is used
depends on the settings you select in the Acrobat Scan dialog box or in the scanner’s TWAIN interface, which may open
after you click Scan in the Acrobat Scan dialog box. (By default, the scanner application dialog box does not open.)
Monochrome When scanning black-and-white or monotone images, select one of the following:
JBIG2 (Lossless) & JBIG2(Lossy) Applies the JBIG2 compression method to black-and-white input pages. Highest-
quality levels use the lossless method; at lower settings, text is highly compressed. Text pages typically are 60% smaller
than CCITT Group 4 compressed pages, but processing is slow. Compatible with Acrobat 5.0 (PDF 1.4) and later.
Note: For compatibility with Acrobat 4.0, use a compression method other than JBIG2.
CCITT Group 4 Applies CCITT Group 4 compression to black-and-white input page images. This fast, lossless
compression method is compatible with Acrobat 3.0 (PDF 1.2) and later.
Small Size/High Quality Sets the balance point between file size and quality.
Deskew Rotates any page that is not square with the sides of the scanner bed, to make the PDF page align vertically.
Choose On or Off.
Background Removal Whitens nearly white areas of grayscale and color input (not black-and-white input).
For best results, calibrate your scanner’s contrast and brightness settings so that a scan of a normal black-and-white page
has dark gray or black text and a white background. Then, Off or Low should produce good results. If scanning off-white
paper or newsprint, use Medium or High to clean up the page.
Descreen Removes halftone dot structure, which can reduce JPEG compression, cause moire patterns, and make text
difficult to recognize. Suitable for 200–400-dpi grayscale or RGB input or, for Adaptive Compression, 400–600-dpi
black-and-white input. The On setting (recommended) applies the filter for 300 dpi or higher grayscale and RGB input.
Select Off when scanning a page with no pictures or filled areas, or when scanning at a resolution higher than the
effective range.
Text Sharpening Sharpens the text of the scanned PDF file. The default value of low is suitable for most documents.
Increase it if the quality of the printed document is low and the text is unclear.
Document Language By default the OCR language is picked from default locale. To change the language, click Edit and
choose a different language.
Output Either Searchable Image or Editable Text and Images.
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Scanning tips
•Acrobat scanning accepts images between 10 dpi and 3000 dpi. If you select Searchable Image or ClearScan for PDF
Output Style, input resolution of 72 dpi or higher is required. Also, input resolution higher than 600 dpi is
downsampled to 600 dpi or lower.
•To apply lossless compression to a scanned image, select one of these options under the Optimization Options in
the Optimize Scanned PDF dialog box: CCITT Group 4 for monochrome images, or Lossless for color or grayscale
images. If this image is appended to a PDF document, and you save the file using the Save option, the scanned image
remains uncompressed. If you save the PDF using Save As, the scanned image may be compressed.
•For most pages, black-and-white scanning at 300 dpi produces text best suited for conversion. At 150 dpi, OCR
accuracy is slightly lower, and more font-recognition errors occur; at 400 dpi and higher resolution, processing
slows, and compressed pages are bigger. If a page has many unrecognized words or small text (9 points or smaller),
try scanning at higher resolution. Scan in black and white whenever possible.
•When Recognize Text Using OCR is disabled, full 10-to-3000 dpi resolution range may be used, but the
recommended resolution is 72 and higher dpi. For Adaptive Compression, 300 dpi is recommended for grayscale or
RGB input, or 600 dpi for black-and-white input.
•Pages scanned in 24-bit color, 300 dpi, at 8-1/2–by-11 in. (21.59-by-27.94 cm) result in large images (25 MB) before
compression. Your system may require 50 MB of virtual memory or more to scan the image. At 600 dpi, both
scanning and processing typically are about four times slower than at 300 dpi.
•Avoid dithering or halftone scanner settings. These settings can improve the appearance of photographs, but they
make it difficult to recognize text.
•For text printed on colored paper, try increasing the brightness and contrast by about 10%. If your scanner has color-
filtering capability, consider using a filter or lamp that drops out the background color. Or if the text isn’t crisp or
drops out, try adjusting scanner contrast and brightness to clarify the scan.
•If your scanner has a manual brightness control, adjust it so that characters are clean and well formed. If characters
are touching, use a higher (brighter) setting. If characters are separated, use a lower (darker) setting.
Recognize text in scanned documents
You can use Acrobat DC to recognize text in previously scanned documents that have already been converted to PDF.
Optical character recognition (OCR) software enables you to search, correct, and copy the text in a scanned PDF. To
apply OCR to a PDF, the original scanner resolution must have been set at 72 dpi or higher.
Note: Scanning at 300 dpi produces the best text for conversion. At 150 dpi, OCR accuracy is slightly lower.
Recognize text in a single document
1Open the scanned PDF.
2Choose Tools > Enhance Scans > Recognize Text > In This File.
The Recognize Text options are displayed in the Secondary toolbar.
3In the Secondary toolbar, select a page range and language for text recognition.
4Optionally, click Settings to open the Recognize Text dialog box, and specify the options as needed.
5Click Recognize Text. Acrobat creates a layer of text in your PDF that can be searched — or copied and pasted into
a new document.
Recognize text in multiple documents
1Choose Tools > Enhance Scans > Recognize Text > In Multiple Files.
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2In the Recognize Text dialog box, click Add Files, and choose Add Files, Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Then
select the files or folder.
3In the Output Options dialog box, specify a target folder for output files, and filename preferences.
4In the Recognize Text - General Settings dialog box, specify the options, and then click OK.
Acrobat creates a layer of text in your PDF that can be searched — or copied and pasted into a new document.
Recognize Text - General Settings dialog box
Document Language Specifies the language for the OCR engine to use to identify the characters.
Output (PDF Output Style) Determines the type of PDF to produce. All options require an input resolution of 72 dpi or
higher (recommended). All formats apply OCR and font and page recognition to the text images and convert them to
normal text.
Searchable Image Ensures that text is searchable and selectable. This option keeps the original image, deskews it as
needed, and places an invisible text layer over it. The selection for Downsample Images in this same dialog box
determines whether the image is downsampled and to what extent.
Searchable Image (Exact) Ensures that text is searchable and selectable. This option keeps the original image and places
an invisible text layer over it. Recommended for cases requiring maximum fidelity to the original image.
Editable Text & Images Synthesizes a new custom font that closely approximates the original, and preserves the page
background using a low-resolution copy.
Downsample To Decreases the number of pixels in color, grayscale, and monochrome images after OCR is complete.
Choose the degree of downsampling to apply. Higher-numbered options do less downsampling, producing higher-
resolution PDFs.
Correct OCR text in PDFs
When you run OCR on a scanned output, Acrobat DC analyzes bitmaps of text and substitutes words and characters
for those bitmap areas. If the ideal substitution is uncertain, Acrobat DC marks the word as suspect. Suspects appear
in the PDF as the original bitmap of the word, but the text is included on an invisible layer behind the bitmap of the
word. This method makes the word searchable even though it is displayed as a bitmap.
Note: If you try to select text in a scanned PDF that does not have OCR applied, or try to perform a Read Out Loud
operation on an image file, Acrobat DC asks if you want to run OCR. If you click OK, the Text Recognition dialog box
opens and you can select options, which are described in detail under the previous topic.
1Choose Tools > Enhance Scans > Recognize Text > Correct Recognized Text.
Acrobat DC identifies suspected text errors and displays the image and text side by side in the Secondary toolbar.
(All suspect words on the page are enclosed in boxes.)
2Click the highlighted object or box in the document, and then correct it in the Recognized As box in the Secondary
toolbar. Click Accept.
The next suspect is highlighted. Correct mistakes as needed. Click Accept for each correction.
3Click Close in the Secondary toolbar when the task is complete.
Overview of PDF creation
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What’s the best way to create a PDF?
You create a PDF by converting other documents and resources to Portable Document Format. You can usually choose
from several PDF creation methods, depending on the type of file you start with and your requirements for the PDF.
You can create PDFs from documents printed on paper, Microsoft Word documents, InDesign® files, and digital
images, to name just a few examples. Different types of sources have different tools available for PDF conversion. In
many applications, you can create PDFs by selecting the Adobe PDF printer in the Print dialog box.
If a file is open in its authoring application (such as a spreadsheet that is open in Microsoft Excel), you can usually
convert the file to PDF without opening Adobe Acrobat XI. Similarly, if Acrobat is already open, you don’t have to open
the authoring application to convert a file to PDF.
Every PDF strikes a balance between efficiency (small file size) and quality (such as resolution and color). When that
balance is critical to your task, you’ll want to use a method that includes access to various conversion options.
For example, you can drag files to the Acrobat icon to create PDFs. In this case, Acrobat applies the most recently used
conversion settings without providing access to those settings. If you want more control over the process, you’ll want
to use another method.
Additional resource
•Acrobat user community forums: acrobatusers.com/forum/pdf-creation.
PDF creation methods by file type
Refer to the following lists to determine the methods available for the different types of files.
Most files
These methods can be used for documents and images in almost all file formats.
Create menu or Tools > Create PDF Within Acrobat, by choosing PDF from File.
Adobe PDF printer Within most applications, in the Print dialog box.
Drag and drop On the desktop or from a folder.
Context menu On the desktop or in a folder, by right-clicking.
Paper documents
Requires a scanner and a hard copy of the document.
Create menu or Tools > Create PDF Within Acrobat, by choosing PDF from Scanner. Or, for previously scanned paper
documents, by choosing PDF from File.
Microsoft Office documents
PDFMaker (Windows only) Within the authoring application, in the Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar and on the Adobe PDF
menu. For Microsoft Office 2007 or later applications, in the Acrobat or Adobe PDF ribbon.
Save As Adobe PDF (Mac OS) Within the authoring application, choose File > Print > PDF > Adobe PDF.
Adobe PDF printer (Windows only) Within the authoring application, in the Print dialog box.
Drag and drop On the desktop or from a folder.
Context menu (Windows only) On the desktop or in a folder, by right-clicking.
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Email messages
PDFMaker (Windows only) Within Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes, by clicking Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar buttons.
Or by choosing commands in the Adobe PDF menu (Outlook) or the Actions menu (Lotus Notes).
Adobe PDF printer (Windows only) Within the email application, in the Print dialog box. Creates a PDF (not a PDF
Portfolio).
Context menu (Outlook 2007 or later) On an email folder or selection of messages, by right-clicking.
Web pages
Create menu or Tools > Create PDF Within Acrobat, by choosing PDF from Web Page.
PDFMaker (Windows only) Within Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Firefox, or when editing in a web-authoring
application that supports PDFMaker, such as Word. Also, in the Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar and on the Adobe PDF
menu.
Adobe PDF printer (Windows 7) Within a web browser or when editing in a web-authoring application, such as Word;
in the Print dialog box.
Drag and drop On the desktop or from a folder, dragging the HTML file.
Context menu (HTML files) On the desktop or in a folder, by right-clicking the HTML file.
Content copied on the clipboard
Create menu Within Acrobat, by choosing PDF from Clipboard.
AutoCAD files (Acrobat Pro DC for Windows only)
Create menu or Tools > Create PDF Within Acrobat, by choosing PDF from File.
PDFMaker Within AutoCAD, in the Acrobat PDFMaker toolbar or in the Adobe PDF menu.
Adobe PDF printer Within AutoCAD, in the Print dialog box.
Drag and drop On the desktop or from a folder.
Context menu On the desktop or in a folder, by right-clicking.
PostScript and EPS files
Drag and drop On the desktop or from a folder, by dragging to the Acrobat Distiller icon or into the Acrobat Distiller®
window.
Double-clicking (PostScript® files only) On the desktop or in a folder.
Open command Within Acrobat Distiller, in the File menu.
Create menu Within Acrobat, by choosing PDF from File.
Context menu On the desktop or in a folder, by right-clicking.
3D files (Acrobat Pro)
Create menu or Tools > Create PDF Within Acrobat Pro, by choosing PDF From File.
Drag and drop On the desktop or from a folder.
Adobe Presenter slideshows
Adobe PDF Within Microsoft PowerPoint, choose Adobe Presenter > Publish.
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Balancing PDF file size and quality
You can select various settings to ensure that your PDF has the best balance between file size, resolution, conformity to
specific standards, and other factors. Which settings you select depends on your goals for the PDF that you are creating.
For example, a PDF intended for high-quality commercial printing requires different settings than a PDF intended only
for onscreen viewing and quick downloading over the Internet.
Once selected, these settings apply across PDFMaker, Acrobat, and Acrobat Distiller. However, some settings are
limited to specific contexts or file types. For example, PDFMaker options can vary among the different types of
Microsoft Office applications.
For convenience, you can select one of the conversion presets available in Acrobat. You can also create, define, save, and
reuse custom presets that are uniquely suited to your purposes.
For scanned documents, you can choose from Autodetect Color Mode or several scanning presets that are optimized
for scanning documents and images in color or black and white. You can modify these presets, or use your own custom
scanning settings.
More Help topics
Creating simple PDFs with Acrobat
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Creating PDFs with Acrobat Distiller
Scan documents to PDF
Using the Adobe PDF printer
Converting web pages to PDF
Creating PDFs with PDFMaker (Windows)
Using the Adobe PDF printer
Create PDFs by printing to file
In many authoring applications, you can use the Print command with the Adobe PDF printer to convert your file to
PDF. Your source document is converted to PostScript and fed directly to Distiller for conversion to PDF, without
manually starting Distiller. The current Distiller preference settings and Adobe PDF settings are used to convert the
file. If you’re working with nonstandard page sizes, create a custom page size.
Note: (Windows) For Microsoft Office documents, the Adobe PDF printer does not include some of the features that are
available from PDFMaker. For example, you cannot create bookmarks and hyperlinks using the Adobe PDF printer. If
you’re creating a PDF from a Microsoft Office document and you want to use these features, use PDFMaker.
The Adobe PDF printer creates untagged PDFs. A tagged structure is required for reflowing content to a handheld
device and is preferable for producing reliable results with a screen reader.
Create a PDF using the Print command (Windows)
1Open the file in its authoring application, and choose File > Print.
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2Choose Adobe PDF from the printers menu.
3Click the Properties (or Preferences) button to customize the Adobe PDF printer setting. (In some applications, you
may need to click Setup in the Print dialog box to open the list of printers, and then click Properties or Preferences.)
4In the Print dialog box, click OK.
Note: Your PDF is saved in the folder specified by the setting of the Adobe PDF Output Folder in the Preferences dialog
box; the default location is My Documents. If you specify Prompt For Adobe PDF Filename, then a Save As dialog opens
when you print.
Create a PDF using the Print command (Mac OS X)
The method for creating PDFs using the Print command changed in Mac OS v10.6 Snow Leopard with Acrobat 9.1 and
later. The following procedure describes the method in both Snow Leopard and earlier versions of Mac OS X.
1Open the file in its authoring application, and choose File > Print.
2Choose Save AsAdobe PDF from the PDF menu at the bottom of the dialog box.
3For Adobe PDF Settings, choose one of the default settings, or customize the settings using Distiller. Any custom
settings that you have defined are listed.
For most users, the default Adobe PDF conversion settings are adequate.
4For After PDF Creation, specify whether to open the PDF.
5Click Continue.
6Select a name and location for your PDF, and click Save.
Note: By default, your PDF is saved with the same filename and a .pdf extension.
Adobe PDF printing preferences (Windows)
Printing preferences apply to all applications that use the Adobe PDF printer, unless you change the settings in an
authoring application by using the Page Setup,Document Setup, or Print menu.
Note: The dialog box for setting printing preferences is named Adobe PDFPrinting Preferences, Adobe PDF Printing
Defaults, or Adobe PDFDocument Properties, depending on how you access it.
To access printing preferences:
•Open the Printers window from the Start menu. Right-click the Adobe PDF printer, and choose Printing
Preferences.
•In an authoring application such as Adobe InDesign, choose File > Print. Select Adobe PDF as the printer, and click
the Properties (or Preferences) button. (In some applications, you may need to click Setup in the Print dialog box to
access the list of printers, and then click Properties or Preferences to customize the Adobe PDF settings.)
PDF-specific options appear on the Adobe PDF Settings tab. The Paper Quality tab and Layout tab contain other
familiar options for the paper source, printer ink, page orientation, and number of pages per sheet.
Note: Printing Preferences are different from printer Properties. The Preferences include Adobe PDF-specific options for the
conversion process; the Properties dialog box contains tabs of options that are available for any type of printer.
Adobe PDFConversion Settings Select a predefined set of options from the Default Settings menu or click Edit to view
or change the settings in the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box.
Adobe PDF Security To add security to the PDF, choose one of the following options, or click Edit to view or change
the security settings:
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Reconfirm Security For Each Job Opens the Adobe PDF - Security dialog box each time you create a PDF using the
Adobe PDF printer. Specify settings in the dialog box.
Use The Last Known Security Settings Uses the same security settings that were used the last time a PDF was created
using the Adobe PDF printer on your computer.
Adobe PDF Output Folder Choose an output folder for the converted PDF, or click Browse to add or change the output
folder. Choose Prompt For Adobe PDF Filename to specify a location and filename at the time of conversion.
Adobe PDF Page Size menu Select a custom page size that you have defined.
View Adobe PDF Results Automatically starts Acrobat DC and displays the converted document immediately.
Add Document Information Includes information such as the filename and date and time of creation.
Rely On System Fonts Only; Do Not Use Document Fonts Deselect this option to download fonts when creating the
PDF. All your fonts will be available in the PDF, but it will take longer to create it. Leave this option selected if you are
working with Asian-language documents.
Delete Log Files For Successful Jobs Automatically deletes the log files unless the job fails.
Ask To Replace Existing PDF File Warns you when you are about to overwrite an existing PDF with a file of the same
name.
Set Adobe PDF printer properties (Windows)
In Windows, you can usually leave the Adobe PDF printer properties unchanged, unless you have configured printer
sharing or set security.
Note: Printing Properties are different from printer Preferences. The Properties dialog box contains tabs of options that
apply to any type of printer; the Preferences include conversion options specifically for the Adobe PDF printer.
Set Adobe PDF printer properties
1Open Devices and Printers from the Start menu, and right-click the Adobe PDF printer.
2Choose Properties.
3Click the tabs, and select options as needed.
Reassign the port that the Adobe PDF printer uses
1Quit Distiller if it is running, and allow all queued jobs to the Adobe PDF printer to complete.
2Open Devices and Printers from the Start menu.
3Right-click the Adobe PDF printer, and choose Printer Properties.
4Click the Ports tab, and then click Add Port.
5Select Adobe PDF Port (Windows XP) or Adobe PDF Port Monitor (Vista/Windows 7) from the list of available port
types, and click New Port.
6Select a local folder for PDF output files, and click OK. Then click Close to quit the Printer Ports dialog box.
7In the Adobe PDF Properties dialog box, click Apply, and then click OK.
For best results, select a folder on the same system where Distiller is installed. Although remote or network folders
are supported, they have limited user access and security issues.
Delete a folder and reassign the Adobe PDF printer to the default port
1Quit Distiller if it is running, and allow a few minutes for all queued jobs to Adobe PDF to complete.
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2Open Devices and Printers from the Start menu.
3Right-click the Adobe PDF printer, and choose Printer Properties.
4Click the Ports tab.
5Select the default port, Documents, and click Apply.
6Select the port to delete, click Delete Port, and then click OK to confirm the deletion.
7Select the Documents port again and click Close.
Create and use a custom page size
It’s important to distinguish between page size (as defined in the source application’s Document Setup dialog box for
your document) and paper size (the sheet of paper, piece of film, or area of the printing plate you’ll print on). Your page
size might be U.S. Letter (8-1/2-by-11 in. or 21.59-by-27.94 cm), but you might need to print on a larger piece of paper
or film to accommodate any printer’s marks or the bleed area. To ensure that your document prints as expected, set up
your page size in both the source application and the printer.
The list of paper sizes available to Acrobat DC comes from the PPD file (PostScript printers) or from the printer driver
(non-PostScript printers). If the printer and PPD file you’ve chosen for PostScript printing support custom paper sizes,
you see a Custom option in the Paper Size menu. For printers capable of producing very large print areas, Acrobat DC
supports pages as large as 15,000,000 in. (38,100,000 cm) by 15,000,000 in. (38,100,000 cm).
Create a custom page size (Windows)
1Do one of the following:
•Open Devices and Printers or Printer And Faxes window from the Start menu. Right-click the Adobe PDF
printer, and choose Printing Preferences.
•In an authoring application such as Adobe InDesign, choose File > Print. Select Adobe PDF as the printer, and
click the Properties button. (In some applications, you may need to click Setup in the Print dialog box to open
the list of printers, and then click Properties or Preferences to customize the Adobe PDF settings.)
2In the Adobe PDF Settings tab, click the Add button next to the Adobe PDF Page Size menu.
3Specify the name, width, height, and unit of measurement. Click Add/Modify to add the custom page size name to
the Adobe PDF Page Size menu.
Create a custom page size (Mac OS)
1In an authoring application such as Adobe InDesign, choose File > Page Setup.
2In the Paper Size pop-up menu, select Manage Custom Sizes.
3Click the + button.
4Specify the name, height, width, and margins. The unit of measurement depends on the system language.
Use the custom page size
1Choose File > Print.
2Click the Page Setup button.
3Select the new custom page size from the Paper Size menu.
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More Help topics
Overview of creating PDFs
Creating simple PDFs with Acrobat DC
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Creating PDFs with Acrobat Distiller
Creating PDFs with PDFMaker (Windows)
Scan documents to PDF
Converting web pages to PDF
Creating accessible PDFs
Converting web pages to PDF
Web pages and PDFs
The core of a web page is a file written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Typically, the HTML file includes
associations with other files that either appear on the web page or govern how it looks or works.
When you convert a web page to PDF, the HTML file and all associated files—such as JPEG images, Adobe FLA files,
cascading style sheets, text files, image maps, and forms—are included in the conversion process.
The resulting PDF behaves much like the original web page. For example, the images, links, image maps, and most
media files appear and function normally within the PDF. (Animated GIF files appear as still images, showing the last
frame of the animation.)
Also, the PDF functions like any other PDF. For example, you can navigate through the file by scrolling or using
bookmarks; users can add comments to it; you can add security, form fields, and other features that enhance it.
In preparing to convert web pages to PDF, consider the following factors, which affect how you approach the conversion
process:
•How much do you want to convert?
If you want to convert only selected areas of the currently open web page, use PDFMaker from within Internet
Explorer. If you want to convert several levels or all of a multipage website to PDF, work within Acrobat.
•Do you want to create a new PDF from the web pages or to append the converted pages to an existing PDF?
You can do both in either Acrobat or Internet Explorer, but you choose different buttons or commands to
accomplish these things.
Note: To convert Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) language web pages to PDF on a Roman (Western) system in
Windows, you must have installed the CJK language support files while installing Acrobat. Also, it is preferable to select an
appropriate encoding from the HTML conversion settings.
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Convert web pages to PDF in Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox
(Windows)
Acrobat installs an Adobe PDF toolbar in Internet Explorer (version 7.0 or later), Google Chrome, and Firefox (version
3.5 or later). Using the commands on this toolbar, you can convert the currently displayed web page to PDF in various
ways. For example, you can convert the entire web page or selected areas of it. Or, you can create a PDF or append the
converted web page to an existing PDF. The toolbar has additional commands that initiate further actions after
conversion, such as attaching the new PDF to a new email message or printing it.
See the video Creating PDF Files from a Web Browser for additional information.
Convert a web page to PDF
To convert a webpage to PDF, do the following:
1Go to the web page.
•For Windows, use Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome.
•For Mac, use Firefox.
2Using the Convert menu on the Adobe PDF toolbar, do one of the following:
•To create a PDF from the currently open web page, choose Convert Web Page To PDF. Then select a location,
type a filename, and click Save.
•To add a PDF of the currently open web page to another PDF, choose Add Web Page To Existing PDF. Then locate
and select the existing PDF, and click Save.
•(Internet Explorer and Firefox only) To create and print a PDF from the currently open web page, choose Print
Web Page. When the conversion is complete and the Print dialog box opens, specify options and click OK.
•(Internet Explorer and Firefox only) To create a PDF from the currently open web page and attach it to a blank
email message, choose Convert Web Page And Email. Then specify a location and filename for the PDF, and
click Save. Type the appropriate information in the email message that opens after the conversion is complete.
•For any of these options, to open the output PDF after conversion, select View Adobe PDF Results.
Note: The Adobe Create PDF icon gets added to the supported browsers when you install Acrobat. If you’re unable to see
the Create PDF icon, do the following:
•In Internet Explorer, choose View > Toolbars > Adobe Acrobat Create PDF Toolbar.
•In Firefox, choose To ols > Add-ons > Extensions, and then enable the Adobe Acrobat - Create PDF extension.
•In Google Chrome, choose Customize menu > Settings and then click Extensions from the left pane. Enable the
Adobe Acrobat - Create PDF extension.
Convert part of a web page to PDF (Internet Explorer and Firefox)
1Drag the pointer to select text and images on a web page.
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2Right-click on the selected content and choose one of the following:
•To create a new PDF, choose Convert To Adobe PDF or Convert Web Page To Adobe PDF (Internet Explorer)
or Convert Selection to Adobe PDF (Firefox). Then select a name and location for the PDF.
•To append the selected content to another PDF, choose Append To Existing PDF (Internet Explorer) or Append
Selection to Existing PDF (Firefox). Then locate and select the PDF to which the selection will be added.
Convert selected areas in a web page to PDF (Internet Explorer only)
You can use the Select option to select specific areas on a web page to convert. You can use this option to convert
meaningful content on a web page and omit unwanted content, such as advertisements.
1On the Adobe PDF toolbar, click Select (next to Convert).
2As you move the pointer around the web page, a red dotted line indicates areas of the web page that you can select.
Click the areas to convert. Selected areas appear in blue boxes. To deselect an area, click it again.
3Proceed with conversion as usual.
4To deselect all areas and exit the select mode, click Select again.
Convert a linked web page to PDF
❖In the open web page, right-click the linked text and choose one of the following:
•To add the linked web page to an existing PDF, choose Append Link Target To Existing PDF. Then locate and
select the existing PDF, and click Save.
•To convert the linked web page to a new PDF, choose Convert Link Target To Adobe PDF.
Note: The right-click menu also includes the options Append To Existing PDF and Convert To Adobe PDF. If you select
either of these options, the currently open web page, not the selected link, is converted.
Convert web pages to PDF in Acrobat
Although you can convert an open web page to PDF from Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Firefox, you get
additional options when you run the conversion from Acrobat. For example, you can include an entire website in the
PDF or just some levels of a website.
Convert a web page to PDF
1Choose File > Create > PDF from Web Page.
2Enter the complete path to the web page, or click Browse and locate an HTML file.
3To change the number of levels in the website to convert, expand Capture Multiple Levels. Enter the number of
levels to include, or select Get Entire Site to include all levels from the website.
Note: Some websites have hundreds or even thousands of pages. Converting a large website can make your system slow
and unresponsive, and can even use up available hard drive space and memory, causing a system crash. It’s a good idea
to begin by downloading one level of pages and then go through them to find particular links to download.
4If Get Only N Level(s) is selected, select one or both of the following options:
Stay On Same Path Downloads only web pages subordinate to the specified URL.
Stay On Same Server Downloads only web pages stored on the same server.
5Click Settings, change the selected options in the Web Page Conversion Settings dialog box as needed, and click OK.
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6Click Create.
Note: You can view PDF pages while they are downloading; however, you cannot modify a page until the download
process is complete.
You do not need to wait for the conversion to complete before adding more requests. While a conversion is in progress,
you can convert another page to PDF and that gets added to the queue. The number of requests in the queue are
indicated by the Pending Conversions field in the Download Status dialog box.
Add an unlinked web page to an existing PDF
Use this procedure to append pages to a writable PDF. If the original PDF is read-only, the result will be a new PDF
rather than new pages in the existing PDF.
1Open the existing PDF in Acrobat (the PDF to which you want to append a web page).
2Choose Tools > Organize Pages > Insert > Insert from Web Page.
3Enter the URL to the web page you want to append and select options, as described for converting web pages to PDF,
and then click Create.
Add a linked web page to an existing PDF
1Open the previously converted PDF in Acrobat. If necessary, scroll to the page containing links to the pages you
want to add.
2Right-click the web link, and choose Append To Document.
Note: After pages have been converted, links to these pages change to internal links, and clicking a link takes you to the
PDF page, rather than to the original HTML page on the web.
Convert a linked web page to a new PDF
1Open the previously converted PDF in Acrobat. If necessary, scroll to the page containing a web link you want to
convert.
2Right-click the web link, and choose Open Weblink As New Document.
Note: In Windows, you can also convert a linked page from a web page displayed in Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or
Firefox, using a similar right-click command.
Copy the URL of a web link
Use this procedure to copy the path for a web link to the clipboard, to use it for other purposes.
1Open the previously converted PDF in Acrobat. If necessary, scroll to the page containing links to the pages you
want to copy.
2Right-click the web link and choose Copy Link Location.
Change web page conversion options
The settings for converting web pages to PDF apply to the conversion process. The settings changes do not affect
existing PDFs.
1Do one of the following:
•From Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Firefox, in the Adobe PDF toolbar, choose Convert > Preferences.
•From Acrobat, choose File > Create > PDF from Web Page, and then click Settings.
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2On the General tab, select options under Conversion Settings and PDF Settings, as needed. Click the Settings button
to see additional options for the selected File Type.
3On the Page Layout tab, select options for page size, orientation, and scaling, as needed.
Web page conversion options
The Web Page Conversion Settings dialog box is available from within Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, and
Acrobat.
General tab
Conversion Settings Specifies the conversion settings for HTML and Text. Choose a file type and click Settings to select
the font properties and other characteristics.
Create Bookmarks Creates a tagged bookmark for each converted web page using the page title (HTML Title element)
as the bookmark name. If the page has no title, the URL is used as the bookmark name.
Create PDF Tags Stores a structure in the PDF that corresponds to the HTML structure of the web pages. This structure
lets you create tagged bookmarks for paragraphs, list elements, and other items that use HTML elements.
Place Headers And Footers On New Page Places a header and footer on every page. Headers show the web page title, or
if no title is available, the web page URL or file path. Footers show the web page URL or file path, and the date and time
of the download.
Page Layout tab
The Page Layout options specify a selection of page sizes and options for width, height, margin measurements, and page
orientation.
The Scaling options are as follows:
Scale Wide Contents To Fit Page Rescales the contents of a page, if necessary, to fit the width of the page. If this option
is not selected, the paper size adjusts to fit the contents of the page, if necessary.
Switch To Landscape If Scaled Smaller Than Changes the page orientation to landscape if the new version of a page is
less than the specified percentage of the original size. Available only if you selected portrait orientation.
HTML Conversion Settings
This dialog box opens when you select HTML on the General tab of the Web Page Conversion Settings dialog box and
then click the Settings button.
Default Encoding Lets you specify the following options:
Default Encoding Sets the input encoding of the file text from a menu of operating systems and alphabets.
Always Ignores any encoding that is specified in the HTML source file and uses the selection shown in the Default
Encoding option.
When Page Doesn’t Specify Encoding Uses the selection shown in the Default Encoding option only if the HTML
source file does not specify a type of encoding.
Language Specific Font Settings Use these settings to change the language script, body text typeface, and base typeface
size.
Default Colors Sets the default colors for text, page backgrounds, and web links. Click the color button to open a palette
and select the color. To use these colors in the PDF, select Force These Settings For All Pages. When this option is
unselected, the default colors are applied only for pages that don't have a specified color scheme.
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Multimedia Content Determines whether to disable multimedia capture, embed multimedia files when possible, or
link to multimedia (such as SWF files) by URL.
Retain Page Background Specifies whether to display colors and tiled images in page backgrounds and colors in table
cells. If options are deselected, converted web pages sometimes look different than they do in a web browser, but are
easier to read when printed.
Convert Images Includes images in the conversion to PDF.
Underline Links Underlines textual web links on the pages.
Expand Scrollable Blocks Expands scrollable blocks to include complete information on the converted PDF.
Text Settings
Input Encoding Sets the input encoding of the text for a file.
Language Specific Font Settings Use these settings to change the language script, body text typeface, and base typeface
size.
Default Colors Sets the default colors for text and page backgrounds. Click the color button to open a palette, and select
the color.
Wrap Lines At Margin Inserts a soft return when the text reaches the edge of the text area on the page.
Creating PDFs with Acrobat Distiller
Acrobat Distiller overview
In Acrobat Distiller, you can select settings used to convert documents to PDFs, security options, and font information.
You also use the Acrobat Distiller window to monitor the jobs you’ve lined up for PDF conversion.
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A Menus B Adobe PDF settings files C Files in job queue D Failed job E Context menu F Status window
To convert PostScript files automatically in Acrobat Pro, set up a watched folder in Distiller.
To start Acrobat Distiller (Windows), choose All Program > Adobe Acrobat Distiller DC.
Manage the conversion queue
Distiller lets you queue PostScript files that you create in authoring applications and then monitor them throughout the
PDF conversion process.
Queue a PostScript file
1In Distiller, select an Adobe PDF settings file from the Default Settings pop-up menu.
2(Optional) Choose Settings > Security and select an encryption level.
3Open the PostScript file and start the conversion process, using either method:
•Choose File > Open, select a PostScript file, and click Open.
•Drag one or more PostScript files from the desktop to the Acrobat Distiller window.
Click Pause before doing step 3 if you want to review the queue before Distiller starts converting the files.
Change the queue during processing
Do any of the following:
•To temporarily stop processing the current job, click Pause.
•To resume processing the current job, click Resume.
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•To delete files from the queue, click Cancel Job. Cancel Job deletes all files from the queue that are not yet
successfully completed. Or (Windows only), select and right-click individual files in the job queue and choose
Cancel Job(s) to delete only those files.
•(Windows only) To open the folder where the selected files are, right-click the job queue and choose Explore.
•(Windows only) To open the selected PDF in Acrobat, a browser, or Reader, right-click the job queue and choose
View. Or, double-click the PDF to open it in Acrobat.
Save a history of the job queue (Windows)
❖Right-click the job queue, and choose Save List.
Distiller saves and opens the history as a PDF.
Clear the queue
Remove all paused and successfully converted files from the list:
•(Windows) Right-click the job queue, and choose Clear History.
•(Mac OS) Click the Clear List button above the queue.
Distiller preferences
The Distiller preferences control global Distiller settings. You set Distiller preferences by choosing File > Preferences
(Windows) or Distiller > Preferences (Mac OS).
Notify When Watched Folders Are Unavailable (Acrobat Pro) Returns a message if a watched folder becomes
unavailable or can’t be found.
(Windows) Notify When Windows TEMP Folder Is Nearly Full Warns you if available hard disk space is less than 1 MB.
Required hard disk space is often double the size of the PostScript file being processed.
Ask For PDF File Destination Lets you specify the name and location for files when using drag-and-drop or the Print
command.
Ask To Replace Existing PDF File Warns you if you are about to overwrite an existing PDF.
View PDF When Using Distiller Automatically opens the converted PDF.
Delete Log Files For Successful Jobs Creates a log file (named messages.log) only if there are messages from interpreting
the PostScript file or if a PostScript error occurs. (Log files for failed jobs are always created.)
Guidelines for creating PostScript files
If you want to fine-tune the creation of the PDF with Distiller parameters or pdfmark operators, first create a PostScript
file and then convert that file to PDF. For more information about the Adobe Acrobat DC SDK, see the Acrobat
Developer Center at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_devcenter_en (English only).
In authoring applications such as Adobe InDesign, use the Print command with the Adobe PDF printer to convert a
file to PostScript. The Print dialog boxes can vary from application to application. For instructions on creating a
PostScript file from your specific application, see the application documentation.
Keep in mind the following guidelines when creating PostScript files:
•Use PostScript Language Level 3 whenever possible to take advantage of the most advanced features of PostScript.
•Use the Adobe PDF printer as your PostScript printer.
•(Windows) Send the fonts used in the document.
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•Give a PostScript file the same name as the original document, but with the extension .ps. (Some applications use a
.prn extension instead.)
•Use color and custom page sizes that are available with the Adobe Acrobat Distiller DC PPD file. Other PPD files
may cause inappropriate colors, fonts, or page sizes in the PDF.
•Send PostScript files as 8-bit binary data when using FTP to transfer the files between computers, especially if the
platforms are different. This action prevents converting line feeds to carriage returns or vice versa.
About watched folders (Acrobat Pro)
You can configure Distiller to look for PostScript files in certain folders called watched folders. Distiller can monitor
up to 100 watched folders. When Distiller finds a PostScript file located in the In folder of a watched folder, it converts
the file to PDF and then moves the PDF (and usually the PostScript file and any associated log file) to the Out folder.
A watched folder can have its own Adobe PDF settings and security settings that apply to all files processed from that
folder. Security settings for a watched folder take priority over the security settings for Distiller. For example, Distiller
does not convert a PostScript file in a watched folder if the file is marked with read-only permission.
(Windows) Settings and preferences are unique to each user. On a non-NT File System (NTFS), custom settings files
stored in this settings folder are read- and write-accessible by every user on the system. On an NTFS, only files created
by respective users are read- and write-accessible. Settings files created by other users are read-only. (The default
settings files installed with Adobe Acrobat Distiller DC are Read Only and Hidden.)
(Mac OS) Each user’s settings and preferences for Distiller are normally not accessible to any other user. To share a
watched folder with other users, the creator of the folder must set the appropriate permissions for the In and Out
folders. Sharing enables other users to copy files to the In folder and get files from the Out folder. The creator must be
logged into the system and have Distiller running. The other users must log in remotely to open the live watched folder
and have their files processed.
Note: You can’t set up watched folders as a network service for other users. Every user who creates PDFs must have an
Acrobat Pro license.
Set watched folders (Acrobat Pro)
1In Acrobat Distiller DC, choose Settings > Watched Folders.
2Click Add Folder, and select the target folder. Distiller automatically puts an In folder and an Out folder in the target
folder. You can place In and Out folders at any level of a disk drive.
3To define security options for a folder, select the folder and click Edit Security. Click OK to return to the Watched
Folders dialog box.
Note: A security icon is prepended to any folder name for which security is set. To return a folder to the original options
selected in the Distiller window, select the folder, and click Clear Security.
4Set Adobe PDF conversion settings for the folders:
•To edit the Adobe PDF settings to be applied to a folder, select the folder, click Edit Settings, and edit the Adobe
PDF settings. Click OK to save it to the watched folder as folder.joboptions.
•To use a different set of Adobe PDF settings, select the folder and click Load Settings. Use any settings that you
have defined, named, and saved, and then click OK.
5Set options to manage the processing of files:
•Enter a number of seconds to specify how often to check the folders. You can enter up to 9999. (For example, 120
equals 2 minutes, and 9999 equals about 2-3/4 hours.)
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•Choose what to do with a PostScript file after it has been processed. The file can be moved to the Out folder along
with the PDF file or deleted. Any log file is also automatically copied to the Out folder.
•To delete PDFs after a certain period of time, enter a number of days, up to 999. This option also deletes
PostScript and log files, if you have chosen to delete them.
6If you want to remove a folder, select the folder and click Remove Folder. Make sure that Distiller has finished
processing all the files in the folder before you remove it.
Note: When you remove a watched folder, Distiller does not delete the In and Out folders, their contents, or the
folder.joboptions file. You can delete these manually when appropriate.
More Help topics
Overview of creating PDFs
Creating simple PDFs with Acrobat
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Scan documents to PDF
Using the Adobe PDF printer
Converting web pages to PDF
Creating PDFs with PDFMaker (Windows)
Customize Adobe PDF settings
PDF fonts
Font embedding and substitution
A font can be embedded only if it contains a setting by the font vendor that permits it to be embedded. Embedding
prevents font substitution when readers view or print the file, and ensures that readers see the text in its original font.
Embedding increases file size only slightly, unless the document uses CID fonts. a font format commonly used for Asian
languages. You can embed or substitute fonts in Acrobat or when you export an InDesign document to PDF.
You can embed the entire font, or just a subset of the characters used in the file. Subsetting ensures that your fonts and
font metrics are used at print time by creating a custom font name. That way, for example, your version of Adobe
Garamond®, not your service provider’s version, can always be used by the service provider for viewing and printing.
Type 1 and TrueType fonts can be embedded if they are included in the PostScript file, or are available in one of the font
locations that Distiller monitors and are not restricted from embedding.
When a font cannot be embedded because of the font vendor’s settings, and someone who opens or prints a PDF does
not have access to the original font, a Multiple Master typeface is temporarily substituted: AdobeSerifMM for a missing
serif font, and AdobeSansMM for a missing sans serif font.
The Multiple Master typeface can stretch or condense to fit, to ensure that line and page breaks in the original
document are maintained. The substitution cannot always match the shape of the original characters, however,
especially if the characters are unconventional ones, such as script typefaces.
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Note: For Asian text, Acrobat DC uses fonts from the installed Asian language kit or from similar fonts on the user’s system.
Fonts from some languages or with unknown encodings cannot be substituted; in these cases, the text appears as bullets in
the file.
If you have difficulty copying and pasting text from a PDF, first check if the problem font is embedded (File > Properties
> Font tab). For an embedded font, try changing the point where the font is embedded, rather than sending it inside the
PostScript file. Distill the PDF without embedding that font. Then open the PDF in Acrobat and embed the font using the
Preflight fixup.
Accessing and embedding fonts using Distiller
When converting a PostScript file to PDF, Distiller needs access to the file’s fonts to insert the appropriate information
in the PDF. Distiller first searches the PostScript file for Type 1, TrueType, and OpenType fonts. If the font isn’t
embedded in the PostScript file, Distiller searches additional font folders. Distiller searches the following font folders
in Windows:
•/Resource/Font in the Acrobat folder
•/Program Files/Common Files/Adobe/Fonts
Distiller searches the following font folders in Mac OS:
•/Resource/Font in the Acrobat folder
•/Users/[user name]/Library/Fonts
•/Library/Fonts
•/System/Library/Fonts
The Acrobat installation includes width-only versions of many common Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fonts,
therefore Distiller can then access these fonts in Acrobat. Make sure that the fonts are available on your computer.
(In Windows, choose Complete when you install Acrobat, or choose Custom and select the Asian Language Support
option under the View Adobe PDF category. In Mac OS, these fonts are installed automatically.)
For information on including fonts in a PostScript file, see the documentation that came with the application and
printer driver you use to create PostScript files.
Note: Distiller does not support Type 32 fonts.
To specify other font folders for Distiller to search, in Acrobat Distiller, choose Settings > Font Locations. Then in the
dialog box, click Add to add a font folder. Select Ignore TrueType Versions Of Standard PostScript Fonts to exclude
TrueType fonts that have the same name as a font in the PostScript 3 font collection.
Note: To provide Distiller with access to a font folder that has been moved, use this dialog box to remove the folder listed
in its old location and add it in its new location.
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Preview PDFs without local fonts
You can create a printable preview of your document that substitutes default fonts for any text formatted in fonts that
are available on your local computer but are not embedded in the PDF. This preview can help you decide whether to
embed those local fonts in the PDF, to achieve the look you want for your document.
❖In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Page Display, and then deselect Use Local Fonts.
Note: If a font cannot be substituted, the text appears as bullets, and Acrobat displays an error message.
Find PostScript font names
If you need to enter a font name manually on the Fonts panel of the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box, you can use a PDF
to find the exact spelling of the name.
1Use any application to create a one-page document with the font.
2Create a PDF from the document.
3Open the PDF in Acrobat DC, and choose File > Properties > Fonts.
4Write down the name of the font, using the exact spelling, capitalization, and hyphenation of the name as it appears
in the Font Info dialog box.
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Choose an Adobe PDF preset for converting files
1Do one of the following:
•Start Acrobat Distiller.
•In an Adobe Creative Cloud application, choose File > Print, select Adobe PDF as the target printer, and click
Print Settings (Photoshop) or Setup > Preferences (InDesign).
•(Windows) In Office 2007 or later applications, choose Acrobat > Preferences.
•(Windows) In another authoring application or utility, choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings.
2Choose a preset from the Default Settings (or Conversion Settings) menu.
Adobe PDF presets
A PDF preset is a group of settings that affect the process of creating a PDF. These settings are designed to balance file
size with quality, depending on how the PDF are used. Most predefined presets are shared across Adobe Creative Cloud
applications, including InDesign CC, Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC, and Acrobat DC. You can also create and share
custom presets for your unique output requirements. A saved PDF preset file has the suffix .joboptions.
A few of the following presets are not available until you move them from the Extras folder (where they installed by
default) to the Settings folder for custom settings.
Note: Acrobat Standard CC does not include the Extras folder. The presets installed in the Extras folder are only available
in Acrobat Pro DC.
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Typically, the Extras and Settings folders for default settings are found at the following locations.
•(Windows XP) Documents and Settings/All Users/Application Data/Adobe/Adobe PDF
•(Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8) ProgramData/Adobe/Adobe PDF
•(Acrobat Pro DC on Mac OS) Library/Application Support/Adobe PDF
The default settings files installed with Distiller are Read Only and Hidden.
The custom settings are found in the following locations:
•(Windows XP) Documents and Settings/[username]/Application Data/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings
•(Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8) Users/[username]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings
•(Acrobat Pro DC on Mac OS) Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings
Some presets are not available in some Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
Review your PDF settings periodically. The settings do not automatically revert to the default settings. Applications and
utilities that create PDFs use the last set of PDF settings defined or selected.
High Quality Print Creates PDFs for quality printing on desktop printers and proofing devices. This preset uses PDF
1.4, downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi. It also embeds subsets
of all fonts, leaves color unchanged, and does not flatten transparency (for file types capable of transparency). These
PDFs can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.
Oversized Pages (Acrobat Pro) Creates PDFs suitable for viewing and printing of engineering drawings larger than 200
x 200 in. (508 x 508 cm). These PDFs can be opened in Acrobat and Reader 7.0 and later.
PDF/A-1b: 2005 (CMYK and RGB) Used for long-term preservation (archival) of electronic documents. PDF/A-1b uses
PDF 1.4 and converts all colors to either CMYK or RGB, depending on which standard you choose. These PDFs can
be opened in Acrobat and Reader versions 5.0 and later.
PDF/X-1a (2001 and 2003) (Acrobat Pro) PDF/X-1a requires all fonts to be embedded, the appropriate PDF bounding
boxes to be specified, and color to appear as CMYK, spot colors, or both. Compliant files must contain information
describing the printing condition for which they are prepared. PDF files created with PDF/X-1a compliance can be
opened in Acrobat 4.0 and Acrobat Reader 4.0 and later.
PDF/X-1a uses PDF 1.3, downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to 1200 ppi. It
embeds subsets of all fonts, creates untagged PDFs, and flattens transparency using the High Resolution setting.
Note: The PDF/X1-a:2003 and PDF/X-3 (2003) presets are placed on your computer during installation. However, they
aren’t available until you move them from the Extras folder to the Settings folder.
PDF/X-4 (2007) (Acrobat Pro) This preset is based on PDF 1.4, which includes support for live transparency. PDF/X-4
has the same color-management and International Color Consortium (ICC) color specifications as PDF/X-3. You can
create PDF/X-4-compliant files directly with Creative Suite 3 applications (Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop). In
Acrobat 9, use the Preflight feature to convert PDFs to PDF/X-4 DRAFT.
PDF files created with PDF/X-4 compliance can be opened in Acrobat 7.0 and Reader 7.0 and later.
Press Quality Creates PDF files for high-quality print production (for example, for digital printing or for color
separations to an imagesetter or platesetter). However, it does not create files that are PDF/X compliant. In this case,
the quality of the content is the highest consideration. The objective is to maintain all the information in a PDF file that
a commercial printer or print service provider requires to print the document correctly. This set of options uses PDF
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1.4, converts colors to CMYK, and downsamples color and grayscale images to 300 ppi and monochrome images to
1200 ppi. It embeds subsets of all fonts and preserves transparency (for file types capable of transparency).
These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 and later.
Note: Before creating a PDF file to send to a commercial printer or print service provider, find out what output resolution
and other settings are required. Or, ask for a .joboptions file with the recommended settings. You sometimes must customize
the Adobe PDF settings for a particular provider and then provide a .joboptions file of your own.
Rich Content PDF (Acrobat Pro DC) Creates accessible PDF files that include tags, hyperlinks, bookmarks, interactive
elements, and layers. This set of options uses PDF 1.6 and embeds subsets of all fonts. It also optimizes files for byte
serving. These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat and Reader 7.0 and later. (The Rich Content PDF preset is in the
Extras folder).
Note: This preset was called eBook in earlier versions of some applications.
Smallest File Size Creates PDF files for displaying on the web or an intranet, or for distribution through an email
system. This set of options uses compression, downsampling, and a relatively low image resolution. It converts all colors
to sRGB, and (for Adobe Acrobat Distiller-based conversions) does not embed fonts. It also optimizes files for byte
serving.
These PDF files can be opened in Acrobat and Reader 6.0 and later.
Standard Creates PDF files to be printed to desktop printers or digital copiers, published on a CD, or sent to a client as
a publishing proof. This set of options uses compression and downsampling to keep the file size down. However, it also
embeds subsets of all (allowed) fonts used in the file, converts all colors to sRGB, and prints to a medium resolution.
Windows font subsets are not embedded by default. PDF files created with this settings file can be opened in Acrobat
and Reader 6.0 and later.
About PDF/X, PDF/E, and PDF/A standards
PDF/X, PDF/E, and PDF/A standards are defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). PDF/X
standards apply to graphic content exchange; PDF/E standards apply to the interactive exchange of engineering
documents; PDF/A standards apply to long-term archiving of electronic documents. During PDF conversion, the file
that is being processed is checked against the specified standard. If the PDF does not meet the selected ISO standard,
you are prompted to either cancel the conversion or create a non-compliant file.
The most widely used standards for a print publishing workflow are several PDF/X formats: PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, and
(in 2008) PDF/X-4. The most widely used standards for PDF archiving are PDF/A-1a and PDF/A-1b (for less stringent
requirements). Currently, the only version of PDF/E is PDF/E-1.
For more information on PDF/X, PDF/E, and PDF/A, see the ISO and AIIM websites.
For details on creating and working with PDF/A files, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_pdfa_en.
Customize Adobe PDF settings
You may want to create custom conversion settings for certain jobs or output devices. The selections you make
determine such things as whether the document fonts are embedded and subsetted at 100%, how vector objects and
images are compressed and/or sampled, and whether the resulting PDF includes high-end printing information such
as OPI (Open Prepress Interface) comments. Default settings files cannot be modified, but can be duplicated to help
create new settings files.
Note: If the PDF is intended for high-end printing, ask your service provider for their custom .joboptions file with the
recommended output resolution and other settings. This way, the PDF you give them will have characteristics optimized
for your print workflow.
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Create a custom Adobe PDF settings file
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat Distiller, select one of the predefined sets of options from the Default Settings menu to use as a
starting point, and then choose Settings > Edit Adobe PDF Settings.
•In authoring applications or utilities, select Adobe PDF as the target printer—typically in the Page Setup or Print
dialog boxes—and click Properties.
•(Windows) In the Acrobat PDFMaker dialog box, clickAdvanced Settings in the Settings tab.
Note: In Windows, you can switch to a different preset from within the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box. To do
this, select Show All Settings at the bottom left and then select a preset from the list on the left.
2Select panels one at a time, and make changes as needed.
3Save your customized preset in one of the following ways:
•Click OK to save a duplicate of the custom preset file, which will automatically be renamed. For example, if you
edit the Press Quality preset, your first customized version appears as Press Quality (1).
•Click Save As, type a new descriptive name for the file, and click Save.
The custom file is saved in (Windows) /Documents and Settings/[user name]/Application Data/Adobe/Adobe
PDF/Settings, (Vista/7/8) User/[user name]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings, or (Mac OS)
Users/[user name]/Library/Application Support/Adobe PDF/Settings.
Delete custom Adobe PDF settings files
1In Acrobat Distiller, choose Settings > Remove Adobe PDF Settings.
2Select the custom file and click Remove.
3Repeat step 2 as needed, and then click Cancel to close the Remove Adobe PDF Settings dialog box.
Adobe PDF settings
The Acrobat Distiller Adobe PDFMaker Settings > Advanced Settings contains panels of options that you can select to
customize your PDF output.
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General panel options
Use this panel to select a version of Acrobat for file compatibility and other file and device settings.
Compatibility Sets the compatibility level of the PDF. Use the most recent version (in this case, version 1.7) to include
all the latest features and functionality. If you’re creating PDFs that will be distributed widely, choose an earlier level, to
ensure that all users can view and print the document.
Object Level Compression Compresses structural information (such as bookmarks, accessibility, and noncompressible
objects), making this information neither visible or usable in Acrobat 5.0 or Reader 5.0. Tags Only compresses
structural information; Off applies no compression.
Auto-Rotate Pages Automatically rotates pages according to the direction of text.
Note: If Process DSC Comments is selected in the Advanced panel and if %%Viewing Orientation comments are included,
these comments take precedence in determining page orientation.
Collectively By File Rotates all pages to match the orientation of the majority of text in the document.
Individually Rotates each page based on the orientation of the text on that page.
Off Prevents pages from rotating.
Binding Specifies whether to display a PDF with left side or right side binding. The Binding setting affects the
appearance of pages in the Two-Up Continuous view and the appearance of thumbnails side by side.
Resolution Use for PostScript files to emulate resolutions based on the printer they are printing to. Permitted values
range from 72 to 4000. Use the default setting unless you plan to print the PDF on a specific printer while emulating
the resolution defined in the original PostScript file.
Note: Increasing the resolution setting increases file size and may slightly increase the time required to process some files.
Pages Specifies which pages to convert to PDF.
Embed Thumbnails Embeds a thumbnail preview for each page in the PDF, increasing the file size. Deselect this setting
when users of Acrobat 5.0 and later will view and print the PDF; these versions generate thumbnails dynamically each
time you click the Pages panel of a PDF.
Optimize For Fast Web View Restructures the file for faster access (page-at-a-time downloading, or byte serving) from
web servers. This option compresses text and line art, overriding compression selections on the Images panel.
Default Page Size Specifies the page size to use when one is not specified in the original file. EPS files give a bounding
box size, not a page size.
Images panel options
The options in the Images panel specify compression and resampling for color, grayscale, and monochrome images.
You may want to experiment with these options to find an appropriate balance between file size and image quality.
The resolution setting for color and grayscale images should be 1.5 to 2 times the line screen ruling at which the file
will be printed. The resolution for monochrome images should be the same as the output device, but be aware that
saving a monochrome image at a resolution higher than 1500 dpi increases the file size without noticeably improving
image quality. Images that will be magnified, such as maps, may require higher resolutions.
Note: Resampling monochrome images can have unexpected viewing results, such as no image display. If this happens, turn
off resampling and convert the file again. This problem is most likely to occur with subsampling, and least likely with bicubic
downsampling.
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The following table shows common types of printers and their resolution measured in dpi, their default screen ruling
measured in lines per inch (lpi), and a resampling resolution for images measured in pixels per inch (ppi). For example,
if you were printing to a 600-dpi laser printer, you would enter 170 for the resolution at which to resample images.
Downsample (Off) Reduces image resolutions that exceed the For Images Above value to the resolution of the output
device by combining pixels in a sample area of the image to make one larger pixel.
Average Downsampling To Averages the pixels in a sample area and replaces the entire area with the average pixel color
at the specified resolution.
Subsampling To Replaces an entire area with a pixel selected from that sample area, at the specified resolution. Causes
faster conversion time than downsampling, but resulting images are less smooth and continuous.
Bicubic Downsampling To Uses a weighted average, instead of a simple average (as in downsampling) to determine
pixel color. This method is slowest but produces the smoothest tonal gradations.
Compression/Image Quality Applies compression to color, grayscale, and monochrome images. For color and
grayscale images, also sets the image quality.
Anti-Alias To Gray Smooths jagged edges in monochrome images. Choose 2 bit, 4 bit, or 8 bit to specify 4, 16, or 256
levels of gray. (Anti-aliasing may cause small type or thin lines to look blurry.)
Note: Compression of text and line art is always on. To turn it off, set the appropriate Distiller parameter. For details, see
the SDK information on the Acrobat Developer Center at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_devcenter_en (PDF, English
only).
Policy Opens the Image Policy dialog box, where you can set processing options for Color, Grayscale, and
Monochrome images that are less than the resolutions you specify. For each type of image, enter a resolution value, and
then choose Ignore, Warn And Continue, or Cancel Job.
Fonts panel options
The Fonts options specify which fonts to embed in a PDF, and whether to embed a subset of characters used in the PDF.
You can embed OpenType®, TrueType, and PostScript fonts. Fonts that have license restrictions are listed with a lock
icon . If you select a font that has a license restriction, the nature of the restriction is described in the Adobe PDF
Options dialog box.
Note: When you combine PDF files that have the same font subset, Acrobat attempts to combine the font subsets.
Embed All Fonts Embeds all fonts used in the file. Font embedding is required for PDF/X compliance.
Embed OpenType Fonts Embeds all OpenType fonts used in the file, and maintains OpenType font information for
advanced line layout. This option is available only if either Acrobat 7.0 (PDF 1.6) or Acrobat 8 (PDF 1.7) is selected
from the Compatibility menu in the General panel.
Subset Embedded Fonts When Percent Of Characters Used Is Less Than Specifies a threshold percentage if you want to
embed only a subset of the fonts. For example, if the threshold is 35, and fewer than 35% of the characters are used,
Distiller embeds only those characters.
When Embedding Fails Specifies how Distiller responds if it cannot find a font to embed when processing a file.
Printer resolution Default line screen Image resolution
300 dpi (laser printer) 60 lpi 120 ppi
600 dpi (laser printer) 85 lpi 170 ppi
1200 dpi (imagesetter) 120 lpi 240 ppi
2400 dpi (imagesetter) 150 lpi 300 ppi
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Always Embed To embed only certain fonts, move them into the Always Embed list. Make sure that Embed All Fonts
is not selected.
Never Embed Move fonts that you do not want to embed to this list. If necessary, choose a different font folder from
the pop-up menu to display the font in the font list.
Note: Fonts that have license restrictions are listed with a lock icon. If you select a font with a license restriction, the nature
of the restriction is described in the Adobe PDF Options dialog box.
Add Name If the font you want is not in a font folder, click Add Name. Enter the name of the font, select Always Embed
List (or Never Embed List), and click Add.
Note: A TrueType font can contain a setting added by the font designer that prevents the font from being embedded in PDF
files.
Remove Removes a font from the Always Embed or Never Embed list. This action doesn’t remove the font from your
system; it removes the reference to the font from the list.
Note: Acrobat does not include the Times, Helvetica, and ZapfDingbats fonts. If you want PDF recipients to view and print
these fonts in PDFs that you create, embed the fonts.
Color panel options
Whether you’re using color management information in the PostScript file, using Distiller CSFs, or defining custom
settings, you set all color management information for Distiller on the Color panel of the Adobe PDF Settings dialog
box.
Settings File Lists color settings, including those used in graphics applications. The None setting lets you edit the Color
Management Policies and Working Spaces settings.
Color Management Policies Specifies how Distiller converts unmanaged color in a PostScript file when you don’t use a
Distiller color settings file. This menu is available when None is selected in the Settings File menu.
Note: Color Management Policies values may affect a PDF differently depending on the compatibility setting you choose in
the General panel.
Leave Color Unchanged Leaves device-dependent colors unchanged and preserves device-independent colors as the
nearest possible equivalent. This is a useful option for print shops that have calibrated their devices, have used that
information to specify color in the file, and are only outputting to those devices.
Tag (Or Convert) Everything For Color Management Tags color objects with an ICC profile and calibrates colors,
making them device-independent in PDFs compatible with Acrobat 4.0 (PDF 1.3) and later. Converts device-
dependent color spaces in images (RGB, Grayscale, and CMYK) to device-independent color spaces (CalRGB, CalGray,
and Cie L*a*b) in Acrobat 3.0 (PDF 1.2) compatible PDFs.
Tag (Or Convert) Only Images For Color Management Tags ICC profiles in images only (not text or vector objects),
which prevents black text from undergoing any color shift when distilling Acrobat 4.0 (PDF 1.3) compatible PDFs.
Converts device-dependent color spaces in images (RGB, Grayscale, and CMYK) to device-independent color spaces
(CalRGB, CalGray, and Lab) in Acrobat 3.0 (PDF 1.2) compatible PDFs.
Convert All Colors To sRGB (or Convert Everything To CalRGB) Calibrates color, making it device-independent.
Converts CMYK and RGB images to sRGB in PDFs compatible with Acrobat 4.0 (PDF 1.3) or later. Converts CMYK
and RGB images to calibrated RGB (CalRGB) in Acrobat 3.0 (PDF 1.2) compatible PDFs. Recommended for PDFs that
will be used onscreen or with low-resolution printers.
Convert All Colors To CMYK Converts color spaces to DeviceGray or DeviceCMYK according to the options specified
in the Working Spaces menu. All Working Spaces must be specified.
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Document Rendering Intent Choose a method to map colors between color spaces. The result of any particular method
depends on the profiles of the color spaces. For example, some profiles produce identical results with different methods.
Acrobat shares four rendering intents (Perceptual, Saturation, Relative Colorimetric, and Absolute Colorimetric) with
other Creative Suite applications.
Acrobat also includes a rendering intent called Preserve, which indicates that the intent is specified in the output device
rather than in the PDF. In many output devices, Relative Colorimetric is the default intent.
Note: In all cases, intents may be ignored or overridden by color management operations that occur subsequent to the
creation of the PDF file.
Working Spaces For all Color Management Policies values other than Leave Color Unchanged, choose a working space
to specify which ICC profiles are used for defining and calibrating the grayscale, RGB, and CMYK color spaces in
distilled PDFs.
Gray Choose a profile to define the color space of all grayscale images in files. The default ICC profile for gray images
is Adobe Gray - 20% Dot Gain. Choose None to prevent grayscale images from being converted.
RGB Choose a profile to define the color space of all RGB images in files. The default, sRGB IEC61966-2.1, is
recognized by many output devices. Choose None to prevent RGB images from being converted.
CMYK Choose a profile to define the color space of all CMYK images in files. The default is U.S. Web Coated (SWOP)
v2. Choose None to prevent CMYK images from being converted.
Note: Choosing None for all three working spaces has the same effect as selecting the option Leave Color Unchanged.
You can add ICC profiles (such as ones provided by your print service bureau) by placing them in the ICCProfiles folder
in the Common folder, the Windows\System\Color folder (Windows), or the System Folder/ColorSync folder (Mac OS).
Preserve CMYK Values For Calibrated CMYK Color Spaces When selected, device-independent CMYK values are
treated as device-dependent (DeviceCMYK) values, device-independent color spaces are discarded, and PDF/X-1a
files use the Convert All Colors To CMYK value. When deselected, device-independent color spaces convert to CMYK,
provided that Color Management Policies is set to Convert All Colors To CMYK.
Preserve Under Color Removal And Black Generation Retains these settings if they exist in the PostScript file. Black
generation calculates the amount of black to use when reproducing a color. Undercolor removal (UCR) reduces cyan,
magenta, and yellow to compensate for black generation. Because UCR uses less ink, it’s suitable for uncoated stock.
When Transfer Functions Are Found Specifies how to handle transfer functions in PDFs. Transfer functions are used
for artistic effect and to correct for the characteristics of a specific output device.
Remove Deletes any applied transfer functions. Applied transfer functions should be removed, unless the PDF is to be
output to the same device that the source PostScript file was created for.
Preserve Retains the transfer functions traditionally used to compensate for dot gain or dot loss that may occur when
an image is transferred to film. Dot gain or loss occurs when the ink dots that make up a printed image are larger or
smaller than in the halftone screen.
Apply Applies the transfer function, changing the colors in the file but doesn’t keep it. This method is useful for
creating color effects in a file.
Preserve Halftone Information Retains any halftone information in files. Halftone information is intended for use with
a particular output device.
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Advanced panel options
Advanced options specify which Document Structuring Conventions (DSC) comments to keep in a PDF and how to
set other options that affect the conversion from PostScript. In a PostScript file, DSC comments contain information
about the file (such as the originating application, the creation date, and the page orientation) and provide structure for
page descriptions in the file (such as beginning and ending statements for a prologue section). DSC comments can be
useful when your document is going to print or press.
For more information, see the documents on the Adobe PDF Technology Center at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_pdftechnology_en (PDF, English only).
Note: The ASCII Format option has been removed from Distiller, but is still available as a Distiller parameter.
Allow PostScript File To Override Adobe PDF Settings Uses settings stored in a PostScript file rather than the current
PDF settings file. For more information about customizing PDF settings, see the SDK information on the Acrobat
Developer Center at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_devcenter_en (PDF, English only).
Allow PostScript XObjects PostScript XObjects store fragments of PostScript code to be used when a PDF is printed on
a PostScript printer. Use only in controlled workflows where there is no other option. Available when the Standard or
Smallest File Size is selected from the Default Settings menu.
Convert Gradients To Smooth Shades Converts blends to smooth shades for Acrobat 4.0 and later, improving quality
and reducing file size of PDFs. Distiller converts gradients from Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe FreeHand®,
CorelDraw, QuarkXPress, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
Convert Smooth Lines To Curves Reduces the amount of control points used to build curves in CAD drawings, which
results in smaller PDFs and faster onscreen rendering.
Preserve Level 2 Copypage Semantics Uses the copypage operator defined in PostScript Level 2 rather than in
Language Level 3 PostScript. If you have a PostScript file and select this option, a copypage operator copies the page. If
this option is not selected, the equivalent of a showpage operation is executed, except that the graphics state is not
reinitialized.
Preserve Overprint Settings Retains any overprint settings in files being converted to PDF. Overprint settings create
color by printing one ink on top of another ink.
Overprinting Default Is Nonzero Overprinting Prevents overprinted objects with zero CMYK values from knocking
out CMYK objects beneath them.
Save Adobe PDF Settings Inside PDF File Embeds the settings file (.joboptions) used to create the PDF as an
attachment. (To view the settings file, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Attachments in Acrobat.)
Save Original JPEG Image In PDF If Possible Processes compressed JPEG images (images that are already compressed
using DCT encoding) without recompressing them. When deselected, performance improves because only
decompression, not recompression, occurs.
Save Portable Job Ticket Inside PDF File Preserves a PostScript job ticket in a PDF. Job tickets describe the PostScript
file and can be used later in a workflow or for printing the PDF.
Use Prologue.ps and Epilogue.ps Sends a prologue and epilogue file with each job. These files can be used to add
custom PostScript code that you want to have executed at the beginning or end of every PostScript job being converted.
Sample Prologue.ps and Epilogue.ps files are located in (Windows) /Documents and Settings/All Users/Application
Data/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Distiller/Data, (Vista) /Users/All Users/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Distiller/Data, (Windows
7/8/Vista) /Users/[Username]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Distiller/Data or (Mac OS)/Library/Application
Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Distiller/Data.
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In Windows Explorer, the Application Data folder is typically hidden; to make it visible, choose Tools > Folder Options,
click the View tab, and select Show Hidden Files And Folders. For Windows 7, Start > Control Panel > Folder Options
> View > Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives. Or, you can type the path into the Address text box.
Note: In Acrobat Standard, Distiller processes prologue and epilogue files only if both files are present and located properly.
The two files must be used together.
Note: In Acrobat Pro, Distiller processes prologue and epilogue files only if both files are present and located properly. The
two files must be used together. If the prologue and epilogue files are at the same level as the In and Out folders of a watched
folder, they are used instead of the ones in the Distiller folder.
Process DSC Comments Maintains DSC information from a PostScript file.
Log DSC Warnings Displays warning messages about problematic DSC comments during processing and adds them to
a log file.
Preserve EPS Information From DSC Retains information for an EPS file, such as the originating application and
creation date.
Preserve OPI Comments Retains information needed to replace a For Placement Only (FPO) image or comment with
the high-resolution image located on servers that support Open Prepress Interface (OPI) versions 1.3 and 2.0. For more
information, see the OPI 2.0 specification at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_opi2spec_en (PDF, English only).
Preserve Document Information From DSC Retains document properties, such as the title, creation date, and time, in
the PDF.
Resize Page And Center Artwork For EPS Files Centers an EPS image and resizes the page to fit closely around the
image. If deselected, the page is sized and centered based on the upper left corner of the upper left object and lower
right corner of the lower right object on the page. This option applies only to jobs that consist of a single EPS file.
Standards panel options
By using Standards options, you can check document content in the PostScript file to make sure it meets standard
PDF/X1-a, PDF/X-3, or PDF/A criteria before creating the PDF. For PDF/X-compliant files, you can also require that
the PostScript file meet additional criteria by selecting options in the Standards panel. The availability of options
depends on the standard you select. You can also create a PDF/X file from a compliant PDF by using the Preflight
feature in Acrobat.
PDF/X-compliant Complies with the PDF/X standard for high-resolution print production.
Note: PDFMaker, the conversion method used to convert Microsoft Word and other application files to PDF, does not create
PDF/X-compliant files.
PDF/A-compliant Complies with the PDF/A standard for archival documents.
Note: If you set up a watched folder for creating PDF/A-compliant files in Acrobat Pro, do not add security to the folder.
The PDF/A standard does not allow encryption.
Compliance Standard Produces a report that indicates whether the file complies with the standard you select, and if
not, what problems were encountered. The .log file appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
Note: PDFs that complied with both PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3 standards in Acrobat 6.0 default to PDF/X-1a in Acrobat XI.
When Not Compliant Specifies whether to create the PDF if the PostScript file does not comply with the requirements
of the standard.
Continue Creates a PDF even if the PostScript file does not meet the requirements of the standard, and notes these
problems in the report.
Cancel Job Creates a PDF only if the PostScript file meets the requirements of the standard, and is otherwise valid.
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Report As Error (Acrobat Pro DC) Flags the PostScript file as noncompliant if one of the reporting options is selected
and a trim box or art box is missing from any page.
Set TrimBox To MediaBox With Offsets (Acrobat Pro DC) Computes values for the trim box based on the offsets for the
media box of respective pages if neither the trim box nor art box is specified. The trim box is always as small as or
smaller than the enclosing media box.
Set BleedBox To MediaBox (Acrobat Pro DC) Uses the media box values for the bleed box if the bleed box is not
specified.
Set BleedBox To TrimBox With Offsets (Acrobat Pro DC) Computes values for the bleed box based on the offsets for the
trim box of respective pages if the bleed box is not specified. The bleed box is always as large as or larger than the
enclosed trim box. This option uses the units specified on the General panel of the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box.
Output Intent Profile Name (Acrobat Pro DC) Indicates the characterized printing condition for which the document
has been prepared, and is required for PDF/X compliance. If a document doesn’t specify an output intent profile name,
Distiller uses the selected value from this menu. If your workflow requires that the document specify the output intent,
choose None.
Output Condition Identifier (Acrobat Pro DC) Indicates the reference name that is specified by the registry of the output
intent profile name. For more information, click the question mark next to the option.
Output Condition (Acrobat Pro DC) Describes the intended printing condition. This entry can be useful for the
intended receiver of the PDF. For more information, click the question mark next to the option.
Registry Name (URL) (Acrobat Pro DC) Indicates the web address for finding more information about the output intent
profile. The URL is automatically entered for ICC registry names. The registry name is optional, but recommended.
For more information, click the question mark next to the option.
Trapped (Acrobat Pro DC) Indicates the state of trapping in the document. PDF/X compliance requires a value of True
or False. If the document does not specify the trapped state, the value provided here is used. If your workflow requires
that the document specify the trapped state, choose Leave Undefined.
PDF compatibility levels
When you create PDFs, you need to decide which PDF version to use. You can change the PDF version by switching to
a different preset or choosing a compatibility option when you save as PDF or edit a PDF preset.
Generally speaking, unless there’s a specific need for backward compatibility, you should use the most recent version
(in this case version 1.7). The latest version will include all the newest features and functionality. However, if you’re
creating documents that will be distributed widely, consider choosing Acrobat 5.0 (PDF 1.4) or Acrobat 6.0 (PDF 1.5)
to ensure that all users can view and print the document.
The following table compares some of the functionality in PDFs created using the different compatibility settings.
Note: Acrobat 8.0 and 9.0 also use PDF 1.7.
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Share custom PDF settings
You can save and reuse your own Adobe PDF preset definitions. You can also share a custom preset by sending a copy
of the resulting file to other users. Those users can then add it to the Distiller applications installed on their own
computers.
PDF settings files have the extension .joboptions. Custom preset files are stored in the following locations.
•(Windows XP) Documents and Settings/[username]/Application Data/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings
•(Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8) Users/User/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings
•(Acrobat Pro DC for Mac OS) User/[username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings
❖To add a custom PDF settings file to the menu, do one of the following:
•Drag the .joboptions file onto the Distiller window.
•In Acrobat Distiller, choose Settings >Add Adobe PDF Settings, browse to the copied .joboptions file, select it,
and click Open.
The settings file appears as the selected option in the Default Settings menu.
Acrobat 4.0 (PDF 1.3) Acrobat 5.0 (PDF 1.4) Acrobat 6.0 (PDF 1.5) Acrobat 7.0 (PDF 1.6) and Acrobat
X (PDF 1.7)
PDFs can be opened with Acrobat
3.0 and Acrobat Reader 3.0 and
later.
PDFs can be opened with Acrobat
3.0 and Acrobat Reader 3.0 and
later. However, features specific to
later versions may be lost or not
viewable.
Most PDFs can be opened with
Acrobat 4.0 and Acrobat Reader
4.0 and later. However, features
specific to later versions may be
lost or not viewable.
Most PDFs can be opened with
Acrobat 4.0 and Acrobat Reader
4.0 and later. However, features
specific to later versions may be
lost or not viewable.
Cannot contain artwork that uses
live transparency effects. Any
transparency must be flattened
prior to converting to PDF 1.3.
Supports the use of live
transparency in artwork. (The
Acrobat Distiller feature flattens
transparency.)
Supports the use of live
transparency in artwork. (The
Acrobat Distiller feature flattens
transparency.)
Supports the use of live
transparency in artwork. (The
Acrobat Distiller feature flattens
transparency.)
Layers are not supported. Layers are not supported. Preserves layers when creating
PDFs from applications that
support the generation of layered
PDF documents, such as
Illustrator CS and later or InDesign
CS and later.
Preserves layers when creating
PDFs from applications that
support the generation of layered
PDF documents, such as
Illustrator CS and later or InDesign
CS and later.
DeviceN color space with 8
colorants is supported.
DeviceN color space with 8
colorants is supported.
DeviceN color space with up to 31
colorants is supported.
DeviceN color space with up to 31
colorants is supported.
Multibyte fonts can be
embedded. (Distiller converts the
fonts when embedding.)
Multibyte fonts can be
embedded.
Multibyte fonts can be
embedded.
Multibyte fonts can be
embedded.
40-bit RC4 security supported. 128-bit RC4 security supported. 128-bit RC4 security supported. 128-bit RC4 and 128-bit AES
(Advanced Encryption Standard)
security supported.
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Compressing and downsampling images
When converting PostScript files to PDF, you can compress vector objects (such as text and line art) and compress and
downsample images. Line art is described with a mathematical equation and is usually created with a drawing program
such as Adobe Illustrator. Images—whether color, monochrome, or grayscale—are described as pixels and are created
with applications like Adobe Photoshop or by scanning. Monochrome images include most black-and-white
illustrations made by paint programs and any images scanned with an image depth of 1 bit.
When you downsample (or decrease the number of pixels), information is deleted from the image. With Distiller, you
specify an interpolation method—average downsampling, bicubic downsampling, or subsampling—to determine how
pixels are deleted. Depending on the settings you choose, compression and downsampling can significantly reduce the
size of a PDF with little or no loss of detail and precision.
When Distiller processes a file, it normally applies the compression settings to images throughout the file. However,
you can assign different compression and downsampling methods to individual images.
Varying the compression and downsampling methods within a PDF
Before you create a PDF, you can take various approaches to applying different compression and downsampling options
to the individual images that will go into that PDF:
•Use Adobe PhotoshopCC to resample and compress existing image files before using Distiller. When you are ready
to create the PDF in Distiller, be careful to deselect the compression and downsampling or subsampling options.
•Create separate PostScript files for each part of the document that you want to process differently, and use different
compression options to distill each part. Then use Distiller to merge the files into a single PDF.
•When you create color, grayscale, and monochrome images in an art application (such as Adobe Photoshop CC),
select the compression and downsampling settings that you want when you save each image from within that
application.
•Insert Distiller parameters before images in a PostScript file. You can use this technique to process every image in a
document differently. This technique is the most difficult, because it requires knowledge of PostScript
programming. For more information on using parameters, see the SDK documentation on the Acrobat Developer
Center at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_devcenter_en(English only).
Note: To apply the inserted Distiller parameters, select Allow PostScript File To Override Adobe PDF Settings on the
Advanced panel of the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box in Distiller. This option overrides settings you selected in the Adobe
PDF dialog box.
Compression methods
Distiller applies ZIP compression to text and line art, ZIP or JPEG compression to color and grayscale images, and ZIP,
CCITT Group 3 or 4, or Run Length compression to monochrome images.
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A ZIP B JPEG C CCITT D Run Length
You can choose from the following compression methods:
ZIP Works well on images with large areas of single colors or repeating patterns, and for black-and-white images that
contain repeating patterns. Acrobat supports only 8-bit ZIP compression, which is lossless; that is, data is not removed
to reduce file size, so image quality is not affected.
Note: Adobe implementation of the ZIP filter is derived from the zlib package of Jean-loup Gailly and Mark Adler, whose
generous assistance we gratefully acknowledge.
JPEG Suitable for grayscale or color images, such as continuous-tone photographs. JPEG is lossy, which means that it
removes image data and may reduce image quality; however, it attempts to reduce file size with the minimum loss of
information. Because JPEG compression eliminates data, it can achieve much smaller file sizes than ZIP compression.
CCITT Available only for monochrome bitmap images. CCITT (Consultative Committee on International Telegraphy
and Telephony) compression is appropriate for black-and-white images and any images scanned with an image depth
of 1 bit. Group 4 is a general-purpose method that produces good compression for most monochrome images. Group
3, used by most fax machines, compresses monochrome images one row at a time.
Run Length Produces the best results for images that contain large areas of solid white or black.
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More Help topics
PDF/X- and PDF/A-compliant files (Acrobat Pro)
Find PostScript font names
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Chapter 3: Editing PDFs
Edit text in PDFs
Easily correct, update, and add text to PDF files. Reflow paragraphs and correct typos— without returning to your
original source document. Use the Add Text too to fill in noninteractive PDF forms.
This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC. If you're using Acrobat Reader DC, see What can I do with Adobe
Reader. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help . And, if you're using Acrobat 8, 9, or 10, see previous versions
of Acrobat Help.
Edit text in a PDF
The Edit Text & Images tool lets you replace, edit, or add text to a PDF. You can correct typos, change fonts and typeface
size, adjust alignment, add superscripts or subscripts, and resize text or paragraphs.
You edit a PDF one page at a time. For more extensive editing or to make global formatting changes across the entire
document, edit the original document. If the original isn’t available, you can save the PDF as a Microsoft Word
document or PowerPoint presentation. Then edit, and re-create the PDF.
Edit or format text in a PDF
When you edit text, the text in the paragraph reflows within its text box to accommodate the changes. Each text box is
independent, and inserting text in one text block does not push down an adjacent text box or reflow to the next page.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Edit .
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2Select the text you want to edit.
3Edit the text by doing one of the following:
•Type new text to replace the selected text, or press Delete to remove it.
•Select a font, font size, or other formatting options under Format in the right hand pane. You can also use the
advanced format options, such as line spacing, character spacing, horizontal scaling, stroke width, and color.
Note: For legal reasons, you must have purchased a font and have it installed on your system to revise text using that
font.You can edit text only if the font used for that text is installed on your system. If the font isn’t installed on your
system, but is embedded in the PDF, you can change only the color or font size. If the font is neither installed or
embedded, you can't edit any of the text.
4Click outside the selection to deselect it and start over.
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Add or remove items from a numbered or bulleted list
You can add items to a numbered or bulleted list.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Edit .
The content that is part of a single list is displayed in one bounding box, including the text and the bullets or
numbers.
2You can add or remove items to the list at all nested levels using the same familiar controls that you use in MS Office.
For example, press Enter at the end of a list item to insert a new row. Press Backspace to remove the new row and
position the cursor back to the end of previous list item.
Upon adding or removing an item to the list, the list formatting adjusts automatically.
Add new text to a PDF
You can add or insert new text into a PDF using any of the fonts installed on the system.
1Select Tools > Edit PDF > Add Text .
2Drag to define the width of the text block you want to add.
3For vertical text, right-click the text box, and choose Make Text Direction Vertical.
4The Add text tool intelligently detects the following text properties of text close to the point of click:
•Font name, size, and color
•Character, paragraph, and line spacing
•Horizontal scaling
These text properties are automatically applied to the text that you add at the point of click.
You can change the text properties using the options under Format in the right hand pane.
5Type the text.
6To resize the text box, drag a selection handle.
7To move the text box, place the pointer over the line of the bounding box (avoid the selection handles). When the
cursor changes to Move pointer , drag the box to the new location. To maintain alignment with the other list
items, press Shift as you drag.
Move, rotate, or resize a text box
You can move or rotate text boxes on a page. The Edit Text & Images tool outlines each text box, so it is clear what text
is affected. Edits are confined to the page. You cannot drag a text block to another page, or move or rotate individual
characters or words within a text box. However, you can copy text boxes and paste them on another page.
Resizing a text box causes the text to reflow within the new text box boundaries. It does not change the size of the text.
To change the font size, see Edit or format text in a PDF. As with other text edits, resizing is limited to the current page.
Text does not flow to the next page.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Edit .
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2Click the text box you want to move, rotate, or resize.
3Do any of the following:
Move Place the pointer over the line of the bounding box (avoid the selection handles). When the cursor changes
to Move pointer , drag the box to the desired location. Hold down the Shift key as you drag to constrain the
movement vertically or horizontally.
Rotate Place the pointer just outside a selection handle. When the cursor changes to the Rotation pointer , drag
in the direction you want it to rotate.
Resize Place the pointer over a selection handle. When the cursor changes to the Resize pointer , drag the
handle to resize the text block.
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Add, edit, or move text on noninteractive forms or when signing
Organizations sometimes provide PDF versions of their paper forms without interactive form fields (called "flat
forms"). Use the Add Text tool on the Comment toolbar to fill in non-interactive forms or to add text to documents
you need to sign. Text added with this tool is actually a comment and does not change the original PDF.
Add text to a noninteractive (flat form) PDF
1Choose Tools > Comment > Add Text Comment .
2Click where you want to add text.
3In the Add Text Comment toolbar, select the color, font, and font size for the text you want to add.
4Type the text. Press Enter to add a second line.
Edit text in a noninteractive (flat form) PDF
To change the text properties, select the text you want to edit. Use any of the following tools in the Add Text Comment
toolbar:
•To change the text size, click the Decrease Text Size button or the Increase Text Size button. Or choose a font size
from the pop-up menu.
•To change the line spacing (leading), click the Decrease Line Spacing button or the Increase Line Spacing button.
•Choose a color from the Text C o lor menu.
•Choose a font from the Font menu.
Move or resize text in a noninteractive (flat form) PDF
To move or resize a text block, choose Tools > Comment > Comment List (in the right hand pane). In the comment
list, click the comment containing the text you want to move or resize. When the bounding box appears, drag the text
block or one of its corners.
•Edit images or objects in a PDF
•Edit scanned PDFs
•Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs
•Edit document structure with the Content and Tags panels (Acrobat Pro)
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More Help topics
Edit images or objects in a PDF
Easily correct, update, and enhance PDF files. Resize, move, or replace images— without returning to your original
source document.
Place an image or object into a PDF
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Add Image .
2In the Open dialog box, locate the file you want to place.
3Select the image file, and click Open.
4Click where you want to place the image, or click-drag to size the image as you place it.
A copy of the image file appears on the page, with the same resolution as the original file.
5Use the bounding box handles to resize the image, or the tools in the right hand panel under Objects to Flip, Rotate,
or Crop the image.
Move or resize an image or object
1Select the appropriate tool depending on what you want to move:
Image: Choose To ols > Edit PDF > Edit . When you hover over an image you can edit, the image icon appears
in the top left corner.
Interactive Objects: To edit form fields, buttons, or other interactive objects, choose Tools > Rich Media > Select
Object .
2Do any of the following:
•To move the image or object, drag it to the desired location. You cannot drag images or objects to a different page
(you can cut and paste them to a new page instead). Shift-drag the object to constrain movement up or down, or
right or left.
•To resize the image or object, select it, then drag a handle. Shift-drag the handle to retain the original aspect ratio.
Note: If you select multiple objects, you can move or resize them together.
Rotate, flip, crop (clip), or replace an image
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Edit .
2Select the image (or images).
3Under Objects in the right hand panel, click one of the following tools:
Flip Vertical Flips the image vertically, on the horizontal axis.
Flip Horizontal Flips the image horizontally, on the vertical axis.
Rotate Counterclockwise Rotates the selected image ninety degrees in the counterclockwise direction.
Rotate Clockwise Rotates the selected image ninety degrees in the clockwise direction.
Crop Image Crops or clips the selected image. Drag a selection handle to crop the image.
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Replace Image Replaces the selected image with the image you choose. Locate the replacement image in the
Open dialog, and click Open.
To rotate the selected image manually, place the pointer just outside a selection handle. When the cursor changes to the
rotation pointer , drag in the direction you want it to rotate.
Move an image or object in front or behind other elements
The Arrange options let you move an image or object in front of or behind other elements. You can push an item
forward or back just one level, or send it to the front or back of the stacking order of elements on the page.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Edit .
2Select the object (or objects).
3Under Objects in the right hand panel, click Arrange and choose the appropriate option.
Alternatively, you can right-click the object (or objects), and point to Arrange and then choose the appropriate
option.
For complex pages where it is hard to select an object, you may find it easier to change the order using the Content
tab. (Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content.)
Align images or objects
The Align Objects options let you precisely align multiple objects on a side - Left, Vertical Centre, Right, Top,
Horizontal Centre, and Bottom.
When you align objects relative to each other by their edges, one of the objects remains stationary. For example, the Left
option aligns the left edges of the selected objects with respect to the left edge of the leftmost object. The leftmost object
remains stationary, and the other objects are aligned relative to it.
The Horizontal Centre option aligns the selected objects horizontally through the centre of the objects, and the Vertical
Centre option aligns the selected objects vertically through the centers of the objects. The objects are aligned along a
horizontal or vertical line that represents the average of their original positions. An object can remain stationary, if it is
already aligned to the horizontal or vertical line.
Depending on the alignment option you select, objects move straight up, down, left, or right, and might overlap an
object already located there. If you see an overlap, you can undo the alignment.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Edit .
2Select the object (or objects).
3Under Objects in the right hand panel, click Align Objects and choose the appropriate alignment option.
Alternatively, you can right-click the object (or objects), and point to the Align Objects option from the context
menu and then select the desired alignment option from the submenu.
Edit an image outside Acrobat
You can edit an image or graphic using another application, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or Microsoft Paint. When
you save the image or graphic, Acrobat automatically updates the PDF with the changes. The applications that appear
in the Edit Using menu depend upon what you have installed and the type of image or graphic you have selected.
Optionally, you can specify the application you want to use.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Edit .
2Select the image or object.
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Select multiple items if you want to edit them together in the same file. To edit all the images and objects on the page,
right-click the page, and choose Select All.
3Under Objects in the right hand panel, click Edit Using and then choose an editor.
To choose a different editor than offered on the menu, select Open With, locate the application, and click Open.
Note: If a message asks whether to convert to ICC profiles, choose Don’t Convert. If the image window displays a
checkerboard pattern when it opens, the image data could not be read.
4Make the desired changes in the external editing application. Keep in mind the following restrictions:
•If you change the dimensions of the image, the image may not align correctly in the PDF.
•Transparency information is preserved only for masks that are specified as index values in an indexed color
space.
•If you are working in Photoshop, flatten the image.
•Image masks are not supported.
•If you change image modes while editing the image, you may lose valuable information that can be applied only
in the original mode.
5In the editing application, choose File > Save. The object is automatically updated and displayed in the PDF when
you bring Acrobat DC to the foreground.
Note: For Photoshop, if the image is in a format supported by Photoshop 6.0 or later, your edited image is saved back
into the PDF. However, if the image is in an unsupported format, Photoshop handles the image as a generic PDF image,
and the edited image is saved to disk instead of back into the PDF.
•Edit text in PDFs
•Edit scanned PDFs
•Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs
•Edit document structure with the Content and Tags panels (Acrobat Pro)
More Help topics
Edit scanned PDFs
Scan any paper documents to PDF and easily turn them into editable PDFs.
Edit text in scanned PDFs
When you open a scanned document for editing, Acrobat DC automatically runs OCR (optical character recognition)
in the background and converts the document into editable image and text with correctly recognized fonts in the
document. Also, a prompt on upper-right corner appears showing you the recognized OCR language. It also points you
to the settings button if you want to change the OCR language.
By default, only the current page is converted to editable text instead of the entire document in one go. As you move
from one page to another, the page in focus is made editable.
To edit text in a scanned PDF
1Open the scanned PDF file in Acrobat DC.
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2Choose Tools > Edit PDF. Acrobat automatically applies OCR to your document and converts it to a fully editable
copy of your PDF.
A prompt on the upper-right corner appears showing you the recognized OCR language. To change the language,
click Settings in the prompt or in the right pane. For more information about the various settings, see Options for
scanned documents editingbelow.
3Click the text element you want to edit and start typing. New text matches the look of the original fonts in your
scanned image.
4Choose File > Save As and type a new name for your editable document.
Options for scanned documents editing
When you open a scanned document for editing, the two scan-specific options are displayed in the right pane under
Scanned Documents:
•Settings: It shows options to change OCR language, use system fonts, and make all pages editable at one go.
•Revert Page to Image (or Convert to text): It allows switching from Text to Image or Image to Text editing mode.
Settings
Use the settings to change OCR language, choose whether to use system fonts, and make all pages editable at one go.
Click Settings in the right pane under Scanned Documents. The dialog box shows the following three settings:
•OCR language: By default the OCR language is picked from default locale.
•Use System fonts: If this option is checked, during the process of scanned to editable text conversion, the converted
text is displayed in a font that is installed on the system and is a closest match to the original font in the scanned page.
•Make all pages editable: if this option is checked, then all pages of the current document will be converted to
editable text in one go. This is a relatively slower option. Use this option only if you want to edit all pages or convert
all pages to editable text.
Initially, the language is set to the default locale and the other options are disabled. Any changes to these settings remain
persistent and are applied when you enter in the edit mode (Tools > Edit PDF).
Rotate, move, delete, and renumber PDF pages
To manipulate pages in a PDF, make sure that you have permissions to edit the PDF. To check, choose File > Properties,
and then click the Security tab. Permissions appear in the Document Restrictions Summary.
This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC. If you're using Adobe Reader DC, see What can I do with Adobe
Reader DC. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help . And, if you're using Acrobat 7, 8 , 9, or X see previous
versions of Acrobat Help.
Rotate pages
You can rotate all or selected pages in a document. Rotation is based on 90° increments. You can rotate pages using the
rotate tools in the Page Thumbnails pane or using the Rotate option (described below).
1Choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
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2In the secondary toolbar, specify the page range on which you want to apply the rotation.
You c an c h o o s e Even Pages, Odd Pages, Landscape Pages, Portrait Pages, All Pages, or enter the page number you
want to perform the operation on.
3After specifying the page range, for Direction, select the counterclockwise 90 Degrees or clockwise 90 Degrees
.
4You can also apply the page rotation on a specific page by clicking the counterclockwise or clockwise rotation
buttons displayed in the page thumbnail view.
To temporarily change your view of the page, choose View > Rotate View > Clockwise or Counterclockwise. The
original page orientation is restored the next time you open the PDF.
Extract pages
Extraction is the process of reusing selected pages of one PDF in a different PDF. Extracted pages contain not only the
content but also all form fields, comments, and links associated with the original page content.
You can leave the extracted pages in the original document or remove them during the extraction process—comparable
to the familiar processes of cutting-and-pasting or copying-and-pasting, but on the page level.
Note: Any bookmarks or article threading associated with pages are not extracted.
1Open the PDF in Acrobat DC and choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Extract.
A new toolbar appears below the secondary toolbar with the commands specific to the Extract operation.
3Specify the range of pages to extract.
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You c an c h o o s e Even Pages, Odd Pages, Landscape Pages, Portrait Pages, All Pages, or enter the page number you
want to perform the operation on.
4In the new toolbar, do one or more of the following before you click Extract:
•To remove the extracted pages from the original document, select Delete Pages After Extracting.
•To create a single-page PDF for each extracted page, select Extract Pages As Separate Files.
•To leave the original pages in the document and create a single PDF that includes all of the extracted pages, leave
both check boxes deselected.
The extracted pages are placed in a new document.
Note: The creator of a PDF document can set the security to prevent the extraction of pages. To view the security settings
for a document, choose File > Properties, and select the Security tab.
Split PDFs into multiple documents
You can split one or more documents into multiple smaller documents. When splitting a document, you can specify
the split by maximum number of pages, maximum file size, or top-level bookmarks.
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Split.
A new toolbar appears below the secondary toolbar with the commands specific to the Split operation.
3In the Split By drop-down list, select the criteria for dividing the document:
Number Of Pages Specify the maximum number of pages for each document in the split.
File Size Specify the maximum file size for each document in the split.
Top-level Bookmarks If the document includes bookmarks, creates one document for every top-level bookmark.
4To specify a target folder for the split files and filename preferences, click Output Options. Specify the options as
needed, and then click OK.
5(Optional) To apply the same split to multiple documents, click Split Multiple Files. In the Split Documents dialog
box, click Add Files, and choose Add Files,Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Select the files or folder, and then click
OK.
Move or copy pages
You can use page thumbnails in the Navigation pane or the Document area to copy or move pages within a document,
and copy pages between documents.
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Move or copy a page within a PDF, using page thumbnails
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and the page thumbnails are displayed in the
Document area.
2Select one or more page thumbnails.
3Do one of the following:
•To move a page, drag the page number box of the corresponding page thumbnail or the page thumbnail itself to
the new location. A bar appears to show the new position of the page thumbnail. The pages are renumbered.
•To copy a page, Ctrl-drag the page thumbnail to a second location.
Note: You can also perform the above operations in the left navigation pane by clicking the Page Thumbnails
button.
Copy a page between two PDFs, using page thumbnails
1Open both PDFs, and display them side by side.
Note: Choose Window > Tile > Vertically to display the PDFs side by side.
2Open the Page Thumbnails panels for both PDFs.
Note: Click the Page Thumbnails button in the left navigation pane to open the Page Thumbnail panel.
3Drag the page thumbnail into the Page Thumbnails panel of the target PDF. The page is copied into the document,
and the pages are renumbered.
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Delete or replace pages
You can replace an entire PDF page with another PDF page. Only the text and images on the original page are replaced.
Any interactive elements associated with the original page, such as links and bookmarks, are not affected. Likewise,
bookmarks and links that may have been previously associated with the replacement page do not carry over.
Comments, however, are carried over and are combined with any existing comments in the document.
After you delete or replace pages, it’s a good idea to use the Reduce File Size command to rename and save the
restructured document to the smallest possible file size.
Delete pages, using the Delete command
Note: You cannot undo the Delete command.
1Choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and the page thumbnails are displayed in the
Document area.
2Specify the range of pages to delete.
You c an c h o o s e Even Pages, Odd Pages, Landscape Pages, Portrait Pages, All Pages, or enter the page number(s)
you want to delete.
3In the secondary toolbar, click Delete Pages , and click OK to confirm.
You cannot delete all pages; at least one page must remain in the document.
If you select Use Logical Page Numbers in the Page Display panel of the Preferences dialog box, you can enter a page
number in parentheses to delete the logical equivalent of the page number. For example, if the first page in the
document is numbered i, you can enter (1) in the Enter Page Range drop-down list, and the page is deleted.
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Delete pages, using page thumbnails
1Choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and the page thumbnails are displayed in the
Document area.
2Select a page thumbnail you want to delete and click the icon to delete the page.
3Alternatively, click the Page Thumbnails button in the left navigation pane to open the Page Thumbnail panel,
select the page or group of pages you want to delete.
4Click Delete Pages at the top of the Page Thumbnails panel.
Replace the contents of a page
1Open the PDF that contains the pages you want to replace.
2Choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3In the secondary toolbar, click Replace.
The Select Files With New Pages dialog box appears.
4Select the document containing the replacement pages, and click Open.
5Under Original, enter the pages to be replaced in the original document.
6Under Replacement, enter the first page of the replacement page range. The last page is calculated based on the
number of pages to be replaced in the original document.
7Click OK.
Replace pages using a page thumbnail
1Open the PDF that contains the pages you want to replace, and then open the PDF that contains the replacement
pages.
2In the Page Thumbnails panel of the PDF that contains the replacement pages, select a page or group of pages:
•Select the page number boxes of the page thumbnails that you want to use as replacement pages.
•Shift-click to select multiple page thumbnails. Ctrl-click to add to the selection.
•Drag a rectangle around a group of page thumbnails.
3Ctrl+Alt+drag the selected page thumbnails onto the Pages panel of the target document. Release the mouse button
when the pointer is directly over the page number box of the first page thumbnail you want to replace so that these
pages become highlighted.
The pages you selected in the first document replace the same number of pages in the second document, starting at
the page number you selected to drop the new pages on.
Renumber pages
The page numbers on the document pages do not always match the page numbers that appear below the page
thumbnails and in the Page Navigation toolbar. Pages are numbered with integers, starting with page 1 for the first page
of the document. Because some PDFs may contain front matter, such as a copyright page and table of contents, their
body pages may not follow the numbering shown in the Page Navigation toolbar.
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You can number the pages in your document in a variety of ways. You can specify a different numbering style for group
of pages, such as 1, 2, 3, or i, ii, iii, or a, b, c. You can also customize the numbering system by adding a prefix. For
example, the numbering for chapter 1 could be 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and so on, and for chapter 2, it could be 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, and
so on.
Using the Number Pages command affects only the page thumbnails on the Pages panel. You can physically add new
page numbers to a PDF using the headers and footers feature.
1In the left navigation pane, click the Page Thumbnails button to open the Page Thumbnails panel.
2Choose Page Labels from the Options menu.
3Specify a page range. (Selected refers to pages selected in the Page Thumbnails panel.)
4Select one of the following, and then click OK:
Begin New Section Starts a new numbering sequence. Choose a style from the pop-up menu, and enter a starting
page number for the section. Specify a Prefix, if desired.
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Extend Numbering Used In Preceding Section To Selected Pages Continues the numbering sequence from
previous pages without interruption.
More Help topics
Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs
Extract component files in a PDF Portfolio
Insert one PDF into another
About tags, accessibility, reading order, and reflow
Add and edit headers and footers
Optimizing PDFs
Save using PDF Optimizer (Acrobat Pro DC)
PDF Optimizer provides many settings for reducing the size of PDF files. Some of the PDF Optimizer settings are
comparable to the settings that are available when you create a PDF file using Distiller. Whether you use all of these
settings or only a few depends on how you intend to use the files and on the essential properties a file must have. In
most cases, the default settings are appropriate for maximum efficiency—saving space by removing embedded fonts,
compressing images, and removing items from the file that are no longer needed.
Before you optimize a file, it’s a good idea to audit the file’s space usage. The space audit results may give you ideas about
where best to reduce file size. You can also reduce the size of your PDF by using the Reduce File Size command.
Note: Some methods of compression may make images unusable in a print production workflow. You should experiment
with various settings before making changes that can’t be discarded.
Open the PDF Optimizer
❖In a single PDF, choose File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF.
Note: The PDF Optimizer isn’t available when Reflow is selected in the View menu.
Audit the space usage of a PDF (Acrobat Pro DC)
Auditing the space usage gives you a report of the total number of bytes used for specific document elements, including
fonts, images, bookmarks, forms, named destinations, and comments, as well as the total file size. The results are
reported both in bytes and as a percentage of the total file size.
1Choose File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF. The PDF Optimizer dialog box opens.
2Click the Audit Space Usage button at the top of the dialog box.
You can also audit space usage of a PDF in the Content pane. Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content.
From the Content pane options menu , choose Audit Space Usage.
Optimize a PDF (Acrobat Pro DC)
1Open the PDF Optimizer dialog box (File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF).
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2To use the default settings, choose Standard from the Settings menu, and then skip to step 6. If you change any
settings in the PDF Optimizer dialog box, the Settings menu automatically switches to Custom.
3From the Make Compatible With menu, choose Retain Existing to keep the current PDF version, or choose an
Acrobat version. (The options available in panels vary depending on this choice.)
4Select the check box next to a panel (for example, Images, Fonts, Transparency), and then select options in that
panel. To prevent all of the options in a panel from executing during optimization, deselect the check box for that
panel.
5(Optional) To save your customized settings, click Save and name the settings. (To delete a saved setting, choose it
in the Settings menu and click Delete.)
6When you are finished selecting options, click OK.
7In the Save Optimized As dialog box, click Save to overwrite the original PDF with the optimized PDF, or select a
new name or location.
To optimize several documents at the same time, use the Output options for the Actions Wizard.
PDF Optimizer options (Acrobat Pro DC)
Use the options from the panels in the PDF Optimizer dialog box to reduce the size of a PDF.
Images panel
The Images panel of the PDF Optimizer lets you set options for color, grayscale, and monochrome image compression,
and image downsampling.
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Specify the following options, as needed:
Downsample Reduces file size by lowering the resolution of images, which involves merging the colors of original
pixels into larger pixels.
Note: Masked images and images with a size less than 16-by-16 pixels are not downsampled.
Compression Reduces file size by eliminating unnecessary pixel data. In general, JPEG and JPEG 2000 compression
give better results on images like photographs with gradual transitions from color to color. ZIP is the better choice for
illustrations with large areas of solid, flat color, or patterns made up of flat colors. For monochrome images, JBIG2
compression, which is available in PDF Optimizer but not in Distiller, and it is superior to CCITT.
Quality Available only for JPEG and JPEG 2000 formats. JPEG and JPEG 2000 compression methods are typically lossy,
a process that permanently removes some pixel data. You can apply lossy JPEG or JPEG 2000 compression to color
images at various levels (Minimum, Low, Medium, High, Maximum). For JPEG 2000 compression, you can also specify
lossless so that no pixel data is removed. Compression for monochrome images is lossless, except for JBIG2
compression, which provides both Lossy and Lossless modes of compression.
Tile Size Available only for JPEG 2000 format. Divides the image being compressed into tiles of the given size. (If the
image height or width is not an even multiple of the tile size, partial tiles are used on the edges.) Image data for each
tile is individually compressed and can be individually decompressed. The default value of 256 is recommended.
Optimize Images Only If There Is A Reduction In Size When selected, if the image setting will cause an increase in file
size, the optimization for that image is skipped.
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Fonts panel
To ensure an exact match to the source document, it’s a good idea to embed all fonts used in the document. If you don’t
need an exact match and you prefer a smaller file, you can choose not to embed fonts for roman text and East Asian
text (Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Japanese). Text in these languages is replaced with a
substitution font when viewed on a system that does not have the original fonts. The Fonts panel of the PDF Optimizer
contains two lists for fonts: fonts that are available for unembedding, and fonts to unembed. Certain fonts aren’t
available for unembedding and don’t appear in the Fonts panel. To unembed fonts in a document, select one or more
fonts in the Embedded Fonts list, and click the Unembed button. If you don’t want to embed subsets of the embedded
fonts, deselect Subset All Embedded Fonts. To prevent unembedding for all fonts in the document, select Do Not
Unembed Any Font.
Transparency panel
If your PDF includes artwork that contains transparency, you can use presets in the Transparency panel of PDF
Optimizer to flatten transparency and reduce file size. (Flattening incorporates transparency into corresponding
artwork by sectioning it into vector-based areas and rasterized areas.) PDF Optimizer applies transparency options to
all pages in the document before applying other optimization options.
If you select the Acrobat 4.0 And Later compatibility setting, the Transparency panel is enabled and all transparency
in the file is flattened during optimization. This ensures compatibility with Acrobat 4.0 and earlier, which doesn’t
support transparency.
When you create flattening presets, they appear with the default presets in the Transparency panel.
Note: Transparency flattening cannot be undone after the file is saved.
Discard Objects panel
The Discard Objects panel lets you specify objects to remove from the PDF and lets you optimize curved lines in CAD
drawings. You can discard objects created in Acrobat DC and in other applications. Selecting an object removes all
occurrences of that object within the PDF.
In the Discard Objects area, you can select from these and other options:
Discard All Form Submission, Import And Reset Actions Disables all actions related to submitting or importing form
data, and resets form fields. This option retains form objects to which actions are linked.
Flatten Form Fields Makes form fields unusable with no change to their appearance. Form data is merged with the page
to become page content.
Discard All JavaScript Actions Removes any actions in the PDF that use JavaScript.
Discard All Alternate Images Removes all versions of an image except the one destined for on-screen viewing. Some
PDFs include multiple versions of the same image for different purposes, such as low-resolution on-screen viewing and
high-resolution printing.
Discard Embedded Page Thumbnails Removes embedded page thumbnails. This is useful for large documents, which
can take a long time to draw page thumbnails after you click the Page Thumbnails button.
Discard Document Tags Removes tags from the document, which also removes the accessibility and reflow capabilities
for the text.
Convert Smooth Lines To Curves Reduces the number of control points used to build curves in CAD drawings, which
results in smaller PDF files and faster on-screen rendering.
Detect And Merge Image Fragments Looks for images or masks that are fragmented into thin slices and tries to merge
the slices into a single image or mask.
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Discard Embedded Print Settings Removes embedded print settings, such as page scaling and duplex mode, from the
document.
Discard Embedded Search Index Removes embedded search indexes, which reduces the file size.
Discard Bookmarks Removes all bookmarks from the document.
Discard User Data panel
Use the Discard User Data panel to remove any personal information that you don’t want to distribute or share with
others. If you’re unable to find personal information, it may be hidden. You can locate hidden text and user-related
information by using the Examine Documentcommand (Tool s > Redact > Remove Hidden Information).
Discard All Comments, Forms And Multimedia
Removes all comments, forms, form fields, and multimedia from the PDF.
Discard Document Information And Metadata
Removes information in the document information dictionary and all metadata streams. (Use the Save As command
to restore metadata streams to a copy of the PDF.)
Discard All Object Data
Removes all objects from the PDF.
Discard File Attachments
Removes all file attachments, including attachments added to the PDF as comments. (PDF Optimizer doesn’t optimize
attached files.)
Discard External Cross References
Removes links to other documents. Links that jump to other locations within the PDF are not removed.
Discard Private Data Of Other Applications
Strips information from a PDF document that is useful only to the application that created the document. This does
not affect the functionality of the PDF, but it does decrease the file size.
Discard Hidden Layer Content And Flatten Visible Layers
Decreases file size. The optimized document looks like the original PDF but doesn’t contain any layer information.
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Clean Up panel
The options in the Clean Up panel of the PDF Optimizer dialog box allow you to remove useless items from the
document. These items include elements that are obsolete or unnecessary for your intended use of the document.
Removing certain elements can seriously affect the functionality of the PDF. By default, only elements that do not affect
functionality are selected. If you are unsure of the implications of removing other options, use the default selections.
Object Compression Options Specifies how to apply Flate compression in the file.
Use Flate To Encode Streams That Are Not Encoded Applies Flate compression to all streams that aren’t encoded.
In Streams That Use LZW Encoding, Use Flate Instead Applies Flate compression to all content streams and images that
use LZW encoding.
Discard Invalid Bookmarks Removes bookmarks that point to pages in the document that have been deleted.
Discard Invalid Links Removes links that jump to invalid destinations.
Discard Unreferenced Named Destinations Removes named destinations that are not being referenced internally from
within the PDF document. Because this option does not check for links from other PDF files or websites, it does not fit
in some workflows.
Optimize Page Content Converts all end-of-line characters to space characters, which improves Flate compression.
Optimize The PDF For Fast Web View Restructures a PDF document for page-at-a-time downloading (byte-serving)
from web servers.
Enable Fast Web View in a PDF
Fast Web View restructures a PDF document for page-at-a-time downloading (byte-serving) from web servers. With
Fast Web View, the web server sends only the requested page, rather than the entire PDF. This option is especially
important with large documents that can take a long time to download from a server.
Check with your webmaster to make sure that the web server software you use supports page-at-a-time downloading.
To ensure that the PDF documents on your website appear in older browsers, you can also create HTML links (versus
ASP scripts or the POST method) to the PDF documents and use relatively short path names (256 characters or fewer).
Verify that an existing PDF is enabled for Fast Web View
❖Open the PDF in Acrobat DC, and choose File > Properties. Look in the lower-right area of the Description panel
of the dialog box for the Fast Web View setting (Yes or No).
Verify the Fast Web View Preferences setting
Follow this procedure to make sure that you have Acrobat DC set up to enable Fast Web View during the PDF creation
process.
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Documents.
2On the right side of the dialog box, under Save Settings, make sure that Save As Optimizes For Fast Web View is
selected, and click OK.
Enable Fast Web View for an existing PDF
Use this procedure after you have verified your Fast Web View Preferences setting and checked the PDF properties to
be sure that the file is not already enabled for Fast Web View.
1Open the PDF.
2Choose File > Save As. Select the same filename and location.
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3When a message appears asking if you want to overwrite the existing file, click OK.
In Acrobat Pro, you can also quickly enable Fast Web View in entire folders of Adobe PDF files by using the Prepare for
Web Publishing action. See Run an Action .
More Help topics
Reduce file size by saving
Action wizard
Transparency flattening
Edit a flattener preset in the PDF Optimizer
Examine a PDF for hidden content
Setting up PDFs for a presentation
Defining initial view as Full Screen mode
Full Screen mode is a property you can set for PDFs used for presentations. In Full Screen mode, PDF pages fill the
entire screen, and the Acrobat menu bar, toolbar, and window controls are hidden. You can also set other opening
views, so that your documents or collections of documents open to a consistent view. In either case, you can add page
transitions to enhance the visual effect as the viewer pages through the document.
To control how you navigate a PDF (for example, advancing pages automatically), use the options in the Full Screen
panel of the Preferences dialog box. These preferences are specific to a system—not a PDF document—and affect all
PDFs that you open on that system. Therefore, if you set up your presentation on a system you control, you can control
these preferences.
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Define an initial view
When a user opens your PDF document or PDF Portfolio, they see the initial view of the PDF. You can set the initial
view to the magnification level, page, and page layout that you want. If your PDF is a presentation, you can set the initial
view to Full Screen mode. In Acrobat Pro you can create Action Wizards to change default settings for multiple
documents.
After you define the initial view of the PDF, you can add page transitions to selected pages or the entire document.
Acrobat supports page transitions and bullet fly-ins from PowerPoint.
Define the initial view
1Choose File > Properties.
2In the Document Properties dialog box, click Initial View.
3Select the options you want, and then click OK. You have to save and reopen the file to see the effects.
Define the initial view as Full Screen mode
When setting the initial view of a PDF to Full Screen mode, you must define how the document opens.
1Choose File > Properties.
2In the Document Properties dialog box, select Initial View.
3For best results, do the following:
•Choose Page Only from the Navigation Tab menu.
•Choose Single Page from the Page Layout menu.
•Set Open To Page to the page on which you want to start the presentation.
4Select Open In Full Screen Mode to open the document without the menu bar, toolbar, or window controls
displayed. Click OK. (You have to save and reopen the file to see the effects.)
Note: Users can exit Full Screen mode by pressing Esc if their preferences are set this way. However, in Full Screen mode,
users cannot apply commands and select tools unless they know the keyboard shortcuts. You may want to set up page
actions in the document to provide this functionality.
Initial View options for document properties
The Initial View options in the Document Properties are organized into three areas: Layout And Magnification,
Window Options, and User Interface Options.
Layout And Magnification Determines the appearance of the document.
Note: Two conditions can affect page layout and magnification. 1) Someone has already set an individual PDF to a different
intial view in File > Properties. 2) You have the option Restore Last View Settings When Reopening Documents selected in
Edit > Preferences > Document category.
Navigation Tab Determines which panels are displayed in the navigation pane.
Page Layout Determines how document pages are arranged.
Magnification Sets the zoom level the document will appear at when opened. Default uses the magnification set by the
user.
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Open To Page Specifies the page that appears when the document opens.
Note: Setting Default for the Magnification and Page Layout options uses the individual users’ settings in the Page Display
preferences.
Window Options Determine how the window adjusts in the screen area when a user opens the document. These
options apply to the document window itself in relationship to the screen area of the user’s monitor.
Resize Window To Initial Page Adjusts the document window to fit snugly around the opening page, according to the
options that you selected under Document Options.
Center Window On Screen Positions the window in the center of the screen area.
Open In Full Screen Mode Maximizes the document window and displays the document without the menu bar, toolbar,
or window controls.
Show File Name Shows the filename in the title bar of the window.
Show Document Title Shows the document title in the title bar of the window. The document title is obtained from the
Description panel of the Document Properties dialog box.
User Interface Options Determine which parts of the interface—the menu bar, the toolbars, and the window controls—
are hidden.
Note: If you hide the menu bar and toolbars, users cannot apply commands and select tools unless they know the keyboard
shortcuts. You may want to set up page actions that temporarily hide interface controls while the page is in view. (See Add
actions to page thumbnails.)
Add page transitions
You can create an interesting effect that occurs each time a page advances by using page transitions.
You can also set page transitions for a group of documents using the Actions wizard in Acrobat Pro.
1Do one of the following:
•Choose Tools > Organize Pages > More > Page Transitions.
•In the Page Thumbnails panel, select the page thumbnails you want to apply transitions to, and choose Page
Transitions from the options menu .
2In the Set Transitions dialog box, choose a transition effect from the Transition menu. These transition effects are
the same as those set in the Full Screen preferences.
3Choose the direction in which the transition effect occurs. Available options depend on the transition.
4Choose the speed of the transition effect.
5Select Auto Flip, and enter the number of seconds between automatic page turning. If you do not select this option,
the user turns pages using keyboard commands or the mouse.
6Select the Page Range you want to apply transitions to.
Note: If users select Ignore All Transitions in the Full Screen preferences, they do not see the page transitions.
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More Help topics
View document properties
Set the page layout and orientation
Action wizard (Acrobat Pro DC)
About Action wizards
When you apply one or more routine sets of commands to your files, you can save time and keystrokes by using an
action wizard—a defined series of commands with specific settings and in a specific order that you apply in a single
step. You can apply an action to a single document, to several documents, or to an entire collection of documents. You
can even scan documents and combine several documents into a single PDF before running an action.
Acrobat DC provides some predefined action wizards. You can also create your own actions. You can access and
manage the actions by clicking Tools > Action Wizard.
Adobe Acrobat DC also lets you export and import actions so that you can share actions with others.
Note: The actions interface and architecture replace the batch script mode available in the earlier versions of Adobe Acrobat
DC. Most of your Acrobat XI batch scripts can be imported as actions; some scripts require minor changes.
Run an action
Acrobat DC includes several simple predefined actions that you can use to streamline your work. These actions
represent common tasks that you routinely perform to prepare files for distribution. You do not have to open any of the
PDF files before you begin to run these actions.
Note: You can avoid password prompts when you run a sequence on PDFs that require passwords. Automate password
entry, or specify a security method for these files in the Action Wizard panel of the Preferences dialog box. If you select Do
Not Ask For Password, PDFs that require passwords are not processed.
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard. A list of available actions is displayed under the Actions List in the right hand pane.
2Choose the action from the list. The right hand pane changes to display each task included in the action, as well as
any instructions provided by the author of the action.
3Under Files To Be Processed, clickAdd Filesto select the files that you want to run the action on. You can run the
action on the currently opened file, or add more files, folders, or email attachments.
4When all the files you want to process are listed, click Start.
5If Acrobat prompts you, provide additional information, such as output location and settings.
A progress indicator displays the status of the currently running process or task. A check mark identifies completed
actions or tasks. On successful completion of all tasks, “Completed” status is shown in the panel.
Note: You can click Stop in the panel to stop processing an action. Acrobat saves any files that have already been processed
as defined in the action. You can click Resume to continue the Action or click the cross icon before the action name in the
RHP to exit from further processing of the action.
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Create a custom action
To make your Action easier to follow, you can group steps into panels, add divider lines, and include instructions. You
can limit the Action to specific files, all files within a folder, or let the user choose a file from various sources such as a
scanner, Web page, or Clipboard.
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard.
The Action Wizard toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
Note: A list of available actions is displayed under the Actions List in the right hand pane.
2In the secondary toolbar, click New Action.
The Create New Action dialog box is displayed.
3To apply the action to a specific file or to all files within a folder, click the File or Folder under Files To Be
Processed (on the right). Navigate to the file or folder and click Open.
4In the Choose Tools To Add pane, expand the panels, and double-click a task to add it. You can add multiple tasks.
The tasks are executed in the order in which they appear in the Action Steps To Show list on the right.
5To predefine options for a task, click Specify Settings.
6To have the action prompt the user to select options, click the Prompt User check box.
7Add other tasks as required.
8Fine tune the action using the buttons on the right. Add a new panel grouping, instructions, or a divider line, or
move or delete items in the list.
Creates a new panel grouping at the bottom of the current set of tasks. When prompted, type the name of the panel,
and click Save.
Adds instructions below the currently selected task. When prompted, type the instructions, and click Save.
Adds a divider line below the currently selected task.
Moves the currently selected item up the list. You can move a task, instructions, a divider line, or an entire panel
grouping.
Moves the currently selected item down in the list. You can move a task, instructions, a divider line, or an entire
panel grouping.
Deletes the currently selected item. Be careful what you select. You can delete an entire panel grouping.
9Click Save.
10 In the Save Action dialog box, enter a name and a description for the action and click Save.
Manage custom actions
Use the Manage Actions dialog box to edit, rename, copy, delete, reorder, import, or export actions.
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Edit an action
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard.
The Action Wizard toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
Note: A list of available actions is displayed under the Actions List in the right hand pane.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Manage Actions.
The Manage Actions dialog box is displayed.
3In the Manage Actions dialog box, select an action and click Edit to change the tasks or settings. You can also use
the Edit Actions dialog box to review an action, and exit without saving changes.
Note: You cannot edit the actions that are available out of the box.
4To add tasks, expand the panels under the Choose Tools To Add pane and click a task.
5Click Save.
6In the Save Action dialog box, edit the description, if required, and click Save.
Rename an action
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Manage Actions.
3In the Manage Actions dialog box, select an action and click Rename.
Note: You cannot rename the actions that are available out of the box.
4In the Save Action dialog box, enter a new name and description, if required, and click Save.
Copy an action
You can duplicate an action, and you can modify the tasks in the action before you save the copy.
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Manage Actions.
3In the Manage Actions dialog box, select an action and click Copy. The Save Action dialog box is displayed.
4In the Save Action dialog box, enter the action name and description, and click Save.
A new copy of the selected action is created and added to the Select An Action list.
Delete an action
1Choose Tools> Action Wizard.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Manage Actions.
3In the Manage Actions dialog box, select an action and click Remove.
Note: You cannot delete the actions that are available out of the box.
4In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Export an action
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Manage Actions.
3In the Manage Actions dialog box, select an action and click Export.
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4In the Save As dialog box, specify the name and location of the file for saving the action. Action files have a .sequ
extension.
5Click Save.
Import an action
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Manage Actions.
3In the Manage Actions dialog box, click Import.
You can also double-click a .sequ file to import an action.
4In the Open dialog box, select the action file to import and click Open. Action files have a .sequ extension.
5In the confirmation dialog box, click OK.
Note: If an action contains JavaScript, then an alert message is displayed stating that the selected action contains
JavaScript. Click Import to continue or Cancel to abort the import process.
Create and manage custom commands
Custom commands allow you to preconfigure commands such as Watermark, and Header & footer to reduce the
amount of time each command would take to set up. This saves time for repetitive tasks.
Custom commands are single-step and applicable to current document, while actions are multi-step sequence and
applicable to multiple files.
Create a custom command
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard > New Custom Command.
2The New Custom Command dialog displays a list of customizable commands in the left pane. Choose a command
that you want to customize.
3Change the command label and tool tip, if you want. Also, choose whether you want to see the command-specific
options when the command is run.
4Click Command Options. Select or specify appropriate values or options in the dialog box and then click OK.
5Click OK to save the new custom command.
The command is displayed under the Custom Commands section in the right pane.
Run a custom command
1Step text
2Step text
3Step text
4Step text
5Step text
Automate password entry for actions
Before you run actions on PDFs that are encrypted or password protected, you can set your digital ID to enter required
passwords automatically.
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Note: Specify a security method for these files in the Action Wizard panel of the Preferences dialog box. If you select Do
Not Ask For Password, PDFs that require passwords are not processed.
1Open the Preferencesdialog box.
2Choose Signatures in the Categories on the left.
3For Identities & Trusted Certificates, click More.
4On the left, open Digital IDs and select Digital ID Files.
5In the list on the right, select an ID and then select the following commands from the top bar:
Login
Logs in using the specified digital ID. Type the password and click OK.
Logout
Logs out using the specified digital ID when you have finished running an action.
PDF articles
About articles
Many traditional print documents, such as magazines and newspapers, arrange text in multiple columns. Stories flow
from column to column and sometimes across several pages. While the format is effective for printed material, this type
of structure can be difficult to follow on-screen because of the scrolling and zooming required.
The article feature enables you to guide readers through material presented in multiple columns and across a series of
pages.
Define articles
You create an article by defining a series of boxes around the content in the order in which you want the content read.
The navigational path you define for an article is known as the article thread. You create a thread connecting the various
boxes, unifying them into a continuous text flow.
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Most desktop publishing programs allow you to generate article threads automatically as you convert the files to Adobe
PDF. If the file you’re viewing has articles, you can show the names of the articles on a tab and navigate easily through
them.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > More > Add Article Box. The pointer appears as a cross-hair pointer in the document
window.
2Drag a rectangle to define the first article box. An article box appears around the enclosed text, and the pointer
changes to the article pointer.
Each article box you create has a label that consists of the article number and its sequence within the article. For
example, the first box for the first article is labeled 1-1, the second box 1-2, and so on. The boxes for the second
article in the same document are labeled 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, and so on.
3Go to the next part of the document you want to include in the article, and draw a rectangle around that text. Repeat
until you have defined the entire article.
Note: To resize or move an article box, you must first end the article.
4To end the article, press Enter.
5In the Article Properties dialog box, enter the article title, subject, author, and any keywords to describe the article,
and click OK.
View and edit an article
Use the Article tool to create, display, and make changes to an article box in the PDF document.
View articles on the page
❖Choose Tools > Edit PDF > More > Add Article Box.
View articles in the PDF
Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Articles.
1To read an article, double-click it, or select the article and choose Read Article from the options menu in the
Articles panel.
The first line of the article appears in the upper left corner.
2To hide the Articles panel after the article opens, select Hide After Use in the options menu of the Articles
panel.
Delete an article or article box
❖In the Articles panel, do one of the following:
•To delete the entire article, select the article in the Articles panel, and press the Delete key.
•To delete only one box from an article, right-click the box, and choose Delete. In the warning message, select Box.
If you select Article, the entire article is deleted.
The remaining articles or article boxes are automatically renumbered.
Insert an article box into an article thread
1In the Document window, select the article box that you want the new article box to follow.
2Click the plus sign (+) at the bottom of the selected box, and click OK when prompted to drag and create a new
article box.
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3Draw a new article box. The new box is inserted into the article flow, and all following boxes are renumbered.
Move or resize an article box
❖Using the Article tool, select the article box, and do one of the following:
•To move the box, drag it to the new location.
•To resize the box, drag a center handle to change only height or width, or drag a corner handle to change both
dimensions.
Edit article properties
1Using the Article tool, select the article box that you want to edit.
2Right-click the box, and choose Properties.
3Change the information in the Articles Properties dialog box, and click OK.
Combine two articles
1In the document pane, select any article box in the article you want to be read first.
2Select the plus sign (+) at the bottom of the article box, and click OK to dismiss the prompt to create a new article
box.
3Ctrl-click an article box you want to be read next. The second article is appended to the end of the first article. All
article boxes in the piece are renumbered automatically.
Page thumbnails and bookmarks inPDFs
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About page thumbnails
Page thumbnails are miniature previews of the pages in a document. You can use page thumbnails to jump quickly to a
selected page or to adjust the view of the page. When you move, copy, or delete a page thumbnail, you move, copy, or
delete the corresponding page.
If you do not see page thumbnails in the navigation pane, try using F4 to open the navigation pane. Or choose View >
Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Page Thumbnails.
Create page thumbnails
Page thumbnails increase file size, so Acrobat does not create them automatically.
Note: Acrobat no longer supports embedding and unembedding page thumbnails. However, Acrobat Distiller® provides an
alternate method of embedding page thumbnails.
Create page thumbnails
❖Click the Page Thumbnails button on the left.
Page thumbnails appear in the navigation pane. This process may require several seconds, particularly in larger
documents. The drawing of page thumbnails may pause if you interact with the application during this process.
Resize page thumbnails
❖In the Page Thumbnails panel, choose Reduce Page Thumbnails or Enlarge Page Thumbnails from the options
menu . Page thumbnails revert to their default size if you close and reopen the PDF.
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Define the tabbing order
In the Page Thumbnails panel, you can set the order in which a user tabs through form fields, links, and comments for
each page.
1Click the Page Thumbnails button on the left.
2Select a page thumbnail, and choose Page Properties from the options menu .
3In the Page Properties dialog box, click Tab Order, and select the tab order:
Use Row Order Moves through rows from left to right, or right to left for pages with a right-to-left binding.
Use Column Order Moves through columns from left to right and from top to bottom, or right to left for pages with
a right-to-left binding.
Use Document Structure Moves in the order specified by the authoring application.
Note: For structured documents—PDFs that were created from desktop publishing applications or that contain tags—
it’s best to select the Use Document Structure option to match the intention of the authoring application.
If the document was created in an earlier version of Acrobat, the tab order is Unspecified by default. With this
setting, form fields are tabbed through first, followed by links and then comments ordered by row.
About bookmarks
A bookmark is a type of link with representative text in the Bookmarks panel in the navigation pane. Each bookmark
goes to a different view or page in the document. Bookmarks are generated automatically during PDF creation from
the table-of-contents entries of documents created by most desktop publishing programs. These bookmarks are often
tagged and can be used to make edits in the PDF.
Initially, a bookmark displays the page that was in view when the bookmark was created, which is the bookmark’s
destination. In Acrobat, you can set bookmark destinations as you create each bookmark. However, it is sometimes
easier to create a group of bookmarks, and then set the destinations later.
In Acrobat, you can use bookmarks to mark a place in the PDF to which you want to return, or to jump to a destination
in the PDF, another document, or a web page. Bookmarks can also perform actions, such as executing a menu item or
submitting a form.
Note: An Acrobat user can add bookmarks to a document only if the security settings allow it.
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Create a bookmark
1Click the Bookmarks button on the left to open the Bookmarks panel.
2Open the page where you want the bookmark to link to, and adjust the view settings.
3Use the Select tool to select the area of the page you want to bookmark:
•To bookmark a single image, click in the image, or drag a rectangle around the image.
•To bookmark a portion of an image, drag a rectangle around the portion.
•To bookmark text, drag to select it. The selected text becomes the label of the new bookmark. You can edit the
label.
4Select the bookmark under which you want to place the new bookmark. If you don’t select a bookmark, the new
bookmark is automatically added at the end of the list.
5Choose Tools > Edit PDF > More > Add Bookmark.
6In the Bookmarks panel, type or edit the name of the new bookmark.
Edit a bookmark
In Reader, you can make bookmarks easier to read by changing their text appearance.
In Acrobat, you can change a bookmark’s attributes at any time.
Rename a bookmark
❖Select the bookmark in the Bookmarks panel, choose Rename Bookmark in the options menu , and type the
new bookmark name.
Wrap text in a long bookmark
❖Click the Bookmarks button, and choose Wrap Long Bookmarks from the options menu .
All the text of long bookmarks shows regardless of the width of the navigation pane. (This option is on when
checked, and off when not checked.)
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Change the text appearance of a bookmark
You can change the appearance of a bookmark to draw attention to it.
1In the Bookmarks panel, select one or more bookmarks.
2(Acrobat only) To change the color and style of the text, choose View > Show/Hide > Toolbars Items > Properties
Bar.
After you have defined a bookmark’s appearance, you can reuse the appearance settings. To do this, select the
bookmark and from the options menu , choose Use Current Appearance As New Default.
3To change the font size, from the options menu , choose Text Size > [size].
Change a bookmark’s destination
1In the Bookmarks panel, select the bookmark.
2In the document pane, move to the location you want to specify as the new destination.
3If necessary, adjust the view magnification.
4Choose Set Bookmark Destination in the options menu .
Note: The Set Bookmark Destination option is context sensitive. It appears only when you have an existing bookmark
selected.
Add an action to a bookmark
1In the Bookmarks panel, select a bookmark.
2From the options menu , choose Properties.
3In the Bookmark Properties dialog box, click Actions.
4Choose an action from the Select Action menu, and click Add.
Delete a bookmark
❖In the Bookmarks panel, select a bookmark or range of bookmarks, and then press Delete.
Note: Deleting a bookmark deletes any bookmarks that are subordinate to it. Deleting a bookmark does not delete any
document text.
Create a bookmark hierarchy
You can nest a list of bookmarks to show a relationship between topics. Nesting creates a parent/child relationship. You
can expand and collapse this hierarchical list as desired.
Nest one or more bookmarks
1Select the bookmark or range of bookmarks you want to nest.
2Drag the icon or icons directly underneath the parent bookmark icon. The Line icon shows the position of the
icon or icons.
The bookmark is nested; however, the actual page remains in its original location in the document.
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Move bookmarks out of a nested position
1Select the bookmark or range of bookmarks you want to move.
2Move the selection by doing one of the following:
•Drag the icon or icons, positioning the arrow directly under the label of the parent bookmark.
•Choose Cut from the options menu , select the parent bookmark, and then choose Paste Under Selected
Bookmark from the options menu.
Expand or collapse all top-level bookmarks
❖From the options menu , choose Expand Top-Level Bookmarks or Collapse Top-Level Bookmarks.
Add tagged bookmarks
Tagged bookmarks give you greater control over page content than do regular bookmarks. Because tagged bookmarks
use the underlying structural information of the document elements (for example, heading levels, paragraphs, table
titles), you can use them to edit the document, such as rearranging their corresponding pages in the PDF, or deleting
pages. If you move or delete a parent tagged bookmark, its children tagged bookmarks are moved or deleted along with
it.
Many desktop publishing applications, such as Adobe InDesign® and Microsoft Word, create structured documents.
When you convert these documents to PDF, the structure is converted to tags, which support the addition of tagged
bookmarks. Converted web pages typically include tagged bookmarks.
If your document doesn’t include tags, you can always add them in Acrobat.
1In the Bookmarks panel, choose New Bookmarks From Structure from the options menu . (If this option isn’t
available, the document isn’t structured.)
2Select the structure elements you want specified as tagged bookmarks. Ctrl-click to add to the selection.
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The tagged bookmarks are nested under a new, untitled bookmark.
More Help topics
PostScript options
About tags, accessibility, reading order, and reflow
Actiontypes
Edit tags with the Tags tab (Acrobat Pro DC)
Links and bookmarks in web pages
PDF properties and metadata
View document properties
When you view a PDF, you can get information about it, such as the title, the fonts used, and security settings. Some of
this information is set by the person who created the document, and some is generated automatically.
In Acrobat DC, you can change any information that can be set by the document creator, unless the file has been saved
with security settings that prevent changes.
1Choose File > Properties.
2Click a tab in the Document Properties dialog box.
Document Properties
Description Shows basic information about the document. The title, author, subject, and keywords may have been set
by the person who created the document in the source application, such as Word or InDesign, or by the person who
created the PDF. You can search for these description items to find particular documents. The Keywords section can
be particularly useful for narrowing searches.
Note that many search engines use the title to describe the document in their search results list. If a PDF does not have
a title, the filename appears in the results list instead. A file’s title is not necessarily the same as its filename.
The Advanced area shows the PDF version, the page size, number of pages, whether the document is tagged, and if it’s
enabled for Fast Web View. (The size of the first page is reported in PDFs or PDF Portfolios that contain multiple page
sizes.) This information is generated automatically and cannot be modified.
Security Describes what changes and functionality are allowed within the PDF. If a password, certificate, or security
policy has been applied to the PDF, the method is listed here.
Fonts Lists the fonts and the font types used in the original document, and the fonts, font types, and encoding used to
display the original fonts.
If substitute fonts are used and you aren’t satisfied with their appearance, you may want to install the original fonts on
your system or ask the document creator to re-create the document with the original fonts embedded in it.
Initial View (Acrobat only) Describes how the PDF appears when it’s opened. This includes the initial window size, the
opening page number and magnification level, and whether bookmarks, thumbnails, the toolbar, and the menu bar are
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displayed. You can change any of these settings to control how the document appears the next time it is opened. You
can also create JavaScript that runs when a page is viewed, a document is opened, and more.
Custom (Acrobat only) Lets you add document properties to your document.
Advanced Lists PDF settings, print dialog presets, and reading options for the document.
In the PDF settings for Acrobat, you can set a base Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for web links in the document.
Specifying a base URL makes it easy for you to manage web links to other websites. If the URL to the other site changes,
you can simply edit the base URL and not have to edit each individual web link that refers to that site. The base URL is
not used if a link contains a complete URL address.
You can also associate a catalog index file (PDX) with the PDF. When the PDF is searched with the Search PDF window,
all of the PDFs that are indexed by the specified PDX file are also searched.
You can include prepress information, such as trapping, for the document. You can define print presets for a document,
which prepopulate the Print dialog box with document-specific values. You can also set reading options that determine
how the PDF is read by a screen reader or other assistive device.
Add a description to Document Properties
You can add keywords to the document properties of a PDF that other people might use in a search utility to locate the
PDF.
1Choose File > Properties.
2Click the Description tab, and type the author’s name, subject, and keywords.
3(Optional) Click Additional Metadata to add other descriptive information, such as copyright information.
Create document properties
You can add custom document properties that store specific types of metadata, such as the version number or company
name, in a PDF. Properties you create appear in the Document Properties dialog box. Properties you create must have
unique names that do not appear in the other tabs in the Document Properties dialog box.
1Choose File > Properties, and then select Custom.
2To add a property, type the name and value, and then click Add.
3To change the properties, do any of the following, and then click OK:
•To edit a property, select it, change the Value, and then click Change.
•To delete a property, select it and click Delete.
To change the name of a custom property, delete the property and create a new custom property with the name you
want.
Edit document metadata
PDF documents created in Acrobat 5.0 or later contain document metadata in XML format. Metadata includes
information about the document and its contents, such as the author’s name, keywords, and copyright information, that
can be used by search utilities. The document metadata contains (but is not limited to) information that also appears
in the Description tab of the Document Properties dialog box. Document metadata can be extended and modified
using third-party products.
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The Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) provides Adobe applications with a common XML framework that
standardizes the creation, processing, and interchange of document metadata across publishing workflows. You can
save and import the document metadata XML source code in XMP format, making it easy to share metadata among
different documents. You can also save document metadata to a metadata template that you can reuse in Acrobat.
View document metadata
1Choose File > Properties, and click the Additional Metadata button in the Description tab.
2Click Advanced to display all the metadata embedded in the document. (Metadata is displayed by schema—that is,
in predefined groups of related information.) Display or hide the information in schemas by schema name. If a
schema doesn’t have a recognized name, it is listed as Unknown. The XML name space is contained in parentheses
after the schema name.
Edit or append document metadata
1Choose File > Properties, click the Description tab, and then click Additional Metadata.
2Select Advanced from the list on the left.
3To edit the metadata, do any of the following, and then click OK.
•To add previously saved information, click Append, select an XMP or FFO file, and click Open.
•To add new information and replace the current metadata with information stored in an XMP file, click Replace,
select a saved XMP or FFO file, and click Open. New properties are added, existing properties that are also
specified in the new file are replaced, and existing properties that are not in the replacement file remain in the
metadata.
•To delete an XML schema, select it and click Delete.
•To append the current metadata with metadata from a template, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac
OS) and choose a template name from the dialog box menu in the upper right corner.
Note: You must save a metadata template before you can import metadata from a template.
To replace the current metadata with a template of metadata, choose a template file (XMP) from the dialog box
menu in the upper right corner.
Save metadata as a template or file
1Choose File > Properties, click the Description tab, and then click Additional Metadata.
2Select Advanced from the list on the left.
3Save the document metadata, and then click OK:
•To save the metadata to an external file, click Save and name the file. The metadata is stored as a file in XMP
format. (To use the saved metadata in another PDF, open the document and use these instructions to replace or
append metadata in the document.)
•To save the metadata as a template, choose Save Metadata Template from the dialog box menu in the upper right
corner, and name the file.
View object data and metadata
You can view the metadata information of certain objects, tags, and images within a PDF. You can edit and export
metadata for Visio objects only.
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View object metadata (Acrobat Pro)
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Edit Text & Images.
2Select an object, right-click the selection, and choose Show Metadata. (If Show Metadata is unavailable, the image
has no metadata associated with it.)
View and edit Visio object metadata
1Choose Tools > Measure > Object Data Tool.
2Double-click an object on the page to show its metadata.
The Model Tree opens and shows a hierarchical list of all structural elements. The selected object’s metadata appears
as editable properties and values at the bottom of the Model Tree.
The selected object is highlighted on the page. Use the Highlight Color menu at the top of the Model Tree to choose
a different color.
3To edit the metadata, type in the boxes at the bottom of the Model Tree.
4To export object metadata, from the options menu, choose Export As XML > Whole Tree to export all objects in the
Model Tree, or choose Export As XML > Current Node to export only the selected object and its children. Name
and save the file.
Export Visio object metadata
1Choose Tools > Measure > Object Data Tool.
2Double-click an object on the page to show its metadata.
3From the options menu , choose one of the following:
•Choose Export As XML > Whole Tree to export all objects.
•Choose Export As XML > Current Node to export only the selected object and its children.
4Name and save the file.
More Help topics
Choosing a security method
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Links and attachments in PDFs
Create a link
Links let you jump to other locations in the same document, to other electronic documents including attachments, or
to websites. You can use links to initiate actions or to ensure that your reader has immediate access to related
information. You can also add actions to play a sound or movie file.
Create a link using the Link tool
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit.
The pointer becomes a cross hair, and any existing links in the document, including invisible links, are temporarily
visible.
2Drag a rectangle where you want to create a link. This is the area in which the link is active.
3In the Create Link dialog box, choose the options you want for the link appearance.
4Select one of the following link actions:
Go To A Page View Click Next to set the page number and view magnification you want in the current document or
in another document (such as a file attachment), and then click Set Link.
Open A File Select the destination file and click Select. If the file is a PDF, specify how the document should open
(for example in a new window or within an existing window), and then click OK.
Note: If the filename is too long to fit in the text box, the middle of the name is truncated.
Open A Web Page Provide the URL of the destination web page.
Custom Link Click Next to open the Link Properties dialog box. In this dialog box, you can set any action, such as
reading an article, or executing a menu command, to be associated with the link.
Edit a link
You can edit a link at any time. You can change its hotspot area or associated link action, delete or resize the link
rectangle, or change the destination of the link. Changing the properties of an existing link affects only the currently
selected link. If a link isn’t selected, the properties will apply to the next link you create.
You can change the properties of several links at once if you drag a rectangle to select them using the Link tool or the
Select Object tool.
Move or resize a link rectangle
1Select the Add or Edit link tool (Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit).
2Move the pointer over the link rectangle so that the handles appear.
3Do one of the following:
•To move the link rectangle, drag it.
•To resize the link rectangle, drag any corner point.
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Change the appearance of a link
1Select the Add or Edit link tool (Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit).
2Double-click the link rectangle.
3In the Appearance tab of the Link Properties dialog box, choose a color, line thickness, and line style for the link.
4Select a highlight style for when the link is selected:
None Doesn’t change the appearance of the link.
Invert Changes the link’s color to its opposite.
Outline Changes the link’s outline color to its opposite.
Inset Creates the appearance of an embossed rectangle.
Note: The Link Type, Color, and Line Style options are not available if Invisible is selected for Appearance.
5Select Invisible Rectangle for Link Type if you don’t want users to see the link in the PDF. An invisible link is useful
if the link is over an image.
6Select the Locked option if you want to prevent users from accidentally changing your settings.
7To test the link, select the Hand tool.
Note: The link properties in the Create Link dialog box apply to all new links that you create until you change the
properties. To reuse the appearance settings for a link, right-click the link whose properties you want to use as the
default, and choose Use Current Appearance As New Default.
Edit a link action
1Select the Add or Edit link tool (Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit).
2Double-click the link rectangle.
3In the Actions tab of the Link Properties dialog box, select the listed action you want to change, and click Edit.
Delete a link
1Select the Add or Edit link tool (Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit).
2Select the link rectangle you want to delete.
Choose Edit > Delete, or press the Delete key.
Link to a file attachment
You can direct users to a PDF attachment by creating a link in the parent PDF document that jumps to the attachment.
Note: Don’t confuse file attachments with files that can be opened from a link. Linked documents may be stored in different
locations; file attachments are always saved with the PDF.
1Open a PDF that contains a PDF file attachment.
2Go to where you want to create a link. If that location is in the file attachment, click the Attachments button in the
navigation pane, select the file attachment, and click Open.
3Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit, and select the area for the link.
4In the Create Link dialog box, set the link appearance, select Go To A Page View, and then click Next.
5Set the page number and view magnification you want, either in the parent PDF document or in the file attachment,
and then click Set Link.
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Destinations
A destination is the end point of a link and is represented by text in the Destinations panel. Destinations enable you to
set navigation paths across a collection of PDFs. Linking to a destination is recommended when linking across
documents because, unlike a link to a page, a link to a destination is not affected by the addition or deletion of pages
within the target document.
View and manage destinations
Manage destinations from the Destinations panel in the navigation pane.
View destinations
❖Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Destinations. All destinations are automatically scanned.
Sort the destinations list
❖Do one of the following:
•To sort destination names alphabetically, click the Name label at the top of the Destinations panel.
•To sort destinations by page number, click the Page label at the top of the Destinations panel.
Change or delete a destination
❖In the Destinations panel, right-click the destination, and choose a command:
•To move to the target location, choose Go To Destination.
•To delete the destination, choose Delete.
•To reset the target of the destination to the page displayed, choose Set Destination.
•To give the destination a different name, choose Rename.
Create and link a destination
You can create a link to a destination in the same or another PDF.
1In the target document (destination), choose View > Show/Hide >Navigation Panes > Destinations. If the document
already includes a destination that you want to link to, skip to step 5.
2Navigate to the location where you want to create a destination, and set the desired view.
3In the Destinations panel, choose New Destination from the options menu , and name the destination.
4Save the target document.
5In the source document (where you want to create the link), choose To o l s > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit, and
drag a rectangle to specify a location for the link.
6In the Create Link dialog box, set the link appearance, select Go To A Page View, and then click Next.
7In the target document, in the Destinations panel, double-click the destination.
8Save the source document.
Add an attachment
You can attach PDFs and other types of files to a PDF. If you move the PDF to a new location, the attachments move
with it. Attachments may include links to or from the parent document or to other attachments.
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Don’t confuse attached comments with file attachments. A file attached as a comment appear in the page with a File
Attachment icon or Sound Attachment icon, and in the Comments List with other comments. (See Add comments in
a file attachment.)
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > More > Attach File.
2In the Add Files dialog box, select the file you want to attach, and click Open.
Note: If you attach EXE, VBS, or ZIP file formats, Acrobat warns you that it won’t open the file once attached because
the format is associated with malicious programs, macros, and viruses that can damage your computer.
3To make the attachment viewable in Acrobat 5.0 or earlier, do one of the following:
•Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Attachments, and select Show Attachments By Default from
the options menu (selected by default).
•Choose File > Properties, click the Initial View tab, choose Attachments Panel And Page from the Navigation Tab
menu, and click OK.
4Save the PDF.
5(Optional) To add a description to the attachment that helps differentiate between similar files in the Attachments
panel, select the attached file, and from the options menu , choose Edit Description. Edit the text of the
description, and then save the file.
Open, save, or delete an attachment
You can open a PDF attachment and make changes to it—if you have permissions—and your changes are applied to the
PDF attachment.
For other types of file attachments, you have an option of opening or saving the file. Opening the file starts the
application that handles the file format of the attachment—you must have that application to open the attachment.
Note: Acrobat does not open EXE, VBS, and ZIP file formats because these formats are associated with malicious
programs, macros, and viruses that can damage your computer.
1To open the Attachments panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Attachments.
2In the Attachments panel, select the attachment.
3Click the appropriate icon to open the attachment in its native application, save the attachment, or delete it:
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Search in attachments
When searching for specific words or phrases, you can include attached PDFs as well as several other file types in the
search. Windows users can search Microsoft Office documents (such as .doc, .xls, and .ppt), AutoCAD drawing file
formats (.dwg and .dwf), HTML files, and Rich Text Format (.rtf) files. Mac OS users can search Microsoft Word (.doc),
HTML, and .rtf files. Search results from attachments appear in the Results list beneath the attachment filename and
icon. Attachments in other formats are ignored by the search engine.
Note: To enable Microsoft and AutoCAD file searches, the IFilters appropriate to the file types must be installed. IFilters
are typically installed with their applications, but can also be downloaded from product websites.
Search attachments from the Attachments panel
1To open the Attachments panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Attachments.
2In the Attachments panel, click Search Attachments .
3In the Search window, type the word or phrase that you want to search for, select the results option you want, and
then click Search Attachments.
Search attachments from the Search window
Choose Edit > Advanced Search.
1Type the word or phrase that you want to search for, and select the results option you want.
2Click Show More Options at the bottom of the window, and then select Include Attachments.
More Help topics
Add multimedia to PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Attachments
PDF layers
About PDF layers
You can view, navigate, and print layered content in PDFs created from applications such as InDesign, AutoCAD, and
Visio.
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You can control the display of layers using the default and initial state settings. For example, you can hide a layer
containing a copyright notice whenever a document is displayed on screen, while ensuring that the layer always prints.
In Acrobat Pro DC, you can rename, flatten, and merge layers, change the properties of layers, and add actions to layers.
You can also rearrange layers, import layers from image files and other PDFs, and lock layers to prevent them from
being hidden.
Acrobat Pro DC does not allow you to author layers that change visibility according to the zoom level. However, you
can highlight a portion of a layer that is especially important by creating a bookmark that magnifies or hides the layer
using page actions. You can also add links that let users click a visible or invisible link to navigate to or zoom in on a
layer.
To retain layers when you convert InDesign CS documents to PDF in Acrobat Pro DC, make sure that Compatibility
is set to Acrobat 6.0 (PDF 1.5) or higher. Additionally, make sure that Create Acrobat Layers is selected in the Export
Adobe PDF dialog box.
Show or hide layers
Information can be stored on different layers of a PDF. The layers that appear in the PDF are based on the layers created
in the original application. Use the Layers panel to examine layers and show or hide the content associated with each
layer. Items on locked layers cannot be hidden.
Some layers may be organized into nested groups with a parent layer. Other layers may be in groups with no parent
layer.
Note: A lock icon in the Layers panel indicates that a layer is for information only. Locked layers can be created from
AutoCAD and Visio files.In Acrobat Standard DC, the visibility of a locked layer cannot be changed. In Acrobat Pro DC,
use the Layer Properties dialog box to change the visibility of a locked layer.
A Eye icon indicates a displayed layer B Locked layer C Hidden layer
Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Layers.
1To hide a layer, click the eye icon. To show a hidden layer, click the empty box. (A layer is visible when the eye icon
is present, and hidden when the eye icon is absent. This setting temporarily overrides the settings in the Layer
Properties dialog box.)
Note: In a nested layer group, if the parent layer is hidden, the nested layers are automatically hidden as well. If the
parent layer is visible, nested layers can be made visible or hidden.
2From the options menu , choose one of the following:
List Layers For All Pages Shows every layer across every page of the document.
List Layers For Visible Pages Shows layers only on the currently visible pages.
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Reset To Initial Visibility Resets layers to their default state.
Apply Print Overrides Displays layers according to the Print settings in the Layer Properties dialog box (Prints
When Visible, Never Prints, Always Prints).
Apply Export Overrides Displays layers according to the Export settings in the Layer Properties dialog box (Exports
When Visible, Never Exports, Always Exports).
Apply Layer Overrides Displays all layers. This option affects all optional content in the PDF, even layers that are
not listed in the Layers panel. All layers are visible, regardless of the settings in the Layer Properties dialog box. You
cannot change layer visibility using the eye icon until you deselect this command. When you edit layer properties in
the Layer Properties dialog box, changes are not effective until you choose Reset To Initial Visibility in the options
menu. (Changes to the layer name are the exception; they are effective immediately.)
Note: You cannot save the view of a layered PDF by using the eye icon in the Layers panel to show and hide layers. When
you save the file, the visibility of the layers automatically reverts to the initial visibility state.
To save a different view of a layered PDF in Acrobat Pro, you must change the default state of the layers in the Layer
Properties dialog box.
Edit layer properties (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can combine the default state setting, the visibility setting, and the print setting to control when a layer is visible
and when it prints. If a layer contains a watermark, for example, you may want the layer to not show on-screen but
always to print and always to export to other applications. In this case you can set the default state to on, the initial
visibility to never visible (the image doesn’t show on-screen), and the initial print and initial export states to always
print and always export. The layer need not be listed in the Layers panel, since all the state changes are handled
automatically.
Note: The settings in the Layer Properties dialog box take effect only if Allow Layer State To Be Set By User Information is
selected in the Documents preferences. If it is not selected, Layer Properties dialog box settings, other than Layer Name and
Default State, are ignored.
1Click the Layers button in the navigation pane.
2Select a layer, and choose Layer Properties from the options menu .
3In the Layer Properties dialog box, edit the layer name or any of the following properties, and then click OK:
Intent Select View to allow the layer to be turned on or off, or select Reference to keep the layer on at all times and
permit editing of the properties. When the Reference Intent option is selected, the layer appears in italics.
Default State Defines the initial visibility state of the layer when a document is first opened or when the initial
visibility is reset. The eye icons for layers are initially shown or hidden based on this value. For example, if this value
is set to off, the eye icon for a layer is hidden when the document is first opened or when Reset To Initial Visibility
is chosen from the options menu.
Visibility Defines the on-screen visibility of the PDF layer. You can show a layer when the document is opened, you
can hide a layer when the document is opened, or you can let the default state determine whether a layer is shown
or hidden when the document is opened.
Print Determines whether a layer will print.
Export Determines whether the layer appears in the resulting document when the PDF file is exported to an
application or file format that supports layers.
Any additional properties that the creator of the layered PDF has associated with a specific layer are shown in the
box at the bottom of the Layer Properties dialog box.
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Reorder layers
You can reorder individual layers in the Layers pane. This action is useful if you want to change the order of layers in
the list, or move a layer from one layer group to another.
Note: You cannot reorder locked layers, and you cannot reorder layers in nested layer groups.
1In the Layers navigation panel, select a layer.
2Position the cursor to the left of the layer name, then hold down the Alt key while you drag the layer to the new
location.
Add layer navigation
You can add links and destinations to layers, allowing you to change the view of a document when the user clicks a
bookmark or link.
Note: In general, changes to layer visibility made using the eye icon in the Layers panel are not recorded in the Navigation
toolbar.
Associate layer visibility with bookmarks
1Set the required layer properties, visibility, and magnification level for the target PDF layer in the document pane.
2Click the Bookmarks button, and choose New Bookmark from the options menu .
3Select the new bookmark, and choose Properties from the options menu .
4In the Bookmark Properties dialog box, click the Actions tab.
5For Select Action, choose Set Layer Visibility, click Add, and then click OK.
6Select the bookmark label in the Bookmarks panel, and name the bookmark.
Associate layer visibility with a link destination
1Set the required layer properties for the destination in the document pane.
Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Destinations.
The Destinations pane appears in a floating panel. You can add it to the other panels by dragging it to the navigation
pane. If the panel is collapsed, click the Destinations button to expand it.
Choose New Destination from the options menu , and name the destination.
2Select the Link tool , and drag in the document pane to create a link. (Because content is added to all layers, it
doesn’t matter that you are apparently creating the link on the target layer. The link works from any layer.)
3In the Create Link dialog box, select Custom Link and click Next.
4Click the Appearance tab in the Link Properties dialog box, and set the appearance of the link.
5Click the Actions tab in the Link Properties dialog box, choose Set Layer Visibility, and click Add.
6Close the dialog boxes.
You can test the link by changing the layer settings, selecting the Hand tool, and clicking the link.
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Import layers (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can import layers from a PDF or image file into a target PDF. Supported image file formats are BMP, GIF, JPEG,
JPEG 2000, PCX, PNG, and TIFF.
1Click the Layers button in the navigation pane.
2Choose Import As Layer from the options menu .
3In the Import As Layer dialog box, click Browse and locate the file to import. If the source file is a multipage
document, enter the page number you want to import in Page Number. If the target file is a multipage document,
specify the Target Page Number in the Preview section of the dialog box.
4Select one of the following import options:
Create New Layer Creates a single, separate layer from the source document. Enter a name for the new layer.
Add To Group Specifies the existing layer group in which to add the imported layer. This option is available only
when the target PDF contains one or more existing layer groups, and when Create New Layer is selected.
Add To Existing Layer Adds the content from the source document to an existing layer in the target document.
Select a layer from your target document. The imported content will have the same layer properties as the existing
layer in the target document. This option is available only when the target document contains layers.
Copy Layers From Source Imports the layers from the source document. This option is available only when the
source document contains layers.
5Adjust the Position and Appearance settings as needed, and then click OK.
Merge or flatten layers (Acrobat Pro DC)
Merged layers acquire the properties of the layer into which they are merged (the target layer). Flattening PDF layers
hides any content that is not visible when the flattening operation is executed and consolidates all layers.
Note: You cannot undo either a merging or a flattening operation.
Merge layers
1Click the Layers button, and select Merge Layers from the options menu .
2In the Layers To Be Merged pane, select one or more layers, and click Add.
3To remove a layer from the center panel, select one or more layers, and click Remove.
4In the Target Layer To Merge Into pane, select the layer into which to merge the selected layers.
Flatten layers
❖Click the Layers button, and select Flatten Layers from the options menu .
Editing layered content
You can select or copy content in a layered PDF document using the Select tool or the Snapshot tool. (In Acrobat Reader
DC, the PDF must include usage rights.) In Acrobat DC, you can edit content using Edit Text & Images tool. These tools
recognize and select any content that is visible, regardless of whether the content is on a selected layer.
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In Acrobat DC, if the content that you edit or delete is associated with one layer, the content of the layer reflects the
change. If the content that you edit or delete is associated with more than one layer, the content in all the layers reflects
the change. For example, if you want to change a title and byline that appear on the same line on the first page of a
document, and the title and byline are on two different visible layers, editing the content on one layer changes the
content on both layers.
You can add content, such as review comments, stamps, or form fields, to layered documents just as you would to any
other PDF document. However, the content is not added to a specific layer, even if that layer is selected when the
content is added. Rather, the content is added to the entire document.
In Acrobat DC, you can use the Merge Files Into A Single PDF command to combine PDF documents that contain
layers. The layers for each document are grouped under a separate heading in the Layers panel of the navigation pane.
You expand and collapse the group by clicking the icon in the title bar for the group.
More Help topics
Edit images or objects in a PDF
PDFs converted to web pages
Links and bookmarks in web pages
You can work with a PDF document created from web pages the same way you work with any other PDF. Depending
on how you configured Acrobat, clicking a link on a converted web page adds the page for that link to the end of the
PDF, if it isn’t already included.
Note: Remember that one web page can become multiple PDF pages. A web page is a single topic (or URL) from a website
and is often one continuous HTML page. When you convert a web page to PDF, it may be divided into multiple standard-
size PDF pages.
When you first create a PDF from web pages, tagged bookmarks are generated if Create Bookmarks is selected in the
Web PageConversion Settings dialog box. A standard (untagged) bookmark representing the web server appears at the
top of the Bookmarks tab. Under that bookmark is a tagged bookmark for each web page downloaded; the tagged
bookmark’s name comes from the page’s HTML title or the URL, if no title is present. Tagged web bookmarks are
initially all at the same level, but you can rearrange them and nest them in family groups to help keep track of the
hierarchy of material on the web pages.
If Create PDF Tags is selected when you create a PDF from web pages, structure information that corresponds to the
HTML structure of the original pages is stored in the PDF. You can use this information to add tagged bookmarks to
the file for paragraphs and other items that have HTML elements.
More Help topics
About bookmarks
Geospatial PDFs
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About geospatial PDFs
A geospatial PDF contains information that is required to georeference location data. When geospatial data is imported
into a PDF, Acrobat DC retains the geospatial coordinates. With the coordinates, you can view and interact with the
PDF to find and mark location data.
Geospatial data can be either vector or raster based or a combination of both. After you import geospatial data into
Acrobat DC, you can use the data in a variety of ways:
•Find and mark location coordinates.
•Measure distance, perimeter, and area.
•Change the coordinate system and measurement units.
•Copy location coordinates to the clipboard, and then use them to show locations in several web mapping services.
Create geospatial PDFs
You can create a geospatial PDF in one of these ways:
•Opening a geospatially enabled TIFF (GeoTIFF) or JPEG 2000 file
•Georegistering a PDF map or scan of geospatial data
When you open an imported file, measurements, point position, and length are displayed in geographic coordinates,
which you can change, measure, and mark up. You can also assemble a PDF map from a variety of sources.
Open GeoTIFF and JPEG 2000 files
GeoTIFF files and JPEG 2000 files are raster images that you can import as new documents or as new layers to an
existing document. Acrobat DC preserves the geospatial coordinates embedded in the file. These files retain their
geospatial data when they are imported. If you import these files to existing documents, their coordinate system is
converted to the coordinate system of the document.
1Choose File > Create > PDF From File.
2Select the geospatially enabled file to import.
3Select settings, and then click OK.
Import shapefiles
You can import a shapefile as a new layer to an existing PDF. The shapefile must overlap with the current PDF map.
Otherwise, it is not imported. If it overlaps only partially, only the part that overlaps the current PDF is imported.
A shapefile consists of several files with differing filename extensions. Acrobat requires both the SHP file and the DBF
file for importing.
1Open a PDF map, and choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Layers.
2Select Option on the Layer sidebar and click Import As Layer.
3Browse to the SHP file and select it.
4Click Settings and change the Line Properties to a solid line and the line color to blue.
Interact with geospatial PDFs
When you open a geospatially enabled PDF, you can find locations, measure distances, and add location markers. You
can also copy coordinates to the clipboard for use with a web mapping service.
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View the geospatial measuring tools by choosing To o l s > Measure.
Use the Geospatial Location tool to perform these tasks:
•View latitude and longitude while the cursor is over an area containing geospatial information.
•Mark a location with a geospatial annotation.
•Search for a location in a document.
Find map locations
1Open a geospatial PDF and choose Tools > Measure > Geospatial Location tool.
2Right-click inside the map, and then click Find A Location.
3Type the latitude and longitude values (degrees, minutes, seconds, or decimal) in the two text boxes, and click Find.
If at least one location is available, the location is highlighted with a blue square and the page is centered on the
highlighted location.
4If the PDF includes more than one map, click the Next or Previous button to view additional results, if any. Multiple
locations are available in several situations:
•When a document contains multiple maps (for example, if a PDF contains a smaller map within a larger map,
such as a city within a map of a state or country). When you search for a location within the city, Acrobat DC
finds it in both the larger map and the city map.
•When a document contains multiple pages of a map (for example, if page one is a map of a country and page two
is a map of a state or city within the country).
5(Optional) To add a comment (such as a place name or address), click the location marker, and then add the
information in the comment box.
6To end the search, right-click inside the map. Then select Hide Location Search, to remove the search boxes.
Mark geospatial locations
1Open a geospatial PDF and choose Tools > Measure > Geospatial Location Tool.
2Move the mouse pointer over the document to view latitude and longitude values of areas that contain geospatial
information. Right-click inside the map, and then do one of the following:
•To find a location, click Find A Location. Type the latitude and longitude values, and click Find.
•To mark a location with geospatial information, click Mark Location.
3(Optional) To add a comment (such as a place name or address), click the location marker, and then add the
information in the comment box.
Measure distance, perimeter, and area on maps
When you open a geospatial PDF, the Acrobat measuring tools read the geospatial information and measure distance
and area instead of page or object dimensions. Use the measurement tools to calculate distance, perimeter, and area on
any geospatially enabled PDF. As you move the mouse pointer over content in the document, snap markers are shown
that indicate that you are on a path or path end point. You can also see the latitude and longitude of your cursor location
when the mouse pointer is over geospatial content.
1Choose Tools > Measure > Measuring Tool.
2In the Measurement Tool display, select a measurement type: Distance , Area , or Perimeter .
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3Select a snap-to option:
•Snap to paths
•Snap to end points
•Snap to midpoints
•Snap to intersections
4Do one of the following:
•If you are using the Distance tool, click where you want to start the measurement, and then drag to the end point
and click again. The distance is displayed in the lower-right corner.
•If you are using the Perimeter tool, click the map in one corner of the perimeter, and then drag to each corner.
Click at each corner and then double-click at the end point. The information window displays the perimeter size.
•If you are using the Area tool, click the map at one corner of the area, and then drag to another corner. Click
before changing directions. Double-click at the end to display the total area.
5To finish the measurement, right-click and select Complete Measurement. Or, select Cancel Measurement.
Copy location coordinates to the clipboard for use with a web mapping service
After you find a location on a geospatial PDF, you can copy the coordinates to the clipboard. From the clipboard, you
can paste the data into a web mapping service that reads latitude and longitude coordinates.
1Choose Tools > Measure > Geospatial Location Tool, and then right-click the location on the map and choose
Mark Location.
2Open the location annotation and copy the location information.
Acrobat copies the data in this format: latitude then longitude, separated by a space. Paste the data into the address
bar of a web mapping service that can interpret the location data.
Change measurement units within a document
To change the type of measurement units, right-click inside the map with the Measuring tool and choose Distance Unit
or Area Unit. Then select a measurement type.
Change geospatial measuring preferences
You can change the measurement units for all geospatial PDFs in the Preferences dialog box. Click Measuring (Geo)
from the Categories section.
Enable Measurement Markup Adds a label to a geospatial measurement. When Enable Measurement Markup is
selected, choose Use Label, and then type a label for measurements.
Snap Settings Select the path parts to which you want measurements to snap to.
Display Value As Determines how latitude and longitude values are calculated. Choose Decimal to display latitude and
longitude as a decimal fraction. Choose Degrees, Minutes, Seconds to divide each degree of longitude into 60 minutes,
each of which is divided into 60 seconds.
Display Direction As Choose between Signed and Named. Named direction displays an N (north) or S (south) next to
the Latitude, and an E (east) and W (west) for Longitude.
Always Display Latitude And Longitude As WGS 1984 Select to ensure that latitude and longitude use the current
standard reference frame for earth (World Geodetic System 1984). For older maps that were drawn with an earlier grid
(such as NAD 1927), you can deselect this option to see the original values. When an older map is registered in its native
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coordinates, coordinate positions can be different from current standards used in GPS devices and web mapping
services.
Use Default Distance Unit Select the measurement unit to use.
Use Default Area Unit Area can be measured using a different unit from distance.
Don’t Show Transparency Layer In GeoTIFF And JPEG 2000 Images Raster image formats include a transparency layer
that you can choose to remove.
Export location and measurement markups
You can export geospatial location and measurement data to an FDF file. Each geospatial annotation has a GPTS entry.
The entry corresponds to the latitude and longitude for each of the annotation points. The types of information that
can be exported include the following:
•Marked locations entered by using the Geospatial Location tool
•Distance, perimeter (compound distance), and area measurements entered by using the Measurement tool over
geospatial content
Geospatial data can be exported by using the Comments List panel.
1To export all comments, open the Comments List panel (Tools > Comment) and choose Options > Export All To
Data File.
2To export a subset of the comments, select the comments and choose Options > Export Selected To Data File. Type
the filename and click Save. The FDF file is saved.
More Help topics
Commenting and markup tools overview
Measure the height, width, or area of objects
Applying actions and scripts to PDFs
About actions
You can cause an action to occur when a bookmark or link is clicked, or when a page is viewed. For example, you can
use links and bookmarks to jump to different locations in a document, execute commands from a menu, and perform
other actions. Actions are set in the Properties dialog box.
For bookmarks or links, you specify an action that occurs when the bookmark or link is clicked. For other items, such
as pages, media clips and form fields, you define a trigger that causes the action to occur and then define the action
itself. You can add multiple actions to one trigger.
The Locked option prevents the appearance and actions associated with an object from being accidentally changed.
Add an action to bookmarks, form fields, buttons, or clips
1Do one of the following:
•Using the Hand tool, right-click the bookmark, and choose Properties.
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•Using the Too l s > Rich Media > Select Object tool, double-click the link, media clip, or form field, and choose
Properties.
2Click the Actions tab.
3From the Select Action menu, select the action type to occur, and then click Add. You can add multiple actions;
actions execute in the order that they appear in the Actions list box.
4(Optional) Select an action in the Actions tab, and use the buttons to reorder, edit, or delete the action.
5Close the window to accept the actions.
Add actions to page thumbnails
To enhance the interactive quality of a document, you can specify actions, such as changing the zoom value, to occur
when a page is opened or closed.
1Click the Page Thumbnails button on the left.
2Select the page thumbnail corresponding to the page, and choose Page Properties from the options menu .
3Click the Actions tab.
4From the Select Trigger menu, choose Page Open to set an action when the page opens, or choose Page Close to
set an action when the page closes.
5Choose an action from the Select Action menu, and click Add.
6Specify the options for the action, and click OK. The options available depend on the action selected.
7To create a series of actions, choose another action from the menu, and click Add again. Use the Up and Down
buttons to arrange the actions in the order you want them to occur.
Note: If you set an action that switches to Full Screen view on Page Open or Page Close, the next time the same page
opens or closes, Full Screen view is turned on.
Action types
You can assign the following actions to links, bookmarks, pages, media clips, and form fields:
Execute A Menu Item Executes a specified menu command as the action.
Go To A 3D/Multimedia View Jumps to the specified 3D view.
Go To A Page View Jumps to the specified destination in the current document or in another document.
Import Form Data Brings in form data from another file, and places it in the active form.
Multimedia Operation (Acrobat 9 And Later) Executes a specified action for a multimedia object in the file (such as
playing a sound file). The multimedia object must be added to the file before you can specify an action for it.
Open A File Launches and opens a file. If you are distributing a PDF file with a link to another file, the reader needs the
native application of that linked file to open it successfully. (You may need to add opening preferences for the target
file.)
Open A Web Link Jumps to the specified destination on the Internet. You can use http, ftp, and mailto protocols to
define your link.
Play A Sound Plays the specified sound file. The sound is embedded into the PDF document in a cross-platform
format.
Play Media (Acrobat 5 Compatible) Plays the specified QuickTime or AVI movie that was created as Acrobat 5-
compatible. The specified movie must be embedded in a PDF document.
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Play Media (Acrobat 6 And Later Compatible) Plays a specified movie that was created as Acrobat 6-compatible. The
specified movie must be embedded in a PDF document.
Read An Article Follows an article thread in the active document or in another PDF document.
Reset A Form Clears previously entered data in a form. You can control the fields that are reset with the Select Fields
dialog box.
Run A JavaScript Runs the specified JavaScript.
Set Layer Visibility Determines which layer settings are active. Before you add this action, specify the appropriate layer
settings.
Show/Hide A Field Toggles between showing and hiding a field in a PDF document. This option is especially useful in
form fields. For example, if you want an object to pop up whenever the pointer is over a button, you can set an action
that shows a field on the Mouse Enter trigger and hides a field on Mouse Exit.
Submit A Form Sends the form data to the specified URL.
Trigger types
Triggers determine how actions are activated in media clips, pages, and form fields. For example, you can specify a
movie or sound clip to play when a page is opened or closed. The available options depend on the specified page
element.
You can use the following triggers for media clips and form fields (not links or bookmarks):
Mouse Up (Acrobat Pro DC) When the mouse button is released after a click. This is the most common button trigger,
because it gives the user one last chance to drag the pointer off the button and not activate the action.
Page Visible (media clips only) When the page containing the media clip is visible, regardless of whether it is the
current page. It’s possible for a page to be visible without being the current page, such as when a continuous page layout
displays pages side-by-side.
Page Invisible (media clips only) When the page containing the media clip is moved out of view.
Page Enter (media clips only) When the page containing the media clip becomes the current page.
Page Exit (media clips only) When a user leaves the page that contains the media clip.
Mouse Down When the mouse button is clicked (without being released). In most cases, Mouse Up is the preferred
trigger.
Mouse Enter When the pointer enters the field or play area.
Mouse Exit When the pointer exits the field or play area.
On Receive Focus (media clips only) When the link area receives focus, either through a mouse action or tabbing.
On Lose Focus (media clips only) When the focus moves to a different link area.
About JavaScript in Acrobat
The JavaScript language was developed by Netscape Communications as a means to create interactive web pages more
easily. Adobe has enhanced JavaScript so that you can easily integrate this level of interactivity into your PDF
documents.
You can invoke JavaScript code using actions associated with bookmarks, links, and pages. The Set Document Actions
command lets you create document-level JavaScript actions that apply to the entire document. For example, selecting
Document Did Save runs the JavaScript after a document is saved.
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Acrobat Pro DC is required to use JavaScript with forms and action wizards.
In Acrobat Pro DC, you can also use JavaScript with PDF forms and action wizard. The most common uses for
JavaScript in forms are formatting data, calculating data, validating data, and assigning an action. Field-level scripts are
associated with a specific form field or fields, such as a button. This type of script is executed when an event occurs,
such as a Mouse Up action.
To learn how to create JavaScript scripts, download the JavaScript manuals from the Adobe website. Developing
Acrobat®Applications Using JavaScript™ contains background information and tutorials, and the JavaScript™ for
Acrobat®API Reference contains detailed reference information. These and other JavaScript resources are located on the
Adobe website.
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Chapter 4: Forms
PDF forms basics
You can fill in forms using either Acrobat DC or the free Acrobat Reader DC. You can create static or interactive forms
in Acrobat DC. Interactive forms streamline the process of filling in and collecting data.
About forms
You can use Acrobat DC to create forms using one of the following methods:
•Convert an existing electronic document (for example an Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, or Excel document) to a
PDF form.
•Scan a paper form to convert it to a PDF form.
After you convert an existing document to a PDF form, you can add fields to it to convert it to an interactive form.
An interactive form can be filled out on a computer and submitted through an Internet or local network connection.
Additional resources
For more information about forms, see http://forums.adobe.com/community/acrobat/forms.
Forms preferences
Set forms preferences to control various aspects of your interaction with form fields.
In the Preferences dialog box, select Forms on the left. The forms preferences are organized in three sections: General,
Highlight Color, and Auto-Complete.
Note: The forms preferences apply to the way the application handles open forms as you work. The preferences aren’t saved
with the PDF forms themselves.
General
Automatically Calculate Field Values Automatically performs all field calculations upon user entry.
Note: The setting for this option only applies to your current session.
Automatically adjust tab order when modifying fields Resets the tab order when you create, delete, or move form
fields.
Show Focus Rectangle Indicates which form field currently has the focus.
Show Text Field Overflow Indicator Displays a plus sign (+) in text fields that exceed the bounds specified when the
fields were created.
Always Hide Forms Document Message Bar Hides the forms document message bar by default whenever a PDF form
is opened in Acrobat Reader unless the document message bar has a Submit Form button. If the message bar has a
Submit Form button, you can’t hide the message bar.
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Show Field Preview When Creating Or Editing Form Fields Displays the appearance of a form field when you create or
edit forms.
Manage Barcode Parameters Opens a dialog box with a list of barcode items (including the Parameter Set Name,
Symbology, and Built-in status for each item). Includes New, Edit, Delete, Import, and Export buttons for working with
new or selected parameter sets.
Highlight Color
Show Border Hover Color For Fields Displays a black outline around a form field when you place the pointer over it.
Fields Highlight Color Opens a color picker for selecting the color of highlighted form fields. The highlight appears
when the Highlight Existing Fields button on the document message bar is clicked.
Required Fields Highlight Color Opens a color picker for selecting the border color of form fields that must be filled in.
The border appears for required form fields when the Highlight Existing Fields button is selected or after you attempt
to submit the form.
Auto-Complete
Auto-Complete menu Displays three options for Auto-Complete: Off, Basic, or Advanced.
Remember Numerical Data Suggests your previously entered numerical entries when you type the same first character
into a similar field. When deselected, Auto-Complete offers suggestions only for text entries. (Available only when
Basic or Advanced is selected.)
Edit Entry List Displays current entries stored in the Auto-Complete memory. You can select and delete any entries that
you don’t want to keep for filling in future forms. (This option isn’t available if no entries are in the memory.)
Links to all forms topics
•Create and distribute forms
•PDF form field basics
•PDF barcode form fields
•PDF form field properties
•Set action buttons in PDF forms
•Publishing interactive PDF web forms
•Filling in PDF forms
•Collecting and managing PDF form data
Creating and distributing PDF forms
Easily turn a scanned paper form or a simple form made in Microsoft Word, Excel, or another application into an
intelligent PDF form. Distribute forms to recipients and track the status of replies.
This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC. If you're using Adobe Reader DC, see What can I do with Adobe
Reader DC. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help .
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Create a form from an existing document
When you convert an existing document into a PDF form, Acrobat DC automatically adds interactive form fields to
the form. You can then edit the form to add specialized form fields, such as a drop-down list, list box, or buttons.
A Certificate-based signature field B Drop-down list box C Tex t fields D Automatic message bar E Check boxes F Radio buttons G List box
H Buttons
1Choose Tools > Prepare Form.
2Select one of the following options:
Select a file Converts an existing electronic document (for example, Word, Excel, or PDF) to an interactive PDF
form. Click Select a File to browse and locate the file.
Scan a document Scans a paper form and converts it to an interactive PDF form.
3If you want others to sign this form, select the This document requires Signature check box.
Note: The form field auto detection is ON, by default. To change this setting, click the Change link and choose the
settings as appropriate. For more information, see Forms preferences.
4Click Start.
Acrobat DC creates the form and opens it in the Form Editing mode. The right hand pane displays options for
editing the form. The toolbar contains form field tools for adding additional fields.
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5Review the form fields Acrobat DC created. Add fields using the form field tools in the toolbar. Delete, resize, or
arrange the fields as needed. You can add any of the following types of form fields:
Barcodes Encode the input from selected fields and display it as a visual pattern that can be interpreted by decoding
software or hardware (available separately).
Buttons Initiate a change on the user’s computer, such as opening a file, playing a sound, or submitting data to a web
server. These buttons can be customized with images, text, and visual changes triggered by mouse actions.
Check boxes Present yes-or-no choices for individual items. If the form contains multiple check boxes, the user can
typically select as many or few of these as wanted.
Digital signature field Lets the user electronically sign a PDF document with a digital signature.
Drop-down list Let the user either choose an item from a pop-up menu or type a value. You can set a form field
property that enables the user to enter a custom value.
List boxes Display a list of options the user can select. You can set a form field property that enables the user to Shift-
click to select multiple items on the list.
Radio buttons Present a group of choices from which the user can select only one item. All radio buttons with the
same name work together as a group.
Text fields Let the user type text, such as name, address, or phone number.
For more information, see PDF form field basics.
6To test your form, click the Preview button in the toolbar. Previewing a form allows you to view the form the same
way the form recipients will and gives you a chance to verify the form. If you are previewing a form, you can click
the Edit button to go back to the edit mode.
7When your form is complete, click the cross button towards the right end of the toolbar to close form editing.
To distribute the form and collect responses, see Distribute PDF or web forms.
Create forms for eSign
You can convert an existing form into an eSign form or easily drag-and-drop eSign fields onto a PDF. You can send the
form out to be filled in and signed using the Adobe Document Cloud eSign service. Not all fields convert to eSign fields,
such as List Box, Dropdown, or Button fields. You can add additional eSign fields from the toolbar.
1Open the PDF you want to convert to an eSign form.
2Choose Tools > Prepare Form.
3Click Start.
Acrobat DC creates the form and opens it in the Form Editing mode. The right hand pane displays options for
editing the form. The toolbar contains form field tools for adding additional fields.
4In the right hand pane, click More and then choose Convert To eSign Form.
5When alerted that Acrobat DC removes form fields that eSign doesn't support, click Next, and then in the
subsequent alert, click OK.
6To add a field to the form, select its icon in the toolbar. Position the pointer where you want to place the field, and
click to insert it.
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7Name the field and designate who is to fill it in or sign it. To set its properties, such as the border color, fill, font, and
typeface size, double-click the field.
8To preview your changes, click Preview in the upper-right corner. Click Edit to in the upper-right corner to switch
back to the edit mode.
9Save the form.
To distribute the form and collect responses, see Distribute eSign forms.
Enable Reader users to save form data
Ordinarily, users of Reader X and earlier can’t save filled-in copies of forms that they complete. However, you can
extend the rights of a PDF to allow these users to save form data. If you have Acrobat Pro DC, you can include
additional capabilities for Reader users, such as adding text to non-interactive forms.
Note: Unlike earlier versions of Reader, Reader XI and Acrobat Reader DC include both the Add Text tool and the ability
to save form data. Acrobat DC users can type in non-fillable forms, add comments, and digitally sign PDFs without
extending special rights.
1Open a single PDF, or preview a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio.
2If you are editing the form, click the cross icon next to the Preview button in the upper-right corner.
3Choose File > Save As Other > Reader Extended PDF, and choose one of the following options:
Enable Commenting & Measuring (Acrobat Pro DC) Allows users to add comments or access the Object Data,
Measuring, and Geospatial tools.
Enable More Tools (includes form fill-in & save) Lets users save data they’ve entered in interactive or fillable forms.
For troubleshooting tips on Reader-enabling forms, see this Techical Note .
Limitations on saving filled-in forms locally
Both Acrobat Standard DC and Acrobat Pro DC allow Adobe Reader 8 or later users to fill in and save PDF forms
locally. The use of the Reader Extensions capability for local saving of PDF forms (called extended documents) is
limited in two ways:
Number of deployed extended documents An Acrobat Standard DC or Acrobat Pro DC customer can send an
extended document to an unlimited number of recipients for them to fill in. For example, an Acrobat customer can post
an empty form template on a web page that allows users to fill in and save PDF forms locally. An unlimited number of
people can access the template. However, the Acrobat customer can collect only 500 responses from the filled-in form.
This limitation includes both hardcopy (paper form submission) and electronic representations of the filled-in form.
Number of recipients of the extended document An Acrobat Standard DC or Acrobat Pro DC customer can send an
extended document to no more than 500 unique recipients. For example, an Acrobat customer belongs to an
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organization with 500 people or less. The Acrobat customer can send an unlimited number of copies of the extended
document to those 500 recipients and collect unlimited responses from the filled-in form.
Adding JavaScript to forms
The JavaScript language lets you create interactive web pages. Adobe has enhanced JavaScript so that you can easily
integrate interactivity into PDF forms. The most common uses for JavaScript in Acrobat forms are formatting,
calculating, validating data, and assigning an action. In Windows, you can also configure Adobe PDF forms to connect
directly to databases using Open Database Connection (ODBC).
Note: If you’re creating dynamic forms, keep in mind that Acrobat Reader doesn’t support some custom JavaScripts. The
form may not function properly when viewed in Acrobat Reader unless additional usage rights are added to the PDF.
Additional resources
For more information on Acrobat JavaScript, see these resources:
•JavaScript™ for Acrobat® API Reference to add interactivity to PDF forms:
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_javascript_en (PDF, English only)
•Acrobat Software Development Kit (SDK) to customize Acrobat: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_devcenter_en
(English only)
•File paths in Acrobat JavaScript: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/file-paths-acrobat-javascript
Distribute (send) forms to recipients
Distribute PDF or web forms
After you create a form, you choose a method for sending it to recipients.
1Click Distribute in the lower-right corner of the right hand pane.
2A series of messages might appear, depending on the conditions Acrobat DC detects in your form. Respond to the
onscreen instructions as needed, and save the form.
3Choose a distribution and collection method:
Email Collect responses in your email inbox.
Internal Server Distribute and collect responses on an internal server such as SharePoint or Network Folder. For
more information, see Specify a server.
For more information, see Choosing a distribution option for reviews and forms.
4Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions for distributing the form.
5If you choose to collect responses in your email inbox, do one of the following:
•Enter the email addresses separated with a semi-colon, or click the To button to select email addresses from your
address book.
•Edit the default message.
•Select the option Collect Name & Email from Recipients To Provide Optimal Tracking. The system prompts
recipients to provide their name and email address when they submit the form. This guarantees that in Tracker,
you see exactly who has and hasn't replied, and when.
•Deselect the option if you want to receive anonymous submissions, or you don't care about that level of tracking.
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Note: If you don’t know the email addresses of your recipients, enter your own email address. The system sends you a
link to the form, which you can email to recipients as desired.
To track the status of the distributed form, click Track in the lower-right corner of the right hand pane. For more
information, see About forms tracker .
Distribute eSign forms
After you create an eSign form, you can use Adobe Document Cloud eSign service for sending it to recipients for filling
in and signing.
1Click Send For Signatures in the lower-right corner of the right hand pane.
2Click Ready to Send. The document is uploaded to Adobe Document Cloud.
3Type in the email addresses of people you want to sign your document. Add a message if desired.
4Click Send.
You receive an email from Adobe Document Cloud eSign services that your documents have been sent out for
signature to the first user. The first user also receives an email to sign the document. When the user adds his or her
signature in the Signature field, and then click the Click to sign button, the document is sent to the next user for
signature and so on.
Everyone gets a copy of the signed document, and the file is stored securely in Adobe Document Cloud.
To track the status of the eSign form, see Track documents sent for signature.
•Fill and sign PDF forms
•Send PDF documents for signature
More Help topics
Filling in PDF forms
Is the form fillable?
Not all forms are fillable. Sometimes form creators don’t convert their PDFs to interactive fillable forms. Or, they
intentionally design a form that you can fill in only by hand or with the Fill & Sign tool. These non-interactive forms
are called flat forms.
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Fill in interactive forms
An interactive form contains fields that you can select or fill in.
A Purple message bar indicates presence of fillable fields. B When clicked, shows where fillable fields exist.
1If necessary, right-click the document, and select either the Hand Tool or the Select Tool from the pop-up menu.
The pointer changes to a different icon as you move it over a field. For example, the Hand tool changes to an I-
beam when you can type text into the form field. Some text fields are dynamic, meaning that they automatically
resize to accommodate the amount of data you enter and can span across pages.
2(Optional) To make form fields easier to identify, click the Highlight Existing Fields button on the document
message bar. Form fields appear with a colored background (light blue by default), and all required form fields are
outlined in another color (red by default).
3Click to select options, such as radio buttons. Click inside a text field to type.
Press Tab to move forward or Shift+Tab to move backward.
4When finished, click the submit button to either send the data to a server or create an email to send the data. The
submit button can appear in the purple message bar at the top of the form or in the form content.
For troubleshooting tips on completing forms, see Troubleshooting forms .
Fill in flat forms with the Fill & Sign tools
A flat form does not have interactive fields. However, you can use the Fill & Sign tools to add text and other symbols
anywhere on the form. For instructions, see Fill out your PDF form.
Fill in flat forms in a browser
A common way to view a PDF form is in a web browser, for example, when you click a link on a website. If the form
does not contain interactive fields, you can use the Fill & Sign tools to fill out the form. Save the form on your computer,
and then open it directly in Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC. For instructions, see Fill out your PDF form.
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Options for working in forms
Auto-Complete forms (interactive forms only)
The Auto-Complete feature stores any entries that you type in an interactive form field. Auto-Complete then suggests
or even automatically enters responses that match your typing in other form fields. The suggestions appear in a pop-
up menu, from which you can select a match. The Auto-Complete feature is off by default, so you must enable it in the
forms preferences if you want to use it.
To remove an entry from the Auto-Complete memory, such as a misspelled entry that you found and corrected later,
edit the list in the preferences.
Note: The forms preferences apply to the way the application handles open forms as you work. The preferences aren’t saved
with the PDF forms themselves.
Enable the Auto-Complete option
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences (Mac OS).
2Select Forms on the left.
3Under Auto-Complete, choose Basic or Advanced from the menu.
Key Result
Tab or Shift+Tab Accepts typing and moves to next field
Up/Left Arrow Selects previous radio button in a group
Down/Right Arrow Selects next radio button
Esc Reject and deselect form field.
Esc (press twice) Exits Full Screen mode
Enter or Return (single-line text field) Accepts typing and deselects field
Enter or Return (multiline text field) Creates paragraph return in same form field
Enter or Return (check box) Turns check box on or off
Enter (keypad) Accepts typing and deselects current form field
(Windows) Ctrl+Tab Inserts tab into text field
(Mac) Alt+Tab Inserts tab into text field
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4Select Remember Numerical Data if you want the Auto-Complete memory to store numbers that you type into
forms.
When you select an option in the Auto-Complete menu, a description of how it affects the Auto-Complete behavior
appears in the text area below.
Delete an entry from the Auto-Complete memory
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Select Forms on the left.
3Click Edit Entry List under Auto-Complete.
4In the Auto-Complete Entry List dialog box, do one of the following, and then click Yes in the confirmation dialog
box:
•To remove all of the entries, click Remove All.
•To remove some of the entries, select the entries and click Remove. (Shift-click to select multiple adjacent entries;
Ctrl-click to select multiple nonadjacent entries.)
Change flat forms to fillable (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can change a flat form to fillable by either using the Prepare Form tool or by simply enabling the Fill & Sign tools.
Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC users can use the Fill & Sign tool to fill in flat forms.
Interactive form To create an interactive form, use the Prepare Forms tool. See Create a form from an existing
document.
Flat form To enable the Fill & Sign tools, choose File > Save As Other > Reader Extended PDF >Enable More Tools
(includes Form Fill-in & Save).
The tools are enabled for the current form only. When you create a different form, redo this task to enable Acrobat
Reader DC users to use the tools.
Save forms
•To save the completed form, choose File > Save As and rename the file.
•To remove extended Reader features, choose File > Save A Copy.
•To allow Reader users to save the data they typed, choose File > Save As Other > Reader Extended PDF > Enable
More Tools (Includes Form Fill-in & Save).
Print forms
1Click the Print button , or choose File > Print.
2Choose a printer from the menu at the top of the Print dialog box.
3In the Comments And Forms menu in the upper-right area of the Print dialog box, choose one of the following, and
then click OK:
•(Interactive or flat form) To print the form and the typed entries, choose Document. This option prints text
you’ve typed using the Add Text tool.
•(Interactive or flat form) To print the form, the typed entries, and any comments on the form, choose Document
And Markups. This option prints text you’ve typed using the Add Text tool.
•(Interactive form only) To print only the typed entries and not the form itself, choose Form Fields Only.
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Clear unsaved form entries
❖Choose Tools > Prepare Forms. In the right hand pane, click More and then choose Clear Form.
•Create a form from an existing document
•Enable Reader users to save form data
•PDF Forms forum
More Help topics
Fill and sign PDF forms
Easily fill, sign, and send forms fast from your desktop, browser, or tablet device.
The Fill & Sign tool gives you an easy way to work with paper forms or PDFs that haven’t been optimized for form
filling. You can save frequently used information securely in your personal autofill collection. Next time, just drag and
drop information to complete forms faster.
Sign your form by typing or drawing your signature, or using an image. Send your completed forms to others and store
the forms securely in Adobe Document Cloud.
This document provides instructions on how to fill & sign your forms electronically from your desktop using Acrobat
DC or Acrobat Reader DC. Refer to the related links section at the bottom of this page for how to do the same using a
browser or the tablet app.
Fill out your PDF form
1Open the PDF form that you want to fill out.
2Choose Tools > Fill & Sign.
3To fill or add text, click Add Text in the toolbar. Click at the place in your document where you want to add the
text, and then start typing.
Use the field toolbar to make appropriate changes:
•To resize a field, use the font up or down button in the toolbar - the first two buttons from left.
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•To move a field, move your mouse pointer closer to field border until you see the drag handle, and then hold and
move the field as required.
•To delete a field or typed text, click the trash button.
•To convert a normal text field into comb field or vice versa, click the comb button - the second button from right.
Use Comb fields to fill or add text in continuous boxes in a line/row. The Comb field spreads the user-entered text
evenly across the width of the text field, as shown below below.
While you are typing, if the characters do not fit in each box, adjust the spacing with the grab handle where the resize
here points in the image above.
4Fill personal data from the right hand panel. In the right hand panel, your personal information is displayed. Some
of the fields are populated for you based on your Adobe ID, which you can edit.
You can fill out the rest of the information in the right hand panel, so it is easier to add to your form. The added
information is saved automatically and made available for future use.
a. Drag and drop labels from the panel onto the form: mouse over the label exposes the drag handle on the left of
the label.
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b. Click and hold to drag out the item and drop it over the place onto the form where you want this label to appear.
Resize or move the label as appropriate.
5Add annotations or symbols: Annotations tools are displayed in the toolbar - Crossmark, Checkmark, Circle, Line,
and Dot. You can use these annotation tools to fill in check boxes and radio buttons, as well as use the Circle to circle
text or the line to strike out text.
Click an annotation in the toolbar to select it, and then click on the form where you want to place the annotation.
(Each click will place the selected annotation at the respective location on the form.)
Resize the first annotation you place to fit the check box or radio button in the document, and the next annotations
you add will be of the same size and will fit the rest of the box/circle fields.
Sign or Initial your form
To sign a PDF form, you can type, draw, or insert an image of your handwritten signature or initials.
1Open the PDF document or form that you want to sign.
2Choose Tools > Fill & Sign.
3To add text, such as your name, company, title, or date, drag and drop your personal saved information from the
right hand pane onto a form field.
Alternatively, you can use Add Text in the toolbar. Click at the place in your document where you want to add
the text, and start typing. Use the field toolbar to make appropriate changes.
4Click the Sign icon in the toolbar, and then choose whether you want to add your signature or just initials.
If you have already added signatures or initials, they are displayed as options to choose from.
5If you've already added your signature or initials, just select it from the Sign options, and then click at the place in
the PDF where you want to add your signature. Skip to the next step.
If your are signing for the first time, you see the Signature or Initials panel. Below is an example of the Signature
panel.
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Type Type your name in the field. You can choose from a small selection of signature styles; clickChange Style to
view a different style.
Draw Draw your signature in the field.
Image Browse and select an image of your signature.
Save Signature When this check box is selected, and you're signed in to Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC, the
added signature is saved securely in Adobe Document Cloud for reuse.
Click Apply, and then click at the place in the PDF where you want to place the signature or initial.
6To move the placed signature or initial, click the field to highlight it and then use the arrow keys. To resize or delete
the field, use the options in field toolbar.
If you want to use an image as your signature:
•Sign your name in black ink on a clean, blank sheet of white paper. Sign in the middle of the paper so you don't
photograph or scan the edges.
•Photograph or scan your signature. If you are taking a picture of your signature, make sure that the page is lit and
that no shadows fall across the signature.
•Transfer the photo or scan to your computer. Acrobat DC accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, TIF, and BMP files.
You do not need to crop the image. Acrobat imports just the signature if the photo or scan is fairly clean.
•Send and track large files online
•Send PDF documents for signature
More Help topics
About Forms Tracker
Use Tracker to manage the forms that you have distributed or received. Tracker allows you to view and edit the location
of the response file, track which recipients have responded, add more recipients, email all recipients, and view the
responses for a form.
Track forms
1Choose Edit > Form Options > Track.
2In the left navigation panel, expand Forms.
3Select a form and do one of the following:
•To view all responses for a form, click View Responses.
•To modify the location of the response file, in Responses File Location, click Edit File Location.
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•To view the original form, click Open Original Form.
•To send the form to more recipients, click Add Recipients.
More Help topics
Tracker overview
Distribute (send) forms to recipients
Collecting and managing PDF form data
When you distribute a form, Acrobat DC automatically creates a PDF Portfolio for collecting the data submitted by
users. By default, this file is saved in the same folder as the original form and is named filename_responses.
More Help topics
PDF forms basics
Collect user data
1After a user submits a form, open the returned form.
2In the Add Completed Form To Responses File dialog box, select one of the following:
Add To An Existing Responses File Compiles the data in the response file that was created when you used the
Distribute form wizard to send out the form. (If necessary, click Browse and locate the response file.)
Create A New Responses File Creates a new response file, using the name and location you specify.
3The response file opens after you click OK. Each returned form added to the response file appears as a component
file of a PDF Portfolio.
Add user data to an existing response file
1Open the response file in Acrobat DC.
2In the left navigation panel, click Add.
3In the Add Returned Forms dialog box, click Add File, and then locate and select the returned forms, and click
Open.
4Repeat the previous step to add any returned forms in other folders. When finished, click OK.
When you finish, each added PDF form appears as a component file of the PDF Portfolio.
Export user data from a response file
Use this process to save all the entries in a PDF Portfolio response file to a spreadsheet or XML file.
1In Acrobat DC, open the response file and select the data to export.
2In the left navigation panel, click Export, and then choose Export Selected.
3In the Select Folder To Save File dialog box, specify a name, location, and file format (CSV or XML) for the form
data, and click Save.
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Manage form data files
You can move the answers on a PDF form to and from other file formats that preserve all the data in much less space
than a full PDF.
Import form data
In some workflow scenarios, individuals submit filled-in forms as data-only files rather than as complete PDF files.
These files are not PDFs, but use another file format, such as FDF or XML. You can view the data submitted by an
individual recipient in the context of the PDF by opening the original file and importing the information in the data file.
1In Acrobat DC, open the PDF form into which you want to import data.
2Choose Tools > Prepare Form. In the right hand pane, choose More > Clear Form.
Note: When you import data from another file into a PDF form, the imported data replaces any information that
appeared previously in the individual form fields. However, if the imported data file contains one or more blank form
fields, importing will not clear the original data.
3Choose More > Import Data.
4In the Select File Containing Form Data dialog box, select a format in File Of Type corresponding to the data file
you want to import. Then locate and select that file, and click Open.
Note: Some formats are available only for specific types of PDF forms, depending on the application used to create the
form, such as Acrobat DC or Designer ES2. Data you import from a text file (.txt) must be formatted in tab-delimited
rows that form columns.
Export file data
You can save the information in a completed PDF form as a data file in another file format. Later, you can reuse the data
to fill in the form again or another form with the same fields and field names.
1In Acrobat DC, open the completed form file.
2In the right hand pane, choose More > Export Data.
3In the Export Form Data As dialog box, select the format in which you want to save the form data (FDF, XFDF, XML,
or TXT). Then select a location and filename, and click Save.
Note: Some file formats are available only for specific types of PDF forms, depending on how the form was created.
Merge exported data files to a spreadsheet
If you want to compile data from forms that are not already in a data set, use the following process.
1In the right hand pane, choose More > Merge Data Files Into Spreadsheet.
2In the Export Data From Multiple Forms dialog box, clickAdd Files.
3In the Select file Containing Form Data dialog box, select a file format option in File Of Type option (Acrobat Form
Data Files or All Files). Then locate the form files that you want to merge into the spreadsheet, select them, and click
Open.
4Repeat the previous step to add form data files that are in other locations, as needed.
5Click Export. Then select a folder and filename for the spreadsheet, and click Save.
6In the Export Progress dialog box, click either View File Now to open the spreadsheet file or Close Dialog to return
to Acrobat DC.
Note: When returned forms are in a response file, the most efficient way to export the information into a spreadsheet is to
use the Export Data button in the left navigation panel for the PDF Portfolio response file.
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About Forms Tracker
Use Tracker to manage the forms that you have distributed or received. Tracker allows you to view and edit the location
of the response file, track which recipients have responded, add more recipients, email all recipients, and view the
responses for a form.
Track forms
1Choose Edit > Form Options > Track.
2In the left navigation panel, expand Forms.
3Select a form and do one of the following:
•To view all responses for a form, click View Responses.
•To modify the location of the response file, in Responses File Location, click Edit File Location.
•To view the original form, click Open Original Form.
•To send the form to more recipients, click Add Recipients.
More Help topics
Tracker overview
Distribute (send) forms to recipients
Setting action buttons in PDF forms
More Help topics
PDF forms basics
About buttons
Buttons are most commonly associated with forms, but you can add them to any document. Buttons can open a file,
play a sound or movie clip, submit data to a web server, and much more. When deciding on how to initiate an action,
remember that buttons offer the following capabilities that links and bookmarks do not:
•A button can activate a single action or a series of actions.
•A button can change appearance in response to mouse actions.
•A button can be easily copied across many pages.
•Mouse actions can activate different button actions. For example, Mouse Down (a click), Mouse Up (releasing after
a click), Mouse Enter (moving the pointer over the button), and Mouse Exit (moving the pointer away from the
button) can all start a different action for the same button.
Buttons are an easy, intuitive way to let users initiate an action in PDF documents. Buttons can have a combination
of labels and icons to lead users through a series of actions or events by changing as the mouse is moved. For
example, you can create buttons with “Play,” “Pause,” and “Stop” labels and appropriate icons. Then you can set
actions for these buttons to play, pause, and stop a movie clip. You can select any combination of mouse behaviors
for a button and specify any combination of actions for a mouse behavior.
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Add a button to an Acrobat DC PDF form
1Make sure you are in edit mode by selecting To ols > Prepare Form, and then select Button in the toolbar. Your
curser becomes a cross hair.
2On the page, click where you want to add the button to create a button with the default size. For a custom size button,
drag a rectangle to define the size of the button.
3Double-click the button field, and then specify a name, tool tip text, and other common properties.
4Click the Appearance tab, and then specify options to determine the button appearance on the page. Remember, if
you select a background color, you are not able to see through to any images behind the button. The text options
affect the label you specify in the Options tab, not the button name in the General tab.
Note: If Enable Right-To-Left Language Options is selected in the International panel of the Preferences dialog box, the
Appearance tab includes options for changing the digit style and text direction for buttons.
5Click the Options tab, and select options to determine how labels and icons appear on the button.
6Click the Actions tab. Specify options to determine what happens when the button is clicked, such as jumping to a
different page or playing a media clip.
7Click Close.
If you’re creating a set of buttons, you can snap the object to grid lines or guides.
Add a submit button
When you distribute a form, Acrobat DC automatically checks the form. If it doesn’t find a submit button, it adds a
Submit Form button to the document message bar. Users can click the Submit Form button to send completed forms
back to you. If you don’t plan to use the Submit Form button created by Acrobat DC, you can add a custom submit
button to your form.
1If you are not in form editing mode, choose Tools > Prepare Form.
2Using the Button tool , drag across the area where you want the button to appear. Double-click the button and
set options in the General and Options tabs.
3In the Options tab, choose an option in the Layout menu for the button label, icon image, or both. Do one or both
of the following:
•Type text in the Label box to identify the button as a submit button.
•Click Choose Icon and either type the path to an image file or click Browse and locate the image file you want to
use.
4In the Actions tab, choose Submit A Form in the Select Action menu, and then click Add.
5In the Submit Form Selections dialog box, do one of the following:
•To collect form data on a server, type the location in the Enter a URL for this link box. For example,
http://www.[domain]/[folder]/[subfolder]/ for an Internet address or \\[server]\[folder]\[subfolder]\ for a
location on a local network.
•To collect form data as attachments to email, type mailto: followed by the email address. For example,
mailto:nobody@adobe.com.
6Select options for Export Format, Field Selection, and Date Options, and click OK.
Note: If the data returns in FDF or XFDF format, the server URL must end with the #FDF suffix—for example,
http://myserver/cgi-bin/myscript#FDF.
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Submit Form Selections options
The following options are available in the Submit Forms Selections dialog box:
Enter a URL for this link Specifies the URL to collect the form data.
FDF Returns the user input without sending back the underlying PDF file. You can select options to include Field Data,
Comments, and Incremental Changes To The PDF.
Note: Selecting the option for incremental changes is useful for receiving digital signatures in a way that is easily read and
reconstructed by a server.
HTML Returns the form in Hypertext Markup Language.
XFDF Returns the user input as an XML file. You can include Comments with the field data or just the field data.
PDF Returns the entire PDF file with the user input.
Field Selection Specifies what fields are returned. To receive only some of the completed field data, select Only These,
click Select Fields, and select which fields to include or exclude in the Field Selection dialog box.
For example, you might use this to exclude some calculated or duplicate fields that appear in the form for the user’s
benefit but which do not add new information.
Date Options Standardizes the format for dates that the user enters.
Making buttons change appearance
A button can have a label, an icon, or both. You can change how the button appears in each mouse state (Up, Down,
and Rollover). For example, you could create a button that has a “Home” label until the pointer is moved over the
button, when it might have a “Click to return to home page” label.
You can make button icons from any file format that Acrobat DC can display, including PDF, JPEG, GIF, and other
image formats. For whichever format you select, the entire page is used, so if you want to use only a portion of a page
as an icon, you need to crop the image or page before carrying out this procedure. The smallest allowable PDF page size
is 1-by-1 inch (2.54-by-2.54 cm). If you want the icon to appear smaller than 1-by-1 inch, scale it to fit the size of the
box drawn with the button tool. Clicking Advanced in the Options tab of the Button Properties dialog box lets you
determine how a button icon is scaled to fit inside a button.
A Label only B Icon only C Icon top, label bottom D Label top, icon bottom E Icon left, label right F Label left, icon right G Label over icon
Edit a button
1If you are not in form editing mode, choose Tools > Prepare Form.
2Select the Button field, and then do any of the following:
•To edit the properties for the button field, double-click the button.
•To change the appearance of buttons, use the appearance options in the Appearance tab of the Button Properties
dialog box.
•To align, center, or distribute the button with other form fields, or to resize or duplicate the button, right-click
the button, and then choose an option from the context menu.
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Specify Acrobat button display properties
1If you are not in form editing mode, choose Tools > Prepare Form.
2Double-click an existing button, and then click the Options tab in the Button Properties dialog box.
3For Layout, choose the type of label display you want. (For information on scaling button icons, see the next
procedure.)
4For Behavior, specify the display of the button when clicked.
5To define the label or icon that appears on the button, do the following:
•If a label option is selected from the Layout menu, type the text in the Label box.
•If an icon option is selected from the Layout menu, click Choose Icon, click Browse, and select the file. (Click
Clear to remove the selected icon.)
Button Behavior options
None Keeps the appearance of the button the same.
Push Specifies appearances for the Up, Down, and Rollover states of the mouse. Select an option under State, and then
specify a label or icon option:
Up Determines what the button looks like when the mouse button isn’t clicked.
Down Determines what the button looks like when the mouse is clicked on the button, but before it’s released.
Rollover Determines what the button looks like when the pointer is held over the button.
Outline Highlights the button border.
Invert Reverses the dark and light shades of the button.
Scale and position buttons
1If you are not in form editing mode, choose Tools > Prepare Form.
2Double-click an existing button to open the Button Properties dialog box.
3Click the Options tab, select one of the icon options from the Layout menu, and then click Advanced.
Note: The Advanced button isn’t available if you choose Label Only from the Layout menu.
4Select an option from the When To Scale menu:
Always Scales the icon as defined regardless of its size in relation to the button size.
Never Preserves the original size of the icon; the button border crops the icon if it doesn’t fit. If Never is selected,
scale options aren’t available.
Icon Is Too Big Scales the icon as defined only if it is larger than the button.
Icon Is Too Small Scales the icon as defined only if it is smaller than the button.
5From the Scale menu, select whether to scale the icon proportionally. If the icon is scaled nonproportionally, it may
be skewed.
6To make sure that either the top and bottom or left and right sides of the icon are flush against the button edges,
select Fit To Bounds.
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7To define where the icon is placed inside the button, drag the slider arrows. Icon placement is defined according to
the percentage of space preserved between the icon and the left field boundary, and between the icon and the bottom
field boundary. The default setting (50, 50) places the icon in the middle of a field. You can click Reset at any time
to revert to the default placement setting.
8Click OK, and then click Close.
Hide an Acrobat DC button except during rollover
In some cases, you may want the button area to be invisible until the pointer moves over it. By alternately showing and
hiding a button, you can create interesting visual effects in a document. For example, when you move a pointer over a
city on a map, a detail map of the city could be displayed, and the detail map could disappear when the pointer moves
away from the city.
A Pointer not over button area B Pointer enters button area C Pointer exits button area
1If you are not in form editing mode, choose Tools > Prepare Form.
2Using the Button tool , drag across the area where you want the pop-up button to appear. For example, if the
PDF file contains a map of France, drag across the area where you want a detailed map of Paris to pop up.
3Double-click the button, and then click the Options tab and choose Icon Only from the Layout menu.
4Choose Push from the Behavior menu, and then choose Rollover from the State list.
5Click Choose Icon, and then click Browse. Select the file type from the File Of Type, navigate to the location of the
image file, and then double-click the file. In this example, you would select a map of Paris. Click OK to accept the
previewed image as the button.
6Click the Appearance tab. If needed, deselect Border Color and Fill Color, and then click Close.
7If you are in the edit mode, click Preview. The image field you defined appears as the pointer rolls over the button
area and disappears when it exits.
If you want the image to be larger than the rollover area, or if you want the image to be in a different location than
the image button that pops up, use the Show/Hide A Field action. First, you specify an icon for the button that will
be shown and hidden. Next, you create a second button that acts as a hot spot when the mouse rolls over it. You do not
assign an icon for the appearance of the second button. Instead, you use the Actions tab to show the first button when
the pointer enters the second button, and hide the first button when the pointer exits.
Publishing interactive PDF web forms
More Help topics
PDF forms basics
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About web forms
PDF forms can be useful for submitting and collecting information over the web. This is done by providing several
button actions that perform functions similar to some HTML scripting macros. You must have a Common Gateway
Interface (CGI) application on the web server to collect and route the data to a database. Any existing CGI application
that collects data from forms (in HTML, FDF, or XML format) can be used.
Before you make your forms web-ready, make sure that your form-field names match those sets in the CGI application.
Note: CGI scripts must be built outside Acrobat DC, and their creation is not covered by the Adobe Acrobat DC product.
Add submit functionality
Use the Submit A Form action to send form data to an email address or to a web server by specifying a URL. You can
also use the submit button to send other files back to a server or database. For example, you can attach scanned images
or files to a form. The files are submitted along with the rest of the form data when you click the Submit button.
If your PDF form contains an email-based submit button, you can use the Distribute workflow to facilitate distributing
the form to others.
1Choose Tools > Prepare Form, then select Button in the toolbar, and create a button.
2Double-click the button to open the Button Properties dialog box.
3Click the Actions tab, and select Mouse Up from the Select Trigger menu.
4Select Submit A Form from the Select Action menu, and then click Add.
5In the Submit Form Selections dialog box, type an entry in Enter A URL For This Link:
•To send the form data to a web server, enter the destination URL.
•To send the form data to an email address, enter mailto: followed by the email address. For example, type
mailto:nobody@adobe.com.
6Make additional changes to the available options, and then click OK to close the dialog box.
For information on the available options, see the next section.
7Change settings on other tabs in the Button Properties dialog box as needed, and then click Close.
Submit Form Selections options
FDF Exports as an FDF file. You can select one or more of the available options: user-entered data, comments, and
incremental changes to the PDF file. The Incremental Changes To The PDF option is useful for exporting a digital
signature in a way a server can easily read and reconstruct.
Note: If the server returns data to the user in FDF or XFDF format, the server’s URL must end with the #FDF suffix—for
example, http://myserver/cgi-bin/myscript#FDF.
HTML Exports as an HTML file.
XFDF Exports as an XML file. You can choose to export the form fields data, comments, or both.
PDF The Complete Document Exports the entire PDF file that is your form. Although this creates a larger file than the
FDF option, it is useful for preserving digital signatures.
Note: If the users that fill in the PDF form are using Adobe Reader, you must choose either FDF or XFDF for the Export
Format option.
All Fields Exports all form fields even if the form fields do not contain values.
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Only These Exports only the form fields you specify by clicking Select Fields and indicating which form fields to
include and whether you want to include empty fields.
Convert Date To Standard Format Exports all form dates in a single format, regardless of how they are entered in the
form.
Add a Reset Form button
A Reset Form button clears any data a user has already entered in the form. It is like the Tools > Prepare Form > More
> Clear Form feature, which is available to you when you create and edit Acrobat DC forms. However, you can set up
your reset button so that it clears only specific fields.
1Choose Tools > Prepare Form, then select Button in the toolbar, and create a button.
2Double-click the button to open the Button Properties dialog box.
3Click the Actions tab, and select Mouse Up from the Select Trigger menu.
4Select Reset A Form from the Select Action menu, and then click Add.
5In the Reset A Form dialog box, do one of the following and then click OK:
•Click individual check boxes to select or deselect the fields that you want to be reset by the button.
•Select All.
The list in the Actions tab now shows Reset A Form nested under the Mouse Up action.
6Click another tab in the Button Properties dialog box to continue defining properties for the button, or click Close.
Add an Import Data button
Use the Import Form Data action to enable users to fill out common form fields, such as name and email address, with
data imported from another form. Users can also use the Import Data button to populate common form fields with
their personal profile information. Only form fields that match are updated. The fields that do not match are ignored.
Before you create an Import Form Data action, set up a form with common information form fields from which to
export the data.
Note: The Import Form Data action searches for the data file from which to import data in different locations in Windows
than on Mac OS. In Windows, the Import Form Data action searches the Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC folder, the
current folder, the System folder, the Windows folder, My Documents\Adobe\Acrobat, and the folders that are in the PATH
statement. On Mac OS, the Import Form Data action searches the Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC folder and the System
Preferences folder.
1Choose Tools > Prepare Form, then select Button in the toolbar, and create a button.
2Double-click the button to open the Button Properties dialog box.
3Click the Actions tab, and select Mouse Up from the Select Trigger menu.
4Select Import Form Data from the Select Action menu, and then click Add.
5Locate and select an FDF file, and click Open.
6Click another tab in the Button Properties dialog box to continue defining properties for the button, or click Close.
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CGI export values
An export value is the information sent to a CGI application to identify a user-selected form field. You need to define
an export value only if both of the following are true:
•The data is collected electronically in a database over a company intranet or the web.
•The data is different from the item designated by the form field, or the form field is a radio button.
When defining export values, keep the following guidelines in mind:
•Use the default export value (Yes) to indicate that a check box or radio button has been selected.
•Enter an export value for drop-down lists only if you want the value to be different from the item listed—for
example, to match the name of the form field in a database. The item selected in the drop-down list is used as the
export value unless a different export value is explicitly entered in the Properties dialog box.
•Related radio buttons must have exactly the same form field name but different export values. This ensures that the
radio buttons toggle and that the correct values will be collected in the database.
More Help topics
Form fields behavior
Manage form data files
Add a button to an Acrobat PDF form
PDF barcode form fields
More Help topics
PDF forms basics
About barcodes
Barcode fields translate a user’s form entries into a visual pattern that can be scanned, interpreted, and incorporated
into a database. Barcodes are helpful when users submit the form on paper or by fax.
The advantages of using barcodes are that they save time, eliminate the need for responses to be manually read and
recorded, and bypass data-entry errors that can occur.
A typical barcode workflow includes the following phases:
•The form author makes sure that Automatically Calculate Field Values is selected in the forms preferences, and then
creates the form in Acrobat, setting up all the other fields as usual.
•The form author adds the barcode field to the form, setting up the barcode so that it captures the needed data.
•The form author enables the form for Acrobat Reader DC users (if the author wants to allow the users to save their
own filled-in copy of the form or if it contains certain barcode fields).
•The form author distributes the form to other users.
•Users fill in the form on their computers and submit it electronically or print a copy and deliver the copy to the form
distributor.
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•The received barcode data is interpreted in one of the following ways, and can then be reviewed, sorted, and used
by the form receiver:
Forms faxed to a fax server
The form receiver can use Adobe Acrobat Capture® to collect TIFF images from the fax server and place them in an
Adobe LiveCycle Barcoded Forms Decoder watched folder, if the receiver owns those products.
Forms delivered on paper
The form receiver can scan paper forms and then use an application such as LiveCycle Barcoded Forms Decoder to
decode the barcodes within those forms.
Note: Acrobat Capture and LiveCycle Barcoded Forms Decoder are stand-alone products appropriate for enterprise
workflows and are sold separately from Acrobat.
Design tips for barcodes
Issues that affect how you design and place barcodes include usability and space. As an example, the barcode size can
also limit the amount of data that can be encoded. For the best results, follow these guidelines.
•Position the barcode so that it’s unlikely to get folded when placed in an envelope, and position it far enough from
the edges of the page so that it won’t get clipped off during printing or faxing.
•Position it so that it can be easily seen and scanned. If a handheld scanner will be used, avoid barcodes wider than
4 inches (10.3 cm). Tall, narrow barcodes generally work best in this case. Also, avoid compressing the contents of
the barcode when using a handheld scanner.
•Make sure that the size of the barcode can accommodate the amount of data to encode. If the barcode area is too
small, it turns a solid gray. Be sure to test a completed form before distributing it to make sure that the barcode area
is large enough.
Create, test, and edit barcode fields
One of the ways in which you can improve a PDF form barcode is by creating custom scripts. Writing such scripts
requires a basic competency with JavaScript and a familiarity with Acrobat-specific JavaScript. For more information,
see Developing Acrobat®Applications Using JavaScript™ on www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_javascript_en (PDF, English
only). For information about basic JavaScript, see any of the many resources available on that subject.
After inserting a barcode of maximum size, changing the cell size or decode condition may cause the barcode to cross
the page borders. Avoid this behavior by selecting the appropriate cell size and decode conditions for the barcode.
Add a barcode field
1Open the form in Acrobat DC. Open the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences), and select Forms on the left.
Then select Automatically Calculate Field Values.
2Choose Tools > Prepare Form.
3Click the Barcode icon in the toolbar.
4Drag a rectangle to define the barcode area, and then double-click the barcode field to open the Properties dialog
box.
5In the Value tab, do one of the following:
•Select Encode Using, and then select a format (XML or Tab Delimited). Click the Pick button and select the fields
that you want to be encoded in the barcode field. If you don’t want to include the field names in the barcode data,
deselect Include Field Names.
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•Select Custom Calculation Script, click Edit, and then enter your custom JavaScript code in the JavaScript Editor
dialog box.
6In the Options tab, do all of the following:
•Select a Symbology option: PDF417, QR Code, orData Matrix.
•Select Compress Data Before Encoding To Barcode if you want to apply this compression. Do not select this
option if a handheld scanner is used to capture data from returned forms.
•In Decode Condition, choose the type of hardware to process returned forms: Handheld Barcode Scanner, Fax
Server,Document Scanner, or Custom.
•If necessary, click Custom and enter values for X Dimension, Y/X Ratio, and Error Correction Level.
7Make any other changes in the General and Actions tabs. Then close the Barcode Field Properties dialog box.
JavaScript code is generated automatically to encode the selected fields in the XML or Tab Delimited format. The
Barcode Field Properties dialog box closes, and the barcode for which you specified values appears on the form.
Note: If you add a new field to a form after you have created the barcode, it is not automatically included in the data
for existing barcodes. However, you can manually include additional data fields in the barcode.
Test a barcode field
1Click the Preview button in the toolbar.
2Fill in the form. Use sample data that represents the maximum amount of information for each field or that you
expect users to enter.
3If the barcode field is dimmed, follow either the procedure for resizing the barcode field or for adjusting the content
data. (See the following tasks.)
4Make sure that the barcode field area is large enough to contain all of the incoming data. To remove the sample data,
in the right hand pane, choose More >Clear Form.
5Select File > Save.
The barcode form field is now ready for distribution.
Include additional data fields in the barcode
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Double-click the barcode field.
3In the Value tab, do one of the following:
•If Encode Using is selected, click Pick, and select additional form fields to be encoded.
•If Custom Calculation Script is selected, click Edit, and write additional JavaScript to include the additional
fields.
After including new data fields in the barcode, be sure that the barcode area is large enough by testing sample data. If
the barcode area is dimmed, adjust the barcode size or text field properties so that the data content fits into the barcode
area.
Adjust data content to fit in a barcode field
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Double-click the barcode field, and do any of the following:
•In the Options tab, click the Custom button and enter lower values for Error Correction Level and Y/X Ratio.
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•In the Options tab, select Compress Data Before Encoding To Barcode, but only if you are using an Adobe
software decoder (available separately).
•In the Value tab, select Tab Delimited rather than XML as the data-encoding format. XML requires more barcode
area to encode information than Tab Delimited does.
•In the Options tab, select a different Symbology option.
•In the Value tab, click the Pick button, and deselect any fields that don’t need encoding. For example, don’t
include fields with redundant information.
•In the Value tab, enter a custom script that converts user-entered text to either all lowercase or all uppercase
characters during the encoding process.
Note: The National Association of Computerized Tax Processors (NACTP) guidelines, used by the United States
Internal Revenue Service and state tax agencies, recommend using all uppercase characters for 2D barcode data.
3To minimize the amount of barcode area for containing the data, double-click the barcode field, and in the Value
tab, write a custom script that restricts data to alphanumeric characters and to a single case. (Text that is either all
uppercase or all lowercase requires less barcode area than the same text written in a mixture of uppercase and
lowercase characters.)
Consider creating additional barcode fields in the form and mapping different data to each barcode field.
Set form field navigation
If a PDF document doesn’t have a specified tab order, the default tabbing order is based on the document structure
unless the user has deselected the Tab Order option in the Accessibility preferences.
You can change the tabbing order after you create the fields. If you are in form editing mode, you can order the tabs by
document structure (default), row, or column. You can also choose the order manually by dragging and dropping fields
in the Fields panel. If you are not in the editing mode, you can change the page properties to order the tabs by row or
column. However, you can’t customize the tab order manually.
Set tabbing order in edit mode
1If you are not in form editing mode, choose Tools > Prepare Form.
2In the Fields panel on the right, make sure that you have selected Sort By > Tab Order.
3(Optional) To view the tabbing order for the fields, in the Fields panel, choose Tab Orders > Show Tab
Numbers.
4Select a Tab Order option:
Order Tabs By Structure Tabs based on the document structure, and follows the order that is set up in the tagging.
Order Tabs By Row Tabs from the upper-left field, moving first left to right and then down, one row at a time.
Order Tabs By Column Tabs from the upper-left field, moving first from top to bottom and then across from left to
right, one column at a time.
Order Tabs Manually Allows you to drag and drop a field where you want it within the Fields panel. You can’t move
a field to a different page, a radio button to another group, or a field to a radio button.
Order Tabs Unspecified Specifies that no tab order is specified. The tab order is determined by the settings in the
page properties.
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Set tabbing order in Page Properties
1If you are in the form editing mode, click the cross button towards the right in the toolbar to exit the mode.
2Click the Page Thumbnails button or choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes >Page Thumbnails to open
the Page Thumbnails panel.
3Select one or more page icons, and choose Page Properties in the Options menu of the Page Thumbnails panel. You
can also righ-click and then choose Page Properties.
4Select a Tab Order option:
Use Row Order Tabs from the upper-left field, moving first left to right and then down, one row at a time.
Use Column Order Tabs from the upper-left field, moving first from top to bottom and then across from left to right,
one column at a time.
Use Document Structure For forms with tagged fields, follows the order set up in the tagging.
Unspecified Uses the existing sequence.
5Click OK.
More Help topics
Create a form
PDF form field properties
More Help topics
PDF forms basics
About form field properties
How a form field behaves is determined by settings in the Properties dialog box for that individual field. You can set
properties that apply formatting, determine how the form field information relates to other form fields, impose
limitations on what the user can enter in the form field, trigger custom scripts, and so on.
You can set various properties for an Acrobat DC form field, depending on the form field type. The properties for each
type of form field are selected on a series of tabs. When you change a property, it is applied as soon as you select another
property or press Enter.
All types of form fields have a General tab and an Actions tab. Other tabs appear only in specific types of form fields.
The Options tab appears for most form field types but the options available are unique to each type of form field.
Two items are available on every tab. If you select one on any tab, a check mark will appear, and the option will be
checked on all tabs. These are:
Locked
When selected, prevents any further changes to any form field properties.
Close
Closes the form field Properties dialog box. If you are changing the properties of multiple fields, you can leave the
Properties dialog box open. Click each field to change its properties.
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Note: If you select Locked on any tab, it locks all options for the field, not just the options on that tab.
Modify form field properties
You can access form field properties only when you are in editing mode. You can change the properties for multiple
form fields at a time.
1If you are not in form editing mode, choose Tools > Prepare Form.
2Open the Properties dialog box using one of the following methods:
•To edit a single form field, double-click it or right-click it and choose Properties.
•To edit multiple form fields, select the fields that you want to edit, right-click one of the selected fields, and
choose Properties.
3Change the properties on each of the available tabs, as needed.
The property is changed as soon as you select another property or press Enter.
4Click Close.
If you select form fields that have different property values, some options in the Properties dialog box are not available.
Otherwise, changes to the available options are applied to all selected form fields.
To avoid accidental changes to the form field, select Locked in the lower-left corner of the Properties dialog box before
you close it. To unlock, click the option again.
General tab for form field properties
The General tab appears for all types of form fields and includes the following options:
Name Specifies the unique name of the selected form field.
Tooltip Displays text that the hesitant user may find helpful in filling in the form field. Tooltips appear when the pointer
hovers briefly over the form field.
Form Field Specifies whether the form field can be seen, either on screen or in print. The choices are: Visible, Hidden,
Visible But Doesn’t Print, and Hidden But Printable.
Orientation Rotates the form field by 0, 90, 180, or 270 Degrees
Read Only Prevents the user from changing the form field content.
Required Forces the user to fill in the selected form field. If the user attempts to submit the form while a required field
is blank, an error message appears and the empty required form field is highlighted.
Appearance tab for form field properties
Appearance properties determine how the form field looks on the page. The Appearance tab appears for all types of
form fields except barcodes, and includes the following options:
Border Color Opens a color picker in which you can select a color swatch for the frame surrounding the field. To leave
the field without a frame, select No Color.
Line Thickness Specifies the width of the frame surrounding the form field: Thin, Medium, or Thick.
Fill Color Opens a color picker in which you can select a color swatch for the background behind the field. To leave the
field uncolored, select No Color.
note: A Fill Color choice other than No Color will block any images on the PDF page that are behind the form field.
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Line Style Alters the appearance of the frame. Select Solid, Dashed, Beveled, Inset, or Underline.
Font Size Sets the size of user-entered text or of the selection marker for radio buttons and check boxes. The choices
include Auto, various preset values, and typing in a different value. If you select Auto for a text field, as the user types,
the font size changes to fit the text in the box.
Text Color Opens a color picker in which you can select a color swatch for the text or selection marker.
Font Lists the fonts available on your computer. This option is not available for form fields that do not display text.
Note: The Enable Right-To-Left Language Options in the Language panel of the Preferences dialog box affects what appears
in the Appearance tab of the Properties dialog box. When that preference is selected, the Appearance tab includes options
for changing the digit style and text direction for text fields, drop-down list boxes, and list boxes.
Position tab for form field properties
The Position tab lets you position or size the currently selected field or fields. You can move fields to the location you
specify on the page. Use the Height and Width options to change only the size of fields. To move fields without resizing
them, choose Do Not Change Height And Width When Changing The Position.
Options tab for form field properties
The options available on this tab change according to the type of form field selected. The Options tab appears for all
form field types except digital signatures.
Barcode
The Options tab for barcode field properties contains the following:
Symbology Includes the PDF417, QR Code, and Data Matrix barcode types.
note: If your organization processes forms by multiple methods, select the method that accommodates the lowest quality
barcode images. For example, if forms will be returned by fax and mail, choose Fax Server as the decode condition to ensure
high read rates on all forms.
Compress Data Before Encoding To Barcode Specifies that data will be compressed before it is encoded. Data is
compressed with the Flat compression method. Compressed data usually requires less storage space in the barcode,
allowing more data to be stored. In general, select this option if you will use the Acrobat barcode forms decoder to
interpret the returned data. Do not select this option if you will use a handheld barcode scanner, because most of these
cannot decode compressed data.
Decode Condition The preset decode conditions represent recommended starting points that you can adjust by
clicking the Custom button.
Custom Opens a dialog box in which you can select custom processing parameters that are best for your specific
scanning and faxing hardware. (The available options vary according to barcode types.)
X Dimension Width, in mils (1 mil = 0.001 inch or 0.0254mm), of the cell.
Y/X Ratio Height/width ratio of the cell. For example, for a data cell that is twice as high as it is wide, enter 2. (Available
only for PDF417 barcodes.)
note: If you are planning to decode the barcode using a handheld laser scanner, avoid creating barcodes wider than 4 inches
(10.2 cm). Taller and narrower barcodes generally work better with handheld scanners. Barcode height and width will not
be an issue if you are using an Adobe barcode decoder (available separately).
Error Correction Level Corresponds to the level of data redundancy that is added to the barcode to correct any potential
decoding errors. Higher levels provide more redundancy and a more robust barcode that will generate more successful
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decode results. However, higher levels will also result in a larger barcode and a reduced ability to encode user-supplied
or form structure data into the barcode. A more robust barcode can reduce problems created by pen marks, poor print
quality, degradation caused by fax transmission, or folds in the document. This option is available for PDF417 and QR
Code barcodes.
Manage Barcode Parameters Enables you to save your custom barcode selections in a file. You can then export the file
and make it available to other form authors in your organization.
Check boxes
Check Box Style Specifies the shape of the marker that appears inside the check box when the user selects it: Check (the
default), Circle, Cross, Diamond, Square, or Star. This property does not alter the shape of the check box itself.
Note: The size of the marker inside the check box is determined by the size of the font you specify in the Appearance
tab.
Export Value Specifies a value to represent the item if the data will be exported. If left blank, the entry for Name in the
General tab is used as the export value.
Check Box Is Checked By Default Shows the check box selected unless the user deselects it.
Drop-down and list box
For either dropdown boxes or list boxes, you use the Options tab to create a list of items from which the user selects.
Although most of the properties on this tab are common to both these types of form fields, a few are exclusive to one
type or the other.
Item Accepts the text that you type for options that you want to appear in the menu for the field.
Add Moves the current entry in Item to the Item List.
Export Value Where you type in a value to represent the item if the data will be exported. If left blank, the entry for
Name in the General tab is used as the export value.
Item List Displays the choices that will be available in the list.
note: The highlighted item in the Item List box appears as the default selected item in the dropdown box or list box field.
To change the default item, highlight another item from the list.
Up and Down buttons Change the order in which the items are listed in the drop-down list. These buttons are not
available if Sort Items is selected.
Delete Removes the selected item from the list.
Sort Items Arranges the listed items numerically and alphabetically. A numerical sort (if applicable) is performed
before an alphabetical sort.
Allow User To Enter Custom Tex t (Dropdown only) Enables users to enter a value other than the ones in the list.
Check Spelling (Dropdown only) Checks the spelling of user-entered text. This option is applicable only if Allow User
To Enter Custom Text is selected.
Multiple Selection (List boxes only) Enables users to choose more than one item in the list.
Commit Selected Value Immediately Saves the value as soon as the user selects it. If this option is not selected, the value
is saved only when the user tabs out of the current field or clicks another form field. For list boxes only, this option is
not available if Multiple Selection is selected.
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Radio buttons
Create a group of radio buttons if you want the user to select only one choice among a set of choices. All the radio
buttons in a group have the same Name, but each button has a different Button Value.
Button Style Specifies the shape of the marker that appears inside the button when the user selects it: Check, Circle (the
default), Cross, Diamond, Square, or Star. This property does not alter the shape of the radio button itself.
Radio Button Choice Identifies the radio button and differentiates it from other radio buttons that have the same Name
value.
Button Is Checked By Default Sets the selection state of the button when the user first opens the form.
Buttons With The Same Name And Content Are Selected In Unison Allows single-click selection of multiple related
radio buttons. For example, if the user selects a radio button that has the same field name and selected content as
another, both radio buttons are selected.
Text Fields
Text fields accept user input, which can be alphabetic characters, numbers, or both.
Alignment Aligns the text left, right, or center within the field.
Default Value Specifies the text that appears until the user overwrites it by typing in the field. Enter the default value
by typing in this option.
Multi-line Allows more than a single-line entry in the text field.
Scroll Long Text Compensates for text that extends beyond the boundaries of the text field.
Allow Rich Text Formatting Allows users to apply styling information to the text, such as bold or italic. This might be
useful in certain text fields where such styling information is important to the meaning of the text, such as an essay.
Limit Of Characters Allows entries of up to the number of characters you specify.
Note: If you entered a default value, that value is clipped to this limit.
Password Displays the user-entered text as a series of asterisks (*). This option is available only if Check Spelling is
deselected.
Field Is Used For File Selection Allows the user to enter a file path as the field’s value when a file is submitted along with
the form. This option is available only when Scroll Long Text is the only selected option in the Options tab.
Check Spelling Checks the spelling of user-entered text.
Comb Of Characters Spreads the user-entered text evenly across the width of the text field. If a border color is specified
in the Appearance tab, each character entered in the field is separated by lines of that color. This option is available only
when no other check box is selected.
A Four text fields with a border color, using the Comb property B Text field without the Comb property
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Actions tab for form field properties
Actions properties specify any actions that you want to associate with the form field, such as jumping to a specific page
or playing a media clip. The Actions tab appears for all types of form fields and includes the following options:
Select Trigger Specifies the user action that initiates an action: Mouse Up, Mouse Down, Mouse Enter, Mouse Exit, On
Focus, or On Blur.
Select Action Specifies the event that occurs when the user triggers the action: Execute A Menu Item, Go To A
3D/Multimedia View, Go To A Page View; Import Form Data, Multimedia Operation (Acrobat 9 and later), Open A
File, Open A Web Link, Play A Sound, Play Media (Acrobat 5 Compatible), Play Media (Acrobat 6 And Later
Compatible), Read An Article, Reset A Form, Run A JavaScript, Set Layer Visibility, Show/Hide A Field, and Submit A
Form.
Add Opens a window for the selected action.
Actions Displays the list of triggers and actions that you’ve defined.
Up and down buttons Change the order in which the selected action appears listed under the trigger. (Available only
when you have defined multiple actions for the same trigger.)
Edit Opens a dialog box with specific options for the selected action.
Delete Removes the selected action or trigger-action pair.
Calculate tab for form field properties
The Calculate tab appears in the Properties dialog boxes for only text fields and dropdown boxes. Use these options to
perform mathematical operations on existing form field entries and display the result.
Value Is Not Calculated Select this if you want the user to type.
Value Is The Select this to make further options available:
Pop-up menu Lists the mathematical functions to apply to the selected fields. Choose Sum to add the values entered in
the selected fields, Product to multiply them, Average, Minimum, or Maximum.
Pick Opens a dialog box with a list of the available fields in the form that you select to add or deselect to remove from
the calculation.
Simplified Field Notation Uses JavaScript with field names and simple arithmetic signs. The Edit button opens a dialog
box in which you can write, edit, and add scripts.
Note: Field names are case-sensitive.
Custom Calculation Script Displays any custom scripts you have added for calculations. The Edit button opens a dialog
box in which you can write and add new JavaScripts.
Set the calculation order of form fields
When you define two or more calculations in a form, the order in which they are carried out is the order in which you
defined the calculations. In some cases, you may need to modify the calculation order to obtain correct results.
For example, if you wanted to use the result obtained from calculating two form fields to calculate the value of a third
form field, the first two form fields must be calculated together first to obtain the correct final results.
1In the right hand pane, choose More > Set Field Calculation Order.
The Calculate Fields dialog box displays all calculable fields in your form and the order in which the calculations are
performed.
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2To change the field calculation order, select the field from the list, and then click the Up or Down button as needed.
Acrobat DC automatically performs all assigned field calculations when you are creating and testing your form fields.
For convenience while you work, you can turn off automatic calculation in the forms preferences.
Signed tab for form field properties
The Signed tab is available only in the Digital Signature Properties dialog box. Selections made here determine what
happens when the user applies a digital signature to the form.
Nothing Happens When Signed This is the default.
Mark As Read-Only Prevents further changes to the digitally signed form, according to the selection in the pop-up
menu:
All Fields Prevents any changes to any form field.
All Fields Except These Allows changes only to the form fields you select by clicking the Pick button and selecting check
boxes for the fields that you want the user to be able to edit after signing.
Just These Fields Prevents changes in only the form fields you pick.
This Script Executes When Field Is Signed Activates a custom JavaScript when the user digitally signs the form. Use the
Edit button to change or create a new JavaScript action.
Format tab for form field properties
The Format tab appears in the Properties dialog box for only text form fields or dropdown form fields. The options that
are available depend on your selection in the Select Format Categorypop-up menu.
The Example of Current Format field displays a live preview of the settings.
None
No additional options are available. The input in a text or dropdown box with this property does not require any
specific formatting.
Number
Automatically imposes the selected formatting options on numeric data entries.
Decimal Places Sets the number of digits that appear to the right of the decimal point.
Separator Style Sets the placement of commas and periods.
Currency Symbol Sets the type of currency, such as Euros, Dollars, or Yen.
Symbol Location Sets the location of the currency symbol in relation to the number. This field is enabled if a currency
symbol is selected.
Negative Number Style Sets how negative numbers are displayed. You can choose Show Parentheses, Use Red Text,
neither, or both.
Percentage
Automatically imposes the selected formatting options on numeric data expressed as a percentage.
Decimal Places Sets the number of digits that appear to the right of the decimal point
Separator Style Sets the placement of commas and periods.
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Date
List includes one-, two-, and four-digit variations where d stands for the day, m stands for month, and y stands for year.
Time
List includes display variations where h stands for the hour on a 12-hour clock, H stands for the hour on a 24-hour
clock, MM stands for minutes, ss stands for the seconds, and tt stands for AM or PM.
Special
Zip Code For a five-digit U.S. postal code.
Zip Code + 4 For a nine-digit U.S. postal code.
Phone Number For a ten-digit telephone number.
Social Security Number For a nine-digit U.S. Social Security Number. Hyphens are inserted automatically after the
third and fifth digits.
Arbitrary Mask Changes the format category to Custom and makes another text field available, in which you can type
a custom format. Use this option to specify which types of characters the user can enter in any given position, and how
the data displays in the field.
A Accepts only letters (A–Z, a-z).
X Accepts spaces and most printable characters, including all characters available on a standard keyboard and ANSI
characters in the ranges of 32–126 and 128–255.
O The letter “O” accepts alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a-z, and 0–9).
9 Accepts only numeric characters (0–9).
For example, a mask setting of AAA--p#999 accepts the input BOE--p#767. A mask setting of OOOOO@XXX accepts
the input vad12@3Up.
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Custom
Makes additional options available to form designers who want to write their own JavaScripts for formatting and
keystrokes. For example, a custom script could define a new currency format or limit the user entry to specific
keystroke characters.
Custom Format Script Displays any custom scripts you have added for formats. The Edit button opens a dialog box in
which you can write and add new scripts.
Custom Keystroke Script Displays any custom scripts you have added to validate keystrokes. The Edit button opens a
dialog box in which you can write and add new scripts.
To get the JavaScript for Acrobat API Reference, see the Acrobat Developer Center at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_javascript_en (PDF, English only).
Validation tab for form field properties
The Validation tab appears only in the Text Field Properties and Dropdown box Properties dialog boxes. Validation
properties restrict entries to specified ranges, values, or characters, ensuring that users enter the appropriate data for a
specified form field.
Field Value Is Not Validated Turns off validation.
Field Value Is In Range Sets a numeric range for form fields using values you enter in either as a number or a
percentage.
Run Custom Validation Script Validates by a JavaScript that you create or provide.
More Help topics
Adding JavaScript to forms
Value tab for form field properties
The Value tab appears for barcode form fields only.
Encode Using Activates these options:
XML Encodes the data into the barcode in standard XFDF format. JavaScript script is automatically generated.
Tab Delimited Encodes the fields into the barcode as tab-delimited values. JavaScript script is automatically generated.
If the form is configured to output the data in individual XFDF or XDP files, the data must be in a tab-delimited format
with the field names in the first line. This option is also useful if you want to fit more data into a barcode or if you intend
to copy the data into database or spreadsheet tables.
Pick Opens a dialog box in which you select which user data fields will be encoded in the barcode for you to retrieve.
Include Field Names (Available only when Tab Delimited encoding is selected.) Encodes field names as the first line of
the barcode contents. The values are encoded under them.
Custom Calculation Script Displays the default script. Click the Edit button to open the JavaScript Editor dialog box,
in which you can write custom calculation scripts for your barcode.
Reference To published Form Shows the path to the PDF form. You can edit this by typing in the URL to the published
form. Later, you can re-create a digital version of the completed form by merging the form template with an instance
of user-supplied data. You can also maintain the relationship between a specific form template and its related barcode
data files. When you encode a barcode using XML values, the URL reference is encoded into the barcode and is
displayed on the form, below the barcode.
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Manage custom barcode settings
You can save, reuse, and share a set of custom settings for barcode parameters, to apply them when you create new
barcode form fields. You can make further adjustments to your custom parameter sets after you define them.
All of these processes begin by opening the barcode form field properties dialog box. To open the properties dialog box,
double-click the barcode field.
Create a new barcode parameters set
1In the Barcode Field Properties dialog box, click the Options tab, and then click Manage Barcode Parameters.
2Select the existing parameter set that you want to use as the basis of the new set, and click New.
3Type a name in the Name box and a description in the Description box.
4Select options for Symbology, X Dimension, Y/X Ratio, and Error Correction Level, and then click OK.
The newly defined parameter set appears in the list in the Manage Barcode Parameters dialog box, and all the buttons
on the right side of the dialog box become available. The new definition also appears in the Decode Condition menu
in the Options tab of the Barcode Field Properties dialog box.
Edit or delete a set of custom barcode parameters
1In the Barcode Field Properties dialog box, click the Options tab, and then click Manage Barcode Parameters.
2Select a custom parameter set from the list.
3Choose the appropriate action:
•Click Edit and make the changes to the settings; then click OK.
•Click Delete. Confirm the deletion in the message that appears by clicking OK.
Export or import a set of custom barcode parameters
1In the Barcode Field Properties dialog box, click the Options tab, and then click Manage Barcode Parameters.
2Choose the appropriate action:
•Select a barcode parameter set from the list and click Export. Select a location and file name for the file that has
the file name extension .bps.
•Click Import, and navigate to and select the BPS file that you want to import.
Redefine form field property defaults
After you change properties for a specific type of form field, you can set those properties as the default set for that type.
For example, you can create a check box, change its properties, and then save the properties as the default values.
1If necessary, choose Tools > Prepare Form to go to form-editing mode.
2Right-click the form field for which you have already changed properties, and choose Use Current Properties As
New Defaults.
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Note: Changing the default properties does not change the settings for existing form fields of that type. The new defaults
apply only to new fields that you create.
More Help topics
Adding JavaScript to forms
PDF form field basics
More Help topics
PDF forms basics
Create form fields
In Acrobat DC, you create a form field by choosing one of the form tools. For each field type, you can set various options
through the form field Properties dialog box.
1After you convert your document to a PDF form, do one of the following:
•Choose a form field from the toolbar.
•Right-click the page and select a field.
Your cursor becomes a crosshair, and displays a preview of the field.
2On the page, click where you want to add the field to create a field with the default size. To create a field using a
custom size, drag a rectangle to define the size of the field.
3In the Field Name box, type the name of the field and specify if you want the field to be a required field. Choose a
name that is relevant and descriptive to make organizing and collecting the data easier.
4To display the Properties dialog box and modify any other field properties, click All Properties.
Note: If you have selected the Keep Tool Selected option in the toolbar, the Field Name box doesn’t appear after
adding a field. Each time you click the page, a new field is added to the form. To exit this mode, press the Esc key or click
the Select Object Tool button . To modify the properties of the field, double-click the field.
5To test your form, click the Preview button in the toolbar. Previewing a form allows you to view the form the same
way the form recipients will and gives you a chance to verify the form. If you are previewing a form, you can click
the Edit button to go back to the edit mode.
6When your form is complete, click the cross button towards the right end of the toolbar to close form editing.
Lay out form fields on a grid
You can use grids to help position form fields precisely on a page. You can define the grid spacing, color, and position.
You can also choose whether to have the boundaries of a form field snap to grid lines when you’re editing the form field.
Grid lines don’t print.
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Rulers & Grids > Grid.
2To make form fields snap to the nearest grid lines when you create or move them, choose View > Show/Hide >
Rulers & Grids > Snap To Grid.
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Copy a form field
You can create copies of a form field on a single page of a PDF form. You can also copy a form field and paste it onto
other pages. When you create duplicate form fields, replicas of the original field are added to one or more other pages.
The duplicate fields are always in the same position on each page as the original. Both copies and duplicates can be
dragged to different locations on a page, but not from one page to another.
Both copies and duplicates are created with the same basic name as the original form field. Copies and duplicates pasted
using the Duplicate Across Pages command also have a number appended. All form fields with the same basic name
share the same user data and action properties. Consequently, when a user adds or edits a response to a copy or
duplicate field, the response appears in all fields with the same basic name.
If you change the properties of any one of multiple versions of a form field with the same basic name, those changes
affect only that copy of the form field. The exception is when you change an Actions listing if the trigger isn’t a mouse
action.
To prevent a duplicate or copied form field from reacting in unison with the original field, change the name of the new
form field.
Create a copy of a form field
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Select the form field, and do one of the following:
•To copy the form field to the center of the current view, choose Edit > Copy, and then choose Edit > Paste.
•To copy the form field and move it to another location on the page, Ctrl-drag it.
Tip: To constrain the vertical or horizontal movement as you drag, press and hold Shift.
3If you want the field to be automatically populated with the data the user types into the original field, leave the name
as is. If the copied field is for unique user information, rename it.
Create multiple copies of a form field on a page
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Right-click the form field and choose Create Multiple Copies.
3In the Create Multiple Copies Of Fields dialog box, select Preview, and move the dialog box as needed so that you
can see the original field and the copies on the form page.
4Make the selections you want to apply:
•To change the number of copies being created, enter different values in the Copy Selected Fields Down and Copy
Selected Fields Across options.
•To change the dimensions of the original field and all the copies, enter different values in the Change Width and
Change Height options.
•To move the original field and all the copies, click the Up, Down, Left, and Right buttons.
5If you want the fields to be automatically populated with the data the user types into the original field, leave the
names as they are. If the copied fields are for unique user information, rename them.
Duplicate a form field across multiple pages
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Right-click the form field and choose Duplicate Across Pages.
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Note: The Duplicate Across Pages command isn’t available for forms with only one page.
3Do one of the following:
•To duplicate the form field on every page in the form, select All, and click OK.
•To duplicate the form field on a limited range of pages, click the From button, and type the start and ending pages
on which you want the form field to appear. Then click OK.
Note: Including or not including the page on which the form field originally appears doesn’t affect the duplication
process. Including that page won’t create a second copy on top of the original one, and not including it won’t remove the
original form field.
4If you want the fields to be automatically populated with the data the user types into the original field, leave the
names as they are. If the duplicate fields are for unique user information, rename them.
Select multiple form fields
Selecting multiple form fields is the first step for several tasks, such as creating copies, aligning form fields, and
adjusting the spacing between form fields.
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Do any of the following:
•To select all form fields of all types, choose Edit > Select All.
•To select a range of form fields, click the first form field in the range, and then Shift-click the last form field. All
form fields between the two form fields are selected.
•To select individual form fields in different parts of the PDF page, Ctrl-click each form field.
•To select all form fields in an area of the page, use the Select Object tool to drag a selection marquee around
the area.
•To deselect an individual form field, Ctrl-click that field.
The field that is highlighted in dark blue and displays the border handles is the anchor. When you select multiple
form fields by clicking, the last field selected is the anchor. When you use a marquee, the form field that was created
first is the anchor. If you Ctrl-click to deselect the anchor, the form field located in the upper left of the selection
becomes the new anchor form field.
Resize and arrange form fields
After you create form fields, you can rearrange, resize, or move them to give the page a cleaner, more professional look.
Resize a form field
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Select the form field that you want to resize.
3Do any of the following:
•To resize the field manually, drag a border handle. Hold Shift and drag a corner handle to maintain the current
aspect ratio of the form field.
•To resize the field by one pixel, press Ctrl+Arrow key; to resize the fields by ten pixels, press Ctrl+Shift+Arrow
key.
•To resize to a specific dimension, right-click the field and choose Properties. Then click the Position tab, and
adjust the Width and Height values.
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Resize multiple form fields to match a selected form field
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Select all the form fields that you want to resize.
3Choose an appropriate option in the right hand pane under Match Size.
You can also right-click the form field that you want the other selected form fields to match. Choose Set Fields To
Same Size, and then select one of the following:
Height Adjusts the heights without changing the widths.
Width Adjusts the widths without changing the heights.
Both Adjust all widths and heights to match.
Move individual form fields
You can move form fields by simply dragging them. For greater precision in less time, you can use special features that
align them with each other, adjust the spacing between them, and center them on the page.
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Select one or more form fields that you want to move.
3Do one of the following:
•To move to an approximate location, drag the selected form fields to the new location.
Tip: To constrain movement to a horizontal or vertical direction, begin dragging, and then press Shift while
continuing to drag the selection.
•To move to a specific location, right-click the field and choose Properties. Then click the Position tab, and set the
Position values.
•To move either horizontally or vertically in small increments, press the arrow keys to nudge the selected form
field into position.
•To move the form field to the exact center of a page, choose Edit > Cut, navigate to the desired page, and then
choose Edit > Paste.
Note: Fields are placed in the center of the page only the first time they’re pasted. Additional pasted fields are
offset from the previously pasted field.
Align and center multiple form fields
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Select two or more form fields that you want to align.
3Click appropriate option in the right hand pane.
You can also right-click the field to which you want to align the other fields. Choose Align, Distribute Or Center,
and then choose a command as follows:
•To align a column of fields, choose Align Left, Right, or Vertical. They align respectively to the left edge, right
edge, or vertical axis (center) of the anchor form field.
•To align a row of fields, choose Align Top, Bottom, or Horizontally. They align respectively to the top edge,
bottom edge, or horizontal axis (center) of the anchor form field.
•To center the fields, choose Center Vertically, Horizontally, or Both.
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Note: When you right-click one of the selected fields, it shows the border handles, indicating that it’s the anchor form
field. The Align menu commands move the other selected form fields to line up with the edges of the anchor form field.
Adjust the spacing between form fields
In the context of laying out form fields on a page, distributing means to give a group of form fields uniform spacing,
measured from the centers of adjacent fields. The Distribute commands take precedence over the Snap To Grid
command.
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2Select the form fields that you want to adjust.
3Choose an appropriate option in the right hand pane under Distribute.
You can also right-click any one of the selected form fields, and do one of the following:
•To distribute the fields evenly between the topmost and bottommost fields, choose Align, Distribute Or Center
>Distribute Vertically.
•To distribute the fields evenly between the leftmost and rightmost fields, choose Align, Distribute Or Center
>Distribute Horizontally.
Note: The Distribute command at the bottom in the right hand pane has a different function. Use that command
to send your form to others, who fill in the information and return the data to you.
Delete a form field
1If you are not in the form editing mode, choose Tool s > Prepare Form.
2In the right hand pane under Fields or the page view, select the form fields that you want to delete.
3Right-click and choose Delete, or choose Edit > Delete.
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Chapter 5: Combining files
Combine or merge files into single PDF
Create merged PDFs
Combine most file types — even rich media — into a single, organized PDF. You can merge Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
audio, video, or web pages, as well as existing PDFs. Acrobat DC lets you preview and arrange the documents and pages
before creating the file. You can delete unwanted pages and move individual pages from a document anywhere among
the pages being combined. Acrobat DC converts the pages of the various files into sequential pages of a single PDF.
1Choose Tools > Combine Files.
The Combine Files dialog box lets you work in two different views:
Thumbnail view
Displays a preview of the pages. It lets you quickly rearrange documents and pages by dragging the thumbnail
images.
List view
Lists information about each file. It lets you sort the files by any of the fields, such as name, size, or modification date.
2Drag files or emails directly into the Combine Files dialog box. Alternatively, choose an option from the Add Files
menu. You can add a folder of files, a web page, any currently open files, items in the clipboard, pages from a scanner,
or a file you combined previously (Reuse Files).
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A Thumbnail and list view buttons B Slider to resize thumbnails C Undo and Redo buttons D Remove Selected Items button E Plus sign
displays all pages in a document
Note: If you add a folder that contains files other than PDFs, the non-PDF files are not added.
3As needed, do any of the following:
Rearrange pages In the Thumbnail view, drag-and-drop the file or page into position. As you drag, a blue bar
moves between pages or documents to indicate the current position.
View pages of multipage file In the Thumbnail view, click the plus sign next to the filename. Once visible, you can
move the individual pages freely among the other pages and documents. Double-click a page to close the multipage
file.
Preview pages In the Thumbnail view, hover over the page, and then click the Zoom icon.
Delete pages In the Thumbnail view, select the page or pages you want to delete, then click the Remove Selected
Items button.
Sort files In the List view, click the column name that you want to sort by. Click again to sort in reverse order. The
order of files in the list reflects the order of the files in the combined PDF. Sorting rearranges the pages of the
combined PDF.
Move files up or down file list In the List view, select the file or files you want to move. Then click the Move Up
or Move Down button.
4Click Options, and select one of the file size options for the converted file:
Smaller File Size Reduces large images to screen resolution and compresses the images by using low-quality JPEG.
This option is suitable for onscreen display, email, and the Internet.
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Note: If any of the source files are already PDFs, the Smaller File Size option applies the Reduce File Size feature to
those files. The Reduce File Size feature is not applied if either the Default File Size or Larger File Size option is
selected.
Default File Size Create PDFs suitable for reliable viewing and printing of business documents. The PDF files in the
list retain their original file size and quality.
Larger File Size Creates PDFs suitable for printing on desktop printers. Applies the High Quality Print conversion
preset and the PDF files in the list retain the original file size and quality.
Note: This option may result in a larger file size of the final PDF.
5In the Options dialog box, specify the conversion settings as needed, then click OK.
6When you have finished arranging the pages, click Combine Files.
A status dialog box shows the progress of the file conversions. Some source applications start and close
automatically.
Insert one PDF into another
1Open the PDF that serves as the basis of the combined file.
2Choose Tools > Organize Pages. The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose Insert > From File.
Alternatively, you can also click in between two pages to get the Insert options.
4Select the PDF you want to insert and click Open.
5In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify where to insert the document (before or after the first or last page, or a
designated page). Click OK.
6To leave the original PDF intact as a separate file, choose Save As, and type a new name for the merged PDF.
You can also add an existing file to an opened PDF. Drag the file icon directly into the Page Thumbnails panel in the
navigation pane.
Insert a clipboard selection into a PDF (Windows)
You can insert one or more pages of selected content copied from any application into an existing PDF.
1Open the document containing the content that you want to add. Select the content, and then copy the selection (in
most applications, by choosing Edit > Copy File To Clipboard).
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2Open the PDF that serves as the basis of the combined file.
3Choose Tools > Organize Pages. The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
4In the secondary toolbar, choose Insert > From Clipboard.
Alternatively, you can also click in between two pages to get the Insert options.
5In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify where to insert the selection (before or after the first or last page, or a
designated page). Click OK.
6To leave the original PDF intact as a separate file, choose Save As, and type a new name for the merged PDF.
Insert a web page or a blank page into a PDF
You can insert a web page into an existing PDF by choosing Tools > Organize Pages > Insert > From Web Page. In
the dialog box that appears, enter the URL of the page that you want to add.
You can also add a blank page to your PDF document by:
•Choosing Tool s > Organize Pages > Insert > Blank Page.
In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify the location where you want to add the blank page.
•You can also use the Insert overlay menu to add a blank page in between to pages. Choose To ols > Organize Pages
to get the page thumbnail view. In the page thumbnail view, click the Insert overlay icon in between the two
pages where you want to insert a blank page. From the Insert menu, select Insert Blank Page.
Placing PDFs as linked files in other documents
You can incorporate PDFs into other types of files that support Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), such as
InDesign® or Word files. These files are called OLE container documents. Later, if you edit the original PDF, the OLE
features in the container application updates the embedded file in the container document, to reflect your changes.
❖Do one of the following:
•Choose the OLE container application’s Insert Object command or Insert Hyperlink command.
•(Windows) In Acrobat, choose Edit > Copy File To Clipboard, and then choose the Paste Special command in
the container application.
More Help topics
Convert email messages to PDFs
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Rotate, move, delete, and renumber PDF pages
To manipulate pages in a PDF, make sure that you have permissions to edit the PDF. To check, choose File > Properties,
and then click the Security tab. Permissions appear in the Document Restrictions Summary.
This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC. If you're using Adobe Reader DC, see What can I do with Adobe
Reader DC. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help . And, if you're using Acrobat 7, 8 , 9, or X see previous
versions of Acrobat Help.
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Rotate pages
You can rotate all or selected pages in a document. Rotation is based on 90° increments. You can rotate pages using the
rotate tools in the Page Thumbnails pane or using the Rotate option (described below).
1Choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, specify the page range on which you want to apply the rotation.
You c an c h o o s e Even Pages, Odd Pages, Landscape Pages, Portrait Pages, All Pages, or enter the page number you
want to perform the operation on.
3After specifying the page range, for Direction, select the counterclockwise 90 Degrees or clockwise 90 Degrees
.
4You can also apply the page rotation on a specific page by clicking the counterclockwise or clockwise rotation
buttons displayed in the page thumbnail view.
To temporarily change your view of the page, choose View > Rotate View > Clockwise or Counterclockwise. The
original page orientation is restored the next time you open the PDF.
Extract pages
Extraction is the process of reusing selected pages of one PDF in a different PDF. Extracted pages contain not only the
content but also all form fields, comments, and links associated with the original page content.
You can leave the extracted pages in the original document or remove them during the extraction process—comparable
to the familiar processes of cutting-and-pasting or copying-and-pasting, but on the page level.
Note: Any bookmarks or article threading associated with pages are not extracted.
1Open the PDF in Acrobat DC and choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Extract.
A new toolbar appears below the secondary toolbar with the commands specific to the Extract operation.
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3Specify the range of pages to extract.
You c an c h o o s e Even Pages, Odd Pages, Landscape Pages, Portrait Pages, All Pages, or enter the page number you
want to perform the operation on.
4In the new toolbar, do one or more of the following before you click Extract:
•To remove the extracted pages from the original document, select Delete Pages After Extracting.
•To create a single-page PDF for each extracted page, select Extract Pages As Separate Files.
•To leave the original pages in the document and create a single PDF that includes all of the extracted pages, leave
both check boxes deselected.
The extracted pages are placed in a new document.
Note: The creator of a PDF document can set the security to prevent the extraction of pages. To view the security settings
for a document, choose File > Properties, and select the Security tab.
Split PDFs into multiple documents
You can split one or more documents into multiple smaller documents. When splitting a document, you can specify
the split by maximum number of pages, maximum file size, or top-level bookmarks.
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Split.
A new toolbar appears below the secondary toolbar with the commands specific to the Split operation.
3In the Split By drop-down list, select the criteria for dividing the document:
Number Of Pages Specify the maximum number of pages for each document in the split.
File Size Specify the maximum file size for each document in the split.
Top-level Bookmarks If the document includes bookmarks, creates one document for every top-level bookmark.
4To specify a target folder for the split files and filename preferences, click Output Options. Specify the options as
needed, and then click OK.
5(Optional) To apply the same split to multiple documents, click Split Multiple Files. In the Split Documents dialog
box, click Add Files, and choose Add Files,Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Select the files or folder, and then click
OK.
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Move or copy pages
You can use page thumbnails in the Navigation pane or the Document area to copy or move pages within a document,
and copy pages between documents.
Move or copy a page within a PDF, using page thumbnails
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and the page thumbnails are displayed in the
Document area.
2Select one or more page thumbnails.
3Do one of the following:
•To move a page, drag the page number box of the corresponding page thumbnail or the page thumbnail itself to
the new location. A bar appears to show the new position of the page thumbnail. The pages are renumbered.
•To copy a page, Ctrl-drag the page thumbnail to a second location.
Note: You can also perform the above operations in the left navigation pane by clicking the Page Thumbnails
button.
Copy a page between two PDFs, using page thumbnails
1Open both PDFs, and display them side by side.
Note: Choose Window > Tile > Vertically to display the PDFs side by side.
2Open the Page Thumbnails panels for both PDFs.
Note: Click the Page Thumbnails button in the left navigation pane to open the Page Thumbnail panel.
3Drag the page thumbnail into the Page Thumbnails panel of the target PDF. The page is copied into the document,
and the pages are renumbered.
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Delete or replace pages
You can replace an entire PDF page with another PDF page. Only the text and images on the original page are replaced.
Any interactive elements associated with the original page, such as links and bookmarks, are not affected. Likewise,
bookmarks and links that may have been previously associated with the replacement page do not carry over.
Comments, however, are carried over and are combined with any existing comments in the document.
After you delete or replace pages, it’s a good idea to use the Reduce File Size command to rename and save the
restructured document to the smallest possible file size.
Delete pages, using the Delete command
Note: You cannot undo the Delete command.
1Choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and the page thumbnails are displayed in the
Document area.
2Specify the range of pages to delete.
You c an c h o o s e Even Pages, Odd Pages, Landscape Pages, Portrait Pages, All Pages, or enter the page number(s)
you want to delete.
3In the secondary toolbar, click Delete Pages , and click OK to confirm.
You cannot delete all pages; at least one page must remain in the document.
If you select Use Logical Page Numbers in the Page Display panel of the Preferences dialog box, you can enter a page
number in parentheses to delete the logical equivalent of the page number. For example, if the first page in the
document is numbered i, you can enter (1) in the Enter Page Range drop-down list, and the page is deleted.
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Delete pages, using page thumbnails
1Choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and the page thumbnails are displayed in the
Document area.
2Select a page thumbnail you want to delete and click the icon to delete the page.
3Alternatively, click the Page Thumbnails button in the left navigation pane to open the Page Thumbnail panel,
select the page or group of pages you want to delete.
4Click Delete Pages at the top of the Page Thumbnails panel.
Replace the contents of a page
1Open the PDF that contains the pages you want to replace.
2Choose Tools > Organize Pages.
The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3In the secondary toolbar, click Replace.
The Select Files With New Pages dialog box appears.
4Select the document containing the replacement pages, and click Open.
5Under Original, enter the pages to be replaced in the original document.
6Under Replacement, enter the first page of the replacement page range. The last page is calculated based on the
number of pages to be replaced in the original document.
7Click OK.
Replace pages using a page thumbnail
1Open the PDF that contains the pages you want to replace, and then open the PDF that contains the replacement
pages.
2In the Page Thumbnails panel of the PDF that contains the replacement pages, select a page or group of pages:
•Select the page number boxes of the page thumbnails that you want to use as replacement pages.
•Shift-click to select multiple page thumbnails. Ctrl-click to add to the selection.
•Drag a rectangle around a group of page thumbnails.
3Ctrl+Alt+drag the selected page thumbnails onto the Pages panel of the target document. Release the mouse button
when the pointer is directly over the page number box of the first page thumbnail you want to replace so that these
pages become highlighted.
The pages you selected in the first document replace the same number of pages in the second document, starting at
the page number you selected to drop the new pages on.
Renumber pages
The page numbers on the document pages do not always match the page numbers that appear below the page
thumbnails and in the Page Navigation toolbar. Pages are numbered with integers, starting with page 1 for the first page
of the document. Because some PDFs may contain front matter, such as a copyright page and table of contents, their
body pages may not follow the numbering shown in the Page Navigation toolbar.
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You can number the pages in your document in a variety of ways. You can specify a different numbering style for group
of pages, such as 1, 2, 3, or i, ii, iii, or a, b, c. You can also customize the numbering system by adding a prefix. For
example, the numbering for chapter 1 could be 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and so on, and for chapter 2, it could be 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, and
so on.
Using the Number Pages command affects only the page thumbnails on the Pages panel. You can physically add new
page numbers to a PDF using the headers and footers feature.
1In the left navigation pane, click the Page Thumbnails button to open the Page Thumbnails panel.
2Choose Page Labels from the Options menu.
3Specify a page range. (Selected refers to pages selected in the Page Thumbnails panel.)
4Select one of the following, and then click OK:
Begin New Section Starts a new numbering sequence. Choose a style from the pop-up menu, and enter a starting
page number for the section. Specify a Prefix, if desired.
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Extend Numbering Used In Preceding Section To Selected Pages Continues the numbering sequence from
previous pages without interruption.
More Help topics
Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs
Extract component files in a PDF Portfolio
Insert one PDF into another
About tags, accessibility, reading order, and reflow
Add and edit headers and footers
Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs
Headers, footers, and Bates numbering
Acrobat DC lets you add a header and footer throughout a PDF. Headers and footers can include a date, automatic page
numbering, Bates numbers for legal documents, or the title and author. You can add headers and footers to one or more
PDFs.
You can vary the headers and footers within a PDF. For example, you can add a header that displays the page number
on the right side of odd-numbered pages, and another header that displays the page number on the left side of even-
numbered pages. When adding Bates numbering, you can set the number of digits, the starting number, and the prefix
or suffix to be appended to each Bates number.
You can define and save your headers and footers to reuse them later, or you can simply apply a header and footer and
forget it. After applying a header and footer, you can edit, replace, or delete it in the PDF. You can also preview headers
and footers before applying them and adjust the header and footer margins so that they don’t overlap other page
content.
Add headers and footers, with an open document
1Open the PDF file to which you want to add the header and footer.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
Note: Formatting and other related options are displayed in the right hand pane.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Add.
4As needed, specify the Font and Margin values.
The text properties apply to all header and footer entries that are part of this setting definition. You cannot apply
different settings to individual header or footer text boxes within the same session in the Add Header And Footer
dialog box.
To prevent overlapping, click the Appearance Options link and select Shrink Document To Avoid Overwriting The
Document’s Text And Graphics. To prevent resizing or repositioning when printing the PDF in large format, select
Keep Position And Size Of Header/Footer Text Constant When Printing On Different Page Sizes.
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5Type the text in any of the header and footer text boxes. To insert page numbers or the current date, click in a box
and then click the corresponding buttons. To select formatting for automatic entries, click Page Number And Date
Format.
Note: You can combine text with dates and page numbers. You can also add several lines of text to an entry.
6To specify the pages on which the header and footer appear, click Page Range Options. Then specify a page range
and choose a Subset option, as needed.
7Examine the results in the Preview area, using the Preview Page option to see different pages of the PDF.
8(Optional) To save these header and footer settings for future use, click Save Settings at the top of the dialog box.
9(Optional) To apply the same settings to additional PDFs, click Apply To Multiple Files. Click Add Files, choose Add
Files or Add Open Files, and select the files. Then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename
preferences, and click OK.
Add headers and footers, with no document open (Windows only)
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
2In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Add.
3In the dialog box, click Add Files, choose Add Files, then select the files.
You can also add files or folders by dragging them into the dialog box.
4Follow steps 4 through 8 in the procedure for adding headers and footers with an open document. When you have
finished setting up your headers and footers, click OK.
5In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences and click OK.
Update the headers and footers
Updating applies to the most recently added header and footer set.
1Open the PDF file containing header and footer.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Update.
4Change the settings as needed.
Add another header and footer
1Open the PDF file containing header and footer.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Add, and then click Add New in the message that appears.
The preview shows any existing headers and footers.
4Type text in the header and footer text boxes to add more headers and footers. As you type, the preview updates the
appearance of the complete headers and footers on the page.
5Select new formatting options, as preferred, again noticing the updating in the preview.
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Replace all headers and footers
1Open the PDF file containing header and footer.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Add, and then click Replace Existing in the message that
appears.
4Specify the settings, as needed.
Note: This process applies only to headers and footers added in Acrobat 7.0 or later.
Remove all headers and footers
❖Do one of the following:
•Open the PDF file containing header and footer. Then choose Tools > Edit PDF > Header & Footer > Remove.
•To remove headers and footers from multiple PDFs, close any open documents and choose Tools> Edit PDF>
Header & Footer > Remove. In the dialog box, click Add Files, choose Add Files, and select the files. Click OK,
and then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences.
Note: This process applies only to headers and footers added in Acrobat 7.0 or later.
Add a Bates numbering header or footer (Acrobat Pro DC)
Bates numbering is a method of indexing legal documents for easy identification and retrieval. Each page of each
document is assigned a unique Bates number that also indicates its relationship to other Bates-numbered documents.
Bates numbers appear as headers or footers on the pages of each PDF in the batch.
The Bates identifier is referred to as a number, but it can include an alphanumeric prefix and suffix. The prefix and
suffix can make it easier to recognize the central subject matter of the files.
Note: Bates numbering is unavailable for protected or encrypted files and some forms.
Add Bates numbering
When designating documents for Bates numbering, you can add PDFs, and any non-PDF files that can be converted
to PDF. The process converts non-PDF file types to PDF, and then adds Bates numbers to the resulting PDF.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Bates Numbering > Add.
3In the Bates Numbering dialog box, click Add Files, and choose Add Files, Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Then
select the files or folder.
Note: If you add a folder that contains files other than PDFs, the non-PDF files are not added.
If any files are password-protected, one or more messages appear, in which you must enter the correct password.
4As needed, do any of the following in the list of files:
•To change the order in which Bates numbers are assigned, select a file, then drag it or click Move Up or Move
Down.
•To sort the list, click a column name. Click again to sort in reverse order.
5To specify a target folder for output files and filename preferences, click Output Options. Specify the options as
needed, and then click OK.
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6Once you have added and arranged the files as needed, click OK. Then, in the Add Header And Footer dialog box,
click to place the insertion point in the appropriate box.
7Click Insert Bates Number. Then enter the following:
•In Number Of Digits, specify how many digits make up the Bates number, entering any number from 3 through
15. The default number is 6, which produces Bates numbers such as 000001, 000002, and so on.
•In Start Number, enter the number to assign to the first PDF on the list. The default is 1.
•In Prefix, type any text to appear before the Bates number.
•In Suffix, type any text to appear after the Bates number.
Note: For court cases involving large numbers of pages, enter a higher value in Number Of Digits. Do not use the #
character in the Prefix or Suffix text.
8Click OK and then make any other changes to the settings, as you would for any other header and footer.
Add more documents to a Bates numbering series
Before you begin, be sure that you know the last applied Bates number in the series.
1Follow the procedure described in the previous topic to start the Bates numbering process, selecting the files to add
to the series.
2After you click Insert Bates Number, enter the next number in the series in Start Number. Enter the Suffix and Prefix
text that matches the rest of the series.
3Finish changing the settings, and then click OK.
Search for Bates-numbered PDFs
1Choose Edit > Advanced Search.
2In the search word or phrase text field, enter all or part of the Bates number.
For example, to find a specific document when you know its Bates number, type in the complete number as the
search text. To find any documents in a Bates number series, type in a distinctive portion of the Bates series, such
as the prefix or suffix.
3Under Where Would You Like To Search, select All PDF Documents In.
4Click Browse For Location and specify the location.
5Click Search.
Note: To search for Bates-numbered PDFs in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and enter all or part of the Bates
number in the Search box on the PDF Portfolio toolbar.
Remove Bates numbering
1Open the PDF file containing bate numbers.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Bates Numbering > Remove.
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Crop PDF pages
You can adjust the visible page area using the Crop Pages tool and the Set Page Boxes dialog box. Cropping pages can
help you create consistency within a PDF composed of pages of different sizes.
Note: Cropping does not reduce file size because information is merely hidden, not discarded.
Crop a page with the Crop tool
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Crop Pages.
3Drag a rectangle on the page you want to crop. If necessary, drag the corner handles of the cropping rectangle until
the page is the size you want.
4Double-click inside the cropping rectangle.
The Set Page Boxes dialog box opens, indicating the margin measurements of the cropping rectangle and the page
to be cropped. You can override the crop area you defined, making new selections in the dialog box before clicking
OK.
5To apply these settings to additional pages, set the page range or click All under Page Range.
6Click OK to crop the page or pages.
Margin Control options in the Set Page Boxes dialog box
The Set Page Boxes dialog box contains options for cropping pages. The Margin Control options are as follows:
Show All Boxes (Acrobat Pro DC) Shows the black, red, green, and blue rectangles indicating the CropBox, ArtBox,
TrimBox, and BleedBox on the preview. When two (or more) margins coincide, only a colored line appears.
CropBox Defines the boundary for the contents of a page when it’s displayed or printed.
ArtBox (Acrobat Pro DC) Defines the meaningful content of the page, including white space.
TrimBox (Acrobat Pro DC) Defines the finished dimensions of the page after trimming.
BleedBox (Acrobat Pro DC) Defines the clipping path when the page is printed professionally to allow for paper
trimming and folding. Printing marks may fall outside the bleed area.
Constrain Proportions Locks the proportions of the crop so that all margins are at the same distance.
Remove White Margins Crops the page to the artwork boundary. This option is useful for trimming the edges of
presentation slides saved as PDFs.
Set To Zero Restores the crop margins to zero.
Revert To Selection Reverts to the crop margin selected with the Crop Page tool.
Remove white margins
1Choose Tools > Print Production.
The Print Production toolset is displayed in the right hand pane.
2Click Set Page Boxes.
The Set Page Boxes dialog box is displayed.
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3Under Margin Controls, select Remove White Margins.
4To remove white margins from additional pages, set the page range or click All under Page Range.
Undo cropping
Cropping a PDF does not reduce file size because information is merely hidden, not discarded. By resetting the page
size, you can restore the page and its content to its original condition.
1Open the Set Page Boxes dialog box by choosingCrop Pages from the options menu in the Page Thumbnails
panel of the navigation pane.
2Click the Set To Zero button to reset the margins to the original page dimensions.
•Edit text in PDFs
•Edit images or objects in a PDF
More Help topics
Add watermarks to PDFs
A watermark is text or an image that appears either in front of or behind existing document content, like a stamp. For
example, you could apply a “Confidential” watermark to pages with sensitive information. You can add multiple
watermarks to one or more PDFs, but you must add each watermark separately. You can specify the page or range of
pages on which each watermark appears.
Note: Unlike a stamp, a watermark is integrated into PDF pages as a fixed element. A stamp is a type of PDF comment,
which others reading the PDF can open to display a text annotation, move, change, or delete.
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Add or replace a watermark, with an open document
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Watermark > Add.
2(Optional) To apply the watermark selectively to individual pages, click Page Range Options. Then specify a page
range and choose a Subset option, as needed.
3Specify the watermark:
•To reuse a watermark and watermark options that you saved in an earlier session, select it from the Saved Settings
menu.
•To create a text watermark, select Tex t , and type the text in the box. Adjust the text formatting options as needed.
•To use an image as a watermark, select File. Then click Browse and select the image file. If the file has multiple
pages with images, specify the Page Number you want.
Note: Only PDF, JPEG, and BMP images can be used as watermarks.
4To change the size of an image watermark, do one of the following:
•To resize the watermark in relation to the original image file size, enter a percentage in the Absolute Scale option
(in the Source area of the dialog box).
•To resize the watermark in relation to the PDF page dimensions, enter a percentage in the Scale Relative To Target
Page (in the Appearance area of the dialog box).
5Adjust the appearance and position of the watermark, as needed.
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6(Optional) Click Appearance Options and specify the following options:
•To specify when the watermark appears, select or deselect Show When Printing and Show When Displaying On
Screen.
•To control variations in a PDF with pages of varying sizes, select or deselect Keep Position And Size Of
Watermark Text Constant When Printing On Different Page Sizes.
7(Optional) To apply the same settings to additional PDFs, click Apply To Multiple Files. Click Add Files, choose
Add Files or Add Open Files, and then select the files. Then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder
and filename preferences, and click OK.
Add or replace a watermark, with no document open (Windows only)
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Watermark > Add.
2In the dialog box, click Add Files, choose Add Files, and then select the files.
You can also add files or folders by dragging them into the dialog box.
3Click OK to close the Add Watermark dialog box.
4Follow steps 2 through 6 in the procedure for adding or replacing a watermark with a document open. When you
have finished setting up your watermark, click OK.
5In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences and click OK.
Add or replace a watermark in component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio
1Select one or more component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
2Follow the steps in the procedure for adding or replacing a watermark with a document open.
Update a watermark
1Open a single PDF.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Watermark > Update.
3Make changes to the watermark, and then click OK.
Note: If you have multiple watermarks in a PDF, this procedure will update only the first watermark you added and will
discard all other watermarks. If you change your mind about updating the watermarks after you have completed this
process, immediately choose Edit > Undo Watermark.
Remove watermarks
❖Do one of the following:
•Open a single PDF, or select one or more component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio. Then choose Tool s > Edit PDF
> Watermark > Remove.
•To remove watermarks from multiple PDFs, close any open PDFs and choose Tools > Edit PDF > Watermark >
Remove. In the dialog box that appears, click Add Files, choose Add Files, and then select the files. Click OK, and
then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences.
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Add backgrounds to PDFs
A background appears behind text or images on the page. The background can be as simple as a solid color, or you can
use an image. You can selectively apply a background to only specific pages or page ranges in one or more PDFs. A PDF
supports only one background per page, but the backgrounds can vary from page to page.
Add, replace, or edit a background
1Open the PDF file to which you want to add the background.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and other related options are displayed in the right hand
pane.
Note: If a message appears, telling you that the current document already has a background, click Replace Background.
If you apply the new background to a limited range of pages, the old background remains unchanged on pages outside
that range.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Background > Add.
4(Optional) To apply the background selectively to individual pages, click Page Range Options. Then specify a page
range and choose a Subset option, as needed.
5Specify the background:
•To reuse a background and background options that you saved in an earlier session, select it from the Saved
Settings menu.
•To apply a solid color background, select From Color. Then select a color swatch or custom color from the color
picker .
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•To use an image, select File, then select the image file. To select a specific image in a multipage file, enter it in
Page Number.
Note: Only PDF, JPEG, and BMP files can be used as background images.
6Adjust the appearance and position of the background, as needed.
7(Optional) To apply the same background to additional PDFs:
a. Click Apply To MultipleFiles.
b. Click Add Files, choose Add Files or Add Open Files, and then select the files.
c. Click OK.
d. In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences, and click OK.
Update a recently edited background image
If the original image file that you are using as a background change, you can update the PDF to show the new version
of the image rather than removing the old version and readding the new one.
1Open the PDF file to that contains the background you want to update.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Background > Update.
4Click OK, or make other changes to the background options and then click OK.
Note: This process applies only to backgrounds added in Acrobat 7.0 or later.
Remove a background from selected pages
1Open the PDF containing the background.
2Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Background > Remove.
4Click Yes to confirm the background removal.
Publish and share PDF Portfolios
Publish PDF Portfolios to a website (Acrobat Pro DC)
Acrobat DC can convert a PDF Portfolio to a SWF file for others to view on a website. All file navigation and video
controls are available to users with access to the website. To preview how the PDF Portfolio appears on a website, you
publish the content to the site. You can’t preview by opening the published PDF Portfolio on your local computer.
Note: You can view and extract files from a published PDF Portfolio. To edit The PDF Portfolio, open it in Acrobat DC.
1In an open PDF Portfolio, choose File > Save PDF Portfolio As Web Site.
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2Select a folder, or create a new one, for the saved web files. Click OK.
A new folder makes it easier to find the saved files.
3(Optional) Edit the index.html file. For example, you can match the look of an existing website, or embed the PDF
Portfolio within an existing web page.
4Copy the entire data folder and the index.html file to a web server. To transfer the data, you can use FTP, mount the
server as a local disk, or use some other method.
5Note the web address (URL) of the saved HTML file.
6In a web browser, enter the URL of the HTML page, starting with http:// or https://.
Tips for successful playback
•Install Flash Player 10.1 or later. Early versions of Flash Player cannot play back a published PDF Portfolio.
•Use Acrobat DC PDF Portfolios. You cannot publish Acrobat 9 PDF Portfolios to a website.
•Use only system fonts in the PDF Portfolio, not styled text, embedded fonts, or other installed fonts.
•View the index.html file from a web server (http:// or https://), not from your local computer.
•Avoid adding SWF file attachments or videos to your PDF Portfolio. Video playback and SWF file attachments are
not supported in a published PDF Portfolio.
Share PDF Portfolios
Share a PDF Portfolio with others by sending the file in an e-mail or by uploading it on Acrobat.com, a secure web
service. (See Sharing PDFs.)
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More Help topics
Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio
Find text in multiple PDFs
Overview of PDF Portfolios
Create and customize PDF Portfolios
Working with component files in a PDF Portfolio
Merging PDFs and including other content
Working with component files in a PDF Portfolio
You can sort and preview component files in a PDF Portfolio, as well as open, edit, and save component files in their
native application. Some file types require that you install the native application on your computer.
View files in a list
In an opened PDF Portfolio, click View > Portfolio > Details. The list of component files in the PDF Portfolio is
displayed below the secondary toolbar. To sort file details by ascending and descending order, click a column name.
Click it a second time to reverse the order.
Edit file details in a list (Acrobat Pro DC)
1In an opened PDF Portfolio, click View > Portfolio > Details.
The list of component files in the PDF Portfolio are displayed below the secondary toolbar.
2Do any of the following in the files list pane:
•To show or hide a column in the list, right-click and choose View and select the column name.
•To sort required columns by ascending and descending order, click a column heading. Click a second time to
reverse the order
•To add or change information of a file, right-click the filename and select Edit Value and then choose the type
of information you want to update. For example, to add descriptive information about the file, right-click on the
filename, choose Edit Value > Description. In the Edit Description dialog, enter the file description.
•To add a column, right-click and choose Portfolio Properties. In the Portfolio Properties dialog box, click Add
and type the name of the column you want to add and click OK.
•To delete optional columns, open the Portfolio Properties dialog box, select the column name that you want to
delete, and then click Delete. You cannot delete required columns, such as Name, Modified, Size, and Created.
•To change the order of a column, open the Portfolio Properties dialog box, select the column name, and click
the Up or Down button. You can also drag a column in the file list pane.
•To change the order of files, see Sort, filter, and change the order of files or folders (Acrobat Pro DC).
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Add files and folders to a PDF Portfolio
You can add files and folders to an existing PDF Portfolio in either Layout (Preview) or Details (files list view) mode.
❖In the secondary toolbar, click Add Files and choose Add Files or Add Folder.
Alternatively, you can also add files or folders by performing any of the following methods:
•In the Layout view, right click in the left pane and choose Create Folder. Else, if you are in the Details view, then
right click in the files list pane and choose Create Folder.
•To add files from your computer, drag any files or folders into the left pane (Layout view), or files list pane
(Details view). You can also drag file or folder onto a folder to add it to your portfolio.
For best performance, keep the total number of component files at 15 or less, and the total size of all component files
under 50 MB.
Remove files and folders from a PDF Portfolio
If you delete a folder, all of the files within it are deleted from the PDF Portfolio.
❖Select one or more files or folders in the PDF Portfolio and press Delete. Or click the Delete File icon in the
secondary toolbar.
Sort, filter, and change the order of files or folders (Acrobat Pro DC)
By default, component files are arranged and sorted alphabetically by filename. Files appear and print in this order.
You can change or customize the order in which files appear. However, files always print alphabetically.
Note: Sorting files in Layout (Preview) mode changes the order only for the current session. The next time you open the
PDF Portfolio, it appears in the sort order specified in the Portfolio Properties dialog box.
1Open the Portfolio Properties dialog box.
Note: If you are in the Layout view, then right-click in the left pane and choose Portfolio Properties. Else, if you are in
the files list view, then right-click in the files list pane and choose Portfolio Properties.
2In the Portfolio Properties dialog box, do any of the following:
•To change the order of the columns in the files list pane, select a column name and use the Up or Down button
to rearrange.
•To specify the order in which files appear when the PDF Portfolio is initially opened, select a column name in
the Sort By menu, then specify the Sort Order. For example, to display files according to the date they were
modified, make sure Modified is selected in the Sort By menu and then specify the Sort Order as Ascending or
Descending.
•To specify the way PDF Portfolio is displayed, select the display option from the Initial View menu.
3Save the PDF Portfolio.
Open, edit, and save component files
You can open, edit, and save a component file in its native application, as long as the application is installed on your
computer. Any changes that you make to component files do not affect the original files outside your PDF Portfolio.
1Do one of the following:
•In Layout (Preview) mode, right-click/Control-click the file, and choose Open File In Native Application (for
non-PDFs) or Open File (for PDFs).
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•In the upper-right corner of the Acrobat DC window, click the Open Document link.
Note: The component file opens in a separate window. If you’re viewing the PDF Portfolio in a browser, the file opens
in the stand-alone Acrobat product, outside the browser.
2If a confirmation dialog box appears, select Open This File or Always Allow Opening Files Of This Type—if you
trust the format—and click OK.
3Edit the file as needed, and then save the file.
Edit component filenames and descriptions in a PDF Portfolio
❖Open the files list pane by choosing View > Portfolio > Details.
In the files list pane, do any of the following:
•To edit the displayed name of a component file, right-click the filename and choose Edit Value > Name. Enter
the new name for the component file and click OK. The updated name is displayed under in the Name column
of the files list pane.
•To edit the description of a component file, right-click the filename and choose Edit Value > Description. Enter
the description text and click OK. The updated description is displayed under the Description column of the
files list pane.
Extract component files in a PDF Portfolio
You can extract or drag files out of the PDF Portfolio window onto your computer. Extracting does not delete the file
from the PDF Portfolio.
❖Do either of the following:
•In Layout or Details mode, right-click the component filename and select Extract From Portfolio.
•Select one or more files, and then drag them to your Desktop.
More Help topics
Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio
Find text in multiple PDFs
Overview of PDF Portfolios
Create and customize PDF Portfolios
Publish and share PDF Portfolios
Merging PDFs and including other content
Create and customize PDF Portfolios
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Create PDF Portfolios (Acrobat Pro DC)
The PDF Portfolio creation process has been simplified in the current release of Acrobat Pro DC. You no longer need
the Flash Player installed on your system to create or view portfolios. You can easily create folders within your PDF
Portfolio, delete component files and folders, edit component filenames, and add and edit descriptions of component
files.
Create a basic PDF Portfolio in a few quick steps.
1Start Acrobat DC and choose File > Create > PDF Portfolio.
2Drag files into the Create PDF Portfolio dialog box.
Alternatively, choose an option from the Add Files menu. You can add a file, folder of files, pages from a scanner,
web page, or items in the clipboard.
3Click Create to add the files to the PDF Portfolio.
The selected files are added to your portfolio and a toolbar along with the thumbnails of the files is displayed in the
left pane.
Note: In Windows, the Acrobat PDFMaker in Outlook and Lotus Notes can create PDF Portfolios when you convert e-mail
messages.
Add files and folders to a PDF Portfolio
Note: As you cannot change the order of files in the PDF Portfolio, it is recommended to add the files in a sequential order.
Also, if you add a folder, the files in the folder are added in the alphabetical order.
You can add content to an existing PDF Portfolio.
❖From an open PDF Portfolio, do any of the following:
•In the left pane, click Add Files and select Add Files, Add Folder, or Add Web Content.
•To create a folder, click the Create Folder icon in the secondary toolbar.
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•To add files from your computer, drag any files or folders into the PDF Portfolio workspace or onto a folder,
which is available in the left pane.
For best performance, keep the total number of component files at 15 or less, and the total size of all component files
under 50 MB.
Add web content to a PDF Portfolio
You can link to websites or embed video tags. Linking to web content is useful when you want to reduce the file size of
the PDF Portfolio.
1In the left pane, click Add Files and select Add Web Content.
2Enter a filename and description for the web content that gets added to your PDF Portfolio. This web file links to
the web content you specify.
3Do one of the following:
•To link to a website, select Add A Web Link, and then add the URL.
•To embed a video tag, select Add An Embed Tag, and then paste the video’s embed code. Video-sharing websites
usually include a way to copy a video’s embed code. For example, a website could include an Embed box that
shows the code and other embedding options.
Convert multimedia files in a PDF Portfolio (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can convert the following component multimedia files to PDF within a PDF Portfolio: SWF files and mp3. You can
also convert these files to PDF if they are encoded in H.264 (with AAC audio): MOV, M4V, MP4, 3GP, and 3G2. (H.264
and AAC are encoding and compression options for movies.)
1From an open PDF Portfolio, right-click/Control-click one or more multimedia files in the PDF Portfolio and select
Convert To PDF.
2If a dialog box appears, specify the options as needed and click OK.
Remove or extract files and folders from a PDF Portfolio
If you delete a folder, all of the files within it are deleted from the PDF Portfolio. You can also extract one or more
components from the PDF Portfolio and save them separately.
•From an open PDF Portfolio, select one or more files or folders in the PDF Portfolio and press Delete or click the
Delete File icon to remove the selected item from the portfolio.
•If you want to extract (or save) an item from your portfolio, click the Extract From Portfolio icon , select a
location where you want to save the selected item, and click Save.
•Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio
•Find text in multiple PDFs
•Overview of PDF Portfolios
•Working with component files in a PDF Portfolio
•Publish and share PDF Portfolios
•Merging PDFs and including other content
•Convert email messages to PDFs
•Save a PDF
•Adobe PDF conversion settings
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More Help topics
Overview of PDF Portfolios
About PDF Portfolios
A PDF Portfolio contains multiple files assembled into an integrated PDF unit. The files in a PDF Portfolio can be in a
wide range of file types created in different applications. For example, a PDF Portfolio can include text documents, e-
mail messages, spreadsheets, CAD drawings, and PowerPoint presentations. The original files retain their individual
identities but are assembled into one PDF Portfolio file. You can open, read, edit, and format each component file
independently of the other component files in the PDF Portfolio.
Depending on the circumstances, PDF Portfolios offer several advantages over merging multiple files into a single PDF:
Adding and deleting Add or remove files easily, without having to find and select all the pages that originated in that
file.
Previewing Quickly preview component files without having to open them in their native applications.
Editing Change individual files within the PDF Portfolio without affecting the other files. For example, you can
renumber pages in one document without renumbering other documents in the PDF Portfolio. You can also edit non-
PDF files in their native applications from within a PDF Portfolio. Any changes you make are saved to the file within
the PDF Portfolio.
Distribution Share a PDF Portfolio with others and be sure that they are getting all the component parts. Publish a PDF
Portfolio on a website for others to view.
Sorting Sort component files by categories that you can add to, delete, hide, and customize. Simply click a column
name to sort the list.
Printing Print all the PDFs in a PDF Portfolio, or selected component PDFs.
Searching Search one or all files in a PDF Portfolio. You can even search non-PDF component files.
Incorporating other formats Add non-PDF files to an existing PDF Portfolio without converting them to PDF.
Independence from source files The source files of a PDF Portfolio—even existing files you add to the PDF Portfolio—
are not changed when you create a PDF Portfolio. Changes you make to the component files within a PDF Portfolio do
not change the original files from which you created the PDF Portfolio. You can move a PDF Portfolio anywhere on
your computer or network without any risk of losing or disconnecting its components.
Reuse Include the same file in multiple PDF Portfolios.
PDF Portfolio window overview
In Acrobat DC, you create and edit PDF Portfolios, and work with component files using various elements, such as
panes, toolbars, and windows.
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A PDF Portfolio toolbar B Component files and folders in the left navigation pane C Previous and Next (arrow) buttons to scroll through
component files D Link to open the component file
•The PDF Portfolio toolbar is located immediately below the main toolbar. You can perform common tasks such as,
adding files or folders, creating a new folder, extracting component file, or deleting a component file.
•The left navigation pane lists the files and folders included in the PDF Portfolio. By default, the files and folders are
displayed alphabetically. You can change the order by configuring the sort order in the Portfolio Properties dialog
box.
•The Previous and Next buttons allow you to scroll through the files and folders included in the PDF Portfolio. A
preview of the selected file is displayed by default. However, if the component file is a non-PDF file, then a Preview
button is displayed in the document area. Clicking the Preview button allows you to view the file’s contents in the
PDF Portfolio itself.
•The Open Document link opens the selected component file for editing. If it is a PDF file, then the file is opened in
the document area where you can work on it like any other PDF document. Else, if the file is non-PDF, then it is
opened in its native application. Once you make changes in the component file and save it, the newer content is
made available in the PDF Portfolio.
•Layout (Preview mode) shows the preview of the component file in the PDF Portfolio depending on the type of file.
For information about each type of preview, see Portfolio view modes
•Details or Files mode shows the file details in a list. You can click a column name to sort by ascending and
descending order.
A PDF Portfolio is accessible when it opens in Details or Files mode. This mode provides a better reading experience
for people with disabilities—such as mobility impairments, blindness, and low vision. To open all PDF Portfolios in
Files mode, open the Preferences dialog box by choosing Edit > Preferences (Windows). In Acrobat DC only, choose
Acrobat > Preferences (Mac OS). Under Categories, select Accessibility, and then select Show Portfolios In Files
Mode.
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Portfolio view modes
You can view the component files in two different ways – Layout (or Preview) mode and Details (or Files mode). In
Layout mode, the component files list is presented in the left navigation pane, as shown in the preceding figure. In
Details mode, the component files list is presented immediately below the secondary toolbar, as shown in the following
screenshot:
In both the views, you can preview images and pages, play video and SWF files. However, in the Details view you can
also view information about a file. You can extract (move) a file to your computer. You can also open a file in its native
application (if installed on your computer). You can switch between the Layout and Details view by choosing the
desired option from the View > Portfolio menu.
The Platform preview mode is also available where a full-size preview within the document window is shown. By
default, the PDF, SWF, and HTML files are displayed in the document window. To open other file types in Platform
preview, such as e-mail portfolios, form response files, and secured PDFs, choose View > Portfolio > Preview File. To
close Platform preview, click the Close Preview (X) icon after the filename in the secondary toolbar.
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Switch between Layout, Details, and Platform Preview modes
You can switch between the Layout and Details view modes by choosing the desired option from View > Portfolio
menu.
You can also switch to the Platform Preview mode by choosing View > Portfolio > Preview File.
Other functions enabled in PDF Portfolios
These commands are available for component files in PDF Portfolios:
Reduce File Size Reduces the file size of component PDFs. For more information, see Reduce file size by saving.
Secure Portfolio With Password Adds document security to a PDF Portfolio or to component PDFs within a PDF
Portfolio. To add security to component PDFs, choose File > Portfolio Properties and select the Security tab. For more
information, see Securing documents with passwords . To add security to the entire PDF Portfolio, use the Cover Sheet
(View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet). For example, you can use the Cover Sheet to sign the PDF Portfolio parent file, or add
a password to open the PDF Portfolio. Functionality you specify in the Cover Sheet pertains to the entire collection of
component files in the PDF Portfolio.
Note: Other security features, including certificate security, are also available for PDF Portfolios and component files. For
more information, see Choosing a security method for PDFs.
Print Prints component documents. For more information, see Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
More Help topics
Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio
Find text in multiple PDFs
Create and customize PDF Portfolios
Working with component files in a PDF Portfolio
Publish and share PDF Portfolios
Merging PDFs and including other content
PDF Portfolios and digital signatures
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Chapter 6: Reviews and commenting
Mark up text with edits
Note: In Reader, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can use text edit comments in a PDF to indicate where text should be edited in the source file. Text edit comments
do not change the actual text in the PDF. Instead, they indicate which text should be deleted, inserted, or replaced in
the source file from which the PDF was created.
Acrobat offers two basic methods to add text edit annotations: pre-select and post-select.
Pre-select or Text Correction Markup tool
Use the Select tool , or the Text Correction Markup tool and then right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS)
on the selected text to open a menu of text editing options. After marking the text, you can also click on a text edit tool.
Post-select
Click the text edit tool and then select the text.
In Acrobat for Windows, you can export text edits directly to the Microsoft Word document that the PDF is based on
to revise the source document. To use this feature, you must use PDFMaker in Word to create the PDF. Before you
export your text edits, make sure that insertion comments use the exact text, including spaces and paragraph returns,
that you want to add. If you add extra instructional words (such as “Add the following:”), these words will have to be
deleted manually from the Word document.
In Acrobat Pro on Windows, you can export text edit comments directly to an Autodesk AutoCAD document that the
PDF is based on to incorporate your edits. To use this feature, you must use PDFMaker in AutoCAD to create the PDF.
A Selected text is struck out. B New text is added to a linked pop-up note.
Replace text
1From the Tools > Comment toolbar, scelect Add Note to Replace Text .
2Select the text. Any selected text is crossed out and a pop-up note opens.
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3Do one of the following:
•Type the text to be inserted or added. The insertion caret appears.
•To indicate that a new paragraph should be added, press Enter, and then close the pop-up note without adding
text. The paragraph insertion caret appears.
Add a note to a text edit
1Using the Select tool, right-click a text edit.
2Select Open Pop-Up Note from the menu.
3Type your note in the pop-up note.
Insert text
1From the Tools > Comment toolbar, select the Insert Text at Cursor tool .
2Click between the words or characters where you want to insert text.
3Do any of the following:
•Type the text you want to insert.
•To indicate that a new paragraph should be added, press Enter, and then close the pop-up note without adding
text. The paragraph insertion caret appears.
•To indicate that a space should be added, press the spacebar, and then close the pop-up note without adding text.
The space insertion caret appears.
You can also indicate text edits by using the Select tool to select text, right-click the selected text, and then choose a
text edit annotation.
Delete text
1From Tools > Comment toolbar, choose the Strikethrough tool .
2Select the text to mark for deletion.
Delete text markups
If markup comments are stacked, delete the comments in the Comments list: Choose Comment > Comments List, select
the comment, and press Delete.
❖Select the markup and press Delete.
Highlight, strikethrough, or underline text
Note: In Reader only Sticky Note and Highlight tools are available. Other commenting tools are available only in PDFs that
have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can use the Highlight Text tool, Strikethrough Text tool, and the Underline Text tool to add comments by
themselves or in conjunction with notes.
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You can add a highlight with a note or you can cross out text or underline text by selecting the text using the Select tool,
right-clicking, and then choosing that option from the menu that appears. However, if you’re marking up a lot of text,
the specialized tools are faster and easier to use.
1Choose Tools > Comment, and select the Highlight Text tool , the Strikethrough Text tool , or the
Underline Text tool .
Note: If you want to apply more than one comment using the Strikeout Text tool or the Underline Text tool, choose Keep
Tool Selected from the Options menu after you select the tool. The Highlight Text tool stays selected after you make the
first comment.
2Drag from the beginning of the text you want to mark up. Control-drag to mark up a rectangular area of text. This
feature is especially useful when you are marking up text in a column.
3(Optional) To add a note, double-click the markup and add text in a pop-up note.
More Help topics
Sharing PDFs and collaborating in real time
Preparing for a PDF review
Starting a review
Participating in a PDF review
Tracking and managing PDF reviews
Adding a stamp to a PDF
Commenting in PDFs
Managing comments
Importing and exporting comments
Approval workflows
Preparing for a PDF review
About managed PDF reviews
In a managed review, you use a wizard to set up your review, specify the document location, and invite participants.
You don’t have to import comments, enable commenting for Reader users, or manually track reviewer responses.
Note: You must have Acrobat Pro DC installed to enable commenting for Acrobat Reader DC users in managed reviews.
You cannot enable commenting for Acrobat Reader DC users using Acrobat Standard DC.
Acrobat includes two types of managed reviews: shared and email-based reviews. Each type of review has a wizard that
helps you distribute a PDF with special tools and instructions to reviewers.
The Tracker tracks all managed reviews. The Tracker provides access to the PDF file and information about the review
and its participants. Review initiators can change review deadlines, add reviewers, and end reviews from the Tracker.
The Tracker lets participants know when new comments are available, when deadlines are changed, and when
reviewers are added, even when Acrobat is closed. It also provides information about server error states.
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Note: Managed reviews cannot be conducted for PDF Portfolios.
Shared reviews
Shared reviews are the most collaborative form of review because participants can read and reply to the comments of
other participants. Comments from participants are stored in a repository on an internal server. Acrobat synchronizes
comments at regular intervals to download all the latest changes. Reviewers are notified of new comments as they are
added, and they can see and reply to comments made by other reviewers.
Note: For shared reviews, reviewers must have Acrobat 8 or later or Reader 8 or later installed to view other reviewer
comments. Reviewers using earlier versions of Acrobat must send comments in email.
Email-based reviews
Email-based reviews are ideal when reviewers either don’t have access to a common server or don’t require a
collaborative approach to reviewing documents.
In an email-based review, the initiator sends a PDF to reviewers as an email attachment. Reviewers add their comments
and return the document by using the Send Comments button in the document message bar. When receiving these
comments, the initiator can merge them into their copy of the PDF.
The primary limitation to email-based reviews is that participants can’t view other comments during the review.
Initiators can view comments only after receiving them.
Note: Participants in an email-based review must have Acrobat 6.0 or later or Reader 7.0 or later.
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Choosing a distribution option for reviews and forms
Acrobat provides several distribution options in the Send For Shared Review and Distribute Form wizard. When you
choose an option, consider the security needs for the distributed file, what servers or websites your recipients can use
to download the file, and how you want to receive comments or form data.
Internal server
You can use your own internal server location if your recipients work behind a firewall and all have access to a common
server. The server can be a network folder, a Microsoft SharePoint workspace (Windows only), or a web server folder.
You can include a link to your distributed PDF or send it as an attachment in an email message. For reviews, Acrobat
uploads published comments to the server. For forms, Acrobat stores responses on your hard drive as they are returned.
Note: Web server folders are not available for form distribution.
When you specify your own server, the wizard prompts you to save a profile with the server location and the
distribution options you chose. The next time you distribute a PDF, the saved profile is available as an option in the
wizard.
Email
The Distribute Forms wizard has an option for sending a form as an email attachment. You can send the form using
your own email client or webmail. You can also use the wizard to create an email message in which the form file is
attached. Once your recipients fill out and submit the form, the responses are returned to your mailbox. Each response
is copied into a PDF Portfolio responses file, which you can organize and export to a spreadsheet.
The Send for Shared Review wizard lets you either email a link to the pdf, or attach the pdf to the email.
Enable commenting for Reader users (Acrobat Pro DC)
By enabling commenting rights in a PDF, users of Reader 8 or later can participate in reviews of that PDF. When a PDF
with commenting rights opens in Reader, it includes a document message bar and commenting tools that are otherwise
unavailable.
When you initiate a managed review, commenting rights are automatically enabled. If you do not use a managed review
(for example, if you send a PDF directly in email), you can still enable commenting rights. Open the PDF and choose
File > Save As Other > Reader Extended PDF > Enable Commenting and Measuring.
Note: If you enable commenting for Reader in a digitally signed document, the signature is invalidated.
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Select an email application for reviews
You need either an email application and a mail server connection, or a webmail account for email-based reviews and
to send comments. Acrobat supports most email applications. If you have more than one email application installed,
you can specify which application starts when Acrobat sends a PDF. Do one of the following:
•(Windows) Double-click Internet Options in the Control Panel. In the Internet Properties dialog box, select the
Programs tab, and then select the preferred email application. Restart Acrobat to activate the change.
•(Windows) Change the MAPI settings in your email application. Acrobat and Reader use the Messaging Application
Program Interface (MAPI) to communicate with your email application. Most email applications come with MAPI
settings to handle this communication. For more information on configuring your email applications, see the email
application’s Help.
•(Mac OS) In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences, select General, and then choose the preferred email application from
the Default Email Reader menu. Restart Acrobat to activate the change. If your application isn’t listed, choose Select
from the menu and browse to the location. If you select an application that isn’t listed in the Default Email Reader
menu, Acrobat does not necessarily support it.
Specify a server
If you distribute a PDF using your own server location, you can specify a network folder, a Windows server running
Microsoft SharePoint Services, or a web server folder. Participants must have read and write access to the server you
specify. Ask your network administrator to provide a suitable server location for storing comments. No additional
software is required to set up a server.
Note: Web server folders are not available for form distribution.
If all recipients are within a local area network, network folders and SharePoint servers are the best choices for a
comment server. Network folders are generally the cheapest and most reliable. To initiate a review on a SharePoint
server, the initiator must use Windows. However, participants can use either Windows or Mac OS.
WebDAV servers (web servers that use the WebDAV protocol) are best used only if your reviewers are outside a firewall
or a local area network.
More Help topics
Sharing PDFs and collaborating in real time
Starting a review
Participating in a PDF review
Tracking and managing PDF reviews
Adding a stamp to a PDF
Mark up text with edits
Commenting in PDFs
Managing comments
Importing and exporting comments
Approval workflows
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Starting a PDF review
Start a shared review
The shared PDF that you send includes the Annotation and Drawing Markups panels, and instructions in the
document message bar.
1Choose Tools > Send For Comments.
The Send for Comments toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
You can also start a shared review directly from other applications that use PDFMaker, such as Microsoft Word.
Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF And Send For Shared Commenting. For Office 2007/2010
applications, choose Acrobat > Create And Send For Shared Commenting.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Send For Shared Commenting.
Note: If prompted, select a PDF file that you want to send for shared review.
3Select the way you want to collect comments from your reviewer and click Next.
4Select how you would like to host the shared review file and specify the location.
5Choose a delivery and collection method. You can use your own internal server. Then follow the onscreen
instructions.
6On the email screen, specify the following settings as needed:
Delivery Method Click to specify a different delivery and collection method from the one that is currently selected.
To, Cc Enter the email addresses of your reviewers. Insert a semicolon or a return after each address. Click the To or
Cc button to select email addresses from your email application address book.
Subject, Message Preview and edit the email subject and message as needed. Acrobat saves any changes you make
and displays them the next time you send a document for review. To use the default email message, click Reset
Default Message.
Review Deadline Click to specify a different date or no deadline. After the review deadline expires, reviewers cannot
publish comments.
Note: If the review deadline expires while a reviewer has the document open in Acrobat, then the reviewer can publish
comments before closing the document.
7Click Send.
Acrobat creates a copy of the shared review file, named [original filename]_review.pdf, in the same folder as the original
file you specified for the review.
Start an email-based review
When you start an email-based review, you send out a tracked copy of the PDF, enabling you to easily merge comments
that you receive. (Form fields in a PDF aren’t fillable during the review.) After initiating a shared review, you can also
start an email-based review with the same PDF.
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Start the review
Before you start an email-based review, make sure that your email application or webmail account is configured to work
with Acrobat.
1Choose Tool > Send For Comments.
The Send for Comments toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2Click Send For Comments By Email.
3If prompted, enter information in the Identity Setup dialog box.
4Specify a PDF if it isn’t already open, and then click Next. The PDF that you specify becomes the master file. You’ll
merge comments you receive from reviewers into this file.
5Specify reviewers by typing their email addresses. Insert a semicolon or a return between each address. Click
Address Book to select email addresses from your email application or webmail address book.
6Preview and edit the email invitation as needed, and then click Send Invitation.
7Select an email client to send the invite and click Continue.
A copy of the PDF is sent to the reviewers as an attachment. When this PDF attachment is opened, it presents
commenting tools and instructions.
Merge comments
After you receive comments from reviewers, you can merge the comments into the master PDF.
1After a reviewer sends you comments, open the attached file in your email application. If the email application can’t
find the original version of the PDF, it prompts you to browse for it.
Note: It’s possible to forward comments to the initiator if you didn’t initiate the review. First merge these comments into
your copy of the PDF. Then send the comments (see Send comments in email). If you’ve sent your comments already,
the initiator receives only new comments. Merged comments retain the original author name.
2If you initiated the review, the Merge Comments dialog box appears. Select one of the following options:
Yes Opens the master copy of the PDF and merges all comments into it. After comments are merged, save the
master PDF.
No, Open This Copy Only Opens the reviewer’s copy of the PDF with comments. If you select this option, you can
still merge comments by choosing Comments > Merge Comments Onto Master PDF.
Cancel Closes the reviewer’s PDF that contains comments.
More Help topics
Preparing for a PDF review
Tracking and managing PDF reviews
Managing comments
Importing and exporting comments
Commenting in PDFs
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Annotations and drawing markup tools overview
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs
in a review workflow typically include commenting rights.
You use annotation and drawing markup tools to add comments. The commenting tools are made available in the
secondary toolbar of the Comment feature. Comments are notes and drawings that communicate ideas or provide
feedback for PDFs. You can type a text message using the Sticky Note tool. Alternatively, you can use a drawing tool to
add a line, circle, or other shape and then type a message in the associated pop-up note. Text-editing tools let you add
editing marks to indicate changes that you want in the source document. Most commenting and markup tools don’t
appear in the toolbar until you enable the Commenting feature.
Note: If you open a PDF in a browser for a shared review that has ended, the commenting tools are unavailable.
Most comments include two parts: the icon, or markup, that appears on the page, and the text message that appears in
a pop-up note when you click or double-click the icon or place the pointer over the icon.
After you add a comment, it stays selected until you click elsewhere on the page. Acrobat DC highlights a selected
comment with a blue halo to help you find the markup on the page. A wireframe with selection handles appears on
drawing markups and stamps, so that you can adjust the size and shape.
In Acrobat Pro DC, you can add tags to your comments so that readers with motion or vision limitations can read them
using assistive technologies.
Note: To see the labels along with the tool icons, right-click on the secondary toolbar and select Show All Labels.
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A Stamp B Text edit C Comment rollover (tool tip) D Sticky note
More Help topics
Add tags to comments
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Show annotations and drawing markup tools
Annotations and markup tools don’t appear by default, except when you open a PDF in a managed review workflow.
1Choose To ols > Comment to open the Comment tools in the secondary toolbar. The comments that you add to the
document are displayed in the right pane.
2The drawing markup tools are grouped under the Drawing Tools menu. Click Drawing Tools menu and select
Expand Drawing Tools to add the drawing tools to the secondary toolbar.
Select an annotation or drawing markup tool
•Open the Comment toolbar and select the desired annotation tool.
•To select the drawing markup tool, open the Comment toolbar and click the Drawing Tools icon . Select the
desired tool from the Drawing Tools menu.
Note: After you make an initial comment, the tool changes back to the Select tool so that you can move, resize, or edit your
comment. (The Pencil and Highlight Text tools stay selected.)
Keep an annotation tool selected
You can add multiple comments without reselecting the tool.
1In the secondary toolbar, select the tool you want to use (but don’t use it yet).
2Click the Keep Tool Selected icon
Commenting preferences
Commenting preferences affect both the appearance of and the way you view annotations and markups in PDFs.
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Note: A reviewer can place comments anywhere within the document frame. As a result, sometimes you need to scroll or
zoom out to see comments that are located off the page.
In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Commenting.
Font, Font Size In Windows, you can determine the font and the size of text in pop-up notes. In Mac OS, you can select
only Large, Medium, or Small settings for the font. This setting applies to all new and existing comments.
Pop-up Opacity Determines the opacity of comment pop-up notes in values from 1 to 100. When a pop-up note is open
but not selected, an opacity value of 100 makes the note opaque, while lower values make it more transparent.
Enable Text Indicators And Tooltips Shows a tool tip when you place the pointer over a comment that includes a pop-
up note. The tool tip contains the author name, comment status, and two lines of the text. Selected by default.
Print Notes And Pop-ups Specifies that pop-up notes associated with comments, and icons for note, audio, and file
attachments print exactly as they appear on the page.
Instead of selecting this option, you can print comment text in various layouts by choosing File > Print, and clicking
Summarize Comments.
Show Lines Connecting Comment Markups To Their Pop-ups On Mouse Rollover When you place the pointer over a
comment markup (such as a highlight or a note icon), the shaded connector line appears. Selected by default.
Ensure That Pop-ups Are Visible As The Document Is Scrolled As you scroll a PDF, the pop-up notes on a given page
shift to stay in view within the document pane. Selected by default.
Automatically Open Comment Pop-ups For Comments Other Than Notes A pop-up note appears when you create a
comment using a drawing tool, the Stamp tool, or the Pencil tool.
Hide Comment Pop-ups When Comments List Is Open Helps reduce screen clutter when a page includes many
comments. Selected by default.
Automatically Open Pop-ups On Mouse Rollover When you place the pointer over a comment of any type, including
drawing markups and stamps, the pop-up note opens.
Always Use Log-in Name For Author Name Determines which name appears in the pop-up note you create. If this
option is selected, the Login Name in the Identity panel of the Preferences dialog box is used. If this option isn’t selected,
the default name you specify for Author in a comment properties dialog box is used. Selected by default.
Create New Pop-ups Aligned To The Edge Of The Document Aligns pop-up notes with the right side of the document
window, regardless of where the comment markup (such as a note icon or highlighting comment) is added. If this
option is deselected, the pop-up note appears next to the comment markup. Selected by default.
Copy Encircled Text Into Drawing Comment Pop-Ups Copies text that you circle using the drawing tools in the pop-up
note associated with the drawing markup.
Copy Selected Text Into Highlight, Cross-Out, And Underline Comment Pop-ups Copies selected text to the pop-up
note associated with text editing comments, such as those created by the Highlight Text tool.
Change the look of your comments
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs
in a review workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can change the color and appearance of comments or markups before or after you create them. You can set the new
look as the default appearance for that tool.
Note: To change how your name appears in comments, open the Preferences dialog box, select Commenting, and then
deselect Always Use Log-in Name For Author Name.
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A With note icon selected B With pop-up text selected
Change a comment’s look and set it as the default
1After you create a comment, choose Properties from the Options menu of the pop-up note.
2In the Properties dialog box, do any of the following, and then click OK:
•Click the Appearance tab to change such options as the color and type of icon used. The type of comment selected
determines which options are available.
•Click the General tab to change the name of the author and subject of the comment.
•Click the Review History tab to see the history of changes people have made to the status of a comment during
a review.
•Select Locked at the bottom of the Properties dialog box to prevent the comment from being edited or deleted.
•Select Make Properties Default at the bottom of the Properties dialog box to apply these properties to all
subsequent comments of this type.
Set the default look for a tool
1After you create a comment, right-click the comment and choose Properties.
2Set the properties as desired, and click OK.
3Right-click the comment and choose Make Current Properties Default.
All comments you create using this tool display the properties you set. Existing comments aren’t affected, nor is the
appearance of text in pop-up notes.
Add a sticky note
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs
in a review workflow typically include commenting rights.
The most common type of comment is the sticky note. A sticky note has a note icon that appears on the page and a pop-
up note for your text message. You can add a sticky note anywhere on the page or in the document area.
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A Options menu B Time stamp C Text message
Add a sticky note comment
1Select the Sticky Note tool in the secondary toolbar, and click where you want to place the note.
2Type text in the pop-up note. You can also use the Select tool to copy and paste text from a PDF into the note.
Note: If you close the pop-up note, your text remains.
Edit a sticky note comment
1Click or double-click the note icon.
2Make changes, as needed:
•To resize the pop-up note, drag the lower-left or lower-right corner.
•To change the text formatting, choose View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items > Show Properties Bar (or press
Ctrl+E), select the text, and then select the property you want in the toolbar.
Use the Commenting panel in the Preferences dialog box to change the font size, default pop-up behavior, and other
settings for creating and viewing comments
After making the desired changes, click the minimize button in the upper-right corner of the pop-up note, or click
outside the pop-up note.
Delete a sticky note
1Select the Sticky Note tool , the Hand tool , or the Select tool .
2Select the note icon, and press Delete.
Alternatively, double-click the note icon and choose Delete from the Options menu of the pop-up note.
Add a text comment
Use the Add Text Comment tool to type text anywhere on the PDF page. The Add Text Comment tool is similar
to the Add Text Box tool.
1Choose the Add Text Comment tool from the secondary toolbar.
2Click on the page to place the cursor
3In the Add Text Comment tools, specify the font, font size, and other text attributes.
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Add a line, arrow, or shape
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, drawing tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
When selecting a drawing tool, consider the effect you want.
1Choose To ol s > Comment. In the secondary toolbar, click Drawing Tools and select the drawing markup tool:
•The Rectangle tool , the Oval tool , the Arrow tool , and the Line tool let you create simple
shapes.
•The Cloud tool and Polygon tool create closed shapes with multiple segments. The Polygon Line tool
creates open shapes with multiple segments.
•The Pencil tool creates free-form drawings, and the Pencil Eraser tool removes the pencil markups.
To specify the line width, color, and other properties before you draw, select the desired tool, and press Ctrl+E to open
the properties toolbar. Set the desired options in the Properties toolbar.
2Draw in the PDF:
•To create a cloud or polygon shape, click to create the start point, move the pointer, and click to create each
segment. To finish drawing the shape, click the start point, or right-click and choose Complete from the menu.
Double-click to end a polygon line.
•To draw a line, arrow, or rectangle, either drag across the area where you want the markup to appear, or click
twice: once to create the start point and once to create the end point.
•To draw a square or circle, or to draw a line that’s horizontal, vertical, or at a 45° angle, press Shift while you draw.
•To draw free-form lines using the Pencil tool , drag where you want to begin drawing. You can release the
mouse button, move the pointer to a new location, and continue drawing. To erase parts of the drawing, select
the Pencil Eraser tool and drag across the areas of the drawing that you want to remove.
3To edit or resize the markup, select it and drag one of the handles to make your adjustments.
4To add a pop-up note to the markup, select the Hand tool, and double-click the markup.
5(Optional) Click the close button in the pop-up note. A note icon appears to the right of the markup to indicate the
presence of text in the pop-up note.
Note: To delete a drawing markup, select it and press Delete.
Group and ungroup markups
You can group two or more markups so that your comments function as a single comment. You might group markups
temporarily to move them to a new location or to modify their properties rather than editing each one individually.
Grouping also helps to distinguish your markups from other reviewers’ markups in a document review.
Note: You cannot group text edit markups.
Group markups
1Using the Select tool or the Hand tool, select a markup.
2Ctrl-click/Command-click to select the markups you want to group.
3Right-click within the selection, and choose Group.
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Ungroup markups
❖Right-click the grouped selection, and choose Ungroup.
Add comments in a text box or callout
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can use the Text Box tool to create a box that contains text. You can position it anywhere on the page and adjust
it to any size. A text box remains visible on the document page; it doesn’t close like a pop-up note.
Text font and size are based on the system default settings.
Note: You can add comments to Japanese, Chinese, and Korean text with the Text Box tool, but you must have the Asian-
language resource files installed. Text boxes allow for horizontal text only.
You can use the Callout tool to create a callout text box. Callout text boxes are especially useful when you want to
single out—but not obscure—a particular area of a document. Callout text boxes have three parts: a text box, a knee
line, and an end-point line. You can resize each part by dragging a handle. The knee line can be resized in one direction
only; horizontal knee lines can be resized horizontally only; vertical knee lines can be resized vertically only. The text
box expands vertically as you type so that all text remains visible.
You can move the text box itself or together with the end-point line. The text box moves around a stationary anchor
point—the arrow on the end-point line—which is created when you first click in the PDF. You can modify the color
and appearance of the text box and add arrows or leaders to the end-point line.
Add a text box
1Choose the Add Text Box tool from the secondary toolbar.
2Click in the PDF.
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3Choose View > Show/Hide > To olb a r Items > Show Properties Bar (or press Ctrl+E), and set the color, alignment,
and font attributes for the text.
4Type the text.
Text wraps automatically when it reaches the right edge of the box.
5(Optional) To make further changes to the text box:
•Using the Select tool or the Text Box tool, click an edge of the text box to select it, and then drag a corner to resize
it. Use the Properties toolbar to change the border and fill options.
•Double-click the text box to edit the text or change the text attributes. Drag across text to select it, and then select
options from the Properties toolbar.
6To delete the text box, select it, and then press Delete.
You can also paste a block of text by selecting and copying the text in any application, selecting the Hand tool in
Acrobat, and choosing Edit > Paste.
Add a callout
1Choose the Add Text Callout tool from the secondary toolbar.
2Click once to set the location of the end point, and click again to set the location of the text box.
3Choose View > Show/Hide > To o lbar Items > Show Properties Bar (or press Ctrl+E), and select the color,
alignment, and font attributes for the text.
4Type the text.
Text wraps automatically when it reaches the right edge of the box.
5(Optional) To make further changes to the text box:
•To resize the callout, select it and drag any of the handles that appear.
•To move the text box, click inside the box and drag it.
•To move the entire callout, click either the end-point line or an edge of the text box, and drag it.
•To change the color, opacity, or line characteristics, use the Select tool to right-click the callout, choose
Properties, and select the options you want.
Add an audio comment
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can use the Record Audio Comment tool to add a prerecorded WAV or AIFF file as a comment or to record and
place an audio comment in a document. Audio attachments appear in the Comments list and can be played back on
any platform. However, the appropriate hardware and software for playing audio files must be installed.
More Help topics
Addmultimedia to PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Add a prerecorded audio comment
1Choose the Record Audio tool from the secondary toolbar.
2Click in the PDF where you want to place the audio comment.
The Sound Records dialog box appears.
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Note: The above dialog box appears when a recording device is not configured on your system.
3Click Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS), and select the audio file you want to add.
4(Optional) To hear the audio comment, click the Play button . When you’re finished, click the Stop button and
then click OK.
5Specify options in the Specify Attachment Properties dialog box, and then click OK.
Record an audio comment
Note: Before you record an audio comment, ensure that your system has a recording device installed and configured.
1Choose the Record Audio tool from the secondary toolbar.
2Click in the PDF where you want to place the audio comment.
The Sound Recorder dialog box appears.
Note: The above dialog box appears when a recording device is configured on your system.
3In the dialog box that appears, click the Record button and then speak into the microphone. When you’ve
finished recording, click the Stop button , and then click OK.
4Specify options in the Sound Attachment Properties dialog box, and then click OK.
Add comments in a file attachment
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
Use the Attach File tool to embed a file at a selected location in a PDF, so that the reader can open it for viewing. By
adding attachments as a comment, you can reference longer documents that can’t easily be pasted into a pop-up note
or text box. If you move the PDF to a new location, the embedded file automatically goes with it. To view an attachment,
the reader must have an application installed that can open the attachment.
Note: Be sure to use the Attach tool when attaching files for a document review. Document-level file attachments that you
attach using the Attach A File tool from the Tools > Edit PDF > More menu aren’t tracked with other comments in a
review workflow and may cause your attached comments to be lost.
1Choose the Attach File tool from the Comment’s secondary toolbar.
2Click in the PDF where you want to place the attachment.
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3Select the file that you want to attach, and then click Open. If you’re attaching a PDF, you can highlight areas of
interest in the file using comments.
4In the File Attachment Properties dialog box, select the settings for the file icon that appears in the PDF.
The comment attachment also appears in the Attachments tab (in the left navigation pane) with a page number
indicating its location.
Note: To delete the attachment, right-click the attached comment icon, and choose Delete.
Paste images as comments
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can use the Paste Clipboard Image As Stamp Tool to add images to a PDF. You can copy most image formats from
drawing and image-editing applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. If you want to add the image
to PDFs repeatedly, create a custom stamp of the image.
Note: The Paste Clipboard Image As Stamp Tool isn’t available until you copy an image.
1Copy an image by doing one of the following:
•In Acrobat DC, choose Edit > Take A Snapshot , and select an image from a PDF.
•In another application, select an image and choose Edit > Copy.
2Open a PDF.
3Choose Tools > Comment. In the secondary toolbar, click the Add Stamp tool and select Paste Clipboard
Image As Stamp Tool.
4Click in the PDF where you want the image to appear.
5Do any of the following:
•To move the image, drag it.
•To resize the image, select it and then drag one of its handles. Press the Shift key when resizing the image to
maintain the original proportions.
•To change the image properties, right-click it and choose Properties.
•To delete the image, right-click it and choose Delete.
More Help topics
Sharing PDFs and collaborating in real time
Preparing for a PDF review
Starting a review
Participating in a PDF review
Tracking and managing PDF reviews
Adding a stamp to a PDF
Mark up text with edits
Managing comments
Importing and exporting comments
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Approval workflows
Copy images
Sharing PDFs
Share files by email
You can share many file types, not just PDF files.
1To email a file, do one of the following:
•Choose File > Send File.
•Click the Email icon in the toolbar.
2In the Send Email dialog box, choose an option and then click Continue.
•Select Use Default email application to use your email software
•Select Use Webmail to use email webmail systems such as Gmail or Yahoo
Check Remember my choice to bypass this dialog box in the future.
3Click Continue, and follow the on-screen instructions.
To add or edit email accounts, see Email account preferences.
Adobe Online Services preferences
To change your Acrobat.com account settings, open the Preferences dialog box, and under Categories, select Online
Services.
Email Address (Adobe ID) Specifies your email address associated with your Adobe ID.
Sign Out Click to sign out of your Acrobat.com account.
Manage Account Click to view and manage your account settings.
Change Password Click to clear your currently saved password and specify a new one.
Copy Me When I Send An Email Invitation using Adobe online services When selected, sends you a copy of your
initiating email for shared reviews, and form distributions.
Email account preferences
To change or add email accounts, open the Preferences dialog box, and under Categories, select Email Accounts. The
email account is used in various worflows such as send file and review. You can use an account configured through your
default email client, or use webmail accounts such as Gmail or Yahoo! Mail.
Accounts Lists all the email accounts.
Add Account Select an email account to add. For Gmail and Yahoo! enter your email address. For other accounts, you’ll
need to enter more details such as your password, and server settings.
Edit Edits the settings for other email accounts.
Make Default Click to use the selected account to use as default.
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Delete Click to delete the selected account.
Participating in a PDF review
Review a PDF
When you receive an email invitation to a PDF review, the invitation typically includes the PDF as an attachment or
provides a URL to the PDF. Alternatively, some invitations include a Forms Data Format (FDF) attachment. When
opened, an FDF file configures your review settings and opens the PDF in Acrobat.
PDFs in a review have special features, including commenting tools and a document message bar with instructions. Use
the commenting tools to add comments to the PDF and then submit them. Either publish the comments to a comment
server where others can see them, or send comments as an email attachment to the review initiator.
Note: It’s possible to receive a PDF that doesn’t include special features. If so, add your comments using tools in theTo ol s >
Comment toolbar. Then save the PDF and send it back.
To review the PDF later, reopen it from the Tracker. Doing so ensures that your comments are added to the tracked
copy of the PDF, and that the initiator receives your comments. If you don’t send or publish your comments right away,
save the PDF before you close it to avoid losing your comments. Until the initiator receives your comments, they appear
only in your local copy of the PDF and aren’t visible to other reviewers.
If you review a PDF using Acrobat 9 or earlier, or Reader 9 or earlier, some features are not available.
Join a review
1In your email application, open the PDF by clicking the URL or double-clicking the attachment (PDF or FDF).
2Do one or more of the following, if prompted:
•Log in to Adobe Document Cloud with your Adobe ID and password.
•Click Connect in the Shared Review dialog box.
•Click OK in the Welcome To Shared Review window. This window shows the review deadline, participants,
whether each reviewer has made any comments, and the comment server location.
•Type your name, email address, company name, and job title.
3Save the file to a location that you can find easily, such as the desktop.
4Add comments to the PDF using tools in the To ols > Comment toolbar. To delete a comment, select it and press
Delete. (You can only delete the comments that you made.)
5Do all of the following that apply:
•If you’re notified that new comments from other reviewers are available, click the message. New comments
appear in the PDF.
•To find out if new comments are available from other reviewers, click the Check For New Comments button .
6Submit your comments by clicking Publish Comments or Send Comments To Review Initiator in the document
message bar.
When you send comments, a PDF containing your comments is sent as an email attachment to the review initiator.
When you publish comments, your comments are saved to the comment server.
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Options in the document message bar
The options in the document message bar depend on how the initiator set up the review and whether you can access
the comment server.
Check For New Comments Prompts Acrobat to synchronize comments between the comment server and the local hard
drive. If you don’t click this button, Acrobat checks for new comments every 10 minutes if the document is open and
every hour if the document is closed.
Merge Comments Copies the comments in the open PDF to your copy. This option is available only for PDFs you
receive from reviewers in email-based reviews.
Publish Comments Available only in shared reviews. Uploads your new comments to the comment server. This button
is disabled if the review has ended.
Save An Archive Copy Available only in shared reviews, when a review has ended. Saves a copy of the document with
review comments to your hard drive.
Send Comments Creates an email message addressed to the review initiator that contains the commented PDF as an
attachment. This option is always available for reviewers in email-based reviews. It appears in shared reviews if the
reviewer has chosen to work offline or if an attempt to connect to the comment server has failed.
Status An icon that displays the connected state of the comment server. The icon appears as the last attempt successful
icon , the last attempt unsuccessful icon , or the attempting to connect icon . If you click the icon, a menu
with additional options appears: Track Reviews opens the Tracker; Save As Archive Copy saves a copy of the PDF that
is no longer connected to the review; Work Offline lets you work in offline mode, in which you can make comments
but cannot publish them until you switch back to online mode. To switch to online mode, click Reconnect To Server.
Check for newly published comments
When you participate in a shared review, Acrobat DC synchronizes published comments on your local hard drive with
the comments on the server. Acrobat DC notifies you when new comments are available. Because synchronization
continues after the PDF is closed, you’ll continue to receive notifications.
Messages in the notification area inform you when new reviewers join the review, when updates occur (multiple
reviews), when deadlines change, and when synchronization attempts fail. They also inform you when a new broadcast
subscription is added in the Tracker. You can change the frequency of messages and of comment synchronization, and
you can manually trigger the synchronization process.
To view new comments in a shared review, you must be able to connect to the network where the comment server is
located. If you can’t connect, check the server status in the Tracker to determine the cause of the problem.
❖Click the Check For New Comments button in the document message bar.
Send comments in email
If you review a PDF offline or outside a firewall, or if you lose your connection to the comment server, you can send
your comments in an email message.
1Choose File > Send File > Attach To Email.
2In the Send Email dialog box, select Default Email Application, or Use Webmail and choose you webmail client from
the Selectmenu.
3Click Continue, and follow the onscreen instructions.
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Note: If the PDF exceeds the 5-MB file-size limit, Acrobat prompts you to send your comments in a Forms Data Format
(FDF) file. The initiator can import this smaller file. To adjust the limit, open the Preferences dialog box and select
Reviewing. Then enter the new value for Send Comments As FDF For Files Greater Than [#] MB.
Publish comments from other reviewers
When you participate in a review, you can receive comments from other reviewers. For example, if a reviewer can’t
access the comment server, the reviewer can send you comments. As another example, suppose that you solicited
feedback from people who weren’t initially invited to the review. Those reviewers can return a copy of the review PDF
to you with their comments. By taking ownership of the comments, you can share them with everyone in the review.
1Open the PDF that contains comments.
2Do one of the following:
•Click OK when asked if you want to publish comments for this reviewer. The published comments appear in the
PDF. Your name appears in the title bar and the author’s name appears in the body of the comments, preceded
by the text On behalf of.
To hide On behalf of text, in the Preferences dialog box under Reviewing, uncheck Show “On Behalf of” text in
comment when user takes ownership of comments in a shared review.
•Click Yes when asked if you want to merge comments, or click Merge Comments in the document message bar
and then click Send Comments. Add email addresses for other reviewers, as needed, and then click Send.
•In Acrobat or Reader, open a copy of the PDF and choose Comment > Comments List > Options > Import Data
File. Select a file with comments from reviewers. Add email addresses for other reviewers, as needed, and then
clickSend.
Only new or edited comments are published or sent.
Rejoin a review
Use the Tracker to reopen PDFs in an active review. The Tracker only displays PDFs that you’ve saved. If you didn’t save
a PDF the first time you opened it, reopen the PDF from your email application.
1Choose View > Tracker.
2In the Tracker, double-click the PDF.
3Add new comments or edit existing comments. To delete a comment, select it and press Delete. (You can delete only
comments that you made.)
Acrobat DC removes deleted comments from the online PDF the next time it synchronizes comments. If you delete
comments that you sent in an earlier email message, they aren’t deleted in the initiator’s document.
4Click Publish Comments in the document message bar.
Only new or edited comments are published or sent.
More Help topics
Commenting in PDFs
Managing comments
Importing and exporting comments
Save the PDF with comments
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Approval workflows
About approval workflows
Acrobat DC users (Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean only), can send PDFs as email
attachments for others to approve. When participants open an approval request in Acrobat (all languages), they can
approve the PDF by adding a digital identity stamp. Then, they can send the PDF to other approvers, or return the PDF
to the initiator and other appropriate participants. The initiator can track progress by choosing to be notified each time
the PDF is approved. The workflow ends when the last participant adds the final approval. If a PDF isn’t approved, the
approval workflow must be reinitiated.
Note: If you use Acrobat Pro DC to initiate the workflow, you can invite users of Reader 9 or later to participate by enabling
commenting in the
PDF.
Wizard sets up approval workflows (left); Stamps palette provides stamps for approving documents (right).
Send a PDF for approval
When you send a PDF by email for approval (Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean only),
approvers receive the PDF as an email attachment. When recipients open the PDF attachment, they can apply a digital
identity stamp from the Stamps palette and then make the appropriate selection in the document message bar.
To send a PDF for approval, use the wizard in Acrobat DC. The wizard provides on-screen instructions to help you
invite approvers, customize instructions, and send the PDF.
In Acrobat Pro DC, the wizard enables commenting in the PDF so that Acrobat Reader DC users can participate in the
approval workflow.
Before you initiate an approval workflow, make sure that your email application is configured to work with Acrobat DC.
1To start an approval workflow, choose Share > Send By Email For Approval.
2If prompted, enter your email address in the Identity Setup dialog box.
3Specify a PDF, and click Next.
4Type the email address for the first approver in the To box.
5(Acrobat Pro DC) If you want to enable Reader users to participate or if you want to be notified of the approval status
for each participant, specify those options.
6(Acrobat Standard DC) If you want to be notified of the approval status for each participant, specify those options.
7(Optional) Type additional instructions for the first approver at the top of the email message.
Only the default text message and instructions are forwarded to subsequent approvers.
Note: The invitation email contains instructions to help participants complete the approval process. Avoid changing or
removing this text.
8Click Send Invitation.
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Participate in an approval workflow
If you’re invited to participate in an approval workflow, you receive an email message that provides step-by-step
instructions for approving the attached PDF. When you open the PDF, the Stamps palette opens and the document
message bar appears at the top of the PDF. If your version of Acrobat is earlier than 7.0, you’re prompted to download
the latest version of Reader.
You can select any of the digital identity stamps in the Stamps palette to approve the document. A digital identity stamp
contains identity information that you provide, such as name, title, organization, and email address. You can use an
identity stamp in place of a signature. When you apply a stamp, it becomes part of the document page content. You can
delete your own stamp during the approval process; however, once the approval process is completed, your stamp is
locked. You can’t move or delete stamps from other participants.
You can also reject documents that don’t meet your standards.
In addition to adding digital stamps to a PDF, you can add other types of comments, including note comments, text
edits, custom stamps, and file attachments.
Approve a PDF
1Open the PDF attachment in the approval invitation email message.
Note: If you haven’t added identity information to the stamp, you’re prompted to do so.
2Select a stamp from the Stamps palette (To o l s > Stamp > Stamps palette) . (To view all stamps, scroll or drag a
corner to resize the window.)
3Click the document to apply your approval stamp.
Note: To delete a digital identity stamp that you’ve applied, select it and press Delete. If you select Print, Save A Copy,
or Email during the approval process, you can’t delete your stamp.
4Do one of the following:
•To send the document to the next approver, click the Approve button in the document message bar. In the Send
To Next Approver dialog box, type the email address for the next approver in the To box, add addresses for other
recipients as appropriate, and click Send.
•To complete the approval process, click the Final Approval button in the document message bar. In the Complete
Final Approval dialog box, specify whether to send an approval notification from the Final Approval Method
menu. If you send a notification, type an email address in the To box, add addresses for other recipients as
appropriate, and click Send. If you don’t send a notification, click Complete.
If the Notify Initiator Of Approval Status Via Email option is selected, a separate email notification appears,
addressed to the initiator. Click Send to send this notification.
5Save the PDF.
Note: If you use the Email button in the toolbar to send the PDF, the PDF is no longer part of the workflow, and
approval options aren’t available to the recipient of that email message.
Reject a PDF
If the PDF you received in an approval request doesn’t meet the requirements for approval, use the options in the
document message bar to reject the document and return it to the initiator. If a PDF is rejected, the approval workflow
must be reinitiated.
1Open the PDF attachment in the approval invitation email message.
2Click the Reject button in the document message bar.
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3In the Reject And Send Notification dialog box, type the email address for the initiator in the To box. If the Notify
Initiator Of Approval Status Via Email option is selected, a separate email message is sent to the approval initiator.
Click Send.
4Click Send in the email message that appears.
Add or change identity information for a digital stamp
1Choose Tools > Stamps > Stamps Palette.
2In the Stamps palette, select Digital Identity Stamps, right-click your stamp, and choose Edit Identity.
3In the Identity Setup dialog box, type or edit your name, title, company name, department, and email address, and
click Complete.
You can also change your identity information from the Preferences dialog box. Under Categories, select Identity.
Managing comments
View comments
The Comments list appears in the right pane of the document window. The Comments list displays all comments in a
PDF, and it provides a toolbar with common options, such as sorting, filtering, and other Options to work with
comments.
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Open the Comments list
1Choose Tools > Comment.
The Comments toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and the Comments list is displayed in the right pane.
2Using the Options menu at the top of the Comments list, do any of the following:
•Expand or collapse the comments. Click Expand All or Collapse All in the Comments list options menu. To
expand an individual comment, click the comment or click Show More link in the comment. To collapse an
individual comment, click the Show Less link in the comment.
•Import and Export comments.
•Create or Print Comment Summary.
•Export to Word or AutoCAD.
•Specify Commenting Preferences.
Sort comments
You can sort comments in the Comments list by author, page, type, date, checked state, or status by person. In a thread
of replies, only the first message is sorted, and the reply messages are sorted in the same category as the first message
in the thread.
1Choose Tools > Comment.
2In the Comment list, choose an option from the Sort Comments by menu .
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Filter comments
You can hide or show comments based on type, reviewer (author), status, or checked state. Filtering affects the
appearance of comments in both the document window and the Comments list. When you print or summarize
comments, you can specify whether hidden comments are printed or summarized. When you hide a note comment
that has been replied to, all other replies in the thread are hidden as well.
Note: In an email-based review, hidden comments aren’t included when you send the comments to the initiator.
❖From the Filter comments menu in the Comments list, do one of the following:
•To clear all filters, choose Show All Comments. Alternatively, use Ctrl+8 (Windows) or Command+8 (Mac OS).
•To hide all comments, choose Hide All Comments. Alternatively, use Ctrl+Shift+8 (Windows) or
Command+Shift+8 (Mac OS).
•To filter comments, choose the categories that you want to appear. For example, if you want only sticky note
comments that you haven’t accepted to appear, choose > Type > Sticky Notes so that only the sticky note
comments appear, and then choose > Status > None so that only unaccepted sticky note comments appear.
•To remove a filter, choose All for hidden categories. For example, if you filtered comments so that only those by
a certain reviewer appear, choose > Reviewer > All.
•To open all pop-up notes, right-click an annotation and choose Open All Pop-Ups. (Only available if the
Comments list is closed)
•To close all pop-up notes, right-click an annotation and choose Minimize Pop-Ups. (Only available if the
Comments list is closed)
Reply to comments
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, commenting features are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
Replies to comments are especially useful in shared reviews, when participants can read each other’s comments. They
can also be used by review initiators to let reviewers know how their suggestions are being implemented. When one or
more reviewers reply to a comment, the set of replies is called a thread. The first two replies in a thread appear in the
pop-up note. In the Comments list, all replies are displayed. Replies are indented below the original comment. The
number of replies that a comment has received appears in a box when you place the pointer over the comment.
A Reply heading B Options menu C Reply option in Comments List
Reply in the pop-up note
1Open the pop-up note for the comment.
2Choose Reply from the Options menu.
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3Type your reply in the box that appears.
Reply in the Comments list
1Select a comment in the Comments list.
2Click the Reply link.
3Type your reply in the box that appears.
Delete a reply
If you delete a comment that’s been replied to, only the comment is deleted. Any replies remain in the PDF, and the
thread is maintained. The first reply is promoted to a comment.
❖In the pop-up note, right-click the reply and choose Delete.
Set a status or check mark
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, commenting features are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
Statuses and check marks are useful for keeping track of comments that you’ve read or that require further action. In
Windows, you can use a status or a check mark to indicate which comments you want to export to a Word document.
By setting the review status, you can show or hide a group of comments and let review participants know how you are
going to handle the comment. Once the review status is set, you cannot remove the review status display from the
comment in the Comments list, even if you change the review status to None. Check marks are for your personal use
and do not appear when others view the PDF unless you change the status of comments.
Set a status
1Select the comment in the Comments list and right-click to show the options menu. Then choose an option from
the Set Status menu.
The review status appears in the comment along with the name of who set the review status. If another reviewer sets
the review status for that comment, both reviewers’ names and review statuses appear in the Comments list.
2To view a comment’s history of changes, right-click the note icon, markup, or title bar of a pop-up note, and then
choose Properties. Click the Review History tab.
Flag comments with a check mark
❖Select a comment in the Comments list and then click the check box next to the comment so that the check mark
icon appears.
Print a comment summary
Summarizing comments is a convenient way to get a synopsis of all the comments associated with a PDF. When you
summarize comments, you can either create a PDF with comments that you can print, or you can print the summary
directly. The summary is neither associated with nor linked to the PDF that the comments are derived from.
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A Document and comments with connector lines on single page B Document and comments with connector lines on separate pages C Comments
only D Document and comments with sequence numbers
By default, Acrobat prints PDFs with any stamps that were applied. For the greatest control over how comments are
printed, choose >Print With Comments Summary from the Comments list.
1Filter the comments to show only those you want in the summary. (In the Comments list, click Filter Comments
and choose the categories of comments you want to show.)
2For the greatest control over how comments are printed, choose >Print With Comments Summary.
Alternatively, to create a separate PDF of the comments, choose > Create Comment Summary.
3In the Create Comment Summary dialog box, do the following:
•Choose a layout for the document and comments. The layout determines available options.
•Choose how to sort the comments.
•Specify a page range and choose whether to include pages without comments.
•Select whether you want all comments to appear in the summary or only the comments that currently appear.
4Click Create Comment Summary.
Find a comment
Locate a comment in the Comments list by searching for a particular word or phrase.
1Choose Tools > Comment to display the Comments list.
2In the Search field, specify the word or phrase you want to search for.
The Comments list displays the comments that match the search criteria; the number of comments is displayed on the
panel header.
Delete comments
You cannot delete other reviewers’ comments in a shared review, nor can you delete locked comments.
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To delete all of the comments in a PDF, choose Tools > Redact > Remove Hidden Information. Then select the
Comments and markups option from the Results pane. This feature is not available in Reader.
Delete a comment
❖Do one of the following:
•Select the comment and press Delete.
•In the Comments list, right-click on the comment you want to delete, choose Delete from the context menu.
note: Before pressing the Delete key, make sure that the comment is selected.
Unlock a comment
1Right-click the comment and choose Properties.
2Deselect Locked.
Spell-check all text in comments
You can spell-check the text you add in note comments and form fields. However, you cannot spell-check the text in
the underlying PDF.
1Choose Edit > Check Spelling > In Comments and Fields. If the PDF is open in a browser, make sure that the Edit
toolbar is open, and click the Spell Check button .
2Click Start.
3To change a word, do one of the following:
•Edit the selected word. To undo your change, click Undo Edit. To accept your change, click Change.
•Double-click a suggested correction.
•Select a suggested correction and then click Change. Click Change All to replace every instance of the
unrecognized word with the suggested correction.
More Help topics
Sharing PDFs and collaborating in real time
Preparing for a PDF review
Starting a review
Participating in a PDF review
Tracking and managing PDF reviews
Adding a stamp to a PDF
Mark up text with edits
Commenting in PDFs
Importing and exporting comments
Approval workflows
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Tracking and managing PDF reviews
Tracker overview
Use the Tracker to manage document reviews and distributed forms, view the status of review and form servers, and
manage web broadcast subscriptions (known as RSS feeds). To open the Tracker, choose View > Tracker.
Latest Updates
The Latest Updates panel provides a summary of the latest changes in shared reviews, form files, and servers. If you
have no active reviews or forms, this panel provides instructions and links for creating managed reviews, creating
forms, and distributing forms. In the Latest Updates panel, you can also turn Tracker notifications on or off inside
Acrobat and, for Windows only, in the system tray.
Reviews
The Tracker shows who’s joined a shared review and how many comments they’ve published. From the Tracker, you
can rejoin a review and email the participants. If you’ve initiated reviews, you can add or change deadlines, add
reviewers, end a review, and start a new review with existing reviewers.
The left side of the Tracker shows all PDF documents in managed reviews. The information pane on the right lists the
date and time the PDF was sent and the list of invited reviewers. Links to shared PDFs provide additional information,
including the deadline (if set) and the number of comments submitted per reviewer. Deleting a link in the Tracker
deletes the PDF and all comments from the server, and permanently ends the review.
Forms
Use Tracker to manage the forms that you have distributed or received. The Tracker allows you to view and edit the
location of the response file, and track which recipients have responded. You can also add more recipients, email all
recipients, and view the responses for a form. For more information, see About Forms Tracker .
Server Status
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The Server Status shows the state of all servers being used for reviews and distributed forms. The check mark icon
next to the server name indicates that the last synchronization attempt was successful. The warning icon
indicates that the last synchronization attempt was unsuccessful. The warning icon indicates that the server is
disconnected from the network, has problems writing data to the disk, or has some other problem. Contact your
network administrator for assistance.
RSS
You can use the Tracker to subscribe to web content that uses the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) format, such as news
feeds and music channels. RSS format is compatible with XML and RDF formats.
Note: If the RSS button doesn’t appear in Tracker, open the Preferences dialog box in Acrobat DC and select Tracker. Select
Enable RSS Feeds In Tracker, and click OK. Then close and reopen Tracker.
Track reviewed PDFs
1In the Tracker, expand the appropriate folder:
Sent Lists PDFs in reviews that you initiated. (Not available in Reader.)
Joined Contains PDFs in reviews that you’ve received. PDFs appear in this list only after you open them. If you open
a PDF from an email attachment and don’t save the PDF, the entry is removed from the Tracker when you close the
file.
Note: PDFs listed in bold contain one or more of the following updates: comments that you haven’t read yet, a deadline
update from the review initiator, and reviewers who have joined the review.
2Select a PDF.
Information specific to the selected PDF review appears on the right. Shared reviews list deadline information,
reviewers who have joined the review, and the number of comments.
Save the PDF with comments
You can save a copy of the review PDF that contains all the comments that reviewers have published or that you’ve
imported (merged).
If the PDF is in a shared review, you can save an archive copy. The copy is no longer connected to the shared review,
and you can edit both content and comments in it.
If you want to create a copy of a shared PDF to distribute to others, use the Save As command. The resulting file includes
all comments that were published up to that point. It can be moved, copied, or renamed without affecting its connection
to the review or to the comment server.
❖To save a copy of a review PDF with all the comments, open the file, and then do one of the following:
•For a shared review, choose File > Save As Archive Copy. Alternatively, click the Status button in the document
message bar and choose Save As Archive Copy.
•For an email-based review, choose File >Save As to save a new copy of the PDF. This most recently saved version
is now the tracked PDF. The old version is the archive copy.
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Invite additional reviewers
If you’re the review initiator, you can invite others to participate in the review. If you’re a reviewer and want other people
to participate, ask the review initiator to invite them. That way, the initiator can automatically track all participants and
receive notification when their comments are received.
1In the Tracker, select the PDF under Sent, and then click Add Reviewers on the right.
2Specify the email addresses of the reviewers whom you want to add. Change the message as needed and then send
the message.
Additional reviewers appear with other participants in the right pane of the Tracker.
Add or change a deadline
A review initiator can add or change a deadline in an existing review.
1In the Tracker, select the PDF, and do one of the following:
•If the review has no deadline, click Add Deadline.
•If the review has a deadline, click Change Deadline.
2Click Review Deadline, change the deadline as needed, and click OK.
3Change the email recipients, subject, and message as needed, and then click Send.
End a review
A review initiator can end an existing review. Once a review has ended, participants cannot publish comments to the
server. You can change the review deadline later if you want to restart the review.
❖In the Tracker, select the PDF and click End Review.
Start a shared review with the same reviewers from an existing review
1In the Tracker, select a PDF and click Start New Review With Same Reviewers.
2Follow the steps for starting a shared review.
Send a message
Sometimes during a review, you want to contact other reviewers or send them a reminder of their approaching
deadline.
1In the Tracker, select the PDF and click Email All Reviewers.
2In the email message, change the To and Subject boxes or the body of the email message as needed, and then click
Send.
Update your profile
Your comments identify you as the author by displaying your name—the name you provided when you joined or
started a review, or your system login. You can change the author name and other profile information at any time. If
you do, your updated profile appears only in new comments; existing comments aren’t affected.
Update your review profile
1In the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences) under Categories, select Commenting.
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2Deselect Always Use Log-In Name For Author Name.
3Select Identity from the list on the left.
4Edit your profile, making sure to include the email address that you’ll use for reviews. Click OK.
Update your profile for a shared review
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Identity.
2Edit your profile, making sure to include a valid email address, and click OK.
Subscribe to web broadcast services
1Click the RSS button on the left side of the Tracker.
Note: If the RSS button doesn’t appear in Tracker, open the Preferences dialog box in Acrobat DC and select Tracker.
Select Enable RSS Feeds In Tracker, and click OK. Then close and reopen Tracker.
2Click Subscribe To RSS Feed, and then enter a web address in the URL box.
Tracker preferences
To specify settings for Tracker, in the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Tracker.
Automatically Check For New Comments And Form Data Specifies how often comments are synchronized. To disable
automatic synchronization, move the slider to the far right until the value Never appears.
Suspend The Check For New Comments And Form Data Specifies how long after review or form inactivity to stop
checking for comments or new form data.
Remove Custom Server Locations To remove a server profile, select it from the list and click Remove Server Profile.
Notifications Specifies where Tracker notifications appear.
Enable RSS Feeds In Tracker When this option is selected, an RSS category appears on the left side of the Tracker. You
can subscribe to RSS feeds from within the Tracker.
Clear All Stored Credentials Click to remove all stored credentials used for shared reviews.
•Preparing for a PDF review
•Starting a review
•Adding a stamp to a PDF
•Mark up text with edits
•Commenting in PDFs
•Managing comments
•Importing and exporting comments
•Approval workflows
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More Help topics
Send and track large files online
You can quickly send large documents, images, audio, and video files without emailing limitations, and track
downloads. The files are stored securely in Adobe Document Cloud. Recipients simply click the link to view or
download your files.
Send large files
1Choose Tools > Send & Track, or choose Send & Track in the right hand pane when a document is open.
2If you have already opened a document, the document is displayed under the Selected Files list.
Otherwise, click Select Files to Send, and then browse and choose one or more files.
3If you want to add more files, click Add Files and then browse and select files.
4Choose whether you want to send a public or personalized link.
Create Anonymous Link: A public link makes the files accessible to anyone who clicks the link.
•Click Create Link. The files are uploaded to Adobe Document Cloud, and a public link is created. You can
choose to copy the link or directly email the link as appropriate.
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Send Personalized Invitations: A personalized link to share the files with specific individuals. The detailed tracking
information is available for files sent to individuals, but not for public links.
aEnter the email address of whoever you’d like to receive the file. You can also use the Address Book link to choose
email addresses. Each recipient gets a personalized link to the file.
bThe Subject and Message fields are just like the ones you use for sending an email and appear to your recipients
in the same way. Enter desired information and then click Send. Your recipients get an email notifying them that
the file is shared with them.
Track files online
You can track your shared files from the Home > Sent view. It shows all the files that you share using Send & Track.
1In the Home > Sent view, when you choose a file, you see the available options above the file list.
Click Track Online. A preview with details of the file appears in a new browser window.
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2From the above page, you can do the following:
•Unshare the file if you would like to prevent anyone else from viewing or downloading it. Click the Unshare icon
in the upper right corner.
•Forward files to new recipients. Click the Forward icon in the upper right corner.
•Turn email notifications on and off. Select or clear the Notify when recipients viewed check box as desired.
•See an overview of file. Click the file's thumbnail or name.
3To see the detailed tracking information, click View Full Activity in the right hand pane. Activity for the the file
appears in a pop up window.
The detailed tracking information that you can see: when the file was previewed and by whom (for personalized
links), and also whether it was downloaded and by whom. If there was more than one file in the transaction, you
will also see which files were downloaded.
•Adobe Send & Track for Outlook
More Help topics
Importing and exporting comments
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Import Comments
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, commenting features are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
Comments can be imported from a PDF document. You can also import comments from a Forms Data Format (FDF)
file or an XFDF file, which is an XML-based FDF file. You cannot open and view FDF files or XFDF files on their own.
1In the document that you want to receive comments, from the Options menu in the comments list, choose
Import Data File.
Note: To open the comments list, choose Tools > Comments.
2Choose All Files (*.*) from the file type menu. If you know the file format of the comments you want to import,
choose it.
3Double-click the name of the document with the comments.
The comment positioning matches that of the file from which they were imported. If comments appear out of place,
the source and recipient PDF documents are likely to be different. For example, if you import comments from a ten-
page document to a two-page document, only comments from the first two pages appear.
Export comments
Note: In Acrobat Reader DC, commenting features are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
If you add comments to a PDF that isn’t part of a managed review, you may need to export your comments to send them
to someone, or you may need to import comments you receive. (PDFs in a managed review workflow include special
options that let you send or publish your comments, rather than export them.)
When you export comments, you create a Forms Data Format (FDF) file that contains only comments. Consequently,
FDF files are usually smaller than PDFs. You or another reviewer can then import the comments from the FDF file into
the original PDF.
Export comments to a data file
1From the options menu in the comments list, choose Export All To Data File.
2Name the file and choose Acrobat FDF Files (*.fdf) or Acrobat XFDF Files (*.xfdf ) for the file type.
3Specify a location for the file, and then click Save.
Export selected comments
Note: Exporting selected comments isn’t available in Acrobat Reader DC.
1In the comments list, select the comments you want to export.
Note: To open the comments list, choose Tools > Comments.
2From the options menu in the comments list, choose Export Selected To Data File.
3Name the file and choose Acrobat FDF Files (*.fdf) or Acrobat XFDF Files (*.xfdf ) for the file type.
4Specify a location for the file, and then click Save.
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Export comments to Word (Windows)
In some instances, reviewers make comments in a PDF that was created from a Microsoft Word document. You can
revise the original Word document by exporting these comments from the PDF. For example, text that has been
inserted, crossed out, or replaced using the text edit tools in the PDF can be deleted or transferred directly to the source
Word document. Formatting added to comments (for example, boldface text) is lost during this process and must be
added to the Word document manually.
To revise a Word document using comments, you must create a tagged PDF from the Word document. Before you
transfer text edits from the PDF, remove any extra words or information and then merge them to one PDF (if you have
comments from multiple reviewers). If you plan to import comments more than once, you may want to make a copy of
the Word document before you import the comments or comments may not be imported correctly.
1Do one of the following:
•From the options menu in the comments list, choose Export To Word.
•In Word, open the source document, and then choose Acrobat Comments > Import Comments From Acrobat
DC. For Word 2013, click Acrobat, and then choose Acrobat Comments >Import Comments From
AcrobatDC.
2Read the instructions, and click OK.
3In the Import Comments From Adobe Acrobat dialog box, select the PDF and Word files, select from the following
options, and click Continue:
Take comments from this PDF file Browse to the PDF file that contains the comments.
Place comments in this Word file Browse to the Word document to which you want to import comments.
All Comments Imports all comments.
All Comments With Checkmarks Imports only those comments marked with check marks.
Text Edits Only: Insertions, Deletions, And Replaces Imports only those comments that you’ve added using the text
edit commands in the Annotations panel.
Apply Custom Filters To Comments Imports only comments that you specify by author, type, or status.
Turn Track Changes On Before Importing Comments Shows the changes made by the imported comments in Word.
4(Optional) If you imported text edits, click Integrate Text Edits in the Successful Import dialog box to review and
apply each edit individually. For each edit, select one of the following options:
Apply Makes the change in the document and deletes the comment bubble. If a comment appears to be empty, you
may want to integrate it to see if it’s a space or a paragraph return.
Discard Rejects the edit and deletes the comment bubble.
Next Skips to the next text edit. Text edits that are skipped or not integrated appear as bubbles in the Word
document.
Apply All Remaining Integrates all remaining text edits and deletes the comment bubbles.
Undo Last Undoes the last text edit, including any manual changes.
5Delete comment bubbles that appear in the Word document:
•Right-click the comment bubble and choose Delete Comment.
•Choose Acrobat Comments > Delete All Comments In Document. For Word 2013 and later, this option is on
the Acrobat ribbon.
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Export comments to AutoCAD (Acrobat Pro DC on Windows)
You may have reviewers add comments to a PDF that was created from an AutoCAD drawing. If you use AutoCAD
PDFMaker to create a PDF, you can import comments into the AutoCAD drawing, rather than switch between
AutoCAD and Acrobat DC. You can import most comment types, including drawing markups, sticky notes, stamps,
and text edits.
1Save the PDF to ensure that recently added comments are included.
2Do one of the following:
•From the options menu in the comments list, choose Export To AutoCAD, and then specify the PDF file
and the AutoCAD file in the Import Comments dialog box.
•In AutoCAD, choose Acrobat Markups >Import Comments From AcrobatDC.
3In the Import Comments dialog box, specify the PDF that contains the comments, specify which comments to
import, and click Continue. If you import a custom set of comments, specify the set by making sure that only the
characteristics you want are selected. You must select at least one option in each category.
Show By Reviewer Imports comments by individual reviewers.
Show By Type Imports comments by type, such as text edits or note comments.
Show By Status Imports comments by review status.
Show By Checked State Imports comments that are checked.
All imported comments appear in the Adobe Acrobat Markups layer as custom objects that you can edit, filter, or
delete.
4To modify an imported comment (change the status, add a check mark, or modify text), right-click the comment,
choose Acrobat Comments, and then choose an option.
More Help topics
Sharing PDFs and collaborating in real time
Preparing for a PDF review
Starting a review
Participating in a PDF review
Tracking and managing PDF reviews
Adding a stamp to a PDF
Mark up text with edits
Commenting in PDFs
Managing comments
Approval workflows
Adding a stamp to a PDF
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Stamp a document
You apply a stamp to a PDF in much the same way you apply a rubber stamp to a paper document. You can choose from
a list of predefined stamps, or you can create your own stamps. Dynamic stamps obtain information from your
computer and from the Identity panel of the Preferences dialog box, allowing you to indicate name, date, and time
information on the stamp.
The Stamp tool appears in the secondary toolbar of the Comment tool.
A Dynamic stamp B Sign Here stamp C Standard business stamp D Custom stamp
For a tutorial on creating dynamic stamps, see Dynamic Stamp Secrets at
http://acrobatusers.com/tutorials/dynamic_stamp_secrets.
Open the Stamps palette
❖Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > ShowStamps Palette.
Apply a stamp
1Select a stamp by doing one of the following:
•Click the Stamp tool. The most recently used stamp is selected.
•In the Stamps Palette, choose a category from the menu, and then select a stamp.
2Click the document page where you want to place the stamp, or drag a rectangle to define the size and placement of
the stamp.
3If you haven’t provided a name in the Identity preferences, the Identity Setup dialog box prompts you to do so.
Change a stamp’s location or appearance
❖Using the Select tool or the Hand tool, do any of the following:
•To move a stamp, drag it to a new location.
•To resize a stamp, click it, and then drag a corner handle.
•To rotate a stamp, click it, move the pointer over the handle at the top of the stamp, and drag when the rotate
stamp icon appears.
•To delete a stamp, right-click the stamp and choose Delete.
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•To change the stamp’s opacity or the color of its pop-up note, right-click the stamp, and choose Properties. In the
Appearance tab, set the opacity or color.
Move a stamp to the favorites list
1Using the Select tool or the Hand tool, select a stamp markup on the page.
2In the secondary toolbar of the Comment tool, click the Stamp tool and choose Add Current Stamp To Favorites.
Create a custom stamp
You can create custom stamps from a number of different formats, including (but not limited to) PDF, JPEG, bitmap,
Adobe® Illustrator® (AI), Adobe® Photoshop® (PSD), and Autodesk AutoCAD (DWT, DWG) files. In Acrobat Reader
DC, create Custom stamp allows only PDF format.
Note: To add an image to a PDF one time only, simply paste the image into the document. Pasted images have the same
characteristics as other stamp comments; each includes a pop-up note and editable properties.
1Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > Show Stamps Palette.
2Click Import, and select the file.
3If the file has more than one page, scroll to the page you want, and then click OK.
4Choose a category from the menu or type a new category name, name the custom stamp, and then click OK.
Change the name or category for a custom stamp
1Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > Show Stamps Palette.
2Choose the stamp category, right-click the stamp, and choose Edit.
3Edit the category or name of the stamp, or replace the image, and then click OK.
Delete a custom stamp
You can delete only the custom stamps that you created, not the predefined stamps. When you delete a stamp, the stamp
is removed from the Stamp tool menu, but the stamp file isn’t deleted.
1Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > Show Stamps Palette.
2Choose the stamp category from the menu, right-click the custom stamp, and choose Delete.
Delete a custom stamp category
1Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > Custom Stamps > Manage Stamps.
2Select the category you want to delete, and then click Delete.
Note: Deleting all stamps in a custom stamp category deletes the custom stamp category.
More Help topics
Participating in a PDF review
Tracking and managing PDF reviews
Mark up text with edits
Importing and exporting comments
Approval workflows
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Chapter 7: Saving and exporting PDFs
Saving PDFs
You can save your changes to an Adobe PDF or PDF Portfolio in the original PDF or in a copy of the PDF. You can also
save individual PDFs to other file formats, including text, XML, HTML, and Microsoft Word. Saving a PDF in text
format allows you to use the content with a screen reader, screen magnifier, or other assistive technology.
If you don’t have access to the source files that created an Adobe PDF, you can still copy images and text from the PDF
to use elsewhere. You can also export the PDF to a reusable format, or export images in a PDF to another format.
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC users can save a copy of a PDF or PDF Portfolio if the creator of the document has enabled
usage rights. If a document has additional or restricted usage rights, the document message bar under the toolbar area
describes the assigned restrictions or privileges.
Save a PDF
Use this method to save PDFs, including PDF Portfolios, and PDFs in which you have added comments, form field
entries, and digital signatures.
Note: Saving a digitally signed PDF invalidates the signature.
❖Do one of the following:
•To save changes to the current file, choose File > Save.
•To save a copy of a PDF, choose File > Save As.
•In Acrobat Reader DC, choose File > Save As or File > Save As Other > Text.
•To save a copy of a PDF Portfolio, choose File >Save As Other > PDF Portfolio.
If you are viewing a PDF in a web browser, the Acrobat File menu is not available. Use the Save A Copy button in
the Acrobat toolbar to save the PDF.
Recover the last saved version
❖Choose File > Revert, and then click Revert.
About the Autosave feature
The Autosave feature guards against losing your work in case of a power failure by incrementally, and at regular
intervals, saving file changes to a specified location. The original file is not modified. Instead, Acrobat creates an
autosave file of changes, which includes all the changes you made to the open file since the last automatic save. The
amount of new information that the autosave file contains depends on how frequently Acrobat saves the autosave file.
If you set the autosave interval to 15 minutes, you could lose the last 14 minutes of your work if a problem occurs.
Frequent automatic saving prevents loss of data, and is especially useful if you make extensive changes to a document,
such as by adding comments.
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You can apply autosave changes to the original files when you restart Acrobat. When you close, save manually, or revert
to the last-saved version of a file, the autosave file is deleted.
Note: If you use assistive technology, such as a screen reader, you may want to disable the Autosave feature so that you don’t
lose your place when the file is reloaded.
The Autosave feature won’t work in the following cases:
•A document that has its security changed. You must save the document to re-enable automatic saving of document
changes.
•A document created using the Web Capture feature or extracted from a larger PDF (Tools > Organize Pages >
Extract). You must save the document to enable automatic saving of changes.
•A document displayed in a web browser or incorporated into a container document that supports Object Linking
and Embedding (OLE). This document appears outside the default file system and cannot support automatic saving.
Recover lost changes
To prevent lost changes after an unexpected interruption, enable the Autosave feature, which is the default setting.
Set up automatic saving
1In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Documents.
2Select Automatically Save Document Changes To Temporary File Every xx Minutes (1-99), and specify the number
of minutes.
Recover lost changes after an unexpected shutdown
1Start Acrobat or open the file you were working on last.
2When prompted, click Yes to open the autosave file or files. If multiple files were open, Acrobat opens all of the files
for you.
3Save the file or files with the same names as the files you were originally working on.
Reduce file size by saving
You can sometimes reduce the file size of a PDF simply by using the Save As Other command. Reducing the size of
PDFs improves their performance—particularly when they’re being opened on the web—without altering their
appearance.
The Reduce File Size command resamples and recompresses images, removes embedded Base-14 fonts, and subset-
embeds fonts that were left embedded. It also compresses document structure and cleans up elements such as invalid
bookmarks. If the file size is already as small as possible, this command has no effect.
Note: Reducing the file size of a digitally signed document removes the signature.
1Open a single PDF, or select one or more PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
2Choose File > Save As Other > Reduced Size PDF.
3Select the version compatibility that you need.
If you’re certain that all your users use Acrobat DC or Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, limiting compatibility to the latest
version can further reduce file size.
4(Optional) To apply the same settings to multiple files, click Apply To Multiple, and add the files. Click OK, then in
theOutput Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences.
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Note: The Apply To Multiple button is not available inPDF Portfolios.
To control changes and quality trade-offs, use PDF Optimizer in Acrobat Pro DC, which makes more options available.
More Help topics
Filling in forms
Participating in a PDF review
PDF Optimizer (Acrobat Pro DC)
Balancing PDF file size and quality (Acrobat Standard DC)
Convert or export PDFs to other file formats
Easily export or convert one or more PDFs to different file formats, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The available formats include both text and image formats. (For a full list of conversion options, see File format options
.)
This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC. If you're using Adobe Reader DC, see What can I do with Adobe
Reader DC. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help .
Convert PDFs to Word, RTF, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, or other formats
Note: You cannot export PDF Portfolios, or PDFs within them, to other file formats.
1Choose Tools > Export PDF.
The various formats to which you can export the PDF file are displayed.
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You can also choose File > Export To > [File Type] to export the PDF file to a desired format.
2Select the file format to which you want to export the PDF file and a version (or format), if available. For example,
if you choose to export the PDF file to Word format, you will get an option to export the PDF into Word Document
(.docx) or Word 97-2003 Document (.doc) version.
Note: You can configure the conversion settings by clicking the gear icon adjacent to the selected file format.
Conversion settings can also be edited by selecting the Convert From PDF category in the Preferences dialog box.
3Click Export. The Export dialog box is displayed.
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4In the Export dialog box, select a location where you want to save the file.
5Click Save to export the PDF to the selected file format.
By default, the source filename is used with the new extension, and the exported file is saved in the same folder as
the source file.
Note: When you save a PDF in an image format, each page is saved as a separate file, and each filename is appended
with the page number.
Export images in a PDF to another format
In addition to saving every page (all text, images, and vector objects on a page) to an image format using the File >
Export To > Image > [Image Type] command, you can export each image in a PDF to a separate image file.
Note: You can export raster images, but not vector objects.
1Choose Tools > Export PDF.
The various formats to which you can export the PDF file are displayed.
2Click Image and then choose the image file format that you want to save the images in.
3To configure the conversion settings for the selected file format, click the gear icon .
4In the Export All Images As [selected file format] Settings dialog box, specify the File Settings, Color
Management, Conversion, and Extraction settings for the file type.
5In the Extraction settings, for Exclude Images Smaller Than, select the smallest size of image to be extracted. Select
No Limit to extract all images.
6Click OK to return to the return to the Export Your PDF To Any Format screen.
7Select the Export All Images option to extract and save only the images from the PDF file.
Note: If you do not select the Export All Images option, all pages within the PDF are saved in the selected image file
format.
8Click Export. The Export dialog box is displayed.
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9In the Export dialog box, select a location where you want to save the file.
10 Click Save to save only the images from the PDF to the selected file format.
Export selections from a PDF to another format
If you need just a part of the PDF file in another format, you don’t need to convert the entire file and then extract the
relevant content. You can select text in a PDF file and save it in one of the supported formats: DOCX, DOC, XLSX, RTF,
XML, HTML, or CSV.
1Use the Select tool and mark the content to save.
2Right-click the selected text and choose Export Selection As.
3Select a format from the Save As Type list and click Save.
File format options for PDF export
When you export PDFs to different file formats using the Export PDF tool, each file format includes unique conversion
settings.
If you want to use the same settings every time you convert PDFs to a particular format, specify those settings in the
Preferences dialog box. In the Convert From PDF panel, select a file format from the list and click Edit Settings. (Click
the Restore Defaults button at any time to revert to the default settings.)
Adobe PDF options (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can resave PDFs as optimized PDFs, using settings in the PDF Optimizer dialog box. The PDF Optimizer lets you
change the compatibility version of your PDFs so they can be viewed using older versions of Acrobat DC or Acrobat
Reader DC. When you change the compatibility setting, newer features may be unavailable in the PDF. For an
explanation of each compatibility setting, see PDF compatibility levels.
Image conversion settings
JPEG and JPEG 2000 options
If your PDF contains a collection of images, you can export them individually as JPEG, PNG, or TIFF files by choosing
Tools > Export PDF > Image > Export All Images.
Note that the options available depend on whether you are exporting a document to JPEG or JPEG 2000.
Grayscale/Color Specifies a compression setting that balances file size with image quality. The smaller the file, the lesser
the image quality.
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Tile Size Divides the image being compressed into tiles of the given size. (If the image height or width is not an even
multiple of the tile size, partial tiles are used on the edges.) Image data for each tile is individually compressed and can
be individually decompressed. The default value of 256 is recommended. This option is available only for JPEG 2000
format.
Format Determines how the file is displayed. Available only for JPEG format.
Baseline (Standard) Displays the image when it has fully downloaded. This JPEG format is recognizable to most web
browsers.
Baseline (Optimized) Optimizes color quality of the image and produces smaller file sizes but is not supported by all
web browsers.
Progressive (3 scans-5 scans) Downloads the image first as a low-resolution image, with incremental quality
improvements as downloading continues.
RGB/CMYK/Grayscale Specifies the type of color management to be applied to the output file and whether to embed an
ICC profile.
Note: If you use the Export To or Export All Images command on a PDF that contains JPEG and JPEG 2000 images, and
export the content to JPEG or JPEG 2000 format, the resulting image may look different when opened in Acrobat DC. This
can happen if the images have a color profile included at the page level but not inside the image data. In this case, Acrobat
DC cannot bring the page-level color profile into the resulting saved image.
Colorspace/Resolution Specifies a color space and resolution for the output file. You can let Acrobat determine these
settings automatically. To convert color images in the file to shades of gray, choose Grayscale.
Note: Higher resolutions, such as 2400 pixels per inch (ppi), are suitable only for small page sizes (up to 6.826 inches or
173.380 millimeters).
PNG options
PNG format is useful for images that will be used on the web.
Interlace Specifies if the image is interlaced. None creates an image that displays in a web browser only after
downloading is complete. Adam7 creates an image that displays low-resolution versions in a browser while the full
image file is downloading. Adam7 can make downloading time seem shorter and assures viewers that downloading is
in progress; however, it increases file size.
Filter Lets you select a filtering algorithm.
None Compresses the image without a filter. Recommended for indexed-color and bitmap-mode images.
Sub Optimizes the compression of images with even horizontal patterns or blends.
Up Optimizes the compression of images with even vertical patterns.
Average Optimizes the compression of low-level noise by averaging the color values of adjacent pixels.
Paeth Optimizes the compression of low-level noise by reassigning adjacent color values.
Adaptive Applies the filtering algorithm—Sub, Up, Average, or Paeth—best suited for the image. Select Adaptive if you
are unsure of which filter to use.
RGB/Grayscale Specifies the type of color management for the output file and whether to embed an ICC profile.
Colorspace/Resolution Specifies a color space and resolution for the output file. You can let Acrobat determine these
settings automatically. To convert color images in the file to shades of gray, choose Grayscale.
Note: Higher resolutions, such as 2400 ppi, are suitable only for small page sizes (up to 6.826 inches or 173.380 millimeters).
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TIFF options
TIFF is a flexible bitmap image format supported by virtually all paint, image-editing, and page-layout applications.
Resolution is determined automatically.
Monochrome Specifies a compression format. CCITTG4 is the default and generally produces the smallest file size. ZIP
compression also produces a small file.
Note: Some applications cannot open TIFF files that are saved with JPEG or ZIP compression. In these cases, LZW
compression is recommended.
RGB/CMYK/Grayscale/Other Specifies the type of color management for the output file.
Colorspace/Resolution Specifies a color space and resolution for the output file. You can let Acrobat determine these
settings automatically. To convert color images in the file to shades of gray, choose Grayscale.
Note: Higher resolutions, such as 2400 ppi, are suitable only for small page sizes (up to 6.826 inches or 173.380 millimeters).
Microsoft Word & RTF options
You can export a PDF to Word format (DOCX or DOC) or Rich Text Format (RTF). The following options are
available.
Retain Flowing Text
Specifies that text flow must be retained.
Retain Page Layout
Specifies that page layout must be retained.
Include Comments
Exports comments to the output file.
Include Images
Exports images to the output file.
Recognize Text If Needed
Recognizes text if the PDF contains images that contain text.
Set Language
Specifies the language setting for OCR.
HTML Web Page options
Single HTML Page Specifies that a single HTML file is created when you export to HTML. To add a navigation pane,
enable the following:
•Add Headings-based Navigation Frame
•Add Bookmarks-based Navigation Frame
Multiple HTML Pages Specifies that multiple HTML files are created when you export to HTML. Choose one of the
criteria to split the document into multiple HTML files.
•Split by Document Headings
•Split by Document Bookmarks
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Include Images Specifies if images are exported when you export a PDF as HTML.
Detect and Remove Headers and Footers Specifies if header and footer content in the PDF should be deleted and
removed from the HTML files.
Recognize Text If Needed Recognizes text if the PDF contains images that contain text.
Set Language Specifies the language setting for OCR.
Spreadsheet options
Excel Workbook Settings Specifies whether to create a Worksheet for each table or page, or the entire document.
Numeric Settings Specifies the decimal and thousands separators for numeric data. Select one of the following:
•Detect decimal and thousands separators using regional settings
•Treat the following as decimal and thousands separators. Enter or choose separators in the respective fields.
Recognize Text If Needed Recognizes text if the PDF contains images that contain text.
Set Language Specifies the language setting for OCR.
PostScript or Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) options
You can export a PDF to PostScript® for use in printing and prepress applications. The PostScript file includes full DSC
(Document Structuring Conventions) comments and other advanced information preserved by Adobe Acrobat
Distiller®. You can also create an EPS file from any PDF for placement or opening in other applications. The options
available depend on whether you are converting a document to PostScript or EPS.
Note: If you are creating EPS files for separations in Acrobat Pro DC, all image color spaces should be CMYK.
Printer Description File ThePostScript Printer Description (PPD) provides the necessary information to format a
PostScript file correctly for a particular output device. Device Independent creates only composite (not color-
separated) PostScript or EPS files. Acrobat Default provides a starting point and reference for creating all types of
PostScript and restores all default settings for the conversion. Adobe PDF 7.0 is compatible with most devices. This
option is available only for PostScript (PS) format.
ASCII or Binary Specifies the output format of image data. Binary output yields smaller files, but not all workflows can
accommodate binary output.
PostScript Specifies the level of PostScript compatibility. Use Language Level 3 only if the target output device supports
it. Language Level 2 is suitable for EPS files that will be placed in another document and color-separated as part of that
document. Use Language Level 2 for EPS files that you import into Microsoft applications.
Font Inclusion Specifies the fonts to be included in the PostScript. Embedded fonts are taken from the PDF; the
referenced fonts are taken from the computer in use.
Include Comments Preserves the appearance of comments in the resulting PostScript file.
Convert True Type to Type 1 Converts TrueType fonts to Type 1 fonts in the resulting PostScript file.
Include Preview Specifies if a TIFF preview is created for the resulting EPS file. This option is not available when saving
as PostScript.
Page Range Specifies the pages you want to export. When you export files to EPS output, each page in the range is
saved as a separate EPS file.
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Text and XML options
Encoding Refers to the binary values, based on international standards, used to represent the text characters. UTF-8 is
a Unicode representation of characters using one or more 8-bit bytes per character; UTF-16 represents characters using
16-bit bytes. ISO-Latin-1 is an 8-bit representation of characters that is a superset of ASCII. UCS-4 is a Universal
Character Set coded in 4 octets. HTML/ASCII is a 7-bit representation of characters developed by ANSI.
Use Mapping Table Default uses the default character encoding defined in mapping tables, which appear in the Plug-
ins/SaveAsXML/MappingTables folder. These mapping tables specify many characteristics of how the data is output,
including the following default character encodings: UTF-8 (Save as XML or HTML 4.0.1) and HTML/ASCII (Save as
HTML 3.2).
Generate Bookmarks Generates bookmark links to content for HTML or XML documents. Links are placed at the
beginning of the resulting HTML or XML document.
Generate Tags For Untagged Files Generates tags for files that are not already tagged, such as PDFs created using
Acrobat 4.0 or earlier. If this option is not selected, untagged files are not converted.
Note: Tags are applied only as part of the conversion process and are discarded after the conversion. This is not a method
for creating tagged PDFs from legacy files
Generate Images Controls how images are converted. Converted image files are referenced from within XML and
HTML documents.
Use Sub-Folder Specifies the folder in which to store generated images. The default is Images.
Use Prefix Specifies the prefix added to the image filenames if you have several versions of the same image file.
Filenames assigned to images have the format filename_img_#.
Output Format Specifies the final format of images. The default is JPG.
Downsample To Downsamples image files to the specified resolution. If you do not select this option, image files have
the same resolution as in the source file. Image files are never upsampled.
More Help topics
Convert PDFs to Word, RTF, spreadsheets or other formats
Export images to another format
Export selections to another format
PostScript options
Reusing PDF content
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Select and copy text and images
The Select tool lets you select horizontal and vertical text or columns of text, images, vector objects,and tables in a
PDF. The Select tool recognizes the type of content under the cursor and changes automatically. You can use the
Copy, Copy with Formatting, Export Selection As, and Paste commands to copy the selected text into another
application. Note the following:
•If you’re unable to select text, the text may be part of an image. In Acrobat, to export image text to text that can be
selected, choose Tools > Enhance Scans > Recognize Text > In This File.
•If the Cut, Copy, Copy with Formatting, and Paste commands are unavailable when you select text, the author of the
PDF may have set restrictions against copying text.
•If the text you copy uses a font that isn’t available on your system, the font will be substituted with a close match or
a default font.
Select text and images
1Click the Select tool , and hover over an empty part of the page. Alternatively, press Ctrl (Windows) or
Command (Mac OS); the pointer changes todisplay a rectangle.
2Drag the pointer and draw a rectangle to select a part of the page.
Select a column of text
1Using the Select tool , move the pointer toward a column of text. When the pointer changes to a vertical bar with
a box superimposed, the Select tool is in column select mode.
You can force column select mode by pressing Alt as you drag a rectangle over the column of text.
2Drag a rectangle over the column of text. To select text in more than one column, drag from the beginning of the
text in one column to the end of text you want to select.
Select all the text on a page
1Choose View > Page Display > Single Page View.
2Do one of the following:
•Choose Edit > Select All.
•Click four times in the text. This method selects all the text on the page regardless of the page layout.
Note: If you choose any other page layout, all the text in the document is selected.
Copy selected text
1Use the Select tool to select any amount of text on the page.
2Copy the text:
•Choose Edit > Copy to copy the selected text to another application.
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•Right-click on the selected text, and then select Copy.
•Right-click on the selected text, and then choose Copy With Formatting.
You can paste copied text into comments and bookmarks as well as into documents authored in other
applications.
Convert selected content to other formats
You convert selected content other formats by exporting a selection. For example, you can select content and save it as
a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, comma-separated values.
1Click the Select tool . Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) to create a rectangular selection.
2Drag a rectangle over the content to copy. If you’re selecting text in columns, press Alt.
To select tables that exceed one page, try changing the page display to Single Page Continuous before selecting the
tables. (View > Page Display > Enable Scrolling)
3Right-click the selection, and choose Export Selection As and specify a filename.
4Depending on the nature of the content, in the Save As Type, choose one of the following:
Word Document or Word 97-2003 Saves the content as a Word file.
Excel Workbook, XML Spreadsheet, or CSV Saves the content as a table.
Rich Text Format or HTML Saves the content as an RTF or HTML file.
To copy a table in RTF, drag the selected table into an open document in the target application.
PowerPoint Saves the content as an PowerPoint (.pptx) file.
Copy images
Use the Select tool to copy and paste individual images from a PDF to the clipboard, to another application, or to a file.
If you cannot select an image because of overlapping text, open the Preferences dialog box, and under Categories, select
General. Then select Make Select Tool Select Images Before Text.
1Using the Select tool , do one of the following:
•To select the entire image, click the image or drag a rectangle around it.
•To select a portion of an image, hold the pointer over the image until the cross-hair icon appears, and then
drag a rectangle around the portion.
Note: To deselect an image and start over, click outside it.
2Copy the image:
•Choose Edit > Copy, and then choose Edit > Paste to paste the image in an open document in another
application.
•Right-click the image and choose an option to copy the image to the clipboard or to a new file.
•Drag the image into an open document in another application.
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Export objects to separate PDF
Using the Edit Object tool, you can save objects into a separate PDF.
1Choose Tools > Print Production > Edit Object.
2Select the object or objects.
3Right-click the selection, and choose Save Selection As.
4In the Save As dialog, specify where you want to save the file, name the file, then click Save.
Take a snapshot of a page
You can use the Snapshot tool to copy all selected content (text, images, or both) to the clipboard or to another
application. Text and images are copied as an image.
You can use two methods to take a snapshop: use the Select tool or use the Snapshot tools. Using the Select tool ,
draw a rectangle, and then right-click and choose Take a Snapshot.
To use the Snapshot tool, do the following:
1Select the Snapshot tool by choosing Edit > Take a Snapshot.
2Do one of the following:
•Click anywhere in the page to capture the entire content displayed on the screen.
•Drag a rectangle around the text or images, or a combination of both.
•Drag a rectangle within an image to copy just a portion of the image.
Colors in the selected area are inverted momentarily to highlight the selection. The selection is copied
automatically to the clipboard when you release the mouse button. If a document is open in another application,
you can choose Edit > Paste to paste the copied selection directly into the target document.
To add the Snapshot tool to the Common Tools toolbar, right-click the toolbar and select Edit > Take Snapshot.
TheCommon Tools toolbar is located to the left of the Tools, Comment, and Share panes. See Toolbars.
You can save all the images from a PDF. See Export images in a PDF to another format. This feature isn’t available
in Reader.
More Help topics
Opening secured documents
Export images to another format
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Chapter 8: Security
Enhanced security setting for PDFs
PDFs have evolved from static pages to complex documents with features such as interactive forms, multimedia
content, scripting, and other capabilities. These features leave PDFs vulnerable to malicious scripts or actions that can
damage your computer or steal data. Enhanced security lets you protect your computer against these threats by
blocking or selectively permitting actions for trusted locations and files.
When enhanced security is enabled and a PDF tries to complete a restricted action from an untrusted location or file,
a security warning appears. The type of warning depends on the action and your version of Acrobat or Reader. (See
Security warnings .)
For technical details about enhanced security, primarily for administrators, see the documents at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.
Enable enhanced security
Acrobat and Reader X, 9.3, and 8.2 enable enhanced security by default. Adobe recommends that you enable enhanced
security if it is not already enabled, and that you bypass restrictions only for trusted content.
1Choose Preferences.
2From the Categories on the left, select Security (Enhanced).
3Select the Enable Enhanced Security option.
4(Optional—Windows only) Select Cross Domain Log File for troubleshooting problems if your workflow involves
cross-domain access using a server-based policy file.
Bypass enhanced security restrictions
With enhanced security enabled, only the files, folders, and locations that have been trusted are exempt from enhanced
security’s restrictions. You can specify trusted locations and files in several ways, depending on the action the PDF is
attempting to complete.
•Use the privileged locations feature in the Enhanced Security panel to trust files, folders, and host domains (root
URLs).
•Configure Internet access using the Trust Manager. (See URL settings .)
•For certified PDFs, trust the signer’s certificate for privileged network operations, such as networking, printing, and
file access. (See Set the trust level of a certificate.)
•Control cross-domain access using a server-based policy file. (See the Cross Domain Security document at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.)
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Specify privileged locations for trusted content
Enhanced security provides a way to specify locations for trusted content. These privileged locations can be single files,
folders, or host domains (root URLs). Content that resides in a privileged location is trusted. For example, enhanced
security normally blocks PDFs from loading data from unknown websites. If you add the data’s origin (its host domain)
to your list of privileged locations, Acrobat and Reader allow loading the data. For details, see the Enhanced Security
document at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.
1Select Preferences > Security (Enhanced).
2Select the Enable Enhanced Security option.
3Specify a list of locations in the Privileged Locations section, and then click OK.
•To trust any sites you already trust in Internet Explorer, select Automatically Trust Sites From My Win OS
Security Zones.
•To add only one or two PDFs from a location, click Add File.
•To create a trusted folder for multiple PDFs, click Add Folder Path or Add Host.
•To allow data to load from a website, enter the name of the root URL. For example, enter www.adobe.com, but
not www.adobe.com/products. To trust files from secure connections only, select Secure Connections Only
(https:).
Cross-domain access
Enhanced security prevents a PDF in one host domain from communicating with another domain. This action prevents
a PDF from getting malicious data from an untrusted source. When a PDF attempts cross-domain access, Acrobat and
Reader automatically attempt to load a policy file from that domain. If the domain of the document that is attempting
to access the data is included in the policy file, then the data is automatically accessible.
For more details, see the Application Security Guide at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.
Securing PDFs with passwords
Password security and restricting printing, editing, and copying
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDFs.
You can limit access to a PDF by setting passwords and by restricting certain features, such as printing and editing.
However, you cannot restrict saving copies of a PDF. The copies have the same restrictions as the original PDF. Two
types of passwords are available:
Document open password A Document Open password (also known as a user password) requires a user to type a
password to open the PDF.
Permissions password A permissions password (also known as a master password) requires a password to change
permission settings. Using a permissions password, you can restrict printing, editing, and copying content in the PDF.
Recipients don’t need a password to open the document in Reader or Acrobat. They do need a password to change the
restrictions you've set.
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If the PDF is secured with both types of passwords, it can be opened with either password. However, only the
permissions password allows the user to change the restricted features. Because of the added security, setting both types
of passwords is often beneficial.
Note: You cannot add passwords to a signed or certified document.
Add a password to a PDF
You can add password security to a PDF. To open the PDF, the user must enter a password.
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Encrypt with Password.
2If you receive a prompt, click Yes to change the security.
3Select Require A Password To Open The Document, then type the password in the corresponding field. For each
keystroke, the password strength meter evaluates your password and indicates the password strength using color
patterns.
4Select an Acrobat version from the Compatibility drop-down menu. Choose a version equal to or lower than the
recipients’ version of Acrobat or Reader.
The Compatibility option you choose determines the type of encryption used. It is important to choose a version
compatible with the recipient's version of Acrobat or Reader. For example, Acrobat 7 cannot open a PDF encrypted
for Acrobat X and later.
•Acrobat 6.0 And Later (PDF 1.5) encrypts the document using 128-bit RC4.
•Acrobat 7.0 And Later (PDF 1.6) encrypts the document using the AES encryption algorithm with a 128-bit key
size.
•Acrobat X And Later (PDF 1.7) encrypts the document using 256-bit AES. To apply 256-bit AES encryption to
documents created in Acrobat 8 and 9, select Acrobat X And Later.
5Select an encryption option:
Encrypt All Document Contents Encrypts the document and the document metadata. If this option is selected,
search engines cannot access the document metadata.
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Encrypt All Document Contents Except Metadata Encrypts the contents of a document but still allows search
engines access to the document metadata.
Note: The iFilter and the Find or Advance Search commands of Acrobat do not look into the PDF’s metadata even when
you select the Encrypt All Document Contents Except Metadata option. You can use a search tool that takes
advantage of XMP metadata.
Encrypt Only File Attachments Requires a password to open file attachments. Users can open the document without
a password. Use this option to create security envelopes.
6Click OK. At the prompt to confirm the password, retype the appropriate password in the box and click OK.
Restrict editing of a PDF
You can prevent users from changing PDFs. The Restrict Editing option prohibits users from editing text, moving
objects, or adding form fields. Users can still fill in form fields, sign, or add comments.
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Protect > Restrict Editing.
2If you receive a prompt, click Yes to change the security.
3Type the password in the corresponding field. For each keystroke, the password strength meter evaluates your
password and indicates the password strength using color patterns.
4Click OK, and then save the PDF to apply the restrictions.
Restrict printing, editing, and copying
You can prevent users from printing, editing, or copying content in a PDF. You can set the restrictions you want to apply
to the PDF. You change these restrictions only if you know the permissions password.
Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign do not have view-only modes. To open a restricted PDF in these applications, the
user must enter the permissions password.
Note: If you forget a password, you cannot recover it from the PDF. Consider keeping a backup copy of the PDF that isn’t
password-protected.
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Encrypt with Password.
2If you receive a prompt, click Yes to change the security.
3Select Restrict Editing And Printing Of The Document.
All Adobe products enforce the restrictions set by the permissions password. However, if third-party products do
not support these settings, document recipients are able to bypass some or all of the restrictions you set.
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4Type the password in the corresponding field. For each keystroke, the password strength meter evaluates your
password and indicates the password strength using color patterns.
5Select what the user can print from the Printing Allowed menu:
None Prevents users from printing the document.
Low Resolution (150 dpi) Lets users print at no higher than 150-dpi resolution. Printing may be slower because each
page is printed as a bitmap image. This option is available only if the Compatibility option is set to Acrobat 5 (PDF
1.4) or later.
High Resolution Lets users print at any resolution, directing high-quality vector output to PostScript and other
printers that support advanced high-quality printing features.
6Select what the user can change from the Changes Allowed menu:
None Prevents users from making any changes to the document that are listed in the Changes Allowed menu, such
as filling in form fields and adding comments.
Inserting, Deleting, And Rotating Pages Lets users insert, delete, and rotate pages, and create bookmarks and
thumbnails. This option is only available for high (128-bit RC4 or AES) encryption.
Filling In Form Fields And Signing Existing Signature Fields Lets users fill in forms and add digital signatures. This
option doesn’t allow them to add comments or create form fields. This option is only available for high (128-bit RC4
or AES) encryption.
Commenting, Filling In Form Fields, And Signing Existing Signature Fields Lets users add comments and digital
signatures, and fill in forms. This option doesn’t allow users to move page objects or create form fields.
Any Except Extracting Pages Lets users edit the document, create and fill in form fields, and add comments and
digital signatures.
7Choose any of the following options:
Enable Copying Of Text, Images, And Other Content Lets users select and copy the contents of a PDF.
Enable Text Access For Screen Reader Devices For The Visually Impaired Lets visually impaired users read the
document with screen readers, but doesn’t allow users to copy or extract the document’s contents. This option is
available only for high (128-bit RC4 or AES) encryption.
8Select an Acrobat version from the Compatibility menu. Choose a version equal to or lower than the recipients’
version of Acrobat or Reader. The Compatibility option you choose determines the type of encryption used. It is
important to choose a version compatible with the recipient's version of Acrobat or Reader. For example, Acrobat 7
cannot open a PDF encrypted for Acrobat X and later.
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•Acrobat 6.0 And Later (PDF 1.5) encrypts the document using 128-bit RC4.
•Acrobat 7.0 And Later (PDF 1.6) encrypts the document using the AES encryption algorithm with a 128-bit key
size.
•Acrobat X And Later (PDF 1.7) encrypts the document using 256-bit AES. To apply 256-bit AES encryption to
documents created in Acrobat 8 and 9, select Acrobat X And Later.
9Select what you want to encrypt:
Encrypt All Document Contents Encrypts the document and the document metadata. If this option is selected,
search engines cannot access the document metadata.
Encrypt All Document Contents Except Metadata Encrypts the contents of a document but still allows search
engines access to the document metadata.
Note: The iFilter and the Find or Advance Search commands of Acrobat do not look into the PDF’s metadata even when
you select the Encrypt All Document Contents Except Metadata option. You can use a search tool that takes
advantage of XMP metadata.
Encrypt Only File Attachments Requires a password to open file attachments. Users can open the document without
a password. Use this option to create security envelopes.
10 Click OK. At the prompt to confirm the password, retype the appropriate password in the box and click OK.
Remove password security
You can remove security from an open PDF if you have the permissions to do so. If the PDF is secured with a server-
based security policy, only the policy author or a server administrator can change it.
1Open the PDF, then select Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Remove Security.
2Your options vary depending on the type of password security attached to the document:
•If the document had only a Document Open password, click OK to remove it from the document.
•If the document had a permissions password, type it in the Enter Password box, and then click OK. Click OK
again to confirm the action.
Digital IDs
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDF content .
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About digital IDs
What is a digital ID?
A digital ID is like an electronic driver’s license or passport that proves your identity. A digital ID usually contains your
name and email address, the name of the organization that issued it, a serial number, and an expiration date. Digital
IDs are used for certificate security and digital signatures.
Digital IDs contain two keys: the public key locks, or encrypts data; the private key unlocks, or decrypts that data. When
you sign PDFs, you use the private key to apply your digital signature. The public key is in a certificate that you distribute
to others. For example, you can send the certificate to those who want to validate your signature or identity. Store your
digital ID in a safe place, because it contains your private key that others can use to decrypt your information.
Why do I need one?
You don’t need a digital ID for most of the work you do in PDFs. For example, you don’t need a digital ID to create
PDFs, comment on them, and edit them. You need a digital ID to sign a document or encrypt PDFs through a
certificate.
How do I get one?
You can get a digital ID from a third-party provider, or you can create a self-signed digital ID.
Self-signed digital IDs
Self-signed digital IDs can be adequate for personal use or small-to-medium businesses. Their use should be limited to
parties that have established mutual trust.
IDs from certificate authorities
Most business transactions require a digital ID from a trusted third-party provider, called a certificate authority.
Because the certificate authority is responsible for verifying your identity to others, choose one that is trusted by major
companies doing business on the Internet. The Adobe website gives the names of Adobe security partners that offer
digital IDs and other security solutions. See Adobe Approved Trust List members.
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Create a self-signed digital ID
Sensitive transactions between businesses generally require an ID from a certificate authority rather than a self-signed
one.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Signatures.
2Select Identities & Trusted Certificates and click More.
3Select Digital IDs on the left, and then click the Add ID button .
4Select the option A New Digital ID I Want To Create Now, and click Next.
5Specify where to store the digital ID, and click Next.
New PKCS#12 Digital ID File Stores the digital ID information in a file, which has the extension .pfx in Windows and
.p12 in Mac OS. You can use the files interchangeably between operating systems. If you move a file from one
operating system to another, Acrobat still recognizes it.
Windows Certificate Store (Windows only) Stores the digital ID to a common location from where other Windows
applications can also retrieve it.
6Type a name, email address, and other personal information for your digital ID. When you certify or sign a
document, the name appears in the Signatures panel and in the Signature field.
7Choose an option from the Key Algorithm menu. The 2048-bit RSA option offers more security than 1024-bit RSA,
but 1024-bit RSA is more universally compatible.
8From the Use Digital ID For menu, choose whether you want to use the digital ID for signatures, data encryption,
or both.
9Type a password for the digital ID file. For each keystroke, the password strength meter evaluates your password
and indicates the password strength using color patterns. Reconfirm your password.
You can export and send your certificate file to contacts who can use it to validate your signature.
Note: Make a backup copy of your digital ID file. If your digital ID file is lost or corrupted, or if you forget your password,
you cannot use that profile to add signatures.
Register a digital ID
To use your digital ID, register your ID with Acrobat or Reader.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Signatures. In Identities & Trusted Certificates, and click More.
2Select Digital IDs on the left.
3Click the Add ID button .
4Choose one of the following options:
A File Select this option if you obtained a digital ID as an electronic file. Follow the prompts to select the digital ID
file, type your password, and add the digital ID to the list.
A Roaming Digital ID Stored On A Server Select this option to use a digital ID that’s stored on a signing server. When
prompted, type the server name and URL where the roaming ID is located.
A Device Connected To This Computer Select this option if you have a security token or hardware token connected
to your computer.
5Click Next, and follow the onscreen instructions to register your digital ID.
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Specify the default digital ID
To avoid being prompted to select a digital ID each time your sign or certify a PDF, you can select a default digital ID.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Signatures. In Identities & Trusted Certificates, and click More.
2Click Digital IDs on the left, and then select the digital ID you want to use as the default.
3Click the Usage Options button , and choose a task for which you want the digital ID as the default. To specify
the digital ID as the default for two tasks, click the Usage Options button again and select a second option.
A check mark appears next to selected options. If you select only the signing option, the Sign icon appears next
to the digital ID. If you select only the encryption option, the Lock icon appears. If you select only the certifying
option, or if you select the signing and certifying options, the Blue Ribbon icon appears.
To clear a default digital ID, repeat these steps, and deselect the usage options you selected.
Change the password and timeout for a digital ID
Passwords and timeouts can be set for PKCS #12 IDs. If the PKCS #12 ID contains multiple IDs, configure the password
and timeout at the file level.
Note: Self-signed digital IDs expire in five years. After the expiration date, you can use the ID to open, but not sign or
encrypt, a document.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Signatures. In Identities & Trusted Certificates, and click More.
2Expand Digital IDs on the left, select Digital ID Files, and then select a digital ID on the right.
3Click Change Password. Type the old password and a new password. For each keystroke, the password strength
meter evaluates your password and indicates the password strength using color patterns. Confirm the new
password, and then click OK.
4With the ID still selected, click the Password Timeout button.
5Specify how often you want to be prompted for a password:
Always Prompts you each time you use the digital ID.
After Lets you specify an interval.
Once Per Session Prompts you once each time you open Acrobat.
Never You’re n e v e r pro mpt e d f or a p a ss w or d.
6Type the password, and click OK.
Be sure to back up your password in a secure place. If you lose your password, either create a new self-signed digital ID
and delete the old one, or purchase one from a third-party provider.
Delete your digital ID
When you delete a digital ID in Acrobat, you delete the actual PKCS #12 file that contains both the private key and the
certificate. Before you delete your digital ID, ensure that it isn’t in use by other programs or required by any documents
for decrypting.
Note: You can delete only self-signed digital IDs that you created in Acrobat. A digital ID obtained from another provider
cannot be deleted.
1Choose Edit > Preferences > Signatures. In Identities & Trusted Certificates, and click More.
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2Select Digital IDs on the left, and then select the digital ID to remove.
3Click Remove ID, and then click OK.
Protecting digital IDs
By protecting your digital IDs, you can prevent unauthorized use of your private keys for signing or decrypting
confidential documents. Ensure that you have a procedure in place in the event your digital ID is lost or stolen.
How to protect your digital IDs
When private keys are stored on hardware tokens, smart cards, and other hardware devices that are password- or PIN-
protected, use a strong password or PIN. Never divulge your password to others. If you must write down your password,
store it in a secure location. Contact your system administrator for guidelines on choosing a strong password. Keep
your password strong by following these rules:
•Use eight or more characters.
•Mix uppercase and lowercase letters with numbers and special characters.
•Choose a password that is difficult to guess or hack, but that you can remember without having to write it down.
• Do not use a correctly spelled word in any language, as they are subject to “dictionary attacks” that can crack these
passwords in minutes.
•Change your password on a regular basis.
•Contact your system administrator for guidelines on choosing a strong password.
To protect private keys stored in P12/PFX files, use a strong password and set your password timeout options
appropriately. If using a P12 file to store private keys that you use for signing, use the default setting for password
timeout option. This setting ensures that your password is always required. If using your P12 file to store private keys
that are used to decrypt documents, make a backup copy of your private key or P12 file. You can use the backed up
private key of P12 file to open encrypted documents if you lose your keys.
The mechanisms used to protect private keys stored in the Windows certificate store vary depending on the company
that has provided the storage. Contact the provider to determine how to back up and protect these keys from
unauthorized access. In general, use the strongest authentication mechanism available and create a strong password or
PIN when possible.
What to do if a digital ID is lost or stolen
If your digital ID was issued by a certificate authority, immediately notify the certificate authority and request the
revocation of your certificate. In addition, you should not use your private key.
If your digital ID was self-issued, destroy the private key and notify anyone to whom you sent the corresponding public
key (certificate).
Smart cards and hardware tokens
A smart card looks like a credit card and stores your digital ID on an embedded microprocessor chip. Use the digital
ID on a smart card to sign and decrypt documents on computers that can be connected to a smart card reader. Some
smart card readers include a keypad for typing a personal identification number (PIN).
Similarly, a security hardware token is a small, keychain-sized device that you can use to store digital IDs and
authentication data. You can access your digital ID by connecting the token to a USB port on your computer or mobile
device.
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If you store your digital ID on a smart card or hardware token, connect it to your device to use it for signing documents.
More Help topics
Delete a certificate from trusted identities
Sharing certificates with others
About digital signatures
Securing documents with certificates
Securing PDFs with certificates
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDF content .
Certificate security
Use certificates to encrypt documents and to verify a digital signature. A digital signature assures recipients that the
document came from you. Encryption ensures that only the intended recipient can view the contents. A certificate
stores the public key component of a digital ID. For more information about digital IDs, see Digital IDs.
When you secure a PDF using a certificate, you specify the recipients and define the file access level for each recipient
or group. For example, you can allow one group to sign and fill forms and another to edit text or remove pages. You can
choose certificates from your list of trusted identities, files on disk, LDAP server, or the Windows certificate store
(Windows only). Always include your certificate in the recipient list so that you can open the document later.
Note: If possible, encrypt documents using certificates from third-party digital IDs. If the certificate is lost or stolen, the
issuing authority can replace it. If a self-signed digital ID is deleted, all PDFs that were encrypted using the certificate from
that ID are inaccessible forever.
Encrypt a PDF or PDF Portfolio with a certificate
To encrypt many PDFs, use Action Wizard in Acrobat Pro DC (Tools > Action Wizard) to apply a predefined sequence.
Alternatively, edit a sequence to add the security features you want. You can also save your certificate settings as a
security policy and reuse it to encrypt PDFs.
Note: For PDF Portfolios, Action Wizard applies security to the component PDFs but not to the PDF Portfolio itself. To
secure the entire PDF Portfolio, apply security to the portfolio’s cover sheet.
1For a single PDF or a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF. For a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio
and choose View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet.
2Choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Encrypt with Certificate. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
3At the prompt, click Yes.
4In the Certificate Security Settings dialog box, select the document components to encrypt.
5From the Encryption Algorithm menu, choose a rate of encryption, and then click Next.
The encryption algorithm and key size are version-specific. Recipients must have the corresponding version (or
later) of Acrobat or Reader to decrypt and read the document.
•If you select 128-bit AES, recipients must have Acrobat 7 or later or Reader 7 or later to open the document.
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•If you select 256-bit AES, Adobe Acrobat 9 or later or Adobe Reader 9 or later is required to open the document.
6Create a recipient list for the encrypted PDF. Always include your own certificate in the recipient list so that you are
able to open the document later.
•Click Search to locate identities in a directory server or in your list of trusted identities.
•Click Browse to locate the file that contains certificates of trusted identities.
•To set printing and editing restrictions for the document, select recipients from the list, and then click
Permissions.
7Click Next to review your settings, and then click Finish.
When a recipient opens the PDF or PDF Portfolio, the security settings you specified for that person are used.
Change encryption settings
1Do one of the following:
•For a single PDF or a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF.
•For a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and choose View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet.
2Select Tools > Protect > More Options > Security Properties. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
3Click Change Settings.
4Do any of the following, and then click Next.
•To encrypt different document components, select that option.
•To change the encryption algorithm, choose it from the menu.
5Do any of the following:
•To check a trusted identity, select the recipient, and then click Details.
•To remove recipients, select one or more recipients, and then click Remove. Do not remove your own certificate
unless you do not want access to the file using that certificate.
•To change permissions of recipients, select one or more recipients, and then click Permissions.
6Click Next, and then click Finish. Click OK to close the Document Properties dialog box, and save the document to
apply your changes.
Remove encryption settings
1Do one of the following:
•For a single PDF or a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF.
•For a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and choose View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet.
2Select Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Remove Security. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for
adding panels at Task panes .
3If prompted, type the permissions password. If you don’t know the permissions password, contact the author of the
PDF.
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Sharing certificates with others
Businesses that use certificates for secure workflows often store certificates on a directory server that participants can
search to expand their list of trusted identities.
When you receive a certificate from someone, you can add it to your list of trusted identities. You can set your trust
settings to trust all digital signatures and certified documents created with a specific certificate. You can also import
certificates from a certificate store, such as the Windows certificate store. A certificate store often contains numerous
certificates issued by different certification authorities.
For complete information on sharing certificates, see the Digital Signatures Guide (PDF) at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
Note: Third-party security providers usually validate identities by using proprietary methods. Or, they integrate their
validation methods with Acrobat. If you use a third-party security provider, see the documentation for the third-party
provider.
Get certificates from other users
Certificates that you receive from others are stored in a list of trusted identities. This list resembles an address book and
enables you to validate the signatures of these users on any documents you receive from them.
Add a certificate from email
When a contact sends a certificate to you in email, it is displayed as an import/export methodology file attachment.
1Double-click the email attachment, then click Set Contact Trust in the dialog box that appears.
2Select the contact and click Import.
3Supply any password required and click Next. Click OK to view the import details, and then click OK again.
4Choose the location and click Next. Then click Finish.
5Click Set Contact Trust again to see that the contact has been added to Certificates. Select the certificate to view
Details and Trust information.
•For Trust, select the options desired.
•Use This Certificate As A Trusted Root only if it is required to validate a digital signature. Once you make a
certificate a trust anchor, you prevent revocation checking on it (or any certificate in the chain).
•To allow actions that can be a security risk, click Certified Documents, and then select the options you want to
allow:
Dynamic ContentIncludes FLV and SWF files as well as external links.
Embedded High Privilege JavaScriptTrusts embedded scripts.
Privileged System OperationsIncludes networking, printing, and file access
Add a certificate from a digital signature in a PDF
You can safely add a certificate to your trusted identities from a signed PDF by first verifying the fingerprint with the
originator or the certificate.
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1Open the PDF containing the signature.
2Open the Signatures panel, and select the signature.
3On the Options menu, click Show Signature Properties, and then click Show Signer’s Certificate.
4If the certificate is self-signed, contact the originator of the certificate to confirm that the fingerprint values on the
Details tab are correct. Trust the certificate only if the values match the values of the originator.
5Click the Trust tab, click Add To Trusted Certificates, and click OK.
6In the Import Contact Settings dialog box, specify trust options, and click OK.
Set up Acrobat to search the Windows certificate store (Windows only)
1Select Preferences > Signatures. For Verification, click More.
2Select the desired options under Windows Integration, and click OK twice.
Trusting certificates from the Windows certificate store is not recommended.
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Import certificates using the Windows Certificate Wizard (Windows only)
If you use the Windows certificate store to organize your certificates, you can import certificates using a wizard in
Windows Explorer. To import certificates, identify the file that contains the certificates, and determine the file location.
1In Windows Explorer, right-click the certificate file and choose Install PFX.
2Follow the onscreen instructions to add the certificate to the Windows certificate store.
3If you are prompted to validate the certificate before installing it, note the MD5 digest and SHA1 digest values
(fingerprint). Contact the originator of the certificate to confirm that the values are correct before you trust the
certificate. Click OK.
Verify information on a certificate
The Certificate Viewer dialog box provides user attributes and other information about a certificate. When others
import your certificate, they often want to check your fingerprint information against the information they receive with
the certificate. (The fingerprint refers to the MD5 digest and SHA1 digest values.) You can check certificate information
for your digital ID files or the ID files that you import.
For more information about verifying certificates, see the Digital Signatures User Guide (PDF) at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
The Certificate Viewer dialog box provides the following information:
•Certificate validation period
•Intended use of the certificate
•Certificate data, such as the serial number and public key method
You can also check if the certificate authority has revoked the certificate. Certificates are typically revoked when an
employee leaves the company or when security is compromised in some way.
Verify your own certificate
1Select Preferences > Signatures. In Identities & Trusted Certificates, and click More.
2Select your digital ID, and then click Certificate Details .
Verify information on the certificate of a contact
1Select the Signatures pane and choose. In the Options menu, select Show Signature Properties.
2Select Show Signer’s Certificate to see details of the certificate.
Delete a certificate from trusted identities
1Select Preferences > Signatures. In Identities & Trusted Certificates, and click More.
2Select the certificate, and click Remove ID.
More Help topics
About digital IDs
About PDF Portfolios
Certified PDF Portfolios
Export security settings
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Opening secured PDFs
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat and PDF content .
Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC warn you any time you try to open a URL (website) or a file attachment that uses
a disallowed file type. URLs and disallowed file types are potentially dangerous because they can transfer or run
programs, macros, or viruses that can damage your computer. Examples of disallowed file types include .exe and .zip
files.
Documents can be secured in several ways. To view the security settings of a document, choose File > Properties in
Acrobat or Reader. From the Document Properties dialog box, click the Security tab. If you have trouble opening a PDF,
or you’re restricted from using certain features, contact the author of the PDF.
Password protected A password-protected PDF either requires a password to open or a password to change or remove
restricted operations. If a document has restricted features, tools and options related to those features are dimmed.
Certified Certifying a document assures recipients that the document is authentic. Certifying signatures also include
information to allow or disallow particular actions, such as filling forms and modifying the document. When you
submit a certified form, you are assured that it is going back to the valid author. A document with a valid certificate
displays a Blue Ribbon icon . A PDF Portfolio with a valid certificate displays a Signature Badge.
Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES configured Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES (ALCRMS) lets you
manage accounts and configure security policies for your organization. ALCRMS lets you apply a policy to documents
without the need for digital signatures and certificates.
More Help topics
About Certificate signatures | Digital signatures
Securing documents with passwords
Certificate security
Removing sensitive content from PDFs
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDFs.
Why redact or remove sensitive content?
Before you distribute a PDF, you may want to examine the document for sensitive content or private information that
can trace the document to you. Use the Redact tools to remove or redact sensitive images and text that are visible in a
PDF.
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Use the Remove Hidden Information feature to find and remove hidden content from a PDF. For example, if you
created the PDF, the document metadata normally lists your name as the author. You may also want to remove content
that can inadvertently change and modify the document’s appearance. JavaScript, actions, and form fields are types of
content that are subject to change.
Redact sensitive content (Acrobat Pro DC)
Redaction is the process of permanently removing visible text and graphics from a document. You use the Redact tools
to remove content. In place of the removed items, you can have redaction marks that appear as colored boxes, or you
can leave the area blank. You can specify custom text or redaction codes to appear over the redaction marks.
Note: If you want to locate and remove specific words, characters, or phrases, use the Find Text tool instead.
1Choose Tools> Redact.
The Redact toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, choose Mark for Redaction > Tex t & Imag e s.
3(Optional) To set the appearance of redaction marks, click Properties in the secondary toolbar. (See Change the look
of redaction marks (Acrobat Pro DC).)
4Mark items you want to remove by doing any of the following:
•Double-click to select a word or image.
•Drag to select a line, block of text, object, or area.
•Press Ctrl as you drag to select areas of a page in a scanned document.
To preview how your redaction marks appear, hold the pointer over the marked area.
5To apply multiple code entries to a single redaction, right-click a redaction mark and select an option. For more
information, see Apply multiple code entries to a single redaction.
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6(Optional) To repeat a redaction mark, right-click it and choose Repeat Mark Across Pages. This feature is
convenient if a particular header, footer, or watermark appears in the same location on many pages.
7When you have finished marking the items you want to redact, click Apply in the secondary toolbar to remove the
items, then click OK.
The items aren’t permanently removed from the document until you save it.
8If you want to search for and remove hidden information in the document by using the Remove Hidden Information
feature, click Yesin the dialog box. Otherwise, click No.
9Choose File > Save, and specify a filename and location. The suffix “_Redacted” is appended to the filename. If you
don’t want to overwrite the original file, save the file with a different name, at a different location, or both.
Search and remove text (Acrobat Pro DC)
Use the Find Texttool to find and remove words or phrases in one or more PDFs that contain searchable text.
Note: The Find Text tool doesn’t search secured (encrypted) PDFs.
1Choose Tools > Redact.
The Redact toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, choose Mark For Redaction > Find Text.
3In the Search dialog box, specify if you want to search the current PDF or all PDFs in another location.
4Do one of the following:
•To search for only one word or phrase, choose Single Word Or Phrase and type the word or phrase in the text
field.
•To search for multiple words, select Multiple Words Or Phrase, and then click Select Words. Type each word in
the New Word Or Phrase text field and click Add. You can also import a text file with the list of words or phrases
to search for.
•To search for a pattern (for example, phone numbers, credit card numbers, email addresses, social security
numbers, or dates), click Patterns. Choose one of the available patterns. You can change the language version of
the patterns. (See Select a different language version for patterns (Acrobat Pro DC).)
5Click Search & Remove Text.
6In the search results, click the plus sign (+) next to the document name to see all occurrences of the word or phrase.
Then, select the occurrences you want to mark for redaction:
•To select all occurrences in the list, click Check All.
•To select individual occurrences, click the check box for each one you want to redact. Click the text next to a
check box to view the occurrence on the page.
•To mark none of the occurrences, close the Search dialog box or click New Search to start over.
•To mark whole words or partial words (characters) for redaction, select the option under Redaction Mark
Options. For partial words, select Mark Partial Word(s) For Redaction the Settings dialog box appears. In the
Settings dialog box, specify the number and location of the characters for redaction. Character redaction is
useful if you’re searching for a pattern, like credit card numbers, and want to leave part of the number visible for
identification purposes.
7If you selected occurrences that you want to mark for redaction, click Mark Checked Results For Redaction.
The items you selected in the list are shown marked for redaction.
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Note: If you haven’t saved the file, you can select redaction marks in the document and press Delete to remove the
redaction mark. The redaction marks become permanent after you save the file.
8To remove the marked items, click Apply in the secondary toolbar, and then click OK.
The items aren’t permanently removed from the document until you save it.
9If you want to search for and remove hidden information in the document by using the Remove Hidden Information
feature, click Yes. Otherwise, click No.
10 Choose File > Save, and specify a filename and location. If you don’t want to overwrite the original file, save the file
with a different name, at a different location, or both.
Find and remove hidden content
Use the Remove Hidden Information feature to find and remove content from a document that you don’t want, such as
hidden text, metadata, comments, and attachments. When you remove items, additional items are automatically
removed from the document. Items that are removed include digital signatures, document information added by third-
party plug-ins and applications, and special features that enable Adobe Reader users to review, sign, and fill PDF
documents.
To examine every PDF for hidden content before you close it or send it in email, specify that option in the Documents
preferences using the Preferences dialog box.
1Choose Tools > Redact.
The Redact toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Remove Hidden Information.
If items are found, they are listed in the Remove Hidden Information panel with a selected check box beside each
item.
3Make sure that the check boxes are selected only for the items that you want to remove from the document. (See
Remove Hidden Information options.)
4Click Remove to delete selected items from the file, and click OK.
5Choose File > Save, and specify a filename and location. If you don’t want to overwrite the original file, save the file
with a different name, at a different location, or both.
The selected content is permanently removed when you save the file. If you close the file without saving it, repeat this
process, making sure to save the file.
Remove Hidden Information options
Metadata
Metadata includes information about the document and its contents, such as the author’s name, keywords, and
copyright information. To view metadata, choose File > Properties.
File Attachments
Files of any format can be attached to the PDF as an attachment. To view attachments, choose View > Show/Hide >
Navigation Panes > Attachments.
Bookmarks
Bookmarks are links with representational text that open specific pages in the PDF. To view bookmarks, choose View
> Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Bookmarks.
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Comments And Markups
This item includes all comments that were added to the PDF using the comment and markup tool, including files
attached as comments. To view comments, choose Too l s > Comments.
Form Fields
This item includes Form Fields (including Signature fields), and all Actions and calculations associated with form
fields. If you remove this item, all form fields are flattened and can no longer be filled out, edited, or signed.
Hidden Text
This item indicates text in the PDF that is either transparent, covered up by other content, or the same color as the
background.
Hidden Layers
PDFs can contain multiple layers that can be shown or hidden. Removing hidden layers removes these layers from the
PDF and flattens remaining layers into a single layer. To view layers, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes >
Layers.
Embedded Search Index
An embedded search index speeds up searches in the PDF file. To determine if the PDF contains a search index, choose
Tools > Index and then click Manage Embedded Index in the secondary toolbar. Removing indexes decreases file size
but increases search time for the PDF.
Deleted Or Cropped Content
PDFs sometimes retain content that has been removed and no longer visible, such as cropped or deleted pages, or
deleted images.
Links, Actions And JavaScripts
This item includes web links, actions added by the Actions wizard, and JavaScripts throughout the document.
Overlapping Objects
This item includes objects that overlap one another. The objects can be images (composed of pixels), vector graphics
(composed of paths), gradients, or patterns.
Select a different language version for patterns (Acrobat Pro DC)
Localized patterns appear in the Search panel (Redact > Mark For Redaction > Find Text).
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat > Preferences (Mac OS).
2From the Categories on the left, select Documents.
3In the Redaction area, choose a language from the Choose Localization For Search & Remove Text Patterns menu.
Then click OK.
Change the look of redaction marks (Acrobat Pro DC)
By default, thin red outlines appear around images and text you mark for redaction, and black boxes appear in place of
redacted images and text. You can set the default appearance of redaction marks before you mark items for redaction.
You can also change the look of redaction marks before you apply the redactions.
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Set the default look of all marks
1Click Too l s > Redact.
The Redact toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, choose Properties.
The Redaction Tool Properties dialog box is displayed.
3On the Appearance tab, select options you want to change, and then click OK:
•Click the Redacted Area Fill Color icon and select a fill color from the color palette for the boxes that replace
removed items. Choose No Color to leave the redacted area blank.
•Select Use Overlay Text if you want to select the custom text or redaction code options. Select the font, size, and
text alignment.
•Select Custom Text, and type the text you want to appear in the redacted area.
•Select Redaction Code, and then either select a code within an existing set, or click Edit Code to define a new
code set or a new code. (See Create redaction codes and code sets.)
•In the Redaction Mark Appearance area, click the Outline Color icon or Fill Color icon or both. Select a color
from the color palette for the images and text you mark for redaction. Move the slider to adjust the opacity of the
color. Choose No Color to leave the selected area blank.
Properties for redaction text (Acrobat Pro DC)
Custom Text Displays text you type into the Custom Text option over the redaction mark.
Font Displays custom text in the selected font.
Font Size Displays custom text in the selected point size.
Auto-Size Text To Fit Redaction Region Resizes custom text to fit within the redacted area. When selected, this option
overrides the Font Size setting for the overlay text.
Font Color Displays custom text in the selected color, which you can change by clicking the color swatch.
Repeat Overlay Text Fills the redacted area with as many instances of the custom text as needed, without changing the
font size. For example, if you specify the letter x or a hyphen (-) as the custom text, these characters are repeated
throughout the redacted area.
Text Alignment Aligns text to the left, right, or center.
Redaction codes (Acrobat Pro DC)
Acrobat uses overlay text to overprint areas selected for redaction. One example of overlay text is a redaction code,
which consists of one or more code entries from a code set. Acrobat includes the U.S. FOIA and U.S. Privacy Act code
sets that you can use. You can use either codes or custom text to create overlay text. The difference is that redaction
codes are text entries that you can save, export, and import. One code set can contain multiple codes.
Note: Codes don’t save the current attributes for overlay text as part of the code definition, such as colors, font
characteristics, and repetition or size of text. Codes only make the overlay text itself reusable in future sessions and by other
users with whom you share code sets. You set other attributes for the code in the Redaction Tool Properties dialog box.
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Create redaction codes and code sets
1Click Tools > Redact.
The Redact toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, choose Properties.
The Redaction Tool Properties dialog box is displayed.
3Select Use Overlay Text.
4Select Redaction Code.
•To add multiple code entries to a redaction code, select an entry from the Code Entries list and click Add Selected
Entry. Repeat as desired. Select Remove Selected Entry to delete a code entry present in the Redaction Code list.
•Click Edit Codes to make additional changes.
5In the Redaction Code Editor dialog box, click Add Set.
6(Optional) Type a new name for the set in the text field below the list of code sets, and then click Rename Set.
7Click Add Code, and type the text that you want to appear as overlay text in the text field below the list of code
entries, and then click Rename Code.
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8Repeat the previous step to add another code entry to that code set, or repeat the previous three steps to create
additional code sets and codes.
Edit redaction codes and code sets (Acrobat Pro DC)
1Click Tools > Redact.
The Redact toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, choose Properties.
The Redaction Tool Properties dialog box is displayed.
3Select Use Overlay Text, and then select Redaction Code.
4Select a code set from the list on the left, and click Edit Codes.
5In the Redaction Code Editor dialog box, do any of the following:
•To remove a code set and all of the code entries within it, select an entry form the Code Set and click Remove Set.
•To export a code set to a separate XML file that you can reuse in other PDFs or share with others, select the code
set. Then click Export Set, specify a filename and location, and click Save.
•To import a previously saved code set, click Import Set, locate and select that file, and click Open.
•To rename a code set, select an entry from the Code Set, type a new name in the box below the list and click
Rename Set.
6With the Code Set selected, select the code entry that you want to edit, and do one of the following:
•To remove a code entry, click Remove Code.
•To rename a code entry, type a new name in the box below the list and click Rename Code.
Apply multiple code entries to a single redaction
1Right-click the redaction marker.
2Select a Code Set from the list at the bottom of the context menu, and then select a code entry from the drop-down
menu. A check mark appears next to the code entry when the code is applied.
3Repeat the previous steps to add another code entry to the redaction.
Hold your pointer over the redaction mark to see the code entries, each one separated by a comma.
To apply the same code to multiple redactions, set the redaction properties before you mark the content. In the secondary
toolbar, click Properties. Select Use Overlay Text, then select Redaction Code. Select a Code Set and a code entry, then
click Add Selected Entry.
Additional resources
•Using the redaction tools in legal situations: blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/
Protected View feature for PDFs (Windows only)
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat and PDF content .
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Protected View provides an additional level of security. When Protected View in enabled, PDFs are displayed in a
restricted environment called a sandbox. This isolation of the PDFs reduces the risk of security breaches in areas
outside the sandbox. Adobe strongly recommends that you use Acrobat DC in Protected View if you are concerned
about security, or if you frequently interact with PDFs on the Internet.
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC includes a similar restricted environment called Protected Mode. For information about
Reader Protected Mode, see Reader Help.
When Protected View is enabled, only basic navigation is allowed. For example, you can open PDFs, scroll through
pages, and click links. You can enable Protected View in a PDF that you view in either stand-alone Acrobat DC or in a
web browser.
PDF in stand-alone Acrobat DC In Protected View, Acrobat DC displays a warning for a PDF that doesn’t originate from
a trusted location. The warning lets you decide whether to trust the document.
You can find out whether a PDF opened in a browser is in Protected View. Right-click the document in the browser and
choose Document Properties. Click the Advanced tab. When Protected View is enabled, the status says Protected Mode:
On.
Enable or disable Protected View
Unlike Protected Mode in Acrobat Reader DC, Protected View in Acrobat DC is off by default.
1Choose Preferences.
2From the Categories on the left, select Security (Enhanced).
3Select the Enable Enhanced Security option.
4Choose one of the following options:
Off Disables Protected View, if you have enabled it. Protected View is off by default.
Files From Potentially Unsafe Locations Enables Protected View and displays the warning for all files originating
from an untrusted location. Files and locations that you add to the Privileged Locations area of the Enhanced
Security panel are exempt from Protected View.
All files Enables Protected View in all PDFs that you open in either stand-alone Acrobat or in a browser.
Bypass Protected View restrictions
Choose any of these options:
•Select Off in the Enhanced Security panel of the Security (Enhanced) preferences.
•Add files, folders, and locations to the Privileged Locations area of the Enhanced Security panel. (See Specify
privileged locations for trusted content.)
Additional resources
For more information on Protected View, see the following resources:
•Protected View troubleshooting: Protected View troubleshooting.
•Application Security Guide: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.
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More Help topics
Enhanced security
Bypassing enhanced security restrictions
Specify privileged locations for trusted content
Security warnings when a PDF opens
You sometimes see a warning when you open a PDF. The warning comes in many forms (three are shown below).
What does the warning mean?
The warning is asking whether you trust the people who sent you the PDF or the site in which the PDF is displayed.
The warning appears because the PDF content can potentially harm your computer. For example, the warning is
displayed for PDFs that can transfer or run programs and macros. It does not necessarily mean that the PDF is harmful.
What is the right action to take?
Some product features assign trust through their own Preferences panel. For example, the Trust Manager includes for
managing URL access, and Multimedia Trust (Legacy) has options for playing embedded multimedia. For features
affected when enhanced security is enabled, you can selectively allow restricted actions by using a method described in
Bypass enhanced security restrictions.
To open Preferences, choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Adobe Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences
(Mac OS).
If you know and trust the sender
If you trust the PDF or the company or individual who sent it, click the Options, Allow, or Play button. (The buttons
vary depending on the warning.) You can now view the PDF.
If you don’t know or trust the sender
If you don't trust the PDF or don't know who created it or where it came from, don't click the Options, Allow, or Play
button. Acrobat DC and Adobe Acrobat Reader DC continues to block the suspicious content or actions. To hide the
warning, click the Close or Cancel button. If you click any of the blocked content, the warning reappears.
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No Options, Allow, or Play button?
If the warning does not contain an Options, Allow, or Play button, your administrator has disabled this feature. You
cannot choose to trust or allow this content. Click the Close or Cancel button to hide the warning. You can view the
PDF, but you cannot access any of the blocked content. Contact your administrator for more information.
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat and PDF content .
When are security warnings displayed?
Security warnings can be displayed in the following situations:
Blacklisted JavaScript
JavaScript is a computer language in widespread use. JavaScript code can be vulnerable to attacks, and JavaScript can
be used to open websites. Adobe regularly updates the blacklist with known JavaScript vulnerabilities. If a PDF tries to
access blacklisted JavaScript, you see a message in the yellow document bar, at the top.
For administrators:
•For instructions on how to manage JavaScript execution, see the article JavaScripts in PDFs as a security risk
•For more information about the situations that trigger JavaScript warnings and blacklisted JavaScript, see
www.adobe.com/go/acroappsecurity.
Security settings updates
Adobe periodically distributes certificates for security purposes. These downloads help ensure that digitally signed
PDFs from trusted sources maintain their trusted status. If you receive an update from an unknown source, verify that
it is from a web address that you trust before proceeding. Updates from untrusted websites can create vulnerabilities on
your computer.
Accessing stream objects (XObjects)
Acrobat and Reader display a warning when a PDF attempts to access external content identified as a stream object.
For example, a URL might point to an external image. The silent transmission of data can pose a security risk as Acrobat
and Reader communicate with an external source.
Inserting data into PDFs and forms
A warning appears when an untrusted source attempts to add data to a PDF form. Although this data-injection feature
can streamline workflows in your organization, it can also be used to add malicious data into a PDF.
Silent printing
Silent printing is printing to a file or printer without your confirmation. It is a potential security risk because a
malicious file can silently print multiple times to your printer, wasting printer resources. It can also prevent other
documents from printing by keeping the printer busy.
Contact your system administrator to determine when to allow silent printing.
Web links
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In addition to visible web links in a PDF document, form fields can contain hidden JavaScript that open a page in a
browser or silently request data from the Internet.
Note: Acrobat and Reader X, 9.3, and 8.2 enable enhanced security by default. Adobe recommends that you enable
enhanced security if it is not already enabled, and bypass restrictions only for trusted content.
More Help topics
Enhanced security
Document message bar
Play multimedia
Multimedia Trust preferences
Setting up security policies for PDFs
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDF content .
Types of security policies
If you often apply the same security settings to multiple PDFs, you can save your settings as a policy that you can reuse.
Security policies save time while ensuring a consistently secure workflow. Creating policies for password and certificate
security lets you reuse the same security settings for any number of PDFs. Two kinds of security policies are available:
•Organizational policies are especially useful if you want others to have access to PDFs for a limited time. Adobe
LiveCycleRights Management ES policies are stored on a server. Users must have access to the server to use these
policies. Creating these policies requires specifying the document recipients from a list on Adobe LiveCycleRights
Management ES. Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES controls access to PDFs and auditing events as defined by
the security policy. You can use Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES if your company has licensed the software
and made it available to you.
•User policies are created and applied by individuals. If you apply the same security settings to numerous documents,
you can save time by creating a user policy. Then, apply the user policy to documents. User policies for passwords
and public key certificates are stored on your local computer. With access to Adobe LiveCycleRights Management
ES, you can create a user policy that’s stored on Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES. That policy is available only
to you.
How organizational policies are authenticated
In addition to reusing security settings, policies stored on Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES enable you to expire
and revoke documents. You can also maintain accountability by auditing users who open protected documents.
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A Policies are stored on server. B Policies are applied to a PDF. C Users can open, edit, and print a document only if permitted by policy.
Setting up server-based security policies involves four main stages:
Configure the Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES The system administrator of your company or group usually
configures Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES, manages accounts, and sets up organizational policies. For more
information on configuringAdobe LiveCycleRights Management ES, see the Adobe website.
Publish a document with a security policy An author creates a PDF and applies a policy stored on Adobe LiveCycle
Rights Management ES to the PDF. The server generates a license and unique encryption key for the PDF. Acrobat
embeds the license in the PDF and encrypts it using the encryption key. The author or administrator can use this license
to track and audit the PDF.
View a document with a policy applied When users try to open the secure PDF in Acrobat 9 (or Reader 9), they must
authenticate their identities. If the user is granted access to the PDF, the PDF is decrypted and opens with the
permissions specified in the policy.
Administer events and modify access By logging in to an Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES account, the author
or administrator can track events and change access to policy-secured PDFs. Administrators can view all PDF and
system events, modify configuration settings, and change access to policy-secured PDFs.
Create a user security policy
User policies can use passwords, certificates, or Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES to authenticate documents.
The policies for password and certificate security can be stored on a local computer. Security policies created using
Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES are stored on a server. You can audit actions and change security settings
dynamically. You can use Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES if your company has licensed the software and made
it available to you.
Create a password policy
1In Acrobat Dc, choose To ols > Protect > Encrypt > Manage Security Policies. If you don’t see the Protection panel,
see the instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
2Click New.
3Select Use Passwords, and then click Next.
4Type a name and description for the policy, do one of the following, and then click Next:
•To specify passwords and restrictions whenever you apply this policy to a document, clear the Save Passwords
With The Policy option.
•To save passwords and restriction settings with the policy, select Save Passwords With The Policy.
5Specify a compatibility setting and password options. If you selected Save Passwords With The Policy, specify the
password and restrictions. Click OK.
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6Review the policy details, click Finish, and then click Close.
Create a certificate policy
1In Acrobat DC, choose To o ls > Protect > Encrypt > Manage Security Policies. If you don’t see the Protection panel,
see the instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
2Click New.
3Select Use Public Key Certificates, and then click Next.
4Type a name and description for the policy, and specify the document components to encrypt.
Certificates must be current and have key usage that allows for encryption.
5Determine how to enforce the policy:
•To create a policy that is associated with individual recipients, do not select Ask For Recipients When Applying
This Policy.
•To create a policy that is associated with individual documents, select Ask For Recipients When Applying This
Policy.
6Select an encryption algorithm from the menu that is compatible with the recipients’ version of Acrobat, and click
Next.
7Do one of the following:
•If you selected Ask For Recipients When Applying This Policy, review the policy settings and then click Finish.
•If you did not select Ask For Recipients When Applying This Policy, specify recipients by selecting digital IDs
(including your digital ID). Then click Next.
8Click Finish.
Creating policies for secure file attachments
You can add security to one or more documents by embedding them in a security envelope and sending it as an email
attachment. This method is useful if you want to send a secure file attachment without encrypting the files. You can
embed the documents as file attachments in a security envelope, and encrypt and send the envelope to the recipients.
When the recipients open the envelope, they can extract the file attachments and save them. The saved files are identical
to the original file attachments and are no longer encrypted when saved.
For example, when you send confidential documents, including non-PDF files, you only want the recipient to view the
documents. You can embed these documents as attachments in a security envelope, encrypt the envelope, and send it
by email. Anyone can open the envelope, view its cover page, and even view a list of the contents. However, only the
recipient can view the embedded attachments and extract them.
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1Choose Tools > Protect > More Protection > Create Security Envelope. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
2Click Add File To Send, select the documents you want to attach, and then click Open. Click Next.
3Select an envelope template, and click Next.
4Select a delivery method, and click Next.
5If an envelope policy has been created, select it or select New Policy. Then, follow the steps to create a policy.
6Review the information and click Finish.
7For some policies, you are asked to type the information you want displayed on the envelope. Enter enough
information to allow recipients to identify the sender of the envelope.
8Complete the security information (password, certificate, or policy).
9When the envelope is displayed, type the names of the recipients. Then, either click the Save or Mail icon in the
toolbar.
If you click the Mail icon, your default email program opens with the security envelope as an attachment. Type the
email addresses of the recipients, and send the email message.
Create a user security policy with Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
If you have access to Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES, you can restrict document access and rights of
individuals registered with the server. When you create a user policy usingAdobe LiveCycleRights Management ES,
you’re redirected to the AdobeLiveCycle Rights Management ES web page.
1Do one of the following:
•For a single PDF or a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF.
•For a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and choose View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet.
2Choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Manage. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding
panels at Task panes .
3Click New.
4Select Use The Adobe LiveCycleRights Management, and click Next.
5On the Adobe LiveCycleRights Management web page, click Policies, and then click New.
6Type a name and description, set the validity period, and any other options.
7Select the users or groups, set permissions for them, and click OK.
8Specify the document components you want to encrypt, and whether you want a watermark.
9When you’re done, click Save at the top of the page.
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Apply security policies to PDFs
You can apply either an organization policy or a user policy to a PDF. To apply a server policy to a document, connect
to Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES. Adobe LiveCycleRights Management security policies must be stored on a
server, but PDFs to which the policies are applied need not. You can apply policies to PDFs using Acrobat, server-side
batch sequences, or other applications, such as Microsoft Outlook.
Only the policy administrator can edit or remove organizational policies. For details on editing security policies, choose
Tools > Protection > More Protection > Rights Management > Manage Account. Then click Help in the upper-right
corner.
Apply a security policy to a PDF
1Do one of the following:
•For a single PDF or a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF.
•For a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and choose View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet.
2If you are using a server policy, choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Manage Security Policies. Select a policy. Choose
an Adobe LiveCycleRights Management policy from the list and then click Refresh.
Refreshing security policies ensures that you get the most up-to-date server policies.
3Choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Manage Security Policies. Select a policy, and then click Apply To Document.
If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
Apply a policy to attachments in Outlook
You can send different types of files as secure PDF attachments in Microsoft Outlook. This option is available only if
Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES is set up and available in Acrobat.
1In Outlook, choose New Mail Message on the Home ribbon.
2Click the Attach As Secured Adobe PDF button on the Adobe PDF ribbon.
3Select the file you want to attach by typing the file path or by clicking Browse.
4Specify how you want to secure the document, and click OK.
The file is converted to PDF and encrypted using the security method you choose.
5Complete the email message, and then click Send.
Remove a user security policy from a PDF
You can remove a security policy from a PDF if you have appropriate permissions. In general, a document owner can
remove a security policy from a PDF.
1Do one of the following:
•For a single PDF or a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF.
•For a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and choose View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet.
2Select Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Remove Security. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for
adding panels at Task panes .
Export security settings
1Choose Preferences > Security > Export.
2Choose which groups of settings you want to share and click OK.
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3Review and modify the security settings as needed, and then click Export.
4Select the method to use to encrypt the security settings (if desired), and then click OK.
5Choose Recipients and click OK twice.
Sign the file.
Copy, edit, or delete a policy
1Choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Manage Security Settings. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
2From the Show menu, choose whether you want to display all policies that you have access to, user policies that
you’ve created, or organizational policies.
3Select a policy, and then use the options you want:
Note: Options to edit or delete organizational policies aren’t available unless you have administrator rights to Adobe
LiveCycleRights Management ES. Changes to these policies can be made only on Adobe LiveCycleRights Management
ES, which opens automatically when you select an option.
Copy Use to create a policy that’s based on the settings of an existing policy.
Edit Editing a user policy that is stored on a local computer affects only documents to which the policy is applied
after the policy is edited. For user policies stored on a server, you can edit the permission settings and other options.
This option isn’t available for organizational policies.
Delete This option is not available usually for organizational policies.
Favorite If this option is selected, a star appears next to the policy. To remove a policy from the favorites, click
Favorite again. You can apply the Favorite option to multiple policies. Use this option to make a policy easier to
retrieve.
Revoke a policy-protected PDF
To restrict access to a policy-protected PDF that you made available to a group of users, you can revoke the document.
1Do one of the following:
•For a single PDF or a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF and log in to Adobe LiveCycle Rights
Management ES.
•For a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio, log in to Adobe LiveCycleRights Management, and choose View >
Portfolio > Cover Sheet.
2Choose Tools > Protect > More Protection > Rights Management > Revoke. If you don’t see the Protection panel,
see the instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
3From the menu on the web page, choose an option that explains why you’re revoking the document, or type a
message. If you’re replacing the revoked document, type the URL location of the new document.
4Click OK to save your changes.
More Help topics
Securing documents with certificates
Securing documents with passwords
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Securing documents with Adobe LiveCycle Rights ManagementES
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
Securing PDFs with Adobe LiveCycle Rights
Management ES
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat and PDF content .
Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES is a server-based security system that provides dynamic control over PDFs.
Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES can be configured to run with LDAP, ADS, and other enterprise systems.
Policies provided by Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES are stored on the server and can be refreshed from the
server. Users connect to Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES to work with these policies.
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
Security policies are stored on a server runningAdobe LiveCycleRights Management ES, but the PDFs are not. In some
situations, users are required to connect to the server to open or continue to use PDFs to which a security policy is
applied. For information on configuring Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES, click Help on the Adobe
LiveCycleRights Management ES website after you log in to your account.
Connect to Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
1Choose Tools > Protect > More Protection > Security Properties. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
2Click Adobe LiveCycleRights Management Servers in Security Method. Click Yes and select a server.
3Click the New button .
4Type a name in the Name box and the URL in the Server Name box. Add the port number, and click Connect To
This Server.
5Type the user name and password for your account, and click OK.
View Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES policies
1Choose Tools > Protect > More Protection > Rights Management > Manage Account. If you don’t see the
Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at Task panes .
The Adobe LiveCycleRights Management page opens in your web browser.
2If prompted, type your user name and password, and click Login.
3Click the Policies link on the page.
For more information on using Adobe LiveCycleRights Management, click the Help link in the upper right corner.
Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDFs
Security applies in two general contexts: application (software) security and content security.
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Application security involves customizing security features to protect Acrobat and Reader against vulnerabilities,
malicious attacks, and other risks. Advanced users can customize the application through the user interface. Enterprise
administrators can also configure the registry. See the following articles for details.
Content security involves the use of product features to protect the integrity of PDF content. These features safeguard
against the unwanted alteration of PDFs, keep sensitive information private, prevent the printing of PDFs, and so on.
See the following articles for details.
A related subject is digital signatures, meant to guarantee the identity of senders and recipients of PDFs. See Certificate-
based signaturesfor a list of topics related to digital signatures.
More Help topics
Security warnings when a PDF opens
Enhanced security setting for PDFs
Protected View feature for PDFs (Windows only)
Allow or block links to the Internet in PDFs
Attachments as security risks in Reader and Acrobat
JavaScripts in PDFs as a security risk
More Help topics
Opening secured documents
Choosing a security method
Securing documents with passwords
Securing documents with certificates
Securing documents with Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
Setting up security policies
Digital IDs
Removing sensitive content
JavaScripts in PDFs as a security risk
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDF content .
Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC let you adjust application behavior so that JavaScript executes within your desired
level of security. This helps restrict application access to JavaScript APIs and isolates workflows that do not require
JavaScript APIs.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences (Mac OS).
2From the Categories on the left, select JavaScript.
3In the JavaScript Security panel, set options to manage JavaScript: as needed.
Enable Acrobat JavaScript Uncheck to disable JavaScript completely or restrict JavaScript through APIs.
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Enable Menu Items JavaScript Execution Privileges Enables executing JavaScript by clicking menu items. When off,
privileged JavaScript calls can be executed through the menu. Executing non-privileged JavaScript calls through
menu items is not blocked whether this box is checked or not.
Enable Global Object Security Policy Allows JavaScript globally through APIs, or trusts specific documents
containing JavaScripts.
Alternatively, you can modify your system registry settings to manage JavaScript execution.
For details, see the Application Security Guide at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.
Choosing a security method for PDFs
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat DC and PDF content .
By adding security to documents, you can limit viewing, editing, printing, and other options to only the specified users.
Choosing which type of security to use
Security features range from relatively simple measures to sophisticated systems adopted by corporations and agencies.
Which feature you choose depends on what you want to achieve. Here are some examples:
•You want only certain people to view your PDF. The easiest solution is to add a password to the PDF and send it
to your intended recipients. (See Password security and restricting printing, editing, and copying.)
•You don’t want anyone to print or edit your PDF. You can block printing and editing from the same dialog box
that you use to add a password. (See Password security and restricting printing, editing, and copying.)
•You want to assure your recipients that the PDF is really from you. The best way is to purchase a digital ID from
a certificate authority. Alternatively, you can create a self-signed digital ID if you are communicating with a group
that you trust. (See About digital IDsand Securing documents with certificates .)
•You want an organization-wide security solution for PDFs. You can devise a solution specifically for a company
handling sensitive data. Some organizations use Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES to apply a policy to
documents. The policy contains the list of recipients and their individual set of permissions. Individuals can use a
policy to apply the same security settings to numerous documents. (See Securing documents with Adobe LiveCycle
Rights Management ES .)
Security policies
A security policy enforces systematic constraints on information flow and exchange within an organization. You can
use Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES to apply a policy to documents without the need for digital signatures and
certificates. If you often apply the same security settings to PDFs, consider creating a security policy to simplify your
workflow. Different policies are useful for accommodating different requirements.
Envelope policy You can secure multiple documents by embedding them in a PDF envelope. You can encrypt
envelopes to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the contents and certify them to provide proof of origin.
Authorized recipients can open the envelope and extract the files to view them.
LiveCycle Rights Management ES policy Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES policies are stored on a server, and
users must have access to the server to use them. Creating these policies requires specifying the document recipients
from a list on Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES.
Password and certificate policies Save your password or certificate settings and reuse them to encrypt PDFs without
setting up the password or certificate for each instance.
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If you apply security settings to a PDF Portfolio in Acrobat Pro DC, including the component documents, you can
automate the steps by using Action Wizard (Choose To ol s >Action Wizard).
Additional resources
For more information on using security features, see these resources:
•Legal Professional: blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/
•Security Matters blog: blogs.adobe.com/security
Choosing security methods within FIPS mode (Windows)
Acrobat and Reader provide a FIPS mode to restrict data protection to Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS).
FIPS mode uses FIPS 140-2 approved algorithms using the RSA BSAFE Crypto-C Micro Edition (ME) 3.0.0.1
cryptographic module.
The following security options are not available in FIPS mode:
•Applying password-based security policies to documents. You can use public key certificates or Adobe
LiveCycleRights Management ES to secure the document. However, you cannot use password encryption to secure
the document.
•Creating self-signed certificates. To create a self-signed digital ID, it must be saved to the Windows certificate store.
You cannot create a self-signed digital ID that is saved to a file.
•RC4 encryption. A PDF file can only be encrypted by using the AES encryption algorithm when in FIPS mode.
•MD5 or RIPEMD160 digest methods. In FIPS mode, only the SHA-1 and SHA-2 families of digest algorithms can
be used when creating a digital signature.
Protection required: Action:
Require a password to open a PDF, or copy or print its contents Choose Tools > Protection > Encrypt > Encrypt with Password. For a
PDF Portfolio, choose View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet. Then choose
Tools > Protection > Encrypt > Encrypt With Password. If you don’t see
the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at Task
panes .
If your company is signed up, you can also use Adobe LiveCycle Rights
Management ES to secure documents.
When you use Action Wizard to apply security to PDF Portfolios in
Acrobat Pro DC, the child documents are secured, but the cover sheet
is not.
Indicate that you approve of the PDF content Sign and certify the PDF. You must obtain a digital ID to add digital
signatures. Buy a digital ID (see the Adobe website for security
partners) or create a self-signed one. See Create a self-signed digital ID.
For Asian languages, you can add an approval stamp.
Prevent forms from being tampered with Use LiveCycle Designer to secure forms and create locking signature
fields. See the Adobe LiveCycle Designer Help.
Send secure file attachments via email Use security envelopes. (Tools > Protection > More Protection > Create
Security Envelope.
Allow only the people you specify to view a PDF Choose Tools > Protection > Encrypt > Encrypt With Certificate, or
apply security using Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES. You
must have certificates for users who can view the documents. If you
don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels
at Task panes .
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In FIPS mode, you can open and view documents that are protected with algorithms that are not FIPS compliant.
However, you can’t save any changes to the document using password security. To apply security policies to the
document, use either public key certificates or Adobe LiveCycleRights Management ES.
FIPS mode is configured in the Windows registry by a system administrator. For more information, see Digital
Signatures Guide (PDF) at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
More Help topics
Removing sensitive content
Setting up security policies
Modify form field properties (Acrobat Pro)
Run an action (Acrobat Pro)
Attachments as security risks in Acrobat Reader DC and
Acrobat DC
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat and PDF content .
Attachments represent a potential security risk because they can contain malicious content, open other dangerous files,
or launch applications. Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC always let you open and save PDF and FDF file
attachments. Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC recognize certain files, such as those whose names end in .bin, .exe,
and .bat, as threats. You can’t attach such files. Acrobat DC does allow you to attach files that cannot be saved or opened
from Acrobat DC, such as ZIP files. However, this practice is not recommended.
Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC maintain a white list of file types that can be opened or saved, and a black list of
file types that cannot. You are allowed to attach file types that are not on either list. However, when you open or save a
file of an “unrecognized” type, you see a dialog box asking whether you trust the file type.
For details, see the Application Security Guide at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.
Manually add a file type to a black or white list
Administrators can modify the black or white list through the registry. Users can manually add a new file type to a black
or white list by attaching the file and then trying to open it.
1Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Attach A File.
2Add a file type that is not in the black or white list.
3Right-click the file in the Attachments pane on the left and choose Open Attachment.
4In the Launch Attachment dialog box, select one of the following options, and then click OK:
Open This File: Opens the file without changing the registry list.
Always Allow Opening Files Of This Type: Adds the file type to the white list and prevents future warnings.
Never Allow Opening Files Of This Type: Adds the file type to the black list and does not open it. You can possibly
attach a file of this type to a PDF, but you can’t open it.
Note: To restrict a file type that you permitted in the past, reset (restore) attachment permissions in the Trust Manager
Preferences.
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Reset (restore) attachment permissions
Because the list of allowed and disallowed file attachment types can grow over time, you can reset the lists to their
original state. This state can sometimes provide the highest level of security.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences (Mac OS).
2From the Categories on the left, select Trust Manager.
3In the PDF Attachments panel, click Restore. The Restore button is available only if you changed the attachment
defaults.
Allow attachments to start applications
The Trust Manager lets you control whether non-PDF attachments can start their associated applications.
1In the Preferences dialog box, select Trust Manager from the Categories on the left.
2Select the option Allow Opening Of Non-PDF File Attachments With External Applications. You must have the
external applications to open the files.
Allow or block links to the Internet in PDFs
Note: For a full list of articles about security, see Overview of security in Acrobat and PDF content .
Clicking any link to the Internet poses a potential security risk. Malicious websites can transfer harmful content or
silently gather data. If you are concerned about these risks, you can configure Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC to
display a warning when a PDF attempts to connect to an Internet site.
You can allow Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC to contact selected websites by adding their addresses (URLs) to
your list of trusted websites in the Trust Manager preferences. Alternatively, you can allow all URLs.
Note: If the options in the Manage Internet Access dialog box are disabled, select Custom Setting. If options are still disabled,
your product could be under an administrator’s control with those restrictions in place.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences (Mac OS).
2From the Categories on the left, select Tr ust Manager.
3Click Change Settings to specify the default behavior for accessing the Internet from PDFs.
4Choose from the following options:
•To allow access to all URLs, select Allow PDF Files To Access All Web Sites.
•To restrict access to all URLs, select Block PDF Files’ Access To All Web Sites.
•To restrict access to only the URLs you specify, select Custom Setting.
•To add a website, type its URL in the Host Name text box and click Allow or Block.
•To remove a URL you no longer want to visit, select the website in the list and click Delete.
•To specify what the program should do with websites not in your custom list, select one of these options: Always
Ask, Allow Access, Block Access.
For more information, see the Application Security Guide at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.
Note: If you open a protected PDF and receive a prompt to allow or block a URL, select Remember My Action For This Site.
This reply adds the URL to this list.
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Chapter 9: Electronic signatures
Sign PDF documents
You can sign a document to attest to its contents or approve the document. Based on the intent, you use different types
of signatures.
This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC. If you're using Acrobat Reader, see What can I do with Adobe
Reader. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help . And, if you're using Acrobat 8, 9, or 10 see previous versions
of Acrobat Help.
Sign a PDF
To sign a PDF document or form, you can type, draw, or insert an image of your handwritten signature. You can also
add text, such as your name, company, title, or the date. When you save the document, the signature and text become
part of the PDF.
1Open the PDF document or form that you want to sign.
2Choose Tools > Fill & Sign.
3To add text, such as your name, company, title, or date, drag and drop your personal saved information from the
right hand pane onto a form field.
Alternatively, you can use Add Text in the toolbar. Click at the place in your document where you want to add
the text, and start typing. Use the field toolbar to make appropriate changes.
4Click the Sign icon in the toolbar, and then choose whether you want to add your signature or just initials.
If you have already added signatures or initials, they are displayed as options to choose from.
5If you've already added your signature or initials, just select it from the Sign options, and then click at the place in
the PDF where you want to add your signature. Skip to the next step.
If your are signing for the first time, you see the Signature or Initials panel. Below is an example of the Signature
panel.
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Type Type your name in the field. You can choose from a small selection of signature styles; clickChange Style to
view a different style.
Draw Draw your signature in the field.
Image Browse and select an image of your signature.
Save Signature When this check box is selected, and you're signed in to Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC, the
added signature is saved securely in Adobe Document Cloud for reuse.
Click Apply, and then click at the place in the PDF where you want to place the signature or initial.
6To move the placed signature or initial, click the field to highlight it and then use the arrow keys. To resize or delete
the field, use the options in field toolbar.
If you want to use an image as your signature:
•Sign your name in black ink on a clean, blank sheet of white paper. Sign in the middle of the paper so you don't
photograph or scan the edges.
•Photograph or scan your signature. If you are taking a picture of your signature, make sure that the page is lit and
that no shadows fall across the signature.
•Transfer the photo or scan to your computer. Acrobat DC accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, TIF, and BMP files.
You do not need to crop the image. Acrobat imports just the signature if the photo or scan is fairly clean.
Send and track your signed PDFs
You can send signed PDFs to others and get notified when recipients view it using the Send & Track service. A copy of
your document is stored in Adobe Document Cloud account so that you can easily access it later. You can sign in to the
account with your Adobe ID.
❖When the document is complete, click Send & Track in the right hand panel under Send Options. For further
instructions, see Send and track large files onlinehelp.
Get PDFs signed by others using Adobe Document Cloud eSign services
You can get documents signed by others using Send for Signature, an Adobe Document Cloud eSign service. The
service lets recipients quickly sign documents from anywhere using a web browser or mobile device.
The service keeps track of the entire process. It emails your signers that you'd like them to sign a document. Once
signed, both you and your signers receive the signed PDF in email. The signed documents are stored securely in Adobe
Document Cloud.
For more information, see Send PDF documents for signature.
•Digital IDs
•Setting up certificate-based signatures
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•Validating digital signatures
•Adobe Systems Information Assurance initiatives
•Security @ Adobe
More Help topics
Send PDF documents for signature
You can get documents signed by others using Send for Signature, an Adobe Document Cloud eSign service. The
service lets recipients quickly sign documents from anywhere using a web browser or mobile device.
The service keeps track of the entire process. It emails your signers that you'd like them to sign a document. Once
signed, both you and your signers receive the signed PDF in email. The signed documents are stored securely in Adobe
Document Cloud.
Get PDFs signed by others
Complete your edits before you sign. Changes made to the document after it is signed can invalidate the signature.
1Open the PDF you want to have signed.
2Click Send for Signature in the right hand panel or choose Tools > Send for Signature.
3By default, the signature-specific fields are added at the end of a document, on the last page. If you want to add or
modify signature-specific fields in the document, continue with this step otherwise skip to the next step.
Click Prepare Form to add signature-specific fields, such as Title, Company, Date, etc.
Add information or signature fields as needed, and then click Send for Signature in the lower right corner of the
right hand panel.
4To add more documents, click Add Files and then browse and select the documents.
Note: The Prepare Form option doesn't work if you have selected multiple documents. However, by default, the
signature-specific fields are added at the end of the combined document, on the last page. For example, if you have
selected two documents, both the documents are combined and the signature-specific fields are added on the last page
of the combined document.
5Click Ready to Send. The document is uploaded to Adobe Document Cloud.
6Type in the email addresses of people you want to sign your document. Add a message if desired.
7Click Send.
You receive an email from Adobe Document Cloud eSign services that your documents have been sent out for
signature to the first user. The first user also receives an email to sign the document. When the user adds his or her
signature in the Signature field, and then clicks the Click to sign button, the document is sent to the next user for
signature and so on.
Everyone gets a copy of the signed document, and the file is stored securely in Adobe Document Cloud.
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Track documents sent for signature
You can keep track of which files are out for signature, signed, or waiting for your signature.
❖In the Home > Sent view, click Manage Documents Sent for Signature. The Adobe Document Cloud eSign services
Manage page is displayed in a new browser window.
•Sign PDF documents
More Help topics
Certificate-based signatures
A certificate-based signature, like a conventional handwritten signature, identifies the person signing a document.
Unlike a handwritten signature, a certificate-based signature is difficult to forge because it contains encrypted
information that is unique to the signer. It can be easily verified and informs recipients whether the document was
modified after the signer initially signed the document.
To sign a document with a certificate-based signature, you must obtain a digital ID or create a self-signed digital ID in
Acrobat or Adobe Reader. The digital ID contains a private key and a certificate with a public key and more. The private
key is used to create the certificate-based signature. The certificate is a credential that is automatically applied to the
signed document. The signature is verified when recipients open the document.
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When you apply a certificate-based signature, Acrobat uses a hashing algorithm to generate a message digest, which it
encrypts using your private key. Acrobat embeds the encrypted message digest in the PDF, certificate details, signature
image, and a version of the document when it was signed.
Certifying and signing documents
The Sign > Work with Certificates panel lets you apply two types of certificate-based signatures. You can certify a
document attest to its content or approve a document with the Sign With Certificate option.
Certify Certify options provide a higher level of document control than Sign With Certificate. For documents that
require certification, you must certify the documents before others sign them. If a document has already been signed,
the Certify options are disabled. When you certify a document, you can control the types of changes other people can
make. You can certify with or without displaying a signature.
Sign With Certificate When you sign with a certificate, the signature is considered an approval signature.
Signatures made with the Certify or Sign With Certificate options comply with data protection standards specified by
the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). In addition, both signature types comply with the PDF
Advanced Electronic Signature (PAdES) standard. Acrobat and Reader provide an option to change the default signing
format to a CAdES format. This option is compliant with Part 3 of the PAdES standard. The timestamp capability and
native support for long-term validation of signatures (introduced in Acrobat 9.1) is in compliance with Part 4 of the
PAdES standard. The default signing format, when set up accordingly, is compliant with Part 2 of the PAdES standard.
You can change the default signing method or format, in the Signatures panel of the Preferences dialog box. Under
Creation & Appearance, click More.
Setting up certificate-based signatures
You can expedite the signing process and optimize your results by making the following preparations in advance.
Note: Some situations require using particular digital IDs for signing. For example, a corporation or government agency
can require individuals to use only digital IDs issued by that agency to sign official documents. Inquire about the digital
signature policies of your organization to determine the appropriate source of your digital ID.
•Get a digital ID from your own organization, buy a digital ID (see the Adobe website for security partners), or create
a self-signed one. See Create a self-signed digital ID. You can’t apply a certificate-based signature without a digital id.
Note: You cannot create self-signed digital IDs from within FIPS mode.
•Set the default signing method.
•Create an appearance for your certificate-based signature. (See Create the appearance of a certificate-based
signature)
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•Use Preview Document mode to suppress any dynamic content that can alter the appearance of the document and
mislead you into signing an unsuitable document. For information about using the Preview Document mode, see
Sign in Preview Document mode .
•Review all the pages in a document before you sign. Documents can contain signature fields on multiple pages.
•Configure the signing application. Both authors and signers should configure their application environment. (See
Set signing preferences.)
For details on the full range of configuration options in enterprise settings, see the Digital Signatures Guide
•Choose a signature type. Learn about approval and certification signatures to determine the type you should choose
to sign your document. (See Signature types.)
Set signing preferences
Signing workflow preferences control what you can see and do when the signing dialog box opens. You can allow
certain actions, hide and display data fields, and change how content affects the signing process. Setting signing
preferences impacts your ability to see what you are signing. For information on the available signing preferences, see
“Signing Workflow Preferences” in the Digital Signature Guide at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
Customizing signature workflows using seed values
Seed values offer additional control to document authors by letting them specify which choices signers can make when
signing a document. By applying seed values to signature fields in unsigned PDFs, authors can customize options and
automate tasks. They can also specify signature requirements for items such as certificates and timestamp servers. For
more information about customizing signatures using seed values, see the Digital Signature Guide (PDF) at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
Create the appearance of a certificate-based signature
You determine the look of your certificate-based signature by selecting options in the Signatures panel of the
Preferences dialog box. For example, you can include an image of your handwritten signature, a company logo, or a
photograph. You can also create different signatures for different purposes. For some, you can provide a greater level of
detail.
A signature can also include information that helps others verify your signature, such as reason for signing, contact
information, and more.
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A Text signature B Graphic signature
1(Optional) If you want to include an image of your handwritten signature in the certificate-based signature, scan
your signature, and save it as an image file. Place the image in a document by itself, and convert the document to
PDF.
2Right-click the signature field, and select Sign Document or Certify With Visible Signature.
You can also create an appearance using the Signature preferences: Edit > Preferences > Signatures (Windows) or
Acrobat > Preferences > Signatures (Mac OS).
3From the Appearance menu in the Sign dialog box, select Create New Appearance.
4In the Configure Signature Appearance dialog box, type a name for the signature you’re creating. When you sign,
you select the signature by this name. Therefore, use a short, descriptive title.
5For Configure Graphic, choose an option:
No Graphic Displays only the default icon and other information specified in the Configure Text section.
Imported Graphic Displays an image with your certificate-based signature. Select this option to include an image of
your handwritten signature. To import the image file, click File, click Browse, and then select the image file.
Name Displays only the default signature icon and your name as it appears in your digital ID file.
6For Configure Text, select the options that you want to appear in the signature. Distinguished Name shows the user
attributes defined in your digital ID, including your name, organization, and country.
7For Text Properties, specify the writing direction and type of digits used, and then click OK. See also Enable right-
to-left languages.
8(Optional) If the dialog box includes the Additional Signature Information section, specify the reason for signing
the document, the location, and your contact information. These options are available only if you set them as your
preferences in the Creation and Appearance Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences > Signatures > Creation &
Appearance > More).
Set up a roaming ID account
A roaming ID is a digital ID that is stored on a server and can be accessed by the subscriber. You must have an Internet
connection to access a roaming ID and an account from an organization that supplies roaming digital IDs.
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Identities & Trusted Certificates, click More.
4Expand Digital IDs on the left, select Roaming ID Accounts, and click Add Account.
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5Type the name and URL for the roaming ID server, and click Next.
6Type your user name and password or follow the directions to create an account. Click Next, and then click Finish.
Once the roaming ID is added, it can be used for signing or encryption. When you perform a task that uses your
roaming ID, you’re automatically logged in to the roaming ID server if your authentication assertion hasn’t expired.
PKCS#12 modules and tokens
You can have multiple digital IDs that you use for different purposes, particularly if you sign documents in different
roles or using different certification methods. Digital IDs are usually password protected. They can be stored on your
computer in PKCS #12 file format. Digital IDs can also be stored on a smart card, hardware token, or in the Windows
certificate store. Roaming IDs can be stored on a server. Acrobat includes a default signature handler that can access
digital IDs from various locations. Register the digital ID in Acrobat for it to be available for use.
Store certificates on directory servers
Directory servers are commonly used as centralized repositories of identities within an organization. The server acts as
an ideal location to store user certificates in enterprises that use certificate encryption. Directory servers let you locate
certificates from network servers, including Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) servers. After you locate a
certificate, you can add it to your list of trusted identities so that you don’t have to look it up again. By developing a
storage area for trusted certificates, you or a member of your workgroup can facilitate the use of encryption in the
workgroup.
For more information about directory servers, see the Digital Signature Guide (PDF) at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
Import directory server settings (Windows only)
You import directory server settings using security import/export methodology or a security settings file. Before, you
import settings in a file using import/export methodology, ensure that you trust the file provider before opening it.
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Document TimeStamping, click More.
4Select Directory Servers on the left, and then click Import.
5Select the import/export methodology file, and click Open.
6If the file is signed, click the Signature Properties button to check the current signature status.
7Click Import Search Directory Settings.
8Click OK, if prompted, to confirm your choice.
The directory server appears in the Security Settings dialog box.
Export directory server settings (Windows only)
Although it is preferable to export security settings, you can export directory settings as an import/export methodology
file. Use the file to configure the directory server on another computer.
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Identity.
3Enter your name, organization, and email address to create your profile.
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4Under Categories, select Signatures.
5For Document Timestamping, click More.
6Select Directory Servers on the left, and then select one or more servers on the right.
7Click Export, select a destination, and click Next.
8To prove that the file came from you, click Sign, add your signature, and then click Next.
9Do one of the following:
•To save the file, specify its name and location, and click Save.
•To send the file as an email attachment, type an email address in the To box, click Next, and then click Finish.
Note: See also Export security settings.
Add a timestamp to certificate-based signatures
You can include the date and time you signed the document as part of your certificate-based signature. Timestamps are
easier to verify when they are associated with a trusted timestamp authority certificate. A timestamp helps to establish
when you signed the document and reduces the chances of an invalid signature. You can obtain a timestamp from a
third-party timestamp authority or the certificate authority that issued your digital ID.
Timestamps appear in the signature field and in the Signature Properties dialog box. If a timestamp server is configured,
the timestamp appears in the Date/Time tab of the Signature Properties dialog box. If no timestamp server is
configured, the signatures field displays the local time of the computer at the moment of signing.
Note: If you did not embed a timestamp when you signed the document, you can add one later to your signature. (See
Establish long-term signature validation.) A timestamp applied after signing a document uses the time provided by the
timestamp server.
Configure a timestamp server
To configure a timestamp server, you need the server name and the URL, which you can obtain from an administrator
or a security settings file.
If you have a security settings file, install it and don’t use the following instructions for configuring a server. Ensure that
you obtained the security settings file from a trusted source. Don’t install it without checking with your system
administration or IT department.
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Document Timestamping, click More.
4Select Time Stamp Servers on the left.
5Do one of the following:
•If you have an import/export methodology file with the timestamp server settings, click the Import button .
Select the file, and click Open.
•If you have a URL for the timestamp server, click the New button . Type a name, and then type the server
URL. Specify whether the server requires a user name and password, and then click OK.
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Set a timestamp server as the default
To be able to use a timestamp server to timestamp signatures, set it as the default server.
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Document Timestamping, click More.
4Select Time Stamp Servers on the left.
5Select the timestamp server, and click the Set Default button .
6Click OK to confirm your selection.
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management (ALCRM) servers
Adobe LiveCycleRights Management (ALCRM) servers let you define centralized policies to control access to
documents. The policies are stored on the ALCRM server. You require server access to use them.
ALCRM servers embed user access information in documents. Therefore, specify document recipients in ALCRM
policies. Alternatively, let the ALCRM server retrieve the list of recipients from LDAP directories.
Use ALCRM servers to set permissions for separate document tasks, for example opening, editing, and printing. You
can also define document auditing policies on ALCRM servers.
More Help topics
Digital IDs
Signing PDFs
Validating signatures
Manage trusted identities
About digital signatures and ink signatures
Digital IDs
Signing PDFs
Validating signatures
Manage trusted identities
Validating digital signatures
Set your verification preferences in advance. This helps ensure that Digital Signatures are valid when you open a PDF
and verification details appear with the signature. See Set signature verification preferencesfor details.
When Digital Signatures are validated, an icon appears in the document message bar to indicate the signature status.
Additional status details appear in the Signatures panel and in the Signature Properties dialog box.
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Setting up digital signature validation
When you receive a signed document, you may want to validate its signature(s) to verify the signer and the signed
content. Depending on how you have configured your application, validation may occur automatically. Signature
validity is determined by checking the authenticity of the signature’s digital ID certificate status and document integrity:
•Authenticity verification confirms that the signer's certificate or its parent certificates exist in the validator’s list of
trusted identities. It also confirms whether the signing certificate is valid based on the user's Acrobat or Reader
configuration.
•Document integrity verification confirms whether the signed content changed after it was signed. If content
changes, document integrity verification confirms whether the content changed in a manner permitted by the
signer.
Set signature verification preferences
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Verification, click More.
4To automatically validate all signatures in a PDF when you open the document, select Verify Signatures When The
Document Is Opened. This option is selected by default.
5Select verification options as needed and click OK.
Verification Behavior
When Verifying These options specify methods that determine which plug-in to choose when verifying a signature.
The appropriate plug-in is often selected automatically. Contact your system administrator about specific plug-in
requirements for validating signatures.
Require Certificate Revocation Checking To Succeed Whenever Possible ... Checks certificates against a list of
excluded certificates during validation. This option is selected by default. If you deselect this option, the revocation
status for approval signatures is ignored. The revocation status is always checked for certifying signatures.
Verification Time
Verify Signatures Using Select an option to specify how to check the digital signature for validity. By default, you
can check the time based on when the signature was created. Alternatively, check based on the current time or the
time set by a timestamp server when the document was signed.
Use Expired Timestamps Uses the secure time provided by the timestamp or embedded in the signature, even if the
signature’s certificate has expired. This option is selected by default. Deselecting this option allows discarding of
expired timestamps.
Verification Information Specifies whether to add verification information to the signed PDF. Default is to alert user
when verification information is too large.
Windows Integration specify whether to trust all root certificates in the Windows Certificates feature when
validating signatures and certified documents. Selecting these options can compromise security.
Note: It is not recommended to trust all root certificates in the Windows Certificate feature. Many certificates that are
distributed with Windows are designed for purposes other than establishing trusted identities.
Set the trust level of a certificate
In Acrobat or Reader, the signature of a certified or signed document is valid if you and the signer have a trust
relationship. The trust level of the certificate indicates the actions for which you trust the signer.
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You can change the trust settings of certificates to allow specific actions. For example, you can change the settings to
enable the dynamic content and embedded JavaScript within the certified document.
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Identities & Trusted Certificates, click More.
4Select Trusted Certificates on the left.
5Select a certificate from the list, and click Edit Trust.
6In the Trust tab, select any of the following items to trust this certificate:
Use This Certificate As A Trusted Root A root certificate is the originating authority in a chain of certificate
authorities that issued the certificate. By trusting the root certificate, you trust all certificates issued by that
certificate authority.
Signed Documents Or Data Acknowledges the identity of the signer.
Certified Documents Trusts documents in which the author has certified the document with a signature. You trust
the signer for certifying documents, and you accept actions that the certified document takes.
When this option is selected, the following options are available:
Dynamic content Allows movies, sound, and other dynamic elements to play in a certified document.
Embedded High Privilege JavaScript Allows privileged JavaScript embedded in PDF files to run. JavaScript files can
be used in malicious ways. It is prudent to select this option only when necessary on certificates you trust.
Privileged System Operations Allows Internet connections, cross domain scripting, silent printing, external-object
references, and import/export methodology operations on certified documents.
Note: Only allow Embedded High Privilege JavaScript and Privileged System Operations for sources you trust and work
with closely. For example, use these options for your employer or service provider.
7Click OK, close the Digital ID and Trusted Certificate Settings dialog box, and then click OK in the Preferences
dialog box.
For more information, see the Digital Signature Guide at www.adobe.com/go/acrodigsig.
Signatures panel for digital signatures
The Signatures panel displays information about each digital signature in the current document and the change history
of the document since the first digital signature. Each digital signature has an icon identifying its verification status.
Verification details are listed beneath each signature and can be viewed by expanding the signature. The Signatures
panel also provides information about the time the document was signed, and trust and signer details.
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❖Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Signatures, or click the Signature Panel button in the document
message bar.
You can right-click a signature field in the Signatures panel to do most signature-related tasks, including adding,
clearing, and validating signatures. In some cases, however, the signature field becomes locked after you sign it.
Sign in Preview Document mode
When document integrity is critical for your signature workflow, use the Preview Document feature to sign documents.
This feature analyzes the document for content that may alter the appearance of the document. It then suppresses that
content, allowing you to view and sign the document in a static and secure state.
The Preview Document feature lets you find out if the document contains any dynamic content or external
dependencies. It also lets you find out if the document contains any constructs such as form fields, multimedia, or
JavaScript that could affect its appearance. After reviewing the report, you can contact the author of the document
about the problems listed in the report.
You can also use Preview Document mode outside a signing workflow to check the integrity of a document.
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Creation & Appearance, click More.
4For When Signing, select View Documents In Preview Mode, and click OK.
5In the PDF, click the signature field and choose Sign Document.
The document message bar appears with the compliance status and options.
6(Optional) Click View Report in the document message bar (if available) and select each item in the list to show
details. When you’re done, close the PDF Signature Report dialog box.
7If you’re satisfied with the compliance status of the document, click Sign Document in the document message bar,
and add your digital signature.
8Save the PDF using a different name than the original, and close the document without making any further changes.
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Certify a PDF
When you certify a PDF, you indicate that you approve of its contents. You also specify the types of changes that are
permitted for the document to remain certified. For example, suppose that a government agency creates a form with
signature fields. When the form is complete, the agency certifies the document, allowing users to change only form
fields and sign the document. Users can fill the form and sign the document. However, if they remove pages or add
comments, the document doesn’t retain its certified status.
You can apply a certifying signature only if the PDF doesn’t already contain any other signatures. Certifying signatures
can be visible or invisible. A blue ribbon icon in the Signatures panel indicates a valid certifying signature. A digital
ID is required to add the certifying digital signature.
1Remove content that may compromise document security, such as JavaScripts, actions, or embedded media.
2Choose Tools > Certificates to open the panel.
3Click one of the following options:
Certify (Visible) Places a certified signature in either an exiting digital signature field (if available) or in the
location you designate.
Certify (Not Visible) Certifies the document, but your signature appears only in the Signatures panel.
4Follow the onscreen instructions to place the signature (if applicable), specify a digital ID, and set an option for
Permitted Actions After Certifying.
Note: If you enabled the When Signing: View Documents In Preview Mode in the Signature preferences, click Sign
Document in the document message bar.
5Save the PDF using a different filename than the original file, and then close the document without making
additional changes. It is a good idea to save it as a different file so that you can retain the original unsigned
document.
Timestamp a document
Acrobat provides users with the capability to add a document timestamp to a PDF without also requiring an identity-
based signature. A timestamp server is required to timestamp a PDF. (See Configure a timestamp server.) A timestamp
assures the authenticity and existence of a document at a particular time. These timestamps are compliant with the
timestamp and revocation features described in Part 4 of ETSI 102 778 PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures (PAdES)
standard. Users of Reader X (and later) can also timestamp a document if the document includes appropriate Reader
Enabling features.
For more information on PAdES, see blogs.adobe.com/security/2009/09/eliminating_the_penone_step_at.html
1Open the document to which you want to add a timestamp.
2Choose Tools > Certificates > Time Stamp.
3In the Choose Default Timestamp Server dialog box, select a default timestamp server from the list, or add a new
default timestamp server.
4Click Next, and then save the document with the timestamp.
Validate a digital signature
If the signature status is unknown or unverified, validate the signature manually to determine the problem and possible
solution. If the signature status is invalid, contact the signer about the problem.
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For more information about signature warnings and valid and invalid signatures, see the Digital Signature Guide at
www.adobe.com/go/acrodigsig.
You assess the validity of a Digital Signature and Timestamp by checking the Signature Properties.
1Set your signature verification preferences. For more information, see Set signature verification preferences.
2Open the PDF containing the signature, then click the signature. The Signature Validation Status dialog box
describes the validity of the signature.
3For more information about the Signature and Timestamp, click Signature Properties.
4Review the Validity Summary in the Signature Properties dialog box. The summary might display one of the
following messages:
Signature date/time are from the clock on the signer's computer The time is based on the local time on the signer’s
computer.
Signature is timestamped The signer used a Timestamp Server and your settings indicate that you have a trust
relationship with that timestamp server.
Signature is timestamped but the timestamp could not be verified Timestamp verification requires obtaining the
timestamp server's certificate to your list of trusted identities. Check with your system administrator.
Signature is timestamped but the timestamp has expired Acrobat and Reader validate a timestamp based on the
current time. This message is displayed if the timestamp signer's certificate expires before the current time. To let
Acrobat or Reader accept an expired timestamp, select Use Expired Timestamps in the Signature Verification
Preferences dialog box (Preferences > Signatures > Verification: More). Acrobat and Reader display an alert message
when validating signatures with expired timestamp.
5For details about the signer’s certificate, such as trust settings or legal restrictions of the signature, click Show Signer’s
Certificate in the Signature Properties dialog box.
If the document was modified after it was signed, check the signed version of the document and compare it to the
current version.
Remove a digital signature
You cannot remove a digital signature unless you are the one who placed it and you have the digital ID for signing it
installed.
❖Do one of the following:
•To remove a digital signature, right-click the signature field and choose Clear Signature.
•To remove all digital signatures in a PDF, choose Clear All Signature Fields from the options menu in the
Signatures panel. (To open the Signatures panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Signatures.)
View previous versions of a digitally signed document
Each time a document is signed using a certificate, a signed version of the PDF at that time is saved with the PDF. Each
version is saved as append-only and the original cannot be modified. All digital signatures and their corresponding
versions can be accessed from the Signatures panel.
1In the Signatures panel, select and expand the signature, and choose View Signed Version from the Option menu
.
The previous version opens in a new PDF, with the version information and the name of the signer in the title bar.
2To return to the original document, choose the document name from the Window menu.
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Compare versions of a signed document
After a document is signed, you can display a list of the changes made to the document after the last version.
1In the Signatures panel, select the signature.
2Choose Compare Signed Version To Current Version from the Option menu .
3When you’re done, close the temporary document.
Trust a signer’s certificate
Trusting a certificate involves adding it to the user’s trusted identity list in the Trusted Identity Manager and manually
setting its trust level. End users often exchange certificates as needed when using certificate security. Alternatively, they
add certificates directly from signatures in signed documents and then set trust levels. However, enterprises often
require employees to validate the signatures of others without performing any manual task. Acrobat trusts all
certificates for signing and certifying that chain up to a trust anchor. Therefore, administrators should preconfigure
client installations or let their end users add a trust anchor or anchors. For more information on trusting certificates,
see About certificate-based signatures.
PDF Portfolios and digital signatures
You can sign component PDFs within a PDF Portfolio, or sign the PDF Portfolio as a whole. Signing a component PDF
locks the PDF for editing and secures its content. After signing all the component PDFs, you can sign the entire PDF
Portfolio to finalize it. Alternatively, you can sign the PDF Portfolio as a whole to lock the content of all component
PDFs simultaneously.
•To sign a component PDF, see Sign PDF documents. The signed PDF is automatically saved to the PDF Portfolio.
•To sign a PDF Portfolio as a whole, sign the cover sheet (View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet). Once you sign the PDF
Portfolio as a whole, you cannot add signatures to the component documents. However, you can add more
signatures to the cover sheet.
Digital signatures on attachments to component PDFs
You can add signatures to attachments before signing the cover sheet. To apply signatures to attached PDFs, open the
PDF in a separate window. Right-click the attachment, and choose Open File from the context menu. To view
signatures on the PDF Portfolio, navigate to the cover sheet to view the document message bar and signatures pane.
Signed and certified PDF Portfolios
A properly signed or certified PDF Portfolio has one or more signatures that approve or certify the PDF Portfolio. The
most significant signature appears in a Signature Badge in the toolbar. Details of all signatures appear in the cover sheet.
•To view the name of the organization or person that signed the PDF Portfolio, hover the pointer over the Signature
Badge.
•To view details about the signature that appears in the Signature Badge, click the Signature Badge. The cover sheet
and the Signatures pane on the left open with details.
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If the PDF Portfolio approval or certification is invalid or has a problem, the Signature Badge shows a warning icon. To
view an explanation of the problem, hover the pointer over a Signature Badge with a warning icon. Different warning
icons appear for different situations.
For a list and explanation of each warning, see the DigSig Admin Guide at www.adobe.com/go/acrodigsig.
XML data signatures
Acrobat and Reader support XML data signatures that are used to sign data in XML Forms Architectures (XFA) forms.
The form author provides XML signing, validating, or clearing instructions for form events, such as button click, file
save, or submit.
XML data signatures conform to the W3C XML-Signature standard. Like PDF digital signatures, XML digital
signatures ensure integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation in documents.
However, PDF signatures have multiple data verification states. Some states are called when a user alters the PDF-
signed content. In contrast, XML signatures only have two data verification states, valid and invalid. The invalid state
is called when a user alters the XML-signed content.
Establish long-term signature validation
Long-term signature validation allows you to check the validity of a signature long after the document was signed. To
achieve long-term validation, all the required elements for signature validation must be embedded in the signed PDF.
Embedding these elements can occur when the document is signed, or after signature creation.
Without certain information added to the PDF, a signature can be validated for only a limited time. This limitation
occurs because certificates related to the signature eventually expire or are revoked. Once a certificate expires, the
issuing authority is no longer responsible for providing revocation status on that certificate. Without conforming
revocation status, the signature cannot be validated.
The required elements for establishing the validity of a signature include the signing certificate chain, certificate
revocation status, and possibly a timestamp. If the required elements are available and embedded during signing, the
signature can be validated requiring external resources for validation. Acrobat and Reader can embed the required
elements, if the elements are available. The PDF creator must enable usage rights for Reader users (File > Save As Other
> Reader Extended PDF).
Note: Embedding timestamp information requires an appropriately configured timestamp server. In addition, the signature
validation time must be set to Secure Time (Preferences > Security >Advanced Preferences > Verification tab). CDS
certificates can add verification information, such as revocation and timestamp into the document without requiring any
configuration from the signer. However, the signer must be online to fetch the appropriate information.
More Help topics
Validate a timestamp certificate
Configure a timestamp server
Add verification information at signing
1Make sure that your computer can connect to the appropriate network resources.
2Ensure that the preference Include Signature’s Revocation Status is still selected (Preferences > Signatures > Creation
& Appearances: More). This preference is selected by default.
3Sign the PDF.
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If all the elements of the certificate chain are available, the information is added to the PDF automatically. If a
timestamp server has been configured, the timestamp is also added.
Add verification information after signing
In some workflows, signature validation information is unavailable at signing, but can be obtained later. For example,
a company official may sign a contract using a laptop while traveling by air. The computer cannot communicate with
the Internet to obtain timestamping and revocation information to add to the signature. When Internet access is
available later, anyone who validates the signature can add this information to the PDF. All subsequent signature
validations can also use this information.
1Ensure that your computer can connect to the appropriate network resources, and then right-click the signature in
the PDF.
2Choose Add Verification Information.
Information and methods used to include this long term validation (LTV) information in the PDF comply with Part 4
of the ETSI 102 778 PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures (PAdES) standard. For more information, see
blogs.adobe.com/security/2009/09/eliminating_the_penone_step_at.html. The command is unavailable if the
signature is invalid, or is signed with a self-signed certificate. The command is also unavailable in case the verification
time equals the current time.
More Help topics
Certificate-based signatures
Digital IDs
Signing PDFs
Manage trusted identities
Validating certificate-based signatures
Set your verification preferences in advance. This helps ensure that certificate-based signatures are valid when you open
a PDF and verification details appear with the signature. See Set signature verification preferencesfor details.
When certificate-based signatures are validated, an icon appears in the document message bar to indicate the signature
status. Additional status details appear in the Signatures panel and in the Signature Properties dialog box.
Setting up validation for certificate-based signatures
When you receive a signed document, you may want to validate its signature(s) to verify the signer and the signed
content. Depending on how you have configured your application, validation may occur automatically. Signature
validity is determined by checking the authenticity of the signature’s digital ID certificate status and document integrity:
•Authenticity verification confirms that the signer's certificate or its parent certificates exist in the validator’s list of
trusted identities. It also confirms whether the signing certificate is valid based on the user's Acrobat or Reader
configuration.
•Document integrity verification confirms whether the signed content changed after it was signed. If content
changes, document integrity verification confirms whether the content changed in a manner permitted by the
signer.
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Set signature verification preferences
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Verification, click More.
4To automatically validate all signatures in a PDF when you open the document, select Verify Signatures When The
Document Is Opened. This option is selected by default.
5Select verification options as needed and click OK.
Verification Behavior
When Verifying
These options specify methods that determine which plug-in to choose when verifying a signature. The appropriate
plug-in is often selected automatically. Contact your system administrator about specific plug-in requirements for
validating signatures.
Require Certificate Revocation Checking To Succeed Whenever Possible ...
Checks certificates against a list of excluded certificates during validation. This option is selected by default. If you
deselect this option, the revocation status for approval signatures is ignored. The revocation status is always checked
for certifying signatures.
Verification Time
Verif y Signature s Using
Select an option to specify how to check the certificate-based signature for validity. By default, you can check the
time based on when the signature was created. Alternatively, check based on the current time or the time set by a
timestamp server when the document was signed.
Use Expired Timestamps
Uses the secure time provided by the timestamp or embedded in the signature, even if the signature’s certificate has
expired. This option is selected by default. Deselecting this option allows discarding of expired timestamps.
Verification Information Specifies whether to add verification information to the signed PDF. Default is to alert user
when verification information is too large.
Windows Integration specify whether to trust all root certificates in the Windows Certificates feature when
validating signatures and certified documents. Selecting these options can compromise security.
Note: It is not recommended to trust all root certificates in the Windows Certificate feature. Many certificates that are
distributed with Windows are designed for purposes other than establishing trusted identities.
Set the trust level of a certificate
In Acrobat or Reader, the signature of a certified or signed document is valid if you and the signer have a trust
relationship. The trust level of the certificate indicates the actions for which you trust the signer.
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You can change the trust settings of certificates to allow specific actions. For example, you can change the settings to
enable the dynamic content and embedded JavaScript within the certified document.
1Open the Preferences dialog box.
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Identities & Trusted Certificates, click More.
4Select Trusted Certificates on the left.
5Select a certificate from the list, and click Edit Trust.
6In the Trust tab, select any of the following items to trust this certificate:
Use This Certificate As A Trusted Root A root certificate is the originating authority in a chain of certificate
authorities that issued the certificate. By trusting the root certificate, you trust all certificates issued by that
certificate authority.
Signed Documents Or Data Acknowledges the identity of the signer.
Certified Documents Trusts documents in which the author has certified the document with a signature. You trust
the signer for certifying documents, and you accept actions that the certified document takes.
When this option is selected, the following options are available:
Dynamic content
Allows movies, sound, and other dynamic elements to play in a certified document.
Embedded High Privilege JavaScript
Allows privileged JavaScript embedded in PDF files to run. JavaScript files can be used in malicious ways. It is
prudent to select this option only when necessary on certificates you trust.
Privileged System Operations
Allows Internet connections, cross domain scripting, silent printing, external-object references, and import/export
methodology operations on certified documents.
Note: Only allow Embedded High Privilege JavaScript and Privileged System Operations for sources you trust and work
with closely. For example, use these options for your employer or service provider.
7Click OK, close the Digital ID and Trusted Certificate Settings dialog box, and then click OK in the Preferences
dialog box.
For more information, see the Digital Signature Guide (PDF) at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
Signatures panel for certificate-based signatures
The Signatures panel displays information about each certificate-based signature in the current document and the
change history of the document since the first certificate-based signature. Each certificate-based signature has an icon
identifying its verification status. Verification details are listed beneath each signature and can be viewed by expanding
the signature. The Signatures panel also provides information about the time the document was signed, and trust and
signer details.
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❖Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Signatures, or click the Signature Panel button in the document
message bar.
You can right-click a signature field in the Signatures panel to do most signature-related tasks, including adding,
clearing, and validating signatures. In some cases, however, the signature field becomes locked after you sign it.
Validate a certificate-based signature
If the signature status is unknown or unverified, validate the signature manually to determine the problem and possible
solution. If the signature status is invalid, contact the signer about the problem.
For more information about signature warnings and valid and invalid signatures, see the Digital Signature Guide (PDF)
at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
You assess the validity of a certificate-based signature and timestamp by checking the signature properties.
1Set your signature verification preferences. For more information, see Set signature verification preferences.
2Open the PDF containing the signature, then click the signature. The Signature Validation Status dialog box
describes the validity of the signature.
3For more information about the signature and timestamp, click Signature Properties.
4Review the Validity Summary in the Signature Properties dialog box. The summary might display one of the
following messages:
Signature date/time are from the clock on the signer's computer The time is based on the local time on the signer’s
computer.
Signature is timestamped The signer used a timestamp server and your settings indicate that you have a trust
relationship with that timestamp server.
Signature is timestamped but the timestamp could not be verified Timestamp verification requires obtaining the
timestamp server's certificate to your list of trusted identities. Check with your system administrator.
Signature is timestamped but the timestamp has expired Acrobat and Reader validate a timestamp based on the
current time. This message is displayed if the timestamp signer's certificate expires before the current time. To let
Acrobat or Reader accept an expired timestamp, select Use Expired Timestamps in the Signature Verification
Preferences dialog box (Preferences > Signatures > Verification: More). Acrobat and Reader display an alert message
when validating signatures with expired timestamp.
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5For details about the signer’s certificate, such as trust settings or legal restrictions of the signature, click Show Signer’s
Certificate in the Signature Properties dialog box.
If the document was modified after it was signed, check the signed version of the document and compare it to the
current version.
View previous versions of a digitally signed document
Each time a document is signed using a certificate, a signed version of the PDF at that time is saved with the PDF. Each
version is saved as append-only and the original cannot be modified. All certificate-based signatures and their
corresponding versions can be accessed from the Signatures panel.
1In the Signatures panel, select and expand the signature, and choose View Signed Version from the option menu
.
The previous version opens in a new PDF, with the version information and the name of the signer in the title bar.
2To return to the original document, choose the document name from the Window menu.
Compare versions of a signed document
After a document is signed, you can display a list of the changes made to the document after the last version.
1In the Signatures panel, select the signature.
2Choose Compare Signed Version To Current Version from the option menu .
3When you’re done, close the temporary document.
Trust a signer’s certificate
Trusting a certificate involves adding it to the user’s trusted identity list in the Trusted Identity Manager and manually
setting its trust level. End users often exchange certificates as needed when using certificate security. Alternatively, they
add certificates directly from signatures in signed documents and then set trust levels. However, enterprises often
require employees to validate the signatures of others without performing any manual task. Acrobat trusts all
certificates for signing and certifying that chain up to a trust anchor. Therefore, administrators should preconfigure
client installations or let their end users add a trust anchor or anchors. For more information on trusting certificates,
see Certificate-based signatures.
PDF Portfolios and certificate-based signatures
You can sign component PDFs within a PDF Portfolio, or sign the PDF Portfolio as a whole. Signing a component PDF
locks the PDF for editing and secures its content. After signing all the component PDFs, you can sign the entire PDF
Portfolio to finalize it. Alternatively, you can sign the PDF Portfolio as a whole to lock the content of all component
PDFs simultaneously.
•To sign a component PDF, see Sign PDF documents. The signed PDF is automatically saved to the PDF Portfolio.
•To sign a PDF Portfolio as a whole, sign the cover sheet (View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet). Once you sign the PDF
Portfolio as a whole, you cannot add signatures to the component documents. However, you can add more
signatures to the cover sheet.
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Certificate-based signatures on attachments to component PDFs
You can add signatures to attachments before signing the cover sheet. To apply signatures to attached PDFs, open the
PDF in a separate window. Right-click the attachment, and choose Open File from the context menu. To view
signatures on the PDF Portfolio, navigate to the cover sheet to view the document message bar and signatures pane.
Signed and certified PDF Portfolios
A properly signed or certified PDF Portfolio has one or more signatures that approve or certify the PDF Portfolio. The
most significant signature appears in a Signature Badge in the toolbar. Details of all signatures appear in the cover sheet.
•To view the name of the organization or person that signed the PDF Portfolio, hover the pointer over the Signature
Badge.
•To view details about the signature that appears in the Signature Badge, click the Signature Badge. The cover sheet
and the Signatures pane on the left open with details.
If the PDF Portfolio approval or certification is invalid or has a problem, the Signature Badge shows a warning icon. To
view an explanation of the problem, hover the pointer over a Signature Badge with a warning icon. Different warning
icons appear for different situations.
For a list and explanation of each warning, see the DigSig Admin Guide at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
XML data signatures
Acrobat and Reader support XML data signatures that are used to sign data in XML Forms Architectures (XFA) forms.
The form author provides XML signing, validating, or clearing instructions for form events, such as button click, file
save, or submit.
XML data signatures conform to the W3C XML-Signature standard. Like PDF digital signatures, XML digital
signatures ensure integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation in documents.
However, PDF signatures have multiple data verification states. Some states are called when a user alters the PDF-
signed content. In contrast, XML signatures only have two data verification states, valid and invalid. The invalid state
is called when a user alters the XML-signed content.
Establish long-term signature validation
Long-term signature validation allows you to check the validity of a signature long after the document was signed. To
achieve long-term validation, all the required elements for signature validation must be embedded in the signed PDF.
Embedding these elements can occur when the document is signed, or after signature creation.
Without certain information added to the PDF, a signature can be validated for only a limited time. This limitation
occurs because certificates related to the signature eventually expire or are revoked. Once a certificate expires, the
issuing authority is no longer responsible for providing revocation status on that certificate. Without conforming
revocation status, the signature cannot be validated.
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The required elements for establishing the validity of a signature include the signing certificate chain, certificate
revocation status, and possibly a timestamp. If the required elements are available and embedded during signing, the
signature can be validated requiring external resources for validation. Acrobat and Reader can embed the required
elements, if the elements are available. The PDF creator must enable usage rights for Reader users (File > Save As Other
> Reader Extended PDF).
Note: Embedding timestamp information requires an appropriately configured timestamp server. In addition, the signature
validation time must be set to Secure Time (Preferences > Security >Advanced Preferences > Verification tab). CDS
certificates can add verification information, such as revocation and timestamp into the document without requiring any
configuration from the signer. However, the signer must be online to fetch the appropriate information.
More Help topics
Validate a timestamp certificate
Configure a timestamp server
Set signing preferences
Add verification information at signing
1Make sure that your computer can connect to the appropriate network resources.
2Ensure that the preference Include Signature’s Revocation Status is still selected (Preferences > Signatures > Creation
& Appearances: More). This preference is selected by default.
3Sign the PDF.
If all the elements of the certificate chain are available, the information is added to the PDF automatically. If a
timestamp server has been configured, the timestamp is also added.
Add verification information after signing
In some workflows, signature validation information is unavailable at signing, but can be obtained later. For example,
a company official may sign a contract using a laptop while traveling by air. The computer cannot communicate with
the Internet to obtain timestamping and revocation information to add to the signature. When Internet access is
available later, anyone who validates the signature can add this information to the PDF. All subsequent signature
validations can also use this information.
1Ensure that your computer can connect to the appropriate network resources, and then right-click the signature in
the PDF.
2Choose Add Verification Information.
Information and methods used to include this long term validation (LTV) information in the PDF comply with Part 4
of the ETSI 102 778 PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures (PAdES) standard. For more information, see
blogs.adobe.com/security/2009/09/eliminating_the_penone_step_at.html. The command is unavailable if the
signature is invalid, or is signed with a self-signed certificate. The command is also unavailable in case the verification
time equals the current time.
More Help topics
Digital IDs
Setting up digital signatures
Signing PDFs
Manage trusted identities
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Manage trusted identities
A digital ID includes a certificate with a public key and a private key. Participants in signing and certificate security
workflows exchange the public part (the certificate) of their digital ID. Once you obtain someone’s certificate and add
it to your trusted identities list, you can encrypt documents for them. There may be instances when the certificate does
not already chain up to a trust anchor that you have specified. In such cases, you can set the certificate’s trust level so
that you can validate the owner’s signature. Understanding what a trusted identity is and how trust levels are set lets you
streamline workflows and troubleshoot problems. For example, you can add trusted identities in advance and
individually set the trust for each certificate. In enterprise settings, your trusted identities list may be preconfigured.
You may also be able to search a directory server for additional certificates.
Import and export a certificate
You can export your certificate and contact data for use in signature validation and certificate security workflows. Other
users can import that data to their trusted identity list. Contact data added in this manner helps expand the number of
users that can participate in secure document workflows. See the Digital Signature Guide (PDF) at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en for information on exporting certificates.
1Open the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences).
2Under Categories, select Signatures.
3For Identities & Trusted Certificates, click More.
4Select Digital IDs on the left.
5Do one of the following:
•To import an ID, click the Add ID button , and follow the onscreen instructions.
•To export a certificate, click the Export button , and follow the onscreen instructions to email or save the
certificate to a file.
Setting certificate trust
You build a list of trusted identities by getting digital ID certificates from signing participants and certificate security
workflows. You get this information from a server, file, or a signed document. For signing workflows, you can get this
information during the signature validation process. For certificate security workflows involving encryption, request
the information in advance. This enables you to encrypt the document with the document recipient’s public key. See
the Digital Signature Guide (PDF) at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en for more information on setting up
certificate trust.
Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL)
The Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL) allows users to create certificate-based signatures that are trusted whenever
the signed document is opened in Acrobat 9 or Reader 9 and later. Both Acrobat and Reader access an Adobe hosted
web page to download a list of trusted root digital certificates every 30 days. Any certificate-based signature created
with a credential that can trace a relationship back to a certificate on this list is trusted. The trusted root certificates have
been verified by Adobe and other authorities to meet specific technical requirements. They represent high assurance
identity and signing credentials. The certificates include government and citizen credentials from across the world. In
addition, they include credentials from global commercial certificate authorities and qualified certification service
providers (CSPs) in Europe.
For details about this feature and why it is important for validating a signature, see the AATL web page at
www.adobe.com/security/approved-trust-list.html.
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AATL is enabled by default. The list downloads when you first open or create a signed document, or access the various
security preferences dialogs. You are asked to verify if the automatic update in the AATL is acceptable to you. Click Yes
if you want to receive the updates.
Note: Check with your administrator if your organization has turned off access to the AATL for some reason.
To verify the AATL is enabled:
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat DC/Acrobat Reader DC > Preferences.
2From the Categories on the left, select Trust Manager.
3Select the option Load Trusted Root Certificates From An Adobe Server.
This option allows Acrobat or Reader to automatically download trust settings from an Adobe server. These trust
settings ensure that the user or organization associated with the certificate has met the assurance levels of the Adobe
Approved Trust List program.
4Do one of the following:
•To be prompted when new root certificates are available from Adobe, select Ask Before Updating.
•To download the latest version of the Trust List from Adobe, click Update Now.
More Help topics
Digital IDs
Setting up digital signatures
Signing PDFs
Validating signatures
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Chapter 10: Printing
Basic PDF printing tasks
Print button missing?
If you can't see the Print and Cancel buttons, your monitor is set to a low screen resolution. Acrobat DC and Acrobat
Reader DC are not designed for low-resolution displays (the minimum recommended is 1024 x 768). However, you can
work around this limitation. Do any of the following to print your document:
•Press Enter or Return.
•If a scroll bar appears on the right of the dialog box, drag the slider down to access the buttons.
(Windows) On some monitors, the Windows taskbar covers the Print button. You can hide the taskbar so it appears
only when you mouse to the bottom of the screen. Right-click the taskbar and choose Properties. In the Properties dialog
box, select Auto-hide the Taskbar, then click OK.
Common printing tasks
Print on both sides of the paper
You can print double-sided if your printer supports double-sided (duplex printing) feature.
Note: Double-sided printing is also called duplex, back to back, front and back, or two-sided printing.
The printer driver controls the options, not Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. Check your printer documentation to see
what features your printer supports.
•In the Print dialog box, enable Print on both sides of paper, and choose an edge to Flip.
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Note: There could be a scenario when a printer actually supports duplex and this option does not appear on Print
dialog. In such cases, you may click on printer properties to directly access this option from printer preferences.
Print in black and white
You can print a color PDF in shades of gray (also known as grayscale or composite gray).
•In the Print dialog box, enable Print In Grayscale (Black And White).
Print at a different size
You can scale the page to shrink or enlarge pages when you print. You can automatically scale to fit the paper or
manually scale by percentages
•In the Print dialog box, click Size and then specify the scaling options.
Fit Reduces or enlarges each page to fit the printable area of the currently selected paper size. For PostScript® printers,
the PPD determines the printable area of the paper.
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Actual Size Prints the pages without scaling. Pages or selections that don’t fit on the paper are cropped. You can set this
option as the default using the None print preset. See Create print presets.
Shrink Oversize Pages Shrinks large pages to fit the currently selected paper size but doesn’t enlarge small pages. If an
area is selected and is larger than the printable area of the currently selected paper, it’s scaled to fit the printable area.
This option is always active during N-up printing. You can set this option as the default using the Default print preset.
See Create print presets.
Custom Scale Resizes the page by the percentage you specify.
Choose Paper Source By PDF Page Size (Windows) Uses the PDF page size to determine the output tray rather than
the page setup option. This option is useful for printing PDFs that contain multiple page sizes on printers that have
different-sized output trays.
Print posters and banners
You can print a large format document, such as a poster or banner, by splitting the page across multiple sheets of paper
(called "tiling"). The Poster option calculates how many sheets of paper are needed. You can adjust the size of the
original to best fit the paper and specify how much each "tile" overlaps. You can then piece together the tiles.
•In the Print dialog box, click Poster and then specify the tiling options.
Tile Scale Scales the pages by the amount you specify.
OverlapDetermines the amount each tile overlaps adjacent tiles.
Cut MarksAdds guide marks to each page to help you trim the overlap.
LabelsAdds the filename and page number on each "tile".
Tile Only Large Pages Applies tiling to pages that are larger than the selected paper size at the specified scale. These
pages are mapped to multiple sheets of paper.
Print multiple pages on a sheet
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You can print more than one page of a PDF onto a single sheet of paper. Printing multiple pages per sheet is also called
n-up printing (such as 2-up or 6-up). You can specify how the pages are ordered, either horizontally across the page or
in vertical columns.
Pages Per Sheet Prints a predefined number of pages, or a custom number (up to 99), horizontally and vertically. If you
select a predefined number from the menu, Acrobat automatically selects the best paper orientation.
Page Order Defines how the pages are ordered on paper. Horizontal places pages from left to right, top to bottom.
Horizontal Reversed places pages from right to left, top to bottom. Vertical places pages top to bottom, left to right.
Vertical Reversed places pages top to bottom, right to left. Both reversed options are suitable for Asian-language
documents.
Print Page Border Prints the crop box (the page boundary of PDF pages).
Note: Printing multiple pages per sheet in Acrobat is independent of the N-up printing features of printer drivers. The
Acrobat print settings don’t reflect the N-up settings of the printer drivers. Select the multple pages options either in
Acrobat or in the printer driver, but not both.
Print booklets
You can print a multipage document as a booklet. The pages are laid out two per sheet. When you collate, fold, and
staple the double-sided sheets, the result is a single book with the correct page order.
•In the Print dialog box, click Booklet and then specify the booklet options.
For more information, see Print Booklets and PDF Portfolios.
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Print comments
You can print comments either in a summary list, or in place (like sticky notes on a page).
Do one of the following:
Summary- In the Comments and Forms area, click Summarize Comments.
Drawing Markups - In the Comments and Forms area, choose Document And Markups.
Comments on the page - Follow these steps:
1Open the Preferences dialog box, click Comments category on the left, and select Print Notes And Pop-Ups.
2Deselect Hide Comment Pop-ups When Comment List Is Open.
3Open the pop-up comments that you want to print.
4Adjust their placement on the page so that they don't overlap or spill off the page.
5Click the Print tool .
6In the Comments and Forms area, choose Document And Markups.
Print a portion of a page
You can print a portion of a page in a PDF. Use the Snapshot Tool (Edit > Take a Snapshot) to select just the area you
want to print. The area can be text, graphics, or both. You can print the selected area full size or resize it to fit the paper.
1Choose Edit > Take a Snapshot
2Draw a rectangle to select a portion of a page
3Choose File > Print
4In the Print dialog box, click Selected graphic.
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Print to file
You can create a device-dependent PostScript file of a document. The resulting file contains code for enabling and
controlling specific device features, making it less compatible with devices other than the target device. For better
results when creating PostScript files, use Save As Other > More Options > PostScript.
•Click the Advanced button, select Print To File, then click OK.
Options in the Print dialog box
Most options in the Acrobat Print dialog box are the same as other applications. However, some options vary depending
on the printer and what you've selected to print.
Comments & Forms
The Comments & Forms options control which visible content prints.
Document Prints the document contents and form fields.
Document And Markups Prints document contents, form fields, and comments.
Document And Stamps Prints the document, form fields, and stamps, but no other markups, such as note comments
and pencil lines.
Form Fields Only Prints interactive form fields but doesn’t print document contents.
Summarize Comments Creates a separate, printable PDF of the comments in a document. This option is unavailable
when you print from a web browser or print multiple documents in PDF Portfolios.
Pages to Print
The Pages To Print options specify the pages or range of pages to print.
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Current Page Prints the page that is visible in the current view.
Pages Specifies the range of pages to print. Use a hyphen to separate numbers in a range. Use a comma to separate
individual pages or ranges (for example, 6, 10-31, 42). How you specify the numbers depends on the Page Display
preference. If Use Logical Page Numbers is selected, you enter numbers that match the numbering on the pages. For
example, if the first page of a document is numbered iii, you enter iii to print that page.
To print from a specific page to the end of the document, enter the page with a hyphen. For example, “11-” prints page
11 to the last page of the document.
More Options Displays additional options to control which pages print.
Current View/Selected Graphic (Click More Options under Pages To Print.) Prints the area currently visible, the
selected pages, or the text and graphics copied with the Snapshot tool. The option name changes depending on if you
have selected pages or used the Snapshot tool.
Odd Or Even Pages Choose which pages to print: All Pages In Range, Odd Pages Only, or Even Pages Only. For
example, if you set the range to 2, 7–10 and choose Even Pages Only, only pages 2, 8, and 10 print.
Reverse Pages Prints pages in reverse order. If page ranges are entered, the pages print opposite of the order in which
they were entered. For example, if the Pages box shows 3–5, 7–10, selecting Reverse Pages prints pages 10–7, and then
5–3.
Orientation
Auto Portrait/Landscape Automatically selects the page orientation that best matches the content and paper. For
example, a spreadsheet could print horizontally, while a newsletter could print vertically. The Auto-Portait/Landscape
option overrides the orientation selected in Page Setup.
Additional resources
For more information on printing, see the forums on printing and prepress: acrobatusers.com/forum/printing-prepress
Print Layers
Normally, when you print a PDF that contains layers, just the content that is visible onscreen is printed. However, the
creator of a layered PDF can control what prints, regardless of its visibility onscreen. The PDF creator can require that
watermarks print or prevent the printing of confidential information. If the document is designed to print differently
from how it currently appears onscreen, a message may appear in the Print dialog box. The Preview image in the Print
dialog box always shows the page as it will print.
Note: To work with layers in Acrobat, convert the source document to PDF using a preset that preserves layers, such as
Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or later.
View how layers print
1Click the Layers icon in the Navigation panel. (If the Layers icon is not visible, choose View > Show/Hide >
Navigation Panes > Layers.)
2Choose Apply Print Overrides from the Options menu.
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Note: Depending on the visibility settings specified when the PDF was created, Apply Print Overrides may be
unavailable in the Options menu.
Change print settings for a layer
1Click the Layers icon in the navigation panel. (If the Layers icon is not visible, choose View > Show/Hide >
Navigation Panes > Layers.)
2Expand the Layers area, select a layer, and then select Layer Properties from the Options menu .
3In the Layer Properties dialog box, choose one of the following from the Print pop-up menu:
Always Prints Forces the layer to print.
Never Prints Forces the layer not to print.
Prints When Visible Matches printed output to onscreen visibility.
Note: In Reader, you can open the Layer Properties dialog box, but you cannot change the settings.
Create print presets
A PDF can contain a set of print presets, a group of document-specific values that is used to set basic print options. By
creating a print preset for a document, you can avoid manually setting certain options in the Print dialog box each time
you print the document. It’s best to define print settings for a PDF at the time that you create it. However, print presets
provide a means to add basic print settings to a PDF at any time.
1Choose File > Properties, and click the Advanced tab.
2In the Print Dialog Presets section, set options and click OK.
The next time you open the Print dialog box, the values will be set to the print preset values. These settings are also used
when you print individual PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
Note: To retain a print preset for a PDF, save the PDF after creating the print preset.
Print Dialog Presets
Page Scaling Prepopulates the Page Scaling menu in the Print dialog box with the option you choose:
Default Uses the application default setting, which is Shrink To Printable Area.
None Prevents automatic scaling to fit the printable area. Use this setting to preserve the scale in engineering
documents or the point size required for legal reasons.
Note: The Page Scaling menu in the Print dialog box shows additional options, but you cannot prepopulate the dialog box
with any of those options. Choose one of those options when you print.
DuplexMode For best results, the selected printer should support duplex printing if you select a duplex option.
Simplex Prints on one side of the paper.
Duplex Flip Long Edge Prints on both sides of the paper; the paper flips along the long edge.
Duplex Flip Short Edge Prints on both sides of the paper; the paper flips along the short edge.
Paper Source By Page Size Selects the option by the same name in the Print dialog box. Uses the PDF page size to
determine the output tray rather than the page setup option. This option is useful for printing PDFs that contain
multiple page sizes on printers that have different-sized output trays.
Print Page Range Prepopulates the Pages box in the Print Range section of the Print dialog box with the page ranges
you enter here. This setting is useful in a workflow where documents include both instruction pages and legal pages.
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For example, if pages 1–2 represent instructions for filling out a form, you can set up your print job to print only the
form.
Number Of Copies Prepopulates the Copies box in the Print dialog box. Choose a number from 2 to 5, or choose
Default to use the application default, which is one copy. This limitation prevents multiple unwanted copies from being
printed.
Why can’t I print my document?
Start with these troubleshooting tips
Printing problems can have various causes. To identify the issue, start with this helpful TechNote: Troubleshoot PDF
printing | Acrobat, Reader
The PDF is password protected, and printing is not allowed
If you receive a password-protected PDF, enter the designated password to print the document. Some protected
documents have restrictions that prevent you from printing, editing, or copying content in the document. If a
document has restrictions on printing, contact the PDF author.
(Windows only) Protected Mode is interfering
The default Protected Mode greatly enhances the security of Reader. To determine if Protected Mode is interfering with
printing, temporarily disable it: Right-click the document, and choose Page Display Preferences. Then click General on
the left, and deselect Enable Protected Mode At Startup. Close Reader, restart it, and try to print the document again.
Note: To ensure maximum security, when you finish printing, reselect Enable Protected Mode At Startup.
What should I do if Acrobat Reader DC is asking to save a file when a document
is printed?
In case, Adobe reader is prompting to save a file when you click on print, then click Advanced print dialog and uncheck
Print to file option.
Note:
•Make sure have selected a physical printer to print upon and not Adobe PDFXPS/Send note or any other virtual
printer.
•Print to file option was available on Print dialog itself until Acrobat 10.X versions.
What should I do to print comments available on the PDF document?
There are certain annotations (example: pop-up notes) which are available on the PDF document and the annotations
do not print by default unless you want them to be printed.
This has been intentionally designed so that such annotations do not hinder the view of the content available behind
them.
However, there may be cases when you do want them to be printed. To print the pop-up notes and other annotations:
1Go to Edit->Preferences.
2Click on Commenting.
3Enable the option Print notes and pop-ups.
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Acrobat Reader DC crashes on printing / Acrobat Reader DC does not Print
after clicking Print button
This could happen due to an Adobe Acrobat installation file corruption. In order to resolve this issue, ensure you are
using the latest version of Adobe Reader/ Acrobat application.
If you are seeing this issue with the latest version:
1Uninstall the Acrobat Reader using the Acrobat cleaner utility.
2Re-install Adobe Reader.
More Help topics
Printing booklets and PDF Portfolios
Advanced PDF print settings
Printing color PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Print Booklets and PDF Portfolios
More Help topics
Basic PDF printing tasks
About booklets
Booklets are documents with multiple pages arranged on sheets of paper that, when folded, present the correct page
order. You can create 2-up saddle-stitched booklets, where two side-by-side-pages, printed on both sides, are folded
once and fastened along the fold. The first page prints on the same printed sheet as the last page. The second page prints
on the same sheet as the second-to-last page, and so on. Each page is automatically centered on the sheet, and large
pages are scaled (shrunk) to fit the printable area. When you collate, fold, and staple the double-sided pages, the result
is a single book with correct pagination.
To print booklets, your printer must support either automatic or manual duplex printing (printing on both sides of the
paper). Manual duplex printing requires two separate printing passes: one to print the front side, and another to print
the back side. To find out whether your printer supports duplex printing, check the printer manual or contact the
printer manufacturer.
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Print a booklet
1Choose File > Print and select the printer.
2Specify which pages to print:
•To print pages from front to back, select All.
•To divide a large booklet into smaller groupings, select Pages and specify a page range for the first grouping. Print
each page range separately.
3Click Booklet.
4To print certain pages on a different paper or paper stock, specify those pages using the Sheets From/To option.
Click the Properties button and select the correct paper tray and any other options as necessary.
5Choose additional page handling options. The Preview image changes as you specify options.
Booklet Subset Determines which sides of the paper print. Choose Both Sides to automatically print both sides of
the paper (your printer must support automatic duplex printing). Choose Front Side Only to print all pages that
appear on the front side of the paper. After these pages print, flip them, choose File > Print again, and choose Back
Side Only. Depending on the printer model, you might have to turn and reorder the pages to print the back sides.
To prevent others in a shared printing environment from printing on your pages before you print the back side,
consider printing the back side pages using a different paper tray.
Auto-Rotate Pages Within Each Sheet Automatically rotates each page for the best fit in the printable area.
Sheets From Specifies the first and last sheet to print. Acrobat determines which sheets must print to accommodate
the print job. For example, if you have a 16-page document, then sheets 1 through 4 print.
Binding Determines the orientation for the binding. Choose Left for text read left-to-right; choose Left (Tall) for
paper folded on the long side, where the printable area is long and narrow. Choose Right for text read right-to-left
or for Asian-style vertical reading; choose Right (Tall) for paper folded on the long side.
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Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio
A PDF Portfolio contains multiple documents wrapped in one PDF. You can print the component PDFs in a PDF
Portfolio individually or together. Documents print in alphabetical order, regardless of the order of files.
To rename a file or change the order of files within a PDF Portfolio, use the Details view. See Working with component
files in a PDF Portfolio.
1Open the PDF Portfolio. To print only certain PDFs, select those PDFs.
2Choose File > Print, and then choose one of the following:
All PDF Files Prints all the PDFs in the PDF Portfolio.
Selected PDF Files Prints the selected PDFs. This option is available only when multiple files are selected in the list
of component documents.
3Choose applicable printing options, and click OK.
Note: You must use the native application to print any component file that is not a PDF. To open a component file in its
native application, right-click the file and choose Open File In Native Application. (The native application must be installed
for you to open the file.)
Print from the Bookmarks tab
You can print the pages associated with bookmarks directly from the Bookmarks tab. Bookmarks appear in a hierarchy,
with parent bookmarks and child (dependent) bookmarks. If you print a parent bookmark, all page content associated
with child-level bookmarks also prints.
Not all bookmarks display page content, and therefore cannot be printed. For example, some bookmarks open a file or
play a sound. If you select a mix of printable and nonprintable bookmarks, the nonprintable bookmarks are ignored.
Note: Bookmarks made from tagged content always display page content because the tagged content represents printable
elements in the document structure, such as headings and figures.
1Open a PDF with bookmarks. If necessary, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Bookmarks so the
bookmarks appear in the navigation pane.
2Select one or more bookmarks, and then right-click the selection.
3Choose Print Page(s) from the menu.
Printing color PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
More Help topics
Basic PDF printing tasks
Preview how colors overprint (Acrobat Pro DC)
Overprint preview provides an onscreen simulation that approximates blending and overprinting in the color-
separated output. Overprinting effects can also be simulated when you output to a composite printing device. Both of
these methods are useful for proofing color-separated documents.
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Managing color (Acrobat Pro DC)
When you print a color-managed RGB or CMYK document, you can specify additional color management options to
keep color consistent in the output. For example, suppose the document contains a profile tailored for prepress output,
but you want to proof the colors on a desktop printer. In the Color Management panel of the Advanced Print settings
dialog box, you can temporarily convert the document’s colors to the color space of the desktop printer—the printer
profile is used instead of the current document profile when printing. In addition, you can send color data as RGB
values to printers using various RGB profiles.
About composite printing (Acrobat Pro DC)
When you print a color PDF, all of the colors used in the file print on one plate. This process is called composite printing.
The options available in the Output panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box depend on the selected printer.
Artwork that will be commercially reproduced and that contains more than a single color must be printed on separate
master plates, one for each color. This process is called color separation. If you’re creating color separations, you can
print a color or grayscale composite proof to check your work.
Consider the following issues when printing composites:
•Any overprinting options that you select print correctly only on a printer that supports overprinting. Since most
desktop printers don’t support overprinting, you can simulate the effects of overprinting by selecting Simulate
Overprinting in the Output panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box. Be aware that selecting Simulate
Overprinting converts spot colors to process colors for printing. If you intend to use a file for final output, do not
select this option.
•When you print to a black-and-white printer, a grayscale composite version of the pages is produced (unless you
select Print Color As Black in the main Print dialog box; this option prints all nonwhite color as black). If the
document contains color, visually correct grays are used to simulate that color. For example, the gray that simulates
a 20% tint of yellow is lighter than a 20% tint of black, since yellow is visually lighter than black.
Note: Remember that, like monitors, color printers vary greatly in color reproduction quality; thus, proofs from your service
provider are the best way to verify how the finished piece will look.
Print a color composite (Acrobat Pro DC)
1Choose File > Print, and choose a printer.
2Specify page handling options.
3Choose Document And Stamps from the Comments And Forms menu to print all visible content.
4Click Advanced, and select Output on the left side of the dialog box.
5Choose a composite option from the Color menu.
6Specify other color and output settings, and click OK.
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7If the document contains objects with transparency settings, select an option from the Transparency Flattening
Preset menu.
8(PostScript printing only) In the PostScript Options panel, specify options.
About separations (Acrobat Pro DC)
To produce high-quality separations, it helps to be familiar with the basics of printing, including line screens,
resolution, process colors, and spot colors.
If you are using a print service provider to produce separations, you’ll want to work closely with its experts before
beginning each job and during the process.
To reproduce color and continuous-tone images, printers usually separate artwork into four plates—one plate for each
of the cyan (C), yellow (Y), magenta (M), and black (K) portions of the image. When inked with the appropriate color
and printed in register with one another, these colors combine to reproduce the original artwork. The process of
dividing the image into two or more colors is called color separating, and the films from which the plates are created
are called the separations.
Print color separations (Acrobat Pro DC)
Acrobat supports host-based separations and in-RIP separations. The main difference between them is where the
separations are created—at the host computer (the system using Acrobat and the printer driver) or at the output device’s
RIP.
For host-based separations, Acrobat creates PostScript information for each of the separations required for the
document and sends that information to the output device. For in-RIP separations, the work of separating a file is
performed by the RIP. This method often takes less time than creating host-based separations, but it requires a
PostScript 3 output device with in-RIP separation capability. To produce in-RIP separations, you need a PPD file that
supports in-RIP separations, and any PostScript 3 output device or a PostScript Level 2 device whose RIP supports in-
RIP separations.
Prepare to print separations
Before you print separations, do the following:
•Calibrate your monitor. See Calibrate and profile your monitor.
•Specify whether the document contains trapping information, if known. See Declare the presence of trapping
information (Acrobat Pro DC).
•Preview separations and transparency flattening results. See Preview color separationsand Preview which areas of
artwork will be flattened.
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•Run preflight inspections using desired criteria. See Preflight profiles (Acrobat Pro DC).
Note: If you use a print service provider to produce separations, you’ll want to work closely with its experts before beginning
each job and throughout the process.
Print separations
1Choose File > Print, and choose a printer.
2Choose an option from the Comments and Forms menu.
3Choose print range and page handling options.
4Click Advanced.
5If you created a custom printer settings file with the appropriate separation settings, choose it from the Settings
menu at the top of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box.
6Select Output on the left, and choose an option from the Color menu:
•Choose Separations if the PPD doesn’t support in-RIP separations.
•Choose In-RIP Separations if the PPD supports in-RIP separations. Trapping options appear. From the Trapping
menu, choose Adobe In-RIP or Off. If you choose Adobe In-RIP, click Trap Presets and select a preset. Click OK.
7Specify settings for halftone screen frequency and the angle at which the selected ink’s halftone screen is rotated.
8If the document contains objects with transparency settings, select an option from the Transparency Flattening
Preset menu.
9Under Ink Manager, deselect any color you don’t want to separate.
The four process colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) always appear at the top of the color plate list, followed
by spot colors in alphabetical order.
10 Click the Ink Manager button to modify ink settings for color separations.
11 Click Marks And Bleeds on the left, and select All Marks.
12 Click PostScript Options on the left, and select settings as needed. Click OK to close the dialog box, and then click
OK again to print the separations.
Additional resources
For more information on high-end PDF printing, see:
•Adobe PDF in the Print Production Workflow:
www.adobe.com/studio/print/pdfs/PDF_wp_A9_updates_july08.pdf.
Declare the presence of trapping information (Acrobat Pro DC)
If you are sending your PDF files to a print service provider, you can use the Document Properties dialog box to specify
whether a PDF contains trapping information. This detail can help prevent the service provider from adding potentially
conflicting trapping commands to the file. Trapping information can either be imported with other PostScript
information from the authoring application, or it can be created in Acrobat using trapping presets supported by Adobe
In-RIP Trapping.
1Open the PDF file, and choose File > Properties.
2Click the Advanced tab.
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3Choose an option from the Trapped menu, and click OK.
Yes The file contains trapping information.
No The file doesn’t contain trapping information.
Unknown You don’t know whether the file contains trapping information.
Saving separations as PostScript (Acrobat Pro DC)
Depending on the prepress software available, a service provider may be able to perform such prepress activities as
trapping, imposition, separating, and OPI replacement at the output device’s RIP. Therefore, your service provider may
prefer to receive a composite PostScript file of the document optimized for in-RIP separations rather than a
preseparated PostScript file.
Saving the file as PostScript preserves the separation settings, the PPD information, and any color conversions you have
specified in the Advanced Print Setup dialog box.
For best results when generating PostScript for reuse in a print production workflow, use the Save As command rather
than the Print To File option available in the Print dialog box.
More Help topics
Understanding color management
Working with color profiles
Ink Manager overview
About flattening
Previewing output
Printing PDFs in custom sizes
More Help topics
Basic PDF printing tasks
Print an oversized document
You can print a large format document, such as a poster or banner, by splitting the page across multiple sheets of paper
(called “tiling”). The tiling option calculates how many sheets of paper are needed. You can adjust the size of the original
to best fit the paper and specify how much each “tile” overlaps. You can then piece together the tiles.?
You can also scale up a standard-sized document and print it on multiple pages.
1Choose File > Print.
2Click Poster.
3(Optional) Set any of these options, referring to the Preview image to check the output results:
Tile Scale Adjusts the scaling. The scaling affects how the sections of the PDF page map to the physical sheet of
paper. (Click in the Overlap field to force the preview to redraw with the new scale value.)
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Overlap Specifies the minimum amount of duplicated information you want printed on each tile for ease in
assembly. The Overlap option uses the unit of measure specified for the document. The value should be greater than
the minimum nonprinting margins for the printer. You can specify up to half the size of the shortest side of the
document page to overlap. For example, tiles for a page that measures 11-by-17 inches (279.4mm-by-431.8mm) can
overlap up to 5.5 inches (139.7mm).
Labels Includes the PDF name, date of printing, and tile coordinate on every sheet. For example, Page 1 (1,1) means
row 1, column 1 of the first page. Tile coordinates are used for reassembling the tiles.
Cut Marks Prints marks on each corner of a tiled page for ease of assembly. Use this option in conjunction with the
Overlap option. When you specify an overlapping edge and then superimpose those edges, you can use the cut
marks to line up the tiles.
Tile Only Large Pages Tiles only oversized pages and prints standard pages as is.
Scale a document for printing
Acrobat can automatically scale a PDF to fit the paper, or you can resize pages by setting a specifc percentage.
1Choose File > Print.
2Click Size, and choose one of the following options:
Fit Scales small pages up and large pages down to fit the paper.
Shrink Oversize Pages Resizes only large pages to fit the paper, and prints small pages as they are.
Custom scale Resizes pages by the percentage you specify.
Note: If you don’t see a Page Scaling options, click the arrow next to the Printer menu to expose more controls in the
Print dialog box.
Advanced PDF print settings
More Help topics
Basic PDF printing tasks
About advanced print settings
If normal print settings don’t produce the results you expect, you may need to specify options in the Advanced Print
Setup dialog box. For example, if your printed output doesn’t match the document’s onscreen appearance, you may
need to try printing the document as an image (PostScript printers only). Or, if a PDF uses fonts that aren’t embedded,
you must download the fonts to the printer when you print the document.
Other advanced printing options in Acrobat Pro DC let you add printer marks to your printed output and choose how
to handle color.
Set advanced print options (Acrobat Standard)
The Advanced Print Setup dialog box is available for PostScript and non-PostScript printers.
1In the Print dialog box, click Advanced.
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To learn more about an option, select it. A description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
2Set options, and then click OK.
Note: Acrobat sets the PostScript level automatically, based on the selected printer.
Set advanced print options (Acrobat Pro DC)
Print settings are preserved until you change them. When you change an option, the Settings value automatically
updates from Acrobat Default to Custom, and the new settings are preserved. You can also save custom settings using
a unique name.
1In the Print dialog box, click Advanced.
2If a custom printer settings file exists with the settings you want, choose it from the Settings menu. Otherwise,
choose Acrobat Default.
To learn more about an option, select it. A description of it appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
3If normal printing doesn’t produce the desired results, select Print As Image and choose a resolution from the drop-
down list.
4Select any of the panels on the left side of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box, and set options for either composite
or separations output.
Note: Some options in the general Print dialog box affect settings in the Advanced Print Setup dialog box. For example,
selecting the Print Color As Black option (Windows) affects color settings in Advanced Print Setup.
•Set color and other output conditions. See Output options (Acrobat Pro DC).
•Set options for printer marks. See Include marks and bleeds (Acrobat Pro DC).
•Set options for PostScript printers. See PostScript options.
Note: Acrobat sets the PostScript level automatically, based on the selected printer.
•Set options for managing color. See Color management options (Acrobat Pro DC)
5To save the settings using a unique name, click Save As, specify a filename, and click OK.
6Click OK to accept the settings and return to the Print dialog box.
PostScript options
Use the PostScript Options panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box to set options for a particular PostScript
printer. These options include how to handle nonresident printer fonts and whether to download Asian fonts. If a PDF
contains device-dependent settings, such as halftones and transfer functions, these settings can be sent in the PostScript
output to override the default settings in the printer. To use these options, you must be connected to a PostScript printer
or have a PostScript printer driver installed with a PPD file selected.
Font And Resource Policy Specifies how fonts and resources in the document are sent to a printer when those fonts and
resources aren’t present on the printer.
Send At Start Downloads all fonts and resources at the start of the print job. The fonts and resources remain on the
printer until the job has finished printing. This option is the fastest but uses the most printer memory.
Send By Range Downloads fonts and resources before printing the first page that uses them, and then discards them
when they are no longer needed. This option uses less printer memory. However, if a PostScript processor reorders the
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pages later in the workflow, the font downloading can be incorrect, resulting in missing fonts. This option does not
work with some printers.
Send For Each Page Downloads all fonts and resources for a given page before the page prints, and then discards the
fonts when the page has finished printing. This option uses the least printer memory.
Print Method (Acrobat Pro DC) Specifies the level of PostScript to generate for the pages. Choose the level of PostScript
appropriate for your printer.
Language (Acrobat Pro DC) Specifies the level of PostScript to generate for the pages. Choose the level of PostScript
appropriate for your printer.
Download Asian Fonts Prints documents with Asian fonts that aren’t installed on the printer or embedded in the PDF.
The Asian fonts must be present on the system.
Emit Undercolor Removal/Black Generation (Acrobat Pro DC) Black Generation calculates the amount of black to be
used when reproducing a particular color. Undercolor removal (UCR) reduces cyan, magenta, and yellow components
to compensate for the black added by the black generation. Because it uses less ink, UCR is used for newsprint and
uncoated stock.
Emit Halftones (Acrobat Pro DC) Allows you to emit the embedded halftones instead of using the halftones in the
output device. Halftone information controls how much ink is deposited at a specific location on the paper. Varying the
dot size and density creates the illusion of variations of gray or continuous color. For a CMYK image, four halftone
screens are used: one for each ink used in the printing process.
Emit Transfer Functions (Acrobat Pro DC) Emits embedded transfer functions. Transfer functions are traditionally used
to compensate for dot gain or dot loss that occurs when an image is transferred to film. Dot gain occurs when the ink
dots that make up a printed image are larger (for example, due to spreading on paper) than in the halftone screen. Dot
loss occurs when the dots print smaller. With this option, the transfer functions are applied to the file when the file is
output.
Emit Flatness (Acrobat Pro DC) allows you to use the flatness value of the PDF if the PDF already has flatness settings.
If the PDF doesn’t have any flatness settings, Acrobat controls it for the PostScript printing. The flatness value sets the
limit for how much Acrobat can approximate a curve.
Emit PS Form Objects (Acrobat Pro DC) Emits PostScript form objects for Form XObjects within the PDF. Selecting this
option reduces the overall size of the print job, but it could increase the printer memory that is used. A form XObject
is a container of graphics objects (including path objects, text objects, and sampled images) within the PDF. Form
XObjects create a single description for complex objects that can appear many times in a single document, such as
background images or company logos.
Discolored Background Correction Prevents printing problems like red boxes over graphics, or pages printing
mirrored or upside down. These problems can occur when Acrobat or Reader cannot use the default Color Rendering
Dictionaries (CRDs) on some PostScript printers.
Always Use Host Collation (Acrobat Pro DC) Specifies if you want Acrobat to always use host collation for printing
without checking the printer driver. Acrobat uses printer collation by default. Printer collation sends the print jobs
separately to the printer and allows the printer to figure out how to collate the pages. For example if you send out two
copies of a two page job, the printer receives two jobs of two pages. Host collation figures out how to collate the pages
in Acrobat and then sends that job to the printer. For example if you send out two copies of a two page job, the printer
receives a single rearranged job of four pages.
Print As Image Prints pages as bitmap images. Select this option if normal printing doesn’t produce the desired results,
and specify a resolution. This option is available only for PostScript printers.
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Downloading Asian fonts to a printer
Select the Download Asian Fonts option in the Advanced Print Setup dialog box if you want to print a PDF with Asian
fonts that aren’t installed on the printer or embedded in the document. Embedded fonts are downloaded whether or
not this option is selected. You can use this option with a PostScript Level 2 or higher printer. To make Asian fonts
available for downloading to a printer, be sure you have downloaded the fonts to your computer using the Custom or
Complete installation option during installation of Acrobat.
If Download Asian Fonts is not selected, the PDF prints correctly only if the referenced fonts are installed on the printer.
If the printer has similar fonts, the printer substitutes those. If there are no suitable fonts on the printer, Courier is used
for the text.
If Download Asian Fonts does not produce the results you want, print the PDF as a bitmap image. Printing a document
as an image may take longer than using a substituted printer font.
Note: Some fonts cannot be downloaded to a printer, either because the font is a bitmap or because font embedding is
restricted in that document. In these cases, a substitute font is used for printing, and the printed output may not match the
screen display.
Output options (Acrobat Pro DC)
Use the Output panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box to set output options.
Color Presents composite and separations options. Other options become available in the Output panel depending on
your selection in this menu. For more information about color composite and separations, see Printing color PDFs
(Acrobat Pro DC).
Flip Specifies if the orientation of the page on the media. Flip horizontal for wrong-reading documents, flip vertical to
change vertical orientation. This option is only enabled for separations and disabled for composites.
Negative Select this option to print the document reversed. For example, black appears as white on the resulting
output. This option is only enabled for separations and disabled for composites.
Screening Specifies the lines per inch (lpi) and dots per inch (dpi) combinations.
Trapping Specifies if trapping is off. Click Trap Presets to manage trapping presets.
Transparency Flattener Preset Flattens transparent objects according to the preset you choose.
Simulate Overprinting Simulates the effects of overprinting spot inks in composite output and converts spot colors to
process colors for printing; the document itself is unchanged. This option is useful for printing devices that don’t
support overprinting and is available only if you choose Composite from the Color menu. If you intend to use a file for
separations on a RIP (raster image processor) or for final output, don’t select this option.
Note: When printing to a printer that supports overprinting, make sure that this option is unselected, so the native
overprinting capabilities of the printer are used.
Use Maximum Available JPEG2000 Image Resolution Controls how resolution progression information, if present, is
used when generating PostScript. When selected, the maximum resolution data contained in the image is used. When
unselected, the resolution data is consistent with the resolution settings on the Transparency Flattening panel.
Ink Manager Modifies the way inks are treated while the current PDF is open. See Ink Manager overview.
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Specify halftone screen frequency (Acrobat Pro DC)
In commercial printing, continuous tone is simulated by dots (called halftone dots) printed in rows (called lines or line
screens). Lines are printed at different angles to make the rows less noticeable. The Screening menu in the Output
section of the Print dialog box displays the recommended sets of line screens in lines per inch (lpi), and resolution in
dots per inch (dpi), based on the currently selected PPD. As you select inks in the ink list, the values in the Frequency
and Angle boxes change, showing you the halftone screen frequency and angle for that ink.
A high line-screen ruling (for example, 150 lpi) spaces the dots closely together to create a finely rendered image on the
press; a low line-screen ruling (60 lpi to 85 lpi) spaces the dots farther apart to create a coarser image. The size of the
dots is also determined by the line screen. A high line-screen ruling uses small dots; a low line-screen ruling uses large
dots. The most important factor in choosing a line-screen ruling is the type of printing press your job will use. Ask your
service provider how fine a line screen its press can hold, and make your choices accordingly.
A 65 lpi: Coarse screen for printing newsletters and grocery coupons B 85 lpi: Average screen for printing newspapers C 133 lpi: High-quality
screen for printing four-color magazines D 177 lpi: Very fine screen for printing annual reports and images in art books
The PPD files for high-resolution imagesetters offer a wide range of possible screen frequencies, paired with various
imagesetter resolutions. The PPD files for low-resolution printers typically have only a few choices for line screens,
usually coarser screens of between 53 lpi and 85 lpi. The coarser screens, however, give optimum results on
low-resolution printers. Using a finer screen of 100 lpi, for example, actually decreases the quality of your image when
you use a low-resolution printer for final output.
Follow these steps to specify halftone screen frequency:
❖In the Output panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box, do one of the following:
•To select one of the preset screen frequencies and printer resolution combinations, choose an option from the
Screening menu.
•To specify a custom halftone screen frequency, in the ink list, select the plate to be customized, and then enter
the lpi value in the Frequency box and a screen angle value in the Angle box.
Note: Before creating your own halftone screens, check with your print service provider for the preferred frequencies and
angles. Also, be aware that some output devices override the default frequencies and angles.
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Specify the emulsion and image exposure (Acrobat Pro DC)
Depending on the type of printing press used and how information is transferred from the film to the printing plates,
you may need to give your service provider film negatives or positives, with emulsion side up or down. Emulsion refers
to the photosensitive layer on a piece of film or paper. Typically, print service providers require negative film in the
United States and positive film in Europe and Japan. Check with your service provider to determine which emulsion
direction they prefer.
To tell whether you are looking at the emulsion side or the nonemulsion side (also referred to as the base), examine the
final film under a good light. One side appears shinier than the other. The dull side is the emulsion side; the shiny side
is the base.
A Positive image B Negative C Negative with emulsion side down
Note: The emulsion and image exposure settings in the Print dialog box override any conflicting settings in the printer
driver. Always specify print settings using the Print dialog box.
Follow these steps to specify the emulsion and exposure:
1Select Output on the left side of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box.
2For Color, choose Separations.
3For Flip, select one of the following options:
None Makes no changes to the orientation of the imageable area. Type that is in the image is readable (that is, “right
reading”) when the photosensitive layer is facing you. This is the default.
Horizontal Mirrors the imageable area across a vertical axis so that it is “wrong reading.”
Vertical Mirrors the imageable area across a horizontal axis so that it is upside down.
Horizontal And Vertical Mirrors the imageable area across the horizontal and vertical axes so that it is wrong
reading. Type is readable when the photosensitive layer is facing away from you. Images printed on film are often
printed Horizontal And Vertical.
4Select the Negative option for negative film; deselect it for positive film.
Note: The Negative option is also available if you choose In-RIP Separations from the Color menu.
Include marks and bleeds (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can place printer marks on the page to indicate the boundaries of document boxes supported by Adobe PDF, such
as trim boxes and bleed boxes. These marks are not added as page content; however, they are included in the PostScript
output.
The options in the Marks And Bleeds panel are unavailable under these circumstances:
•The PDF includes printer marks added using a different Acrobat feature, the Add Printer Marks tool.
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•The crop, bleed, and trim boxes are all the same size. The crop box is defined in the Crop Box dialog box (choose
Too l s > Print Production > Set Page Boxes). If the artwork contains a bleed, make sure that the crop box is big
enough to accommodate the bleed box and other printer marks.
A Trim marks B Registration marks C Page information D Color bars E Bleed marks
1Select Marks And Bleeds on the left side of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box.
2Choose the printer marks you want. The marks appear in the preview on the left side of the Advanced Print Setup
dialog box.
Marks And Bleeds options
All Marks Creates all printer marks at once.
Style Determines the appearance of the marks. You can choose default InDesign marks, or marks from other
applications as listed.
Line Weight Determines the weight of the lines for trim, bleed, and registration marks.
Trim Marks Places a mark at each corner of the trim area to indicate the PDF trim box boundaries.
Bleed Marks Places a mark at each corner of the bleed box to indicate the PDF bleed box boundaries. A bleed box
defines the amount of extra area to image outside the defined page size.
Registration Marks Places marks outside the crop area for aligning the different separations in a color document.
Color Bars Adds a small square of color for each grayscale or process color. Spot colors converted to process colors are
represented using process colors. Your service provider uses these marks to adjust ink density on the printing press.
Page Information Places page information outside the crop area of the page. Page information includes the filename,
page number, current date and time, and color separation name.
Color management options (Acrobat Pro DC)
Use the Color Management panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box to set options for printing color. For more
information about printing color, see Printing color PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC).
Color Handling Determines if color management is used and whether it happens in the application or at the printing
device.
Acrobat color management Enables you to select an ICC Profile that describes the target output device.
Printer Color Management Sends the document’s color data along with the document profile directly to the printer and
lets the printer convert the document to the printer color space. The exact results of the color conversion can vary
among printers.
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Same as Source (No Color Management) Discards all color management information and sends device color to the
printer.
Color Profile Determines the profile used for handling colors during printing.
Output Color Displays the output color based on the settings in the Output panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog
box.
Treat grays as K-only grays Select this option to ensure that any grayscale as well as RGB graphical objects for which R,
G, B have equal values, are printed using only the black (K) when you enable color management and specify a CMYK
profile printing to a PostScript printer
Preserve Black Specifies that pure K-based CMYK colors are preserved as K-based in CMYK to CMYK conversions
that may occur when you enable color management and specify a CMYK profile printing to a PostScript printer.
Preserve CMYK Primaries Specifies that pure primary-based (C only, M only, Y only, or K only) CMYK colors are
preserved in CMYK to CMYK conversions that may occur when you enable color management and specify a CMYK
profile printing to a PostScript printer.
Apply Output Preview Settings Simulates the print space defined by the device identified in the Simulation Profile
menu of the Output Preview dialog box. (Choose Tools >Print Production > Output Preview.) This option allows you
to simulate the appearance of one device on another.
More Help topics
Embed printer marks in a PDF
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Chapter 11: Accessibility, tags, and reflow
Create and verify PDF accessibility (Acrobat Pro DC)
Acrobat DC tools make it easy to create accessible PDFs, and let you check the accessibility of existing PDFs. You can
create PDFs to meet common accessibility standards, such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and
PDF/UA (Universal Access, or ISO 14289.) The simple, guided workflow lets you do the following:
Make PDFs accessible: A predefined action automates many tasks, checks accessibility, and provides instructions for
items that require manual fixes. Quickly find and fix problem areas.
Check accessibility: The Full Check tool verifies whether the document conforms to accessibility standards, such as
PDF/UA and WCAG 2.0.
Report accessibility status: The Accessibility Report summarizes the findings of the accessibility check. It contains
links to tools and documentation that assist in fixing problems.
Make PDFs accessible (Acrobat Pro DC)
The Make Accessible action walks you through the steps required to make a PDF accessible. It prompts to address
accessibility issues, such as a missing document description or title. It looks for common elements that need further
action, such as scanned text, form fields, tables, and images. You can run this action on all PDFs except dynamic forms
(XFA documents) or portfolios.
1Choose Tools > Action Wizard.
The Action Wizard toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
Note: A list of available actions is displayed under the Actions List in the right hand pane.
2From the Action List, click Make Accessible.
The right hand pane changes to display each task included in the Make Accessible action, as well as the instructions
to execute the action.
3Select the files that you want to apply the Make Accessible action to. By default, the action runs on the document
that's currently open. Select Add Files to select additional files or a folder to run the action on.
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4Click Start.
5Follow the prompts to complete Make Accessible action.
Check accessibility of PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
A good way to check the accessibility of a document is to use tools that your readers will use. Even if you do not have
access to those tools, Adobe Acrobat DC provides an automated way to check the accessibility of a PDF file. The Full
Check feature in Acrobat DC checks a PDF for many of the characteristics of accessible PDFs. You can choose which
accessibility problems to look for and how you want the results reported.
1Choose Tools > Accessibility.
The Accessibility toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Full Check.
The Accessibility Checker Options dialog box is displayed.
3In the Report Options section, select options for how you want to view the results. You can save the results as an
HTML file on your system, or attach the results file to the document itself.
4Select a page range if you prefer to check individual pages of a document.
When you have a large document, running a full check one page at a time can be more efficient.
5Select one or more of the Checking Options.
6Click Start Checking. The results are displayed in the Accessibility Checker panel on the left, which also has helpful
links and hints for repairing issues. If you created a report in step 2, the results are available in the selected folder.
Because the Full Check feature cannot distinguish between essential and nonessential content types, some issues it
reports don’t affect readability. It’s a good idea to review all issues to determine which ones require correction.
The report displays one of the following statuses for each rule check:
•Passed: The item is accessible.
•Skipped By User: Rule was not checked because it wasn't selected in the Accessibility Checker Options dialog
box.
•Needs Manual Check: The Full Check feature couldn't check the item automatically. Verify the item manually.
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•Failed: The item didn't pass the accessibility check.
In addition to Full Check, Acrobat DC provides other methods to check PDF accessibility:
•Use Reflow a PDFto quickly check the reading order.
•Use Read Out Loud to experience the document as readers who use the text-to-speech conversion tool experience it.
•Save the document as accessible text and then read the saved text file in a word-processing application. This exercise
enables you to emulate the end-user experience of readers who use a braille printer to read the document.
•Use the Touch Up Reading Order tool for PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC), Order, Tags, and Content panels to examine the
structure, reading order, and contents of a PDF.
More Help topics
Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features
Accessibility preferences
Creating accessible PDFs
Standard PDF tags (Acrobat Pro)
Fix accessibility issues (Acrobat Pro DC)
To fix a failed check after running Full Check, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the item in the Accessibility
Checker panel. Choose one of the following options from the context menu:
Fix: Acrobat either fixes the item automatically, or displays a dialog box prompting you to fix the item manually.
Skip Rule: Deselects this option in the Accessibility Checker Options dialog box for future checks of this document,
and changes the item status to Skipped.
Explain: Opens the online Help where you can get more details about the accessibility issue.
Check Again: Runs the checker again on all items. Choose this option after modifying one or more items.
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Show Report: Displays a report with links to tips on how to repair failed checks.
Options: Opens the Accessibility Checker Options dialog box, so you can select which checks are performed.
Accessibility issues
Document
Accessibility permission flag
A document author can specify that no part of an accessible PDF is to be copied, printed, extracted, commented on, or
edited. This setting could interfere with a screen reader's ability to read the document, because screen readers must be
able to copy or extract the document's text to convert it to speech.
This flag reports whether it's necessary to turn on the security settings that allow accessibility.
To fix the rule automatically, select Accessibility Permission Flag on the Accessibility Checker panel. Then, choose Fix
from the Options menu.
Or, fix accessibility permissions manually:
1Choose File > Properties > Security.
2Choose No Security from the Security Method drop-down list.
3Click OK and close the Document Properties dialog box.
If your assistive technology product is registered with Adobe as a Trusted Agent, you can read PDFs that might be
inaccessible to another assistive technology product. Acrobat recognizes when a screen reader or other product is a
Trusted Agent and overrides security settings that would typically limit access to the content for accessibility purposes.
However, the security settings remain in effect for all other purposes, such as to prevent printing, copying, extracting,
commenting, or editing text.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A), 4.1.2 Name, role, value
Image-only PDF
Reports whether the document contains non-text content that is not accessible. If the document appears to contain text,
but doesn't contain fonts, it could be an image-only PDF file.
To fix this rule check automatically, select Image-only PDF on the Accessibility Checker panel, and choose Fix from the
Options menu.
Or, to fix this rule check manually, use OCR to recognize text in scanned images:
1Choose Tools > Enhance Scans.
The Enhance Scans toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, choose Recognize Text > In This File.
3Select the pages you want to process, the document language, and then click Recognize Text.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.1.1. Non-text content (A)
Tagged PDF
If this rule check fails, the document isn't tagged to specify the correct reading order.
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To fix this item automatically, select Tagged PDF on the Accessibility Checker panel, and then choose Fix from the
Options menu. Acrobat automatically adds tags to the PDF.
To specify tags manually, do one of the following:
•Enable tagging in the application in which the PDF was authored, and re-create the PDF.
•Choose Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Document in Acrobat DC. The Add Tags Report appears in the navigation
pane if there are any issues. The report lists potential problems by page, provides a navigational link to each problem,
and provides suggestions for fixing them.
•Choose Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order in Acrobat DC, and create the tags tree. For more information, see
Touch Up Reading Order tool for PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC).
•Open the Tags panel and create the tags tree manually. To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide >
Navigation Panes > Tags. For more information, see Edit document structure with the Content and Tags panels
(Acrobat Pro).
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships, 1.3.2, 2.4.1, 2.4.4, 2.4.5, 2.4.6, 3.1.2, 3.3.2, 4.1.2 Name,
role, value
Logical reading order
Verify this rule check manually. Make sure that the reading order displayed in the Tags panel coincides with the logical
reading order of the document.
Primary language
Setting the document language in a PDF enables some screen readers to switch to the appropriate language. This check
determines whether the primary text language for the PDF is specified. If the check fails, set the language.
To set the language automatically, select Primary Language in the Accessibility Checker tab, and then choose Fix from
the Options menu. Choose a language in the Set Reading Language dialog box, and then click OK.
To set the language manually, do one of the following:
•Choose File > Properties > Advanced and then select a language from the drop-down list in the Reading Options
section. (If the language doesn't appear in the drop-down list, you can enter the ISO 639 code for the language in
the Language field.) This setting applies the primary language for the entire PDF.
•Set the language for all text in a subtree of the tags tree. Open the Tags panel. Expand the Tags root and select
an element. Then choose Properties from the Options menu. Choose a language from the Language drop-down
list. (To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.)
•Set the language for a block of text by selecting the text element or container element in the Content panel.
Then, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the text and choose Properties from the context menu and
choose a language from the Language drop-down list. (To display the Content panel, choose View > Show/Hide >
Navigation Panes > Content.)
Note: See the related WCAG section: Language of Page (Level A)
Title
Reports whether there is a title in the Acrobat application title bar.
To fix the title automatically, select Title in the Accessibility Checker tab, and choose Fix from the Options menu.
Enter the document title in the Description dialog box (deselect Leave As Is, if necessary).
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Or, fix the title manually:
1Choose File > Properties > Description.
2Enter a title in the Title text box.
3Click Initial View, and then choose Document Title from the Show drop-down list.
4Click OK to close the Description dialog box.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 2.4 Page Titled (Level A)
Bookmarks
This check fails when the document has 21 or more pages, but doesn't have bookmarks that parallel the document
structure.
To add bookmarks to the document, select Bookmarks on the Accessibility Checker panel, and choose Fix from the
Options menu. In the Structure Elements dialog box, select the elements that you want to use as bookmarks, and
click OK. (You can also access the Structure Elements dialog box by clicking the Options menu on the Bookmark tab
and selecting the New Bookmarks From Structure command.)
Note: See the related WCAG sections: 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A), 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA)
Color contrast
When this check fails, it's possible that the document contains content that isn't accessible to people who are color-
blind.
To fix this issue, make sure that the document's content adheres to the guidelines outlined in WCAG section 1.4.3. Or,
include a recommendation that the PDF viewer use high-contrast colors:
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat > Preferences (Mac OS).
2Click Accessibility.
3Select Replace Document Colors, and then select Use High-Contrast Colors. Choose the color combination that you
want from the drop-down list, and then click OK.
Page content
Tagged content
This check reports whether all content in the document is tagged. Make sure that all content in the document is either
included in the Tags tree, or marked as an artifact.
Do one of the following to fix this rule check:
•Open the Content panel and right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the content that you want to mark
as an artifact. Then, select Create Artifact from the context menu. (To display the Content tab, choose View >
Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content.)
•Tag the content by choosing Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order. Select the content, and then apply tags as
necessary.
•Assign tags using the Tags panel. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the element in the Tags tree,
and choose Create Tag From Selection. Items such as comments, links, and annotations don't always appear in the
Tags tree. To find these items, choose Find from the Options menu. (To display the Tags panel, choose View >
Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.)
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Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.1.1 Non-text content (A), 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A), 1.3.2 Meaningful
Sequence (Level A), 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A), 3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA), 4.1.2 Name, role, value
Tagged annotations
This rule checks whether all annotations are tagged. Make sure that annotations such as comments and editorial marks
(such as insert and highlight) are either included in the Tags tree or marked as artifacts.
•Open the Content panel, and right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the content that you want to mark
as an artifact. Then, select Create Artifact from the context menu. (To display the Content panel, choose View >
Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content.)
•Tag the content by choosing Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order. Select the content, and then apply tags as
necessary.
•Assign tags using the Tags panel. (To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes >
Tags.)
To have Acrobat DC assign tags automatically to annotations as they're created, choose Tag Annotations from the
Options menu on the Tags panel.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A), 4.1.2 Name, role, value
Tab order
Because tabs are often used to navigate a PDF, it's necessary that the tab order parallels the document structure.
To fix the tab order automatically, select Tab Order on the Accessibility Checker panel, and choose Fix from the
Options menu.
To manually fix the tab order for links, form fields, comments, and other annotations:
1Click the Page Thumbnails panel on the navigation pane.
2Click a page thumbnail, and then choose Page Properties from the Options menu.
3In the Page Properties dialog box, choose Tab Order. Then, select Use Document Structure, and click OK.
4Repeat these steps for all thumbnails in the document.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 2.4.3, Focus Order (Level A)
Character encoding
Specifying the encoding helps PDF viewers' present users with readable text. However, some character-encoding issues
aren't repairable within Acrobat DC.
To ensure proper encoding, do the following:
•Verify that the necessary fonts are installed on your system.
•Use a different font (preferably OpenType) in the original document, and then re-create the PDF.
•Re-create the PDF file with a newer version of Acrobat Distiller.
•Use the latest Adobe Postscript driver to create the PostScript file, and then re-create the PDF.
Note: The WCAG doesn't address Unicode character mapping.
Tagged multimedia
This rule checks whether all multimedia objects are tagged. Make sure that content is either included in the Tags tree
or marked as an artifact.
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Open the Content panel and right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the content that you want to mark as
an artifact. Then, select Create Artifact from the context menu. (To display the Content panel, choose View >
Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content.)
Tag the content by choosing Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order. Select the content, and then apply tags as necessary.
Assign tags using the Tags panel. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the element in the Tags tree, and
choose Create Tag From Selection. (To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.)
Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A), 1.2.1 Audio- only and Video- only (Prerecorded). (A),
1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded). (A), 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded). (A), 1.2.5 Audio
Description (Prerecorded). (AA)
Screen flicker
Elements that make the screen flicker, such as animations and scripts can cause seizures in individuals who have
photosensitive epilepsy. These elements can also be difficult to see when the screen is magnified.
If the Screen Flicker rule fails, manually remove or modify the script or content that causes screen flicker.
Note: See these related WCAG sections: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A), 1.2.1 Audio- only and Video- only (Prerecorded). (A),
1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded). (A), 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded). (A), 2.3.1 Three Flashes or
Below Threshold. (Level A)
Scripts
Content cannot be script-dependent unless both content and functionality are accessible to assistive technologies.
Make sure that scripting doesn't interfere with keyboard navigation or prevent the use of any input device.
Check the scripts manually. Remove or modify any script or content that compromises accessibility.
Note: See these related WCAG sections: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A), 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide. (Level A), 4.1.2 Name, role,
value
Timed responses
This rule check applies to documents that contain forms with JavaScript. If the rule check fails, make sure that the page
does not require timed responses. Edit or remove scripts that impose timely user response so that users have enough
time to read and use the content.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable. (Level A)
Navigation links
For URLs to be accessible to screen readers, they must be active links that are correctly tagged in the PDF. (The best
way to create accessible links is with the Create Link command, which adds all three links that screen readers require
to recognize a link.) Make sure that navigation links are not repetitive, and there is a way for users to skip over repetitive
links.
If this rule check fails, check navigation links manually and verify that the content does not have too many identical
links. Also, provide a way for users to skip over items that appear multiple times. For example, if the same links appear
on each page of the document, also include a "Skip navigation" link.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks. (Level A)
Forms
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Tagged form fields
In an accessible PDF, all form fields are tagged and are a part of the document structure. In addition, you can use the
tool tip form filed property to provide the user with information or to provide instructions.
To tag form fields, choose Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Form Fields.
Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A), 4.1.2 Name, role, value
Field descriptions
For accessibility, all form fields need a text description (tool tip).
To add a text description to a form field:
1Select one of the Form tools, and then right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the form field.
2Choose Properties from the context menu.
3Click the General properties tab.
4Enter a description of the form field in the Tooltip field.
Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A), 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A), 4.1.2
Name, role, value
Alternate text
Figures alternate text
Make sure that images in the document either have alternate text, or are marked as artifacts.
If this rule check fails, do one of the following:
•Select Figures Alternate Text in the Accessibility Checker panel, and choose Fix from the Options menu. Add
alternate text as prompted in the Set Alternate Text dialog box.
•Use the Tags panel to add alternate text for images in the PDF.
•Open the Content panel and right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) the content that you want to mark
as an artifact. Then, select Create Artifact from the context menu. (To display the Content panel, choose View >
Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content.)
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A)
Nested alternate text
Screen readers don't read the alternate text for nested elements. Therefore, don't apply alternate text to nested elements.
To remove alternate text from nested elements, do the following:
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.
2Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) a nested element in the Tags panel and choose Properties from the
context menu.
3Remove both the Alternate Text and the text to which it's applied from the Object Properties dialog box, and then
click Close.
Note: See the related WCAG section: #1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A)
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Associated with content
Make sure that alternate text is always an alternate representation for content on the page. If an element has alternate
text, but does not contain any page content, there is no way to determine which page it is on. If the Screen Reader
Option in the Reading preferences is not set to read the entire document, then screen readers never read the alternate
text.
1Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) an item to check.
2Open it in the Tags panel. (To display the Tags panel, choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.)
3Remove the Alternate Text from the Tags panel for any nested item that has no page content.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A)
Hides annotation
Alternate text can't hide an annotation. If an annotation is nested under a parent element with alternate text, then
screen readers don't see it.
To remove alternate text from nested elements:
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.
2Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) a nested element in the Tags panel and choose Properties from the
context menu.
3Remove the alternate text from the Object Properties dialog box, and then click OK.
Note: See the related WCAG sections: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A), 4.1.2 Name, role, value
Other elements alternate text
This report checks for content other than figures that requires alternate text (such as multimedia, annotation, or 3D
model). Make sure that alternate text is always an alternate representation for content on the page. If an element has
alternate text but does not contain any page content, there is no way to determine which page it is on. If the Screen
Reader Options in the Reading preferences is not set to read the entire document, then screen readers don't read the
alternate text.
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags.
2Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) a nested element in the Tags panel and choose Properties from
the context menu.
3Remove the alternate text from the Object Properties dialog box, and then click OK.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A)
Tables
Because table structure can be complex, it best practice to check them for accessibility manually.
Rows
This rule checks whether each TR in a table is a child of Table, THead, TBody, or TFoot.
See Correct table tags with the Tags panel.
Note: Related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)
TH and TD
In a proper table structure, TH and TD are children of TR.
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See Correct table tags with the Tags panel.
Note: See related WCAG section: #1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)
Headers
For accessibility, it's necessary that all tables in the PDF have a header.
See Correct table tags with the Tags panel.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)
Regularity
To be accessible, tables must contain the same number of columns in each row, and rows in each column.
See Correct table tags with the Tags panel.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)
Summary
Table summaries are optional, but can improve accessibility.
1Choose Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order.
2Select the table by drawing a rectangle around it.
3In the Tou ch UP Rea d i ng Ord er dialog box, click Table.
4Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac OS) Table.
5Click Edit Table Summary.
6Enter a summary and click OK.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)
Lists
List items
The check reports whether each List Item (LI) is a child of List (L). When this rule check fails, the structure of this list
is incorrect. Lists must have the following structure: A List element must contain List Item Elements. And, List Item
Elements can only contain Label Elements and List Item Body Elements.
To fix the list structure:
1Find the list in the Accessibility Checker panel by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking (Mac OS) the failed
element and choosing ShowIn TagsPanel.
2Create elements, change the types of elements, or rearrange existing elements by dragging them.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)
Lbl and LBody
Lists must have the following structure: A List element must contain List Item Elements. And, List Item Elements can
only contain Label Elements and List Item Body Elements. When this rule check fails, the structure of this list is
incorrect.
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To fix the list structure:
1Find the list in the Accessibility Checker panel by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking (Mac OS) the failed
element and choosing Show In Tags Panel.
2Create elements, change the types of elements, or rearrange existing elements by dragging them.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A)
Headings
Appropriate nesting
This rule checks nested headings. When this check fails, headings are not nested properly.
To fix the list structure:
1Find the list in the Accessibility Checker panel by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking (Mac OS) the failed
element and choosing Show in Tags Panel.
2Create elements, change the types of elements, or rearrange existing elements by dragging them.
Note: See the related WCAG section: 2.4.6 Headings and Labels. (Level AA). The order of headings is not required under
WCAG, and is only an advisory technique.
WCAG mapping to PDF/UA
WCAG 2.0 ISO 14289 -1 (File) Techniques
1.1.1 Non-text Content. (A) •7.3 addresses content requiring text
alteration.
•7.18.1 paragraph four addresses control
descriptions.
•7.18.6.2 addresses time-based media
alternatives. Test, Sensory, and CAPTCHA
use-cases are addressed via the technical
means used.
•7.1 paragraph 1, sentence 2 addresses
decoration.
•PDF1
•PDF4
1.2.1 Audio- only and Video- only
(Prerecorded). (A) •7.18.6.2 addresses time-based media
alternatives. Design-specific. It's necessary
that authors and developers consider this
provision and ensure conformance.
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-media-equiv-av-only-alt
1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded). (A) •7.18.6.2 addresses time-based media
alternatives. Design-specific. It's necessary
that authors and developers consider this
provision and ensure conformance.
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-media-equiv-captions
1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative
(Prerecorded). (A) •7.18.6.2 addresses time-based media
alternatives. Design-specific. It's necessary
that authors and developers consider this
provision and ensure conformance.
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-media-equiv-audio-desc
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1.2.4 Captions (Live). (AA) •Design-specific. It's necessary that authors
and developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance.
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-media-equiv-real-time-captions
1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded). (AA) •7.18.6.2 addresses time-based media
alternatives. Design-specific. It's necessary
that authors and developers consider this
provision and ensure conformance.
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-media-equiv-audio-desc-only
1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded). (AAA) •Design-specific. It's necessary that authors
and developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance.
1.2.7 Extended Audio Description
(Prerecorded). (AAA) •Design-specific. It's necessary that authors
and developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance
1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded). (AAA) •7.18.6.2 addresses time-based media
alternatives. Design-specific. It's necessary
that authors and developers consider this
provision and ensure conformance.
1.2.9 Audio- only (Live). (AAA) •Design-specific. It's necessary that authors
and developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance.
1.3.1 Info and Relationships. (Level A) •7.1 - 7.10 and 7.20 address structure and
relationships in content.
•7.17 and 7.18 address structure and
relationships in annotations.
•PDF6
•PDF9
•PDF10
•PDF11
•PDF12
•PDF17
•PDF20
•PDF21
1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence. (Level A) •7.2 paragraph two addresses the
meaningful sequence of content.
•7.17 addresses navigation features.
•7.18.3 addresses tab order in annotations.
•PDF3
1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics. (Level A) •7.1, paragraphs 6 and 7 •General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-content-structure-separation-
understanding
1.4.1 Use of Color. (Level A) •7.1, paragraph 6 •General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-visual-audio-contrast-without-color
1.4.2 Audio Control. (Level A) •Design-specific. It's necessary that authors
and developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance.
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-visual-audio-contrast-dis-audio
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1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum). (Level AA) •7.1, paragraph 6 and note 4 •General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-visual-audio-contrast-contrast
1.4.4 Resize text. (Level AA) •Not applicable •G142
1.4.5 Images of Text. (Level AA) •7.3, paragraph 6 •PDF7
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-visual-audio-contrast-text-
presentation
1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced). (Level AAA) •7.1, paragraph 6
1.4.7 Low or No Background Audio. (Level
AAA) •While ISO 14289 does not address this
success criterion, conformance in PDF
requires ISO 14289 conforming files and
readers. The manner in which developers
support this success criterion in PDF in not
defined in ISO 14289 or ISO 32000.
1.4.8 Visual Presentation. (Level AAA) •Design-specific. It's necessary that authors
and developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance.
1.4.9 Images of Text (No Exception). (Level
AAA) •7.3 paragraph 1
2.1.1 Keyboard. (Level A) •Not applicable •PDF3
•PDF11
•PDF23
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap. (Level A) •Design-specific. It's necessary that
developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance.
•G21
2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception). (Level AAA) •7.19, paragraph 3
2.2.1 Timing Adjustable. (Level A) •7.19, paragraph three applies, but generally
this rule is design-specific. It's necessary
that developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance.
•G133
2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide. (Level A) •7.19 •General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-time-limits-pause
2.2.3 No Timing. (Level AAA) •7.19
2.2.4 Interruptions. (Level AAA) •7.19
2.2.5 Re- authenticating. (Level AAA) •Not applicable
2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold. (Level
A) •7.1, paragraph 5 •General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-seizure-does-not-violate
2.3.2 Three Flashes.(Level AAA) •7.1, paragraph 5
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2.4.1 Bypass Blocks. (Level A) •Not applicable, unless the PDF includes
repetitive real content. Page content, such
as running headers and footers, must
conform with 7.8.
•PDF9
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-navigation-mechanisms-skip
2.4.2 Page Titled. (Level A) •7.1, paragraphs 8 and 9 •PDF18
2.4.3 Focus Order. (Level A) •7.1, paragraph 2, 7.18.1; paragraph 2, 7.18.3 •PDF3
2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context). (Level A) •7.18.5 •PDF11
•PDF13
2.4.5 Multiple Ways. (Level AA) •PDFs can conform with this provision in
several ways, including outlines (7.17), links
(7.18.5), and page labels.
•PDF2
•General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-navigation-mechanisms-mult-loc
2.4.6 Headings and Labels. (Level AA) •7.4 •General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-navigation-mechanisms-descriptive
2.4.7 Focus Visible. (Level AA) •Not applicable •G149
•G165
•G195
2.4.8 Location. (Level AAA) •7.4, 7.17
2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only). (Level AAA) •7.18.5
2.4.10 Section Headings. (Level AAA) •7.4
3.1.1 Language of Page. (Level A) •7.2, paragraph 3. •PDF16
•PDF19
3.1.2 Language of Parts. (Level AA) •7.2, paragraph 3. •PDF19
3.1.3 Unusual Words. (Level AAA) •Not addressed in ISO 14289. See ISO 32000-
1, section 14.9.5.
3.1.4 Abbreviations. (Level AAA) •Not addressed in ISO 14289. See ISO 32000-
1, section 14.9.5.
3.1.5 Reading Level. (Level AAA) •No Accessibility Support impact. This rule is
design-specific. It's necessary that
application or document authors consider
this provision and ensure conformance.
3.1.6 Pronunciation. (Level AAA) •PDF provides several mechanisms for
deploying media and other options for
pronunciation assistance. Design-specific.
It's necessary that authors and developers
consider this provision and ensure
conformance.
3.2.1 On Focus. (Level A) •7.18, paragraph 2 •General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-consistent-behavior-receive-focus
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More Help topics
WCAG Specification
PDF/UA
Guide to understanding the WCAG Specification
PDF Techniques for WCAG
How to meet WCAG 2.0 (a PDF checklist)
Acrobat accessibility training resources
Adobe blog: WCAG 2.0 techniques for PDF
Accessibility features in PDFs
A document or application is accessible if people with disabilities, such as mobility impairments, blindness, and low
vision, can use it. Accessibility features in Acrobat DC, Acrobat Reader DC, and Adobe Portable Document Format
(PDF) enable people with disabilities to use PDF documents, with or without screen readers, screen magnifiers, and
braille printers.
Making PDFs accessible tends to benefit all users. For example, the document structure that enables a screen reader to
read a PDF out loud also enables a mobile device to reflow and display the document on a small screen. Similarly, the
preset tab order of an accessible PDF form helps all users, not just users with mobility impairments, fill the form more
easily.
Accessibility features in Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC fall into two broad categories. There are features to make
the reading of PDF documents more accessible, and features to create accessible PDF documents. To create accessible
PDF documents, use Acrobat, not Reader.
3.2.2 On Input. (Level A) •7.18, paragraph 2 •PDF15
3.2.3 Consistent Navigation. (Level AA) •7.1, paragraph 1, 7.17 •PDF14
•PDF17
•G61
3.2.4 Consistent Identification. (Level AA) •7.1, paragraph 1 •General Techniques:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
/#qr-consistent-behavior-consistent-
functionality
3.2.5 Change on Request. (Level AAA) •7.19, paragraph 2
3.3.1 Error Identification. (Level A) •Design-specific. It's necessary that authors
and developers consider this provision and
ensure conformance.
•PDF5
•PDF22
3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A) •PDF5
•PDF10
4.1.2 Name, role, value •PDF10
•PDF12
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Features for accessible reading of PDFs
•Preferences and commands to optimize output for assistive software and devices, such as saving as accessible text
for a braille printer
•Preferences and commands to make navigation of PDFs more accessible, such as automatic scrolling and opening
PDFs to the last page read
•Accessibility Setup Assistant for easy setting of most preferences related to accessibility
•Keyboard alternates to mouse actions
•Reflow capability to display PDF text in large type and to temporarily present a multicolumn PDF in a single, easy-
to-read column.
•Read Out Loud text-to-speech conversion
•Support for screen readers and screen magnifiers
Features for creating accessible PDFs
•Creation of tagged PDFs from authoring applications
•Conversion of untagged PDFs to tagged PDFs
•Security setting that allows screen readers to access text while preventing users from copying, printing, editing, and
extracting text
•Ability to add text to scanned pages to improve accessibility
•(Acrobat Pro DC) Tools for editing reading order and document structure
•(Acrobat Pro DC) Tools for creating accessible PDF forms
Acrobat Standard DC provides some functionality for making existing PDFs accessible. Acrobat Pro DC enables you
to perform tasks, such as editing reading order, or editing document structure tags that are necessary to make some
PDF documents and forms accessible.
Additional resources
For more information about accessibility features, see these resources:
•Acrobat accessibility, overview, new features, and FAQ: www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/acrobat/
•Information and news about accessibility in Adobe products: blogs.adobe.com/accessibility/pdf/
•Creating accessible PDF documents: www.adobe.com/accessibility
•General accessibility tips: http://acrobatusers.com/forum/accessibility/
About accessible PDFs
Accessible PDFs have the following characteristics.
Searchable text
A document that consists of scanned images of text is inherently inaccessible because the content of the document is
images, not searchable text. Assistive software cannot read or extract the words, users cannot select or edit the text, and
you cannot manipulate the PDF for accessibility. Convert the scanned images of text to searchable text using optical
character recognition (OCR) before you can use other accessibility features with the document.
Alternate text descriptions (Acrobat Pro DC)
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Screen readers cannot read document features such as images and interactive form fields unless they have associated
alternate text. Screen readers can read web links; however, you can provide more meaningful descriptions as alternate
text. Alternate text and tool tips can aid many users, including users with learning disabilities.
Fonts that allow characters to be extracted to text (Acrobat Pro DC)
The fonts in an accessible PDF must contain enough information for Acrobat to extract all of the characters to text for
purposes other than displaying text on the screen. Acrobat extracts characters to Unicode text when you read a PDF
with a screen reader or the Read Out Loud feature. Acrobat also extracts characters to Unicode when you save as text
for a braille printer. This extraction fails if Acrobat cannot determine how to map the font to Unicode characters.
Reading order and document structure tags (Acrobat Pro DC)
To read a document’s text and present it in a way that makes sense to the user, a screen reader or other text-to-speech
tool requires a structured document. Document structure tags in a PDF define the reading order and identify headings,
paragraphs, sections, tables, and other page elements.
Interactive form fields (Acrobat Pro DC)
Some PDFs contain forms that a person is to fill out using a computer. To be accessible, form fields must be interactive
to let the user enter values into the form fields.
Navigational aids (Acrobat Pro DC)
Navigational aids in a PDF include links, bookmarks, headings, table of contents, and preset tab order for form fields.
Navigational aids assist users in understanding the document without reading completely through it. Bookmarks are
especially useful and can be created from document headings.
Document language (Acrobat Pro DC)
Specifying the document language in a PDF enables some screen readers to switch to the appropriate language.
Security that doesn’t interfere with assistive software (Acrobat Pro DC)
Some PDF authors restrict users from printing, copying, extracting, adding comments, or editing text. The text of an
accessible PDF must be available to a screen reader. You can use Acrobat to ensure that security settings don’t interfere
with the screen reader’s ability to convert onscreen text to speech.
For more information about PDF accessibility, see www.webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/.
About tags, accessibility, reading order, and reflow
PDF tags are similar in many ways to XML tags. PDF tags indicate document structure: which text is a heading, which
content makes up a section, which text is a bookmark, and so on. A logical structure tree of tags represents the
organizational structure of the document. Therefore, tags indicate the reading order and improve navigation,
particularly for long, complex documents without changing the PDF appearance.
Assistive software determines how to present and interpret the content of the document by using the logical structure
tree. Most assistive software depends on document structure tags to determine the appropriate reading order of text.
Document structure tags let assistive software convey the meaning of images and other content in an alternate format,
such as sound. An untagged document does not have structure information, and Acrobat must infer a structure based
on the Reading Order preference setting. This situation often results in page items being read in the wrong order or not
at all.
Reflowing a document for viewing on the small screen of a mobile device relies on these same document structure tags.
Often, Acrobat tags PDFs when you create them. To determine whether a PDF contains tags, choose File > Properties,
and look at the Tagged PDF value in the Advanced pane of the Description tab.
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In Acrobat Pro DC, the logical structure tree appears on the Tags panel. It shows document content as page elements
nested at various levels.
More Help topics
Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features
Creating accessible PDFs
Touch Up Reading Order tool for PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Editing document structure with the Content and Tags panels(Acrobat Pro)
Keys for accessibility (Acrobat Pro)
Touch Up Reading Order tool for PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Touch Up Reading Order tool overview
The Touch Up Reading Order tool provides the easiest and quickest way to fix reading order and basic tagging
problems. When you select the Touch Up Reading Order tool, a dialog box opens that lets you see overlay highlights
that show the order of page content. Each highlighted region is numbered and highlighted with gray or colored blocks;
the number indicates the region’s placement in the page’s reading order. After you check the reading order of the page,
you can correct other, more subtle tagging issues as needed.
The Touch Up Reading Order tool is intended for repairing PDFs that were tagged using Acrobat, not for repairing
PDFs that were tagged during conversion from an authoring application. Whenever possible, return to the source file
and add accessibility features in the authoring application. Repairing the original file ensures that you don’t have to
repeatedly touch up future iterations of the PDF in Acrobat.
You use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to perform the following accessibility tasks:
•Visually check, and then repair, the reading order of page content
•Tag fillable form fields and their labels
•Add alternate text to figures and descriptions to form fields
•Fix the tagging of simple tables, and prepare complex tables for more advanced manipulation in the logical structure
tree
•Remove nonessential content, such as ornamental page borders, from the logical structure tree
To perform advanced reading order and tagging tasks, such as fixing complex tables, removing obsolete tags, and
adding alternate text to links, use the Tags panel. The panel contains an alternate set of tools and features for
manipulating PDF tags. For more information, see Edit tags with the Tags panel.
Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool
•Choose To ols > Accessibility > Touch Up Re ading Ord er to select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
Tips for using the Touch Up Reading Order tool
•Save the document (or a copy of it) before you use the Touch Up Reading Order tool. You can’t use Undo to reverse
changes made with this tool, so reverting to a saved document is the only way to undo such a change.
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•Choose View > Page Display > Single Page View, when using the Touch Up Reading Order tool. When you click
the Clear Page Structure button, Acrobat DC clears tags from all visible pages, even pages that are only partially
visible.
For additional tips on working with reading order, see Donna Baker’s Setting Reading Order in a PDF Document.
Touch Up Reading Order options
You can select Touch Up Reading Order options from the dialog box, from the pop-up menu that appears when you
right-click a highlighted region, or from the options menu in the Order panel. The Touch Up Reading Order tool
includes the following options:
Text Tags the selection as text.
Figure Tags the selection as a figure. Text contained within a figure tag is defined as part of the image and screen
readers don’t read it.
Form Field Tags the selection as a form field.
Figure/Caption Tags a selected figure and caption as a single tag. Any text contained in the tag is defined as a caption.
Useful for tagging photos and captions and preventing caption text from being incorrectly added to adjacent text
blocks. Figures may require alternate text.
Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Heading 4, Heading 5, Heading 6 Tags the selection as a first, second, third, fourth,
fifth, or sixth level heading tag. You can convert heading tags to bookmarks to help users navigate the document.
Table Tags the selection as a table after the selection is analyzed to determine the location of headings, columns, and
rows.
Cell Tags the selection as a table or header cell. Use this option to merge cells that are incorrectly split.
Formula Tags the selection as a formula. Because speech software may handle formula tags differently from normal
text, you may want to add a description using alternate text.
Background Tags the selection as a background element, or artifact, removing the item from the tag tree. That way, it
doesn’t appear in the reflowed document and screen readers don’t read it.
Table Editor Automatically analyzes the selected table into cells and applies the appropriate tags. The table must be
tagged as a table before you can use the Table Editor command on it.
Show Page Content Groups Shows content elements as highlighted areas that contain numbers to indicate the reading
order. Specify the highlight color by clicking the color swatch.
Show Table Cells Highlights the content of individual table cells. Specify the highlight color by clicking the color
swatch.
Display Like Elements In A Single Block Adjacent squares with the same tag type are collapsed into a single, bigger
square with the common tag type that encompasses the original square.
Show Tables And Figures Outlines each table and figure with a crossed-out box. The box also indicates whether the
element includes alternate text. Specify the box color by clicking the color swatch.
Clear Page Structure Removes the tagging structure from the page. Use this option to start over and create a new
structure if the existing structure contains too many problems.
Show Order Panel Opens the Order tab for reordering highlighted content.
Edit Alternate Text Available in the menu that appears when you right-click a highlighted figure. Allows the user to add
or edit a text description about the figure properties that a screen reader or other assistive technology reads.
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Edit Form Field Text Available in the menu that appears when you right-click a form field. Allows the user to add or
edit a form field text description that a screen reader or other assistive technology reads.
Edit Table Summary Available in the menu that appears when you right-click a highlighted table. Allows the user to
add or edit a text description about the table properties that a screen reader or other assistive technology reads.
Check and correct reading order (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can quickly check the reading order of tagged PDFs by using the Touch Up Reading Order tool. You can also use
this tool to add alternate text to images and correct many types of tagging problems that are outlined in the report that
Acrobat generates when you add tags to a PDF.
Reading-order problems are readily apparent when you use the Touch Up Reading Order tool. Each section of
contiguous page content appears as a separate highlighted region and is numbered according to its placement in the
reading order. Within each region, text is ordered left to right and top to bottom. (You can change this order in the
Touch Up preferences.) If a single highlighted region contains two columns of text or text that won’t flow normally,
divide the region into parts that can be reordered. Because highlighted regions are rectangular, they may overlap
somewhat, especially if their page content is irregularly shaped. Unless page content overlaps or is contained within two
highlighted regions, no reading order problem is indicated. Page content should belong to no more than one
highlighted region.
You can change the reading order of the highlighted regions by moving an item in the Order panel or by dragging it on
the page in the document pane. By reordering highlighted regions on the page, you can make a figure and caption read
at the specific point that they are referenced in the text. By changing the order of a highlighted region, you effectively
change the reading order of that item without changing the actual appearance of the PDF.
Check reading order with the Touch Up Reading Order tool
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, select Show Page Content Groups, and then click Page Content Order.
Note: If highlighted regions don’t appear in the document pane, the document doesn’t contain tags.
3Optionally, do any of the following:
•To specify a highlight color, click the color swatch, and then click the color you want.
•To highlight tables and figures, and to view alternate text for figures, select Show Tables And Figures.
4Check the reading order of text within each highlighted region.
Zooming in can make this step easier.
5Check the numbered order of all highlighted regions. If consecutive, numbered regions don’t follow one another,
reorder them in the Order panel.
6Click Show Order Panel, and then select each content entry (in brackets [ ]) in the Order panel to highlight that
content region in the document pane. Use this method to find numbered regions that you can’t see or locate on the
page.
Change the reading order in the Order panel
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, click Show Order Panel.
3In the Order panel, navigate to view a list of highlighted regions that appear in the document pane.
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4In the Order panel, drag the tag for a highlighted region to the location you want. As you drag, a line appears to show
potential locations. After you drag an item to a new location, the highlighted regions are renumbered to show the
new reading order. You can select and move multiple, adjacent regions.
Change the reading order by dragging on the page
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, select Show Page Content Groups, and then click Page Content Order.
3In the document pane, place the pointer over the number for the highlighted region you want to move. Thenh, drag
it to where you want it to be read. The text-insertion pointer shows target locations within the text.
When you release the highlighted region, the location of the text-insertion pointer becomes the dividing line. The
underlying highlighted region is split into two new highlighted regions. All highlighted regions are renumbered to
show the new reading order.
Edit tags with the Touch Up Reading Order tool (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to create tags in untagged PDFs or to add new tags to an existing
structure. However, this manual tagging doesn’t provide the same level of detail to the tagging structure as the Add Tags
To Document command, such as paragraphs, bulleted and numbered lists, line breaks, and hyphens. Before you clear
the existing structure, make sure that manual tagging is your only recourse.
Tag a region
1Using the Touch Up Reading Order tool, drag within the document pane to select a region of the page that contains
one type of content (for example, a text block).
2Do one of the following:
•To add more page content to the current selection, Shift-drag.
•To remove page content from the current selection, Ctrl-drag.
3Click the appropriate button in the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box to specify the tag type.
Change the tag for a region
If Acrobat tags a page element incorrectly, you can change the tag type for the highlighted region.
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, select Show Page Content Groups, and then click Page Content Order.
3To select a highlighted region, do one of the following:
•Drag to select it.
•Click the number of a highlighted region.
4Click the button for the tag type that you want for the highlighted region.
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Add or remove content from a tagged region
The Touch Up Reading Order tool always displays as few highlighted regions as possible. If content within a highlighted
region doesn’t flow properly, you may need to split a region to reorder it. Highlighted regions may also contain adjacent
page content that is unrelated or that requires a different tag type. Page content may become orphaned from related
elements, particularly if the content doesn’t fit within a rectangular shape. Use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to add
or remove content from a region, or to split a region to reorder the content.
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, select Show Page Content Groups, and then click Page Content Order.
3In the document pane, select a highlighted region.
4Do one of the following:
•To add content to the current selection, Shift-click the content you want to add. The pointer changes to include
a plus sign (+).
•To remove content from the current selection, Ctrl-click the content you want to remove. The pointer changes
to include a minus sign (-).
5Click the button for the tag type that you want for the highlighted region.
Split a region into two regions
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, select Show Page Content Groups, and then click Page Content Order.
3In the document pane, drag to select a small portion of content near the boundary of the first region that you want
to create.
4Click the Background button in the dialog box. The highlighted region splits into two regions, numbered from right
to left.
5To correct the reading order, click Show Order Panel, and drag the new highlighted region to the correct location in
the Order panel.
6Drag to select the first content region you created, including the Background. Then set the tag by clicking a button
in the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box.
Apply a heading tag
To help readers navigate a document and find the information they need, make sure that headings are tagged with the
appropriate level to indicate their hierarchy in the content.
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool, and then select the heading text in the PDF.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, click the button corresponding to the appropriate heading tag (for
example, Heading 1, Heading 2).
After applying heading tags, you can convert the headings to bookmarks to improve navigation. For more information,
see Add tagged bookmarks.
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Remove page elements from the tag structure
When tagging a PDF, Acrobat can’t always distinguish between instructive figures and decorative page elements. Items
that visually enhance page layout, such as decorative borders, lines, or background elements, can add clutter to the
structure layout and should be removed. Therefore, Acrobat may incorrectly tag artifacts or page elements as figure
tags. You can remove artifacts and irrelevant page elements from the tag structure by redefining them with the
Background tag or by deleting their tags. If a tagged image in the document doesn’t contain useful or illustrative
information for the user, you can remove the element from the tagging structure so that it isn’t read out loud or
reflowed.
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, select Show Page Content Groups, and click Page Content Order. Then,
select Show Tables And Figures.
3Remove the page element by doing one of the following:
•In the document pane, select the page element, and then click Background in the dialog box.
•In the Order panel, select the page element, and then press Delete.
Edit tags for figures and tables (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to add and edit tags and alternate text for figures and tables.
Apply a figure tag
You can select an element and define it as a figure by using the Touch Up Reading Order tool. Once you define it as a
figure, you can add alternate text to describe the figure.
1Using the Touch Up Reading Order tool, select the figure.
2In the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box, click Figure.
3In the document pane, right-click the region and choose Edit Alternate Text.
4Enter alternate text, and click OK.
Check and correct figure tags
You can use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to identify and correct tagging results for figures. Determine whether
figures include or require alternate text necessary to be read correctly with assistive technologies. Ideally, figure tags
should identify image content that is meaningful to the document as a whole, such as graphs or illustrative photographs.
If background elements that shouldn’t be read are tagged as figures, redefine them as background.
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool, and then click Show Tables And Figures in the dialog box.
2Do any of the following:
•If a figure isn’t tagged as a figure, select the content region you want, and then click Figure or Figure/Caption in
the dialog box.
•To remove text that was incorrectly combined with a figure, drag to select the text, and click the Text button in
the dialog box.
•To include a caption that is grouped with the figure, select the figure and caption, and click the Figure/Caption
button in the dialog box.
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Check and add alternate text for figures
If you want screen readers to describe graphical elements that illustrate important concepts in a document, you must
provide the description using alternate text. Figures aren’t recognized or read by a screen reader unless you add
alternate text to the tag properties. If you apply alternate text to text elements, only the description, not the actual text,
is read.
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
2Select Show Tables And Figures in the dialog box.
3Right-click the figure, and choose Edit Alternate Text from the pop-up menu.
4In the Edit Alternate Text dialog box, type a new (or edit an existing) description for the figure, and then click OK.
Edit table tags and tag unrecognized tables
Tables pose a special challenge for screen readers because they present textual or numerical data to be easily referenced
visually. Content within table cells can be complex and might contain lists, paragraphs, form fields, or another table.
For best results when tagging tables, use the application that you created the document with to add tags when you create
the PDF. If a PDF isn’t tagged, you can add tags by using the Add Tags To Document command. Most tables are properly
recognized using this command; however, the command may not recognize a table that lacks clear borders, headings,
columns, and rows. Use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to determine if the table has been properly recognized and
to correct recognition problems. To add specialized formatting to tables and table cells, use the Tags panel.
You can use the Table Editor to automatically analyze a table into its components and apply the appropriate tags, but
you may still need to check and correct some of these tags manually. By viewing table tags, you can determine whether
columns, rows, and cells have been correctly identified. Tables that lack well-defined borders and rules are often tagged
incorrectly or contain adjacent page elements. You can correct poorly tagged tables by selecting and redefining them;
you can split combined cells by creating a tag for each cell.
To correct complex tagging problems for tables, you often must use the Tags panel.
1Select the Touch Up Reading Order tool, and then click Show Tables And Figures.
2If the table isn’t clearly labeled in the document pane, drag to select the entire table, and then click Table in the dialog
box.
3Click Show Table Cells to make sure that all cells in the table are defined as individual elements.
4If cells don’t appear as separate elements, do one of the following:
•If one or more cells are merged, use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to select the area within a single cell, and
then click Cell in the dialog box. Repeat for each merged cell.
•If cells aren’t highlighted, the table might not use standard table formatting. Re-create the table in the authoring
application.
5If the table contains cells that are intended to span across two or more columns, set ColSpan and RowSpan attributes
for these rows in the tag structure.
Remove or replace document structure tags (Acrobat Pro DC)
If adding tags to a PDF in Adobe Acrobat results in a tagging structure that is overly complicated or too problematic to
fix, you can use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to remove or replace the current structure. If the document contains
mostly text, you can select a page and then remove headings, tables, and other elements to create a cleaner, simpler
tagging structure.
Acrobat can retag an already tagged document after you first remove all existing tags from the tree.
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Remove all tags from a PDF
1Open the Tags panel (View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panels > Tags) and select the root (topmost) tag, Tags.
2In the Tags panel, select Delete Tag from the options menu.
Note: The Clear Page Structure command in the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box removes all tags from the currently
visible pages.
Replace the existing tag structure
This procedure works best in pages that contain a single column of text. If the page contains multiple columns, each
column must be selected and tagged individually.
1Select the tool.
2In the document pane, drag to select the entire page. The selection includes both text and nontext elements.
3Ctrl-drag around nontext page elements, such as figures and captions, to deselect them, until only text is selected on
the page. Click Text in the Touch Up Reading Order dialog box.
4In the document pane, select a nontext page element, such as a figure and caption, and click the appropriate button
in the dialog box to tag it. Repeat until all page content is tagged.
More Help topics
Accessibility features
Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features
Creating accessible PDFs
Editing document structure with the Content and Tags panels(Acrobat Pro)
Keys for accessibility (Acrobat Pro)
Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features
Setting accessibility preferences
Acrobat provides several preferences that help make the reading of PDFs more accessible for visually impaired and
motion-impaired users. These preferences control how PDFs appear on the screen and how they are read by a screen
reader.
Most preferences related to accessibility are available through the Accessibility Setup Assistant, which provides
onscreen instructions for setting these preferences. Some preferences that affect accessibility aren’t available through
the Accessibility Setup Assistant including preferences in the Reading, Forms, and Multimedia categories. You can set
all preferences in the Preferences dialog box.
The names shown for some preferences in the Accessibility Setup Assistant are different from the names for the same
preferences shown in the Preferences dialog box. Acrobat Help uses the names shown in the Preferences dialog box.
For more information about accessibility features, see www.adobe.com/accessibility.
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Set accessibility preferences with the Accessibility Setup Assistant
1Start the Accessibility Setup Assistant by doing one of the following:
•Choose Tools > Accessibility > Setup Assistant.
•(Windows only) Start Acrobat for the first time while a screen reader or screen magnifier is running.
2Choose the option that is appropriate for your assistive software and devices.
The assistant presents only preferences that are appropriate for your assistive software and devices, according to the
option that you choose.
3Follow the onscreen instructions. If you click Cancel at any point, Acrobat uses default settings for the preferences
that the assistant sets (not recommended).
Set accessibility preferences with the Preferences dialog box
❖Set preferences as appropriate for your assistive software and devices in various panels of the Preferences dialog box.
Accessibility preferences
Accessibility preferences in Accessibility panel
Replace Document Colors When this preference is selected, you can choose from a list of contrasting color
combinations for text and background, or you can create your own. These settings correspond to the Use High Contrast
Colors For Document Text option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Always Use Page Layout Style Corresponds to the Override Page Layout Style option in theAccessibility Setup
Assistant.
Always Use Zoom Setting Corresponds to the Override Document Zoom option in the AccessibilitySetup Assistant.
Use Document Structure For Tab Order When No ExplicitTab Order Is Specified Improves navigation of form fields and
links in documents that don’t specify a tab order.
Always Display The Keyboard Selection Cursor Select this option if you use a screen magnifier. This preference
corresponds to the Always Display The Keyboard Selection Cursor option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Always Use The System Selection Color When selected, the default selection color (blue) is overridden with a color that
the system specifies.
Show Portfolios In Files Mode When selected, shows PDF Portfolio component files and file details in a list. Files mode
provides a better reading experience for people with disabilities, such as mobility impairments, blindness, and low
vision.
Accessibility preferences in Documents panel
Automatically Save Document Changes To Temporary File Every When deselected, this preference disables the auto-
save action. Each time a PDF is saved, the screen reader or magnifier must reload the document. This preference
corresponds to the Disable Document Auto-Save option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Accessibility preferences in Forms panel
Fields Highlight Color and Required Fields Highlight Color These preferences specify what colors are used to highlight
fillable form fields. They correspond to the Field Highlight Color and Required Field Highlight Color options in the
Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Auto-Complete Enables Acrobat to automatically offer to complete some entries in form fields so that filling form fields
requires fewer keystrokes. This preference doesn’t correspond to an option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
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Accessibility preferences in Multimedia panel
•Show Subtitles When Available
•Play Dubbed Audio When Available
•Show Supplemental Text Captions When Available
•Show Audio Description (Or Video Description, Or Descriptive Video) When Available
These preferences don’t correspond to any options in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Accessibility preferences in Page Display panel
Zoom Sets the onscreen magnification of documents and allows low-vision readers to read reflowed PDFs more easily.
This preference corresponds to the Override Document Zoom option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Smooth Text Controls anti-aliasing of text. To disable smoothing of text and make text sharper and easier to read with
a screen magnifier, choose None. This preference corresponds to the Disable Text Smoothing option in the Accessibility
Setup Assistant.
Accessibility preferences in Reading panel
Reading Order Specifies the reading order of documents. The reading order preferences also appear in the Accessibility
Setup Assistant.
Infer Reading Order From Document (Recommended) Interprets the reading order of untagged documents by using an
advanced method of structure-inference layout analysis.
Left-To-Right, Top-To-Bottom Reading Order Delivers the text according to its placement on the page, reading from left
to right and then top to bottom. This method is faster than Infer Reading Order From Document. This method analyzes
text only; form fields are ignored and tables aren’t recognized as such.
Use Reading Order In Raw Print Stream Delivers text in the order in which it was recorded in the print stream. This
method is faster than Infer Reading Order From Document. This method analyzes text only; form fields are ignored
and tables aren’t recognized as such.
Override The Reading Order In Tagged Documents Uses the reading order specified in the Reading preferences instead
what the tag structure of the document specifies. Use this preference only when you encounter problems in poorly
tagged PDFs. This preference corresponds to the Override The Reading Order In Tagged Documents option in the
Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Page Vs Document This preference determines how much of a document is delivered to a screen reader at a time. If a
PDF isn’t tagged, Acrobat may analyze the document and attempt to infer its structure and reading order. This process
can take a long time for a long document. Consider setting Acrobat to deliver only the currently visible page so that it
analyzes only a small piece of the document at a time. This consideration varies depending on the size and complexity
of the document and on the features of the screen reader. When Acrobat delivers information to a screen reader, screen
magnifier, or other assistive software, it loads information into a memory buffer that is directly available to the assistive
software. The amount of information that is delivered to the memory buffer can affect how long Acrobat takes to
perform tasks, such as opening the document, advancing to the next page, changing views, and carrying out
commands.
Only Read The Currently Visible Pages This option is usually best when you use a screen magnifier. It improves
performance by eliminating the need for the software to process parts of the document that aren’t visible. When
Acrobat sends only the currently visible pages of a PDF to the memory buffer, the assistive technology has access to
those pages only. It cannot go to another page until the next page is visible and Acrobat has sent the page information
to the memory buffer. Therefore, if this option is selected, you must use the navigation features of Acrobat, not the
features of the assistive technology, to navigate from page to page in the document. Also set theDefault Page Layout
option in preferences to Single Page if you choose to have Acrobat send only the currently visible pages to the assistive
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technology. Because Acrobat sends page information about all visible pages, the assistive technology receives
information about pages that may be only partially visible (such as the bottom of one page or the top of the next), as
well as those pages that are completely visible. If you use a page display setting other than Single Page, such as
Continuous, and then you display the next page, the technology may not correctly track which portion of a previous
page it has already read aloud. For instructions on setting the default page layout to Single Page, see Preferences for
viewing PDFs.
This option corresponds to the Only Read The Currently Visible Pages option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Read The Entire Document This option can be best if you use a screen reader that has its own navigation and search
tools and that is more familiar to you than the tools in Acrobat. This option corresponds to the Read The Entire
Document At Once option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
For Large Documents, Only Read The Currently Visible Pages This option is selected by default and is usually best if
you use a screen reader with long or complex PDFs. It allows Acrobat to deliver an entire small document but revert to
page-by-page delivery for large documents. This preference corresponds to the For Large Documents, Only Read The
Currently Visible Pages option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Confirm Before Tagging Documents When selected, lets the user confirm the options that are used before Acrobat
prepares an untagged document for reading. Tagging can be a time-consuming procedure, especially for larger
documents. This preference corresponds to the Confirm Before Tagging Documents option in the Accessibility Setup
Assistant.
Read Out Loud Options Set preferences in to control volume, speed, and pitch of the voice used for Read Out Loud. You
can choose to use the default voice or any of the voices that your operating system provides. You can also use the up
and down arrows to read blocks of text. These preferences do not have corresponding options in the Accessibility Setup
Assistant.
Navigate and control the application with the keyboard
You can navigate by using the keyboard instead of the mouse. Several keyboard access features are available in Mac OS;
see the documentation for your operating system for details. In Windows, some of the keyboard shortcuts used to
navigate in Acrobat differ from the keyboard shortcuts used in other Windows applications.
When you open Acrobat within a web browser, keyboard commands are mapped to the web browser first.
Consequently, some keyboard shortcuts are not available in Acrobat or are available only after you shift the focus to the
PDF.
For information about accessibility features, see www.adobe.com/accessibility.
Enable single-key accelerators
You can select some tools and perform some actions with single-key accelerators. Most keyboard shortcuts in Acrobat
don’t require that you enable single-key accelerators.
❖In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select General, and then select Use Single-Key Accelerators To
Access Tools.
Note: Some screen readers do not work with Acrobat single-key accelerators.
Scroll automatically
The automatic scrolling feature makes it easier to scan through long PDFs, especially reflowed documents. You can
scroll through pages without using keystrokes or mouse actions.
Choose View > Page Display > Automatically Scroll.
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1Do any of the following:
•To change the scrolling speed to a specific speed, press a number key (9 for fastest, 0 for slowest).
•To increase or decrease the scrolling speed, press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key, depending on the direction
of scrolling.
•To reverse the direction of scrolling, press the minus sign (-) key.
•To jump to the next or previous page, press the Left Arrow or Right Arrow key.
To stop automatic scrolling, press Esc or choose View> Page Display >Automatically Scroll again.
Save as accessible text for a braille printer
Note: This document uses the term “braille printer” to refer to any device that is used to convert accessible text to a form
that a person with blindness or low vision can use.
You can save a PDF as accessible text to print on a braille printer. Accessible text can be imported and printed out as
formatted grade 1 or 2 braille documents by using a braille translation application. See the documentation included
with the braille translator for more information.
A text version of a PDF contains no images or multimedia objects. However, the text version of an accessible PDF
contains alternate text descriptions for such objects if they have been provided.
❖Choose File > Export To > Text (Accessible).
Reflow a PDF
You can reflow a PDF to temporarily present it as a single column that is the width of the document pane. This reflow
view can make the document easier to read on a mobile device or magnified on a standard monitor, without scrolling
horizontally to read the text.
You cannot save, edit, or print a document while it is in Reflow view.
In most cases, only readable text appears in the reflow view. Text that doesn’t reflow includes forms, comments, digital
signature fields, and page artifacts, such as page numbers, headers, and footers. Pages that contain both readable text
and form or digital signature fields don’t reflow. Vertical text reflows horizontally.
Acrobat temporarily tags an untagged document before reflowing it. As an author, you can optimize your PDFs for
reflow by tagging them yourself. Tagging ensures that text blocks reflow and that content follows the appropriate
sequences, so readers can follow a story that spans different pages and columns without other stories interrupting the
flow.
To quickly check the reading order of a document, view it in Reflow view.
(Acrobat Pro) If the tagged PDF doesn’t reflow the way you want, see if the content order or reading order of the PDF
file contains inconsistencies. Also check the tagging process. You can use the Content pane or the Touch Up Reading
Order tool to resolve reflow problems.
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Reflow a tagged PDF
Choose View > Zoom > Reflow.
If the Page Display setting is Two Page View before you choose Reflow view, the Page Display setting automatically
becomes Single Page View when the document is reflowed. If the Page Display setting is Two Page Scrolling before you
choose Reflow view, the Page Display setting automatically becomes Enable Scrolling when the document is reflowed.
Return to unreflowed view
❖When in Reflow view, choose View > Zoom > Reflow.
Reading a PDF with a screen reader
Acrobat supports assistive software and devices, such as screen readers and screen magnifiers, that enable visually
impaired users to interact with computer applications. When assistive software and devices are in use, Acrobat adds
temporary tags to open PDFs to improve their readability. Use the Accessibility Setup Assistant to improve how Acrobat
interacts with the types of assistive software and devices that you use. When using a screen reader, you can change your
reading settings for the current document by choosing Tools > Accessibility > Change Reading Options.
See the documentation for your assistive software or device. Or, contact the vendor for more information about system
requirements, compatibility requirements, and instructions for using this software or device with Acrobat.
For more information about using screen readers, see www.adobe.com/accessibility/pdfs/accessing-pdf-sr.pdf.
Read a PDF with Read Out Loud
The Read Out Loud feature reads aloud the text in a PDF, including the text in comments and alternate text descriptions
for images and fillable fields. In tagged PDFs, content is read in the order in which it appears in the document’s logical
structure tree. In untagged documents, the reading order is inferred, unless a reading order has been specified in the
Reading preferences.
Read Out Loud uses the available voices installed on your system. If you have SAPI 4 or SAPI 5 voices installed from
text-to-speech or language applications, you can choose them to read your PDFs.
Note: Read Out Loud isn’t a screen reader, and some operating systems don’t support it.
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Activate or deactivate Read Out Loud
You must activate Read Out Loud before you can use it. You can deactivate Read Out Loud to free system resources and
improve performance of other operations.
❖Do one of the following:
•Choose View > Read Out Loud > Activate Read Out Loud.
•Choose View > Read Out Loud > Deactivate ReadOut Loud.
You can also use the Select Object tool to locate text. Activate Read Out Loud, and then choose Tools > Interactive
Objects >Select Object. Use the up/down and left/right arrow keys to navigate through the document. You can hear
where the Select Object tool has been placed, such as a heading or paragraph.
Read a PDF with Read Out Loud
1Navigate to the page that you want to read.
2Do one of the following:
•Choose View > Read Out Loud > Read This Page Only.
•Choose View > Read Out Loud > Read To End Of Document.
Read PDF form fields out loud
1In the Reading panel of the Preferences dialog box, select Read Form Fields in the Read Out Loud Options section.
2In the PDF form, press Tab to select the first form field.
3Make entries and selections as needed, and then press Tab to move to the next field, repeating this step until the form
is completed. Acrobat reads the state of selected check boxes and radio buttons.
Note: Read Out Loud does not echo your keystrokes. To hear what you have typed, use a screen reader.
Interrupt reading out loud
❖Do one of the following:
•Choose View > Read Out Loud > Pause.
•Choose View > Read Out Loud > Stop.
About operating system accessibility tools
Accessibility tools in Windows
Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.x operating systems have built-in tools that provide increased or
alternate access to information on the computer screen. Narrator is a light version of a screen reader. Magnifier is a
screen magnification tool.
For more information on the accessibility tools in the Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8.x operating
systems, see the Microsoft accessibility website.
Accessibility tools in Mac OS
Mac OS X has built-in tools that provide increased or alternate access to information on the computer screen.
For more information on the accessibility tools in the Mac OS X operating system, see the Apple® Inc. accessibility
website.
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More Help topics
Keys for navigating a PDF
Keys for selecting tools
Keys for working with comments
Keys for general navigating
Keys for working with navigation panels
Keys for navigating the Help window
Keys for accessibility
Accessibility features
Edit document structure with the Content and Tags
panels (Acrobat Pro)
Correct reflow problems with the Content panel
Use the Content panel to correct reflow problems in a PDF that can’t be corrected by using the Touch Up Reading Order
tool. Because you can damage a PDF by editing content objects, make sure that you’re familiar with PDF structure
before you change anything. For comprehensive information about PDF structure, see the PDF Reference Sixth Edition:
Adobe Portable Document Format Version 1.7, on the PDF reference page (English only) of the Adobe website.
The Content panel provides a hierarchical view of the objects that make up a PDF, including the PDF object itself. Each
document includes one or more pages, a set of annotations (such as comments and links), and the content objects for
the page. The content objects consist of containers, text, paths, and images. Objects are listed in the order in which they
appear on the page, like tags in the logical structure tree. However, PDFs don’t require tags for you to view or change
the object structure.
Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panels > Content.
1Expand the document name to view pages and objects.
2Move a container or object by selecting it and doing one of the following:
•Drag it to the location you want.
•Choose Cut from the options menu, select the tag above the location you want to paste the cut tag, and choose
Paste from the options menu.
Note: Container elements can’t be pasted directly to page elements. To move a container to another page, cut the
container you want to move. Then select a container on the page you want to move the container to and choose Paste
from the options menu. Then, drag the container out one level to the location that you want.
Content panel options
In the Content panel, use the options menu or right-click an object to choose from the following options:
New Container Adds a container object at the end of the selected page or container.
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Edit Container Dictionary Specifies the dictionary for the container. Errors in this dialog box may damage the PDF.
Available only for containers that include dictionaries.
Cut Cuts and copies the selected object (not the related page content).
Paste Pastes content directly below the selected object at the same hierarchical level.
Paste Child Pastes content into the selected object as a child content item.
Delete Removes the object (not the related page content) from the document.
Find Content From Selection Searches for the object in the Content panel that contains the object selected in the
document pane.
Find Searches for unmarked (untagged) artifacts, content, comments, and links. Options allow you to search the page
or document, and to add tags to found items.
Create Artifact Defines selected objects as artifacts. Artifacts are not read by a screen reader or by the Read Out Loud
feature. Page numbers, headers, and footers are often best tagged as artifacts.
Show In Tags Panel Switches automatically to the Tags panel, and selects the tag corresponding to the content element.
Remove Artifact Removes the artifact definition from the selected object.
Highlight Content When selected, highlights appear in the document pane around content that relates to a selected
object in the Content panel.
Show Metadata Allows viewing and editing of image or object metadata.
Properties Opens the Touch Up Properties dialog box.
About the Tags panel
The Tags panel allows you to view and edit tags in the logical structure tree, or tags tree, of a PDF. In the Tags panel,
tags appear in a hierarchical order that indicates the reading sequence of the document. The first item in this structure
is the Tags root. All other items are tags and are children of the Tags root. Tags use coded element types that appear in
angle brackets (< >). Each element, including structural elements such as sections and articles, appears in the logical
structure order by type, followed by a title and the element’s content or a description of the content. Structural elements
are typically listed as containers (parent tags). They include several smaller elements (child tags) within them.
Note: For more information on logical structures, see the PDF Reference Sixth Edition: Adobe Portable Document Format
Version 1.7, on the PDF reference page (English only) of the Adobe website.
Though you can correct most tagging issues by using the Touch Up Reading Order tool, you must use the Tags panel
to address detailed tagging of tables and substructure items, such as paragraphs, lists, and sections that require multiple
languages. Add tags manually to a document in the Tags panel only as a last resort. First consider using the Add Tags
To Document command.
Note: Operations performed in the Tags panel cannot be undone with the Undo command. Save a backup copy of a
document before you begin work on it in the Tags panel.
View tags in the Tags panel
Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panels > Tags.
1Do one of the following:
•Expand the tag for the section you want.
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•Ctrl-click the plus sign (Windows) or Option-click the triangle (Mac OS) next to the Tags root to show all tags
in the logical structure tree.
Edit tags with the Tags panel
You can edit a tag title, change a tag location, or change the tag type for an element. All page content must be tagged,
marked as an artifact, or removed from the logical structure tree.
Edit a tag title
1In the Tags panel, expand the section of the logical structure that you want to edit.
2To edit the title, Select the tag, choose Properties from the options menu, enter text in the Title box, and click Close.
Move a tag
1In the Tags panel, expand the Tags root to view all tags.
2Select the Tag icon of the element that you want to move.
3Do one of the following:
•Drag the tag to the location you want. As you drag, a line appears at viable locations.
•Choose Cut from the options menu, and select the tag that appears above the location you want to paste the cut
tag. From the options menu, choose Paste to move the tag to the same level as the selected tag. Or choose Paste
Child to move the tag within the selected tag.
Change the element type
1In the Tags panel, expand the section of the logical structure that you want to change.
2Select an element and choose Properties from the options menu.
3Choose a new element type from the Type menu, and then click Close.
Tags panel options
In the Tags panel, use the options menu or right-click a tag in the logical structure tree to choose from the following
options:
New Tag Creates a tag in the logical structure tree after the currently selected item. Specify type and title of the new tag.
Cut Removes the selected tag from its current location and puts it on the clipboard.
Paste Places the tag that’s on the clipboard into the location specified, replacing the selected tag.
Paste Child Places the tag that’s on the clipboard into the location specified, as a child of the selected tag.
Delete Tag Removes the selected tag.
Find Tag From Selection Searches for the tag in the Tags panel that contains the text or object selected in the document
pane.
Create Tag From Selection Creates a tag in the logical structure tree after the item selected in the document pane.
Specify type and title of the new tag.
Find Searches for artifacts, OCR suspects, and unmarked (untagged) content, comments, links, and annotations.
Options allow you to search the page or document and add tags to found items.
Change Tag To Artifact Changes selected tags to artifacts and removes the tagged content from the structure tree.
Copy Contents To Clipboard Copies all content contained within the selected tags.
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Edit Class Map Allows you to add, change, and delete the class map, or style dictionary, for the document. Class maps
store attributes that are associated with each element.
Edit Role Map Allows you to add, change, and delete role maps for the document. Role maps allow each document to
contain a uniquely defined tag set. By mapping these custom tags to predefined tags in Acrobat, custom tags are easier
to identify and edit.
Tag Annotations When selected, all new comments and form fields are added to the tag tree after the selected tag
element. Existing comments and form fields aren’t added to the tag tree. Highlight and Underline comments are
automatically associated and tagged with the text that they annotate and don’t require this option.
Document Is Tagged PDF Flags the PDF as a tagged document. Deselect to remove the flag.
Note: This option doesn’t necessarily indicate that the PDF conforms to PDF guidelines and should be used judiciously.
Highlight Content When selected, causes highlights to appear around content in the document pane when you select
the related tag in the Tags panel.
Show Metadata Opens a read-only dialog box that contains reference information about the selected tag.
Properties Opens the Touch Up Properties dialog box.
Add alternate text and supplementary information to tags
Some tagged PDFs might not contain all the information necessary to make the document contents fully accessible. For
example, if you want to make a document available to a screen reader, the PDF should contain alternate text for figures,
language properties for portions of the text that use a different language than the default language for the document,
and expansion text for abbreviations. Designating the appropriate language for different text elements ensures that the
correct characters are used when you repurpose the document and that it is spell-checked with the correct dictionary.
You can add alternate text and multiple languages to a tag from the Tags panel. (If only one language is required, choose
the language with File > Properties instead.) You can also add alternate text by using the Touch Up Reading Order tool.
Note: Keep alternate text descriptions as concise as possible.
Add alternate text to links
Screen readers can read the URLs of web links out loud, but adding meaningful alternate text to links can help users
immensely. For example, by adding alternate text you can have a screen reader tell a user to “go to the Acrobat
accessibility page of adobe.com” rather than “go to http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/solutionsacc.html.”
You add alternate text to the <Link> tag of a link.
Note: Add alternate text only to tags that don’t have child tags. Adding alternate text to a parent tag prevents a screen
reader from reading any of that tag’s child tags.
1In the tag tree, select the <Link> tag for the link, and select Properties from the options menu.
2In the Touch Up Properties dialog box, select the Tag panel.
3Type alternate text for the link, and click Close.
Add alternate text for a figure
Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panels > Tags.
1Expand the logical structure tree to find and select the <Figure> tag element for the image.
To find a tag more easily, use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to select the figure or text near the figure in the
document pane. Then, choose Find Tag From Selection from the options menu in the Tags panel.
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2Choose Highlight Content from the options menu in the Tags panel to see a highlighted area in the document that
corresponds to the tag.
3Choose Properties from the options menu in the Tags panel.
4In the Touch Up Properties dialog box, click the Tag panel.
5For Alternate Text, type text that describes the figure.
Add alternate text for an abbreviated term
1In the Tags panel, locate the abbreviated term by doing one of the following:
•Expand the tag tree as needed to see the elements that contain the abbreviation.
•Use the Touch Up Text tool or the Select tool to select the abbreviation in the document, and then choose Find
Tag From Selection from the options menu to locate the text in the tag tree.
2Select the tag for that element, and choose Properties from the options menu.
Note: If the abbreviation includes additional text, cut the additional text and place it in a new <Span> child tag within
the same <Span> parent tag.
3In the Touch Up Properties dialog box, select the Tag panel.
4For Alternate Text, type the unabbreviated version of the term.
5Click Close.
Create a new child tag
1In the Tags panel, select the parent node (the icon at the same level at which you want to create a child tag) in the
Tags tree for which you want to create a child tag.
Choose New Tag from the options menu.
2Select the appropriate tag type from the Type pop-up menu, or type a custom tag type, name the tag (optional), and
then click OK.
Add tags to comments
When you tag a PDF that includes comments, the comments are tagged as well. However, if you add comments to a
PDF that’s already tagged, your comments are untagged unless you enable comment tagging first.
Note: To Enable comment tagging in a PDF, in the Tags panel, choose Tag Annotations from the options menu. Comments
or markups that you add to the PDF are tagged automatically.
If a document contains untagged comments, you can locate them in the logical structure tree and tag them by using the
Find command in the Tags panel.
1In the Tags panel, choose Find from the options menu.
2In the Find Element dialog box, choose Unmarked Comments from the Find pop-up menu, and click Find.
3When the comment type appears in the Type field (for example, Text), click Tag Element, choose Annotation from
the Type pop-up menu in the New Tag dialog box, and then click OK.
4In the Find Element dialog box, click Find Next to locate and tag all comments, and then click Close.
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Correct table tags with the Tags panel
Use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to make sure that tables are tagged correctly. If you need to structure figures and
text within the cells of your table, you may prefer to re-create the table in the authoring application before you convert
it as an accessible PDF. Adding tags on a cell level in Acrobat is a labor-intensive procedure.
Before you make any changes to table elements, use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to determine that the table is
tagged correctly.
Check table elements
1In the Tags panel, expand the tags root to view a table tag.
2Select the table tag <Table> and verify that it contains one of the following elements:
•Table Rows, each of which contains Table Header <TH> or Table Data<TD> cells.
•<THead>, <TBody>, and <TFoot> sections, each of which containsTable Rows. (The Table Rows contain <TH>
cells, <TD> cells, or both.)
3Do one or more of the following:
•If the tag for the table doesn’t contain these elements, but rows, columns, and cells appear in the table in the
document pane, use the Touch Up Reading Order tool to select and define the table or individual cells.
•If the table contains rows that span two or more columns, set ColSpan and RowSpan attributes for these rows in
the tag structure.
•Re-create the table in the authoring application, and then convert it to a tagged PDF.
Set ColSpan and RowSpan attributes
1In the Tags panel, select a <TD> or <TH> element.
2Choose Properties from the options menu.
3In the Touch Up Properties dialog box, click the Tag panel, and then click Edit Attribute Objects.
4Select Attribute Objects, and then click New Item to create a new Attribute Object Dictionary.
5Expand the new dictionary, select the Layout attribute, and then click Change Item.
6Change the Layout value to Table.
7Select the Attribute Object Dictionary, and click New Item.
8In the Add Key And Value dialog box, type ColSpan or RowSpan in the Key box, enter the number of columns or
rows spanned in the Value box, choose Integer from the Value Type pop-up menu, and click OK.
Standard PDF tags
This section describes the standard tag types that apply to tagged PDFs. These standard tags provide assistive software
and devices with semantic and structural elements to use to interpret document structure and present content in a
useful manner.
The PDF tags architecture is extensible, so any PDF document can contain any tag set that an authoring application
decides to use. For example, a PDF can have XML tags that came in from an XML schema. Custom tags that you define
(such as tag names generated from paragraph styles of an authoring application) need a role map. The role map matches
each custom tag to a standard tag here. When assistive software encounters a custom tag, the software can check this
role map and properly interpret the tags. Tagging PDFs by using one of the methods described here generally produces
a correct role map for the document.
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Note: You can view and edit the role map of a PDF by choosing Options > Edit Role Map in the Tags panel.
The standard Adobe element tag types are available in the New Tag dialog box. They are also available in the Touch Up
Properties dialog box in Acrobat Pro. Adobe strongly encourages using these tag types because they provide the best
results when tagged content is converted to a different format. These formats include HTML, Microsoft Word, or an
accessible text format for use by other assistive technologies.
Block-level elements are page elements that consist of text laid out in paragraph-like forms. Block-level elements are
part of a document’s logical structure. Such elements are further classified as container elements, heading and
paragraph elements, label and list elements, special text elements, and table elements.
Container elements
Container elements are the highest level of element and provide hierarchical grouping for other block-level elements.
Document Document element. The root element of a document’s tag tree.
Part Part element. A large division of a document; may group smaller units of content together, such as division
elements, article elements, or section elements.
Div Division element. A generic block-level element or group of block-level elements.
Art Article element. A self-contained body of text considered to be a single narrative.
Sect Section element. A general container element type, comparable to Division (DIV Class=“Sect”) in HTML, which
is usually a component of a part element or an article element.
Heading and paragraph elements
Heading and paragraph elements are paragraph-like, block-level elements that include specific level heading and
generic paragraph (P) tags. A heading (H) element should appear as the first child of any higher-level division. Six levels
of headings (H1 to H6) are available for applications that don’t hierarchically nest sections.
Label and list elements
Label and list elements are block-level elements used for structuring lists.
L List element. Any sequence of items of similar meaning or other relevance; immediate child elements should be list
item elements.
LI List item element. Any one member of a list; may have a label element (optional) and a list body element (required)
as a child.
LBL Label element. A bullet, name, or number that identifies and distinguishes an element from others in the same list.
LBody List item body element. The descriptive content of a list item.
Special text elements
Special text elements identify text that isn’t used as a generic paragraph (P).
BlockQuote Block quote element. One or more paragraphs of text attributed to someone other than the author of the
immediate surrounding text.
Caption Caption element. A brief portion of text that describes a table or a figure.
Index Index element. A sequence of entries that contain identifying text and reference elements that point out the
occurrence of the text in the main body of the document.
TOC Table of contents element. An element that contains a structured list of items and labels identifying those items;
has its own discrete hierarchy.
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TOCI Table of contents item element. An item contained in a list associated with a table of contents element.
Table elements
Table elements are special elements for structuring tables.
Table Table element. A two-dimensional arrangement of data or text cells that contains table row elements as child
elements and may have a caption element as its first or last child element.
TR Table row element. One row of headings or data in a table; may contain table header cell elements and table data
cell elements.
TD Table data cell element. A table cell that contains nonheader data.
TH Table header cell element. A table cell that contains header text or data describing one or more rows or columns of
a table.
Inline-level elements
Inline-level elements identify a span of text that has specific formatting or behavior. They are differentiated from block-
level elements. Inline-level elements may be contained in or contain block-level elements.
BibEntry Bibliography entry element. A description of where some cited information may be found.
Quote Quote entry element. An inline portion of text that is attributed to someone other than the author of the text
surrounding it; different from a block quote, which is a whole paragraph or multiple paragraphs, as opposed to inline
text.
Span Span entry element. Any inline segment of text; commonly used to delimit text that is associated with a set of
styling properties.
Special inline-level elements
Similar to inline-level elements, special inline-level elements describe an inline portion of text that has special
formatting or behavior.
Code Code entry element. Computer program text embedded within a document.
Figure Figure entry element. A graphic or graphic representation associated with text.
Form Form entry element. A PDF form annotation that can be or has been filled out.
Formula Formula entry element. A mathematical formula.
Link Link entry element. A hyperlink that is embedded within a document. The target can be in the same document,
in another PDF document, or on a website.
Note Note entry element. Explanatory text or documentation, such as a footnote or endnote, that is referred to in the
main body of text.
Reference Reference entry element. A citation to text or data that is found elsewhere in the document.
More Help topics
Accessibility features
Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features
Creating accessible PDFs
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Touch Up Reading Order tool for PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Keys for accessibility (Acrobat Pro)
Creating accessible PDFs
Workflow for creating accessible PDFs
At a high level, the process of creating accessible PDFs consists of a few basic stages:
1Consider accessibility before you convert a document to PDF.
2As needed, add fillable form fields and descriptions, and set the tab order.
3Add other accessibility features to the PDF.
4Tag the PDF.
5Evaluate the PDF and repair tagging problems.
These stages are presented in an order that suits most needs. However, you can perform tasks in a different order or
iterate between some of the stages. In all cases, first examine the document, determine its intended purpose, and use
that analysis to determine the workflow that you apply.
Additional resources
For more information about creating accessible PDFs, see these resources:
•Guide to creating accessible PDFs, General Services Administration:
www.section508.gov/docs/PDFGuidanceForGovernment.pdf
•Best practices: amp.ssbbartgroup.com
Consider accessibility before you convert a document to PDF
Whenever possible, think about accessibility when you create the source files in an authoring application, such as a
word-processing or page-layout application.
Typical tasks in the authoring application include adding alternate text to graphics, optimizing tables, and applying
paragraph styles or other document-structure features that can be converted to tags. For more information, see
Creating a tagged PDF from an authoring application.
Note: If you have Acrobat Pro and intend to design PDF forms, use Adobe LiveCycle® Designer, which is dedicated to the
design of interactive and static forms. LiveCycle Designer adds structure tags to forms, improving accessibility.
Add fillable form fields and descriptions, and set the tab order
If your PDF includes form fields, use Tools > Accessibility > Run Form Field Recognition to detect form fields and make
them interactive (fillable).
Use the Forms tools to create fillable form fields, such as buttons, check boxes, pop-up menus, and text boxes. When
you create a field, type a description in the Tooltip box in the Properties dialog box for that field. Screen readers read
this text aloud to the user. For more information, see Create form fields.
You can also use the Touch Up Reading Order tool in Acrobat Pro to add descriptions to form fields.
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For information on setting the tab order to use document structure, see Set form field navigation.
Add other accessibility features to the PDF
In Acrobat Pro DC, this stage includes setting the document language, making sure that security settings don’t interfere
with screen readers, creating accessible links, and adding bookmarks. For more information, see Set the document
language , Prevent security settings from interfering with screen readers , Add accessible links , and About bookmarks.
In Acrobat Standard DC, this stage includes setting the document language, making sure that security settings don’t
interfere with screen readers, and adding bookmarks. For more information, see Set the document language , Prevent
security settings from interfering with screen readers , and About bookmarks.
Tag the PDF
Improve the accessibility of PDFs by adding tags in Acrobat. If a PDF doesn’t contain tags, Acrobat attempts to tag it
automatically when users read or reflow it, and the results may be disappointing. With a tagged PDF, the logical
structure tree sends the contents to a screen reader or other assistive software or hardware in an appropriate order.
For best results, tag a document when converting it to PDF from an authoring application. Examples of these
applications include Adobe FrameMaker®, Adobe InDesign®,Microsoft Word, or OpenOffice Writer. If you do not have
access to an authoring application that can generate a tagged PDF, you can tag a PDF any time by using Acrobat.
Tagging during conversion to PDF requires an authoring application that supports tagging in PDF. Tagging during
conversion enables the authoring application to draw from the paragraph styles or other structural information of the
source document to produce a logical structure tree. The logical structure tree reflects an accurate reading order and
appropriate levels of tags. This tagging can more readily interpret the structure of complex layouts, such as embedded
sidebars, closely spaced columns, irregular text alignment, and tables. Tagging during conversion can also properly tag
the links, cross-references, bookmarks, and alternate text (when available) that are in the file.
To tag a PDF in Acrobat, choose Tools > Accessibility > Add Tags To Document. This command works on any untagged
PDF, such as one created with Adobe PDF Printer. Acrobat analyzes the content of the PDF to interpret the individual
page elements, their hierarchical structure, and the intended reading order of each page. Then, it builds a tag tree that
reflects that information. It also creates tags for any links, cross-references, and bookmarks that you added to the
document in Acrobat.
The Add Tags To Document command adequately tags most standard layouts. However, it cannot always correctly
interpret the structure and reading order of complex page elements. These elements include closely spaced columns,
irregular text alignment, nonfillable form fields, and tables that don’t have borders. Tagging these pages by using the
Add Tags To Document command can result in improperly combined elements or out-of-sequence tags. These issues
cause reading order problems in the PDF.
For more information, see Add tags to an existing PDF (Acrobat Pro DC) .
About watermarks and screen readers
You can add a watermark to a tagged PDF without adding it to the tag tree. Not having a watermark appear in the tag
tree is helpful for people who are using screen readers, because they won’t hear the watermark read as a document
content.
The best way to add a watermark that doesn’t interfere with screen readers is to insert an untagged PDF of the
watermark into a tagged PDF.
Evaluate the PDF and repair tagging problems (Acrobat Pro DC)
Once you have a tagged PDF, evaluate the document for reading order problems, tagging errors, and accessibility errors,
and then repair them as needed.
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Whichever method you use to tag the PDF, use Acrobat to touch up the tagging and reading order for complex page
layouts or unusual page elements. For example, the Add Tags To Document command can’t always distinguish between
instructive figures and decorative page elements such as borders, lines, or background elements. It may incorrectly tag
all of these elements as figures. Similarly, this command may erroneously tag graphical characters within text, such as
drop caps, as figures instead of including them in the tag that represents the text block. Such errors can clutter the tag
tree and complicate the reading order that assistive technology relies on.
If you tag a document from within Acrobat, the application generates an error report after it completes the tagging
process. Use this report as a guide to repair tagging problems. You can identify other tagging, reading order, and
accessibility problems for any PDF by using the Full Check tool or the Touch Up Reading Order tool. For more
information, see Check accessibility with Full Check and Check and correct reading order (Acrobat Pro DC).
Create a tagged PDF from a web page
A PDF that you create from a web page is only as accessible as the HTML source that it is based on. For example, if the
web page relies on tables for its layout design, the HTML code for the table may not flow in the same logical reading
order as a tagged PDF would require, even though the HTML code is sufficiently structured to display all the elements
correctly in a browser.
Depending on the complexity of the web page, you can do extensive repairs in Acrobat Pro by using the Touch Up
Reading Order tool or editing the tag tree in Acrobat.
To produce the most accessible PDFs from web pages you create, first establish a logical reading order in their HTML
code. For best results, employ the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines that are published by theWorld Wide Web
Consortium (W3C). For more information, see the guidelines on the W3C website.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose File > Create > PDF From Web Page, enter the web page address, and then click Settings.
•In Microsoft Internet Explorer, in the Adobe PDF toolbar, click the Down Arrow on the Convert button and
choose Preferences.
2In the General tab, select Create PDF Tags, and then click OK.
3Specify any other options as appropriate, and then click Create.
Creating a tagged PDF from an authoring application
In most cases, you create tagged PDFs from within an authoring application, such as Adobe FrameMaker®, Adobe
InDesign, or Microsoft Word. Creating tags in the authoring application generally provides better results than adding
tags in Acrobat.
PDFMaker provides conversion settings that let you create tagged PDFs in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
For more information about creating accessible PDFs, see www.adobe.com/accessibility.
For more information, see the documentation for your authoring application.
About tags in combined PDFs
You can combine multiple files from different applications in one operation to create a single PDF. For example, you
can combine word-processing files with slide presentations, spreadsheets, and web pages. Choose File > Create >
Combine Files Into A Single PDF.
During conversion, Acrobat opens each authoring application, creates a tagged PDF, and assembles these PDFs into a
single tagged PDF.
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The conversion process doesn’t always correctly interpret the document structure for the combined PDF, because the
files being assembled often use different formats. Use Acrobat Pro DC to create an accessible PDF from multiple
documents.
When you combine multiple PDFs into one tagged PDF, it is a good idea to retag the combined document. Combining
tagged and untagged PDFs results in a partially tagged PDF that isn’t accessible to people with disabilities. Some users,
such as those using screen readers, are unaware of the pages that don’t have tags. If you start with a mix of tagged and
untagged PDFs, tag the untagged files before proceeding. If the PDFs are all untagged, add tags to the combined PDF
after you finish inserting, replacing, and deleting pages.
When you insert, replace, or delete pages, Acrobat DC accepts existing tags into the tag tree of the consolidated PDF in
the following manner:
•When you insert pages into a PDF, Acrobat adds the tags (if any) for the new pages to the end of the tag tree. This
order occurs even if you insert the new pages at the beginning or the middle of the document.
•When you replace pages in a PDF, Acrobat adds the tags (if any) from the incoming pages to the end of the tag tree.
This order occurs even if you replace pages at the beginning or the middle of the document. Acrobat retains the tags
(if any) for the replaced pages.
•When you delete pages from a PDF, Acrobat retains the tags (if any) of the deleted pages.
Pages whose tags are out of order in the logical structure tree can cause problems for screen readers. Screen readers read
tags in sequence down the tree, and possibly do not reach the tags for an inserted page until the end of the tree. To fix
this problem, use Acrobat Pro DC to rearrange the tag tree. Place large groups of tags in the same reading order as the
pages themselves. To avoid this step, plan on inserting pages to the end of a PDF, building the document from front to
back in sequence. For example, if you create a title page PDF separately from the content, add the content PDF to the
title page PDF, even though the content document is larger. This approach places the tags for the content after the tags
for the title page. It’s unnecessary to rearrange the tags later in Acrobat Pro.
The tags that remain from a deleted or replaced page don’t connect to any content in the document. Essentially, they
are large pieces of empty tag tree sections. These redundant tags increase the file size of the document, slow down
screen readers, and can cause screen readers to give confusing results. For best results, make tagging the last step in the
conversion process. Use Acrobat Pro DC to delete the tags of deleted pages from the tag tree.
For more information, see Create merged PDFs.
About tools for creating accessible PDF forms
Adobe offers several tools for the creation of accessible PDF forms:
Acrobat Pro DC, Acrobat Standard DC Use one of these applications to open untagged or tagged PDF forms (except
PDF forms that are created from LiveCycle Designer) to add fillable form fields, such as text boxes, check boxes, and
buttons. Then use the application’s other tools to make the form accessible. Add descriptions to form fields, tag
untagged forms, set the set tab order, manipulate tags, and perform the other PDF accessibility tasks.
LiveCycle Designer (Available in Acrobat Pro DC) Use this product to design and build new forms or to import
untagged PDF forms and make their form fields fillable and accessible. You can deploy forms in tagged PDF, XML, and
other formats from LiveCycle Designer. Once you create or edit an Acrobat form in LiveCycle Designer, it becomes a
LiveCycle Designer file. It is no longer a PDF that you can edit or manipulate in Acrobat. Both Acrobat and Reader can
open and read PDF forms that you create fromLiveCycle Designer. These PDF forms, however, don’t include
permissions to modify the file. Therefore, use LiveCycle Designer only for PDFs that are intended to contain only form-
based information. Don’t use it to add form fields to a document that combines pages of narrative with an occasional
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page that has form fields. In this case, use Acrobat Pro to add the form fields. Then complete the accessibility tasks for
the rest of the document content.
Authoring applications Most authoring applications that you can use to design forms don’t retain their fillable form
fields when you convert the files to PDF. Use the forms tools in Acrobat Pro DC to add fillable form fields. Moreover,
if you tag the form during conversion to PDF, the authoring application can generate inappropriate tags for the text
labels of the form fields. In a complex form, for example, the text labels for all the fields can run together into a single
line. Screen readers can’t interpret these fields as individual labels. Such reading order problems can require time-
consuming work in Acrobat Pro DC to split the labels apart. In this case, producing an untagged PDF form from the
authoring application is sometimes the better course. You can then use the Forms tools in Acrobat Pro DC to add
fillable form fields before you tag the entire document. Some forms are straightforward enough that you can produce
a tagged PDF from the authoring application. Then perform light touch-up in Acrobat Pro DC after you add the fillable
form fields.
Workflow for creating accessible PDF forms
Using Acrobat, you can open untagged and tagged PDF forms, add fillable form fields, add field descriptions and
alternate text, set the tab order, and tag the forms (if they aren’t already tagged). You can also edit the tags of any tagged
PDF form by using the Touch Up Reading Order tool or the tag tree.
Design the form for accessibility.
Forms tend to have relatively complex layouts compared to documents that have a simple, single-column structure. The
success that an application has in analyzing and tagging a form depends largely on the original formatting and layout
of a document, and the types of fields that it uses.
When you design a form, include headings, instructions, and fields in which users are to enter data. At a minimum,
give each field a label. Also add special instructions for fields that need them. Use graphics tools to draw lines and boxes.
Don’t use characters, such as underscores and vertical bars, because these text characters can confuse screen readers.
Adding descriptions to form fields enables screen readers to identify the fields to users. Users hear the description read
aloud when they tab to the field. Write descriptions that are terse but complete. For example, the description “First
name” is appropriate for a first-name field. Don’t use instructions (such as “Enter first name”) as a description.
Set and test the tab order of a form.
The tab order for form fields enables people with disabilities to use a keyboard to move from field to field in a logical
order. In PDF forms, set the tab order to Use Document Structure. You can test the tab order of a form by using the
following keyboard commands:
•Tab to move focus to the next field
•Shift+Tab to move focus to the previous field
•Spacebar to select options
•Arrow keys to select options or list items
Tag the PDF form and correct tagging issues.
If the PDF form is already tagged, use the Touch Up Reading Order tool in Acrobat to tag each form field. This tool also
enables you to fix any reading order problems of the text labels for the form fields. For example, you may need to split
merged lines of fields into individual fields.
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More Help topics
Accessibility features
Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features
Creating accessible PDFs
Touch Up Reading Order tool for PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Editing document structure with the Content and Tags panels(Acrobat Pro DC)
Keys for accessibility (Acrobat Pro DC)
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Chapter 12: Searching and indexing
Searching PDFs
You have lots of control and lots of possibilities for running effective and efficient searches in Adobe Acrobat DC. A
search can be broad or narrow, including many different kinds of data and covering multiple Adobe PDFs.
If you work with large numbers of related PDFs, you can define them as a catalog in Acrobat Pro DC, which generates
a PDF index for the PDFs. Searching the PDF index—instead of the PDFs themselves—dramatically speeds up
searches. See Creating PDF indexes.
Search and replace features overview
You run searches to find specific items in PDFs. You can run a simple search, looking for a search term within in a single
file, or you can run a more complex search, looking for various kinds of data in one or more PDFs. You can selectively
replace text.
You can run a search using either the Search window or the Find toolbar. In either case, Acrobat searches the PDF body
text, layers, form fields, and digital signatures. You can also include bookmarks and comments in the search. Only the
Find toolbar includes a Replace With option.
The Search window offers more options and more kinds of searches than the Find toolbar. When you use the Search
window, object data and image XIF (extended image file format) metadata are also searched. For searches across
multiple PDFs, Acrobat also looks at document properties and XMP metadata, and it searches indexed structure tags
when searching a PDF index. If some of the PDFs you search have attached PDFs, you can include the attachments in
the search.
Note: PDFs can have multiple layers. If the search results include an occurrence on a hidden layer, selecting that occurrence
displays an alert that asks if you want to make that layer visible.
Access the search features
Where you start your search depends on the type of search you want to run. Use the Find toolbar for a quick search of
the current PDF and to replace text. Use the Search window to look for words or document properties across multiple
PDFs, use advanced search options, and search PDF indexes.
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Display the Find toolbar
❖Open it by choosing Edit > Find (Ctrl/Command+F).
A Find field B Find Previous C Find Next D Replace With expands to provide text field
Open the Search window
❖Do one of the following:
•Choose Edit > Advanced Search (Shift+Ctrl/Command+F).
•On the Find toolbar, click the arrow and choose Open Full Acrobat Search.
Search appears as a separate window that you can move, resize, minimize, or arrange partially or completely behind
the PDF window.
Arrange the PDF document window and Search window
❖In the Search window, click Arrange Windows .
Acrobat resizes and arranges the two windows side by side so that together they almost fill the entire screen.
note: Clicking the Arrange Windows button a second time resizes the document window but leaves the Search
window unchanged. If you want to make the Search window larger or smaller, drag the corner or edge, as you would
to resize any window on your operating system.
Find and replace text in PDFs
Find and replace text in a PDF
The Find toolbar searches the currently open PDF. You can selectively replace the search term with alternative text. You
replace text one instance at a time. You cannot make a global change throughout a PDF or across multiple PDFs.
Choose Edit > Find (Ctrl/Command+F).
1Type the text you want to search for in the text box on the Find toolbar.
2To replace text, click Replace With to expand the toolbar, then type the replacement text in the Replace With text
box.
3(Optional) Click the arrow next to the text box and choose one or more of the following:
Whole Words Only Finds only occurrences of the complete word you type in the text box. For example, if you search
for the word stick, the words tick and sticky aren’t found.
Case-Sensitive Finds only occurrences of the words that match the capitalization you type. For example, if you
search for the word Web, the words web and WEB aren’t found.
Include Bookmarks Also searches the text in the Bookmarks panel.
Include Comments Also searches the text of any comments.
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4Click Next.
Acrobat jumps to the first instance of the search term, which appears highlighted.
5Click Replace to change the highlighted text or click Next to go to the next instance of the search term. Alternatively
use the Previous to go back to the previous instance of the search term.
Find text in multiple PDFs
The Search window enables you to look for search terms in multiple PDFs. For example, you can search across all PDFs
in a specific location or all files in an open PDF Portfolio. The Replace With option is not availble in the Search window.
Note: If documents are encrypted (have security applied to them), you cannot search them as part of a multiple-document
search. Open those documents first and search them one at a time. However, documents encrypted as Adobe Digital
Editions are an exception and can be searched as part of a multiple-document search.
1Open Acrobat DC on your desktop (not in a web browser).
2Do one of the following.
•In the Find toolbar, type the search text, and then choose Open Full Acrobat Search from the pop-up menu.
•In the Search window, type the search text.
3In the Search window, select All PDF Documents In. From the pop-up menu directly below this option, choose
Browse For Location.
4Select the location, either on your computer or on a network, and click OK.
5To specify additional search criteria, click Show Advanced Options, and specify the options.
6Click Search.
During a search, you can click a result or use keyboard shortcuts to navigate the results without interrupting the
search. Clicking the Stop button under the search-progress bar cancels further searching and limits the results to the
occurrences already found. It doesn’t close the Search window or delete the Results list. To see more results, run a new
search.
Review and save PDF search results
Review search results
After you run a search from the Search window, the results appear in page order, nested under the names of each
searched document. Each item listed includes a few words of context (if applicable) and an icon that indicates the type
of occurrence.
Jump to a specific instance in the search results (single PDFs only)
1If necessary, expand the search results. Then select an instance in the results to view it in the PDF.
2To view other instances, click another instance in the results.
Sort instances in the search results
❖Select an option from the Sort By menu near the bottom of the Search window. Results can be sorted by Relevance
Ranking, Date Modified, Filename, or Location.
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Icons shown with search results
The icon next to an instance of the search results indicates the search area in which the instance appears. Selecting an
icon has the following effect:
Document icon
Makes the document active in the document window. Expand the list to show the individual search results within that
document.
(General) Search Result icon
In PDFs, jumps to that instance of the search term, usually in the body text of the PDF. The instance of the search term
is highlighted in the document.
Non-PDF Search Result or Metadata icon []
In non-PDF files, opens the file; or if opening of that file type is restricted, opens a message dialog box.
Bookmark icon
Opens the Bookmarks panel and highlights the instances of the search terms.
Comments icon
Opens the Comments panel and highlights the instances of the search terms.
Layer icon
May open a message indicating that the layer is hidden and asking if you want to make it visible.
Attachment icon
Opens a file that is attached to the searched parent PDF and shows the highlighted instances of the search terms.
Save search results
You can save the search results as a PDF or CSV file. For a video, see Saving Search Results in Acrobat.
❖Click and choose Save results to PDF or Save results to CSV.
Advanced Search Options
By default, the Search window displays basic search options. Click Show More Options near the bottom of the window
to display additional options. To restore the basic options, click Show Less Options near the bottom of the window.
You can set a preference so that More search options always appear in the Search window. In the Preferences dialog box
under Categories, select Search.
Look In Restricts the search to the current PDF, all of a currently open PDF Portfolio (if applicable), an index, or a
location on your computer. If you choose to search an index, a location, or a PDF Portfolio, additional options appear
under Use These Additional Criteria.
What word or phrase would you like to search for Enter the text or phrase to search for.
Return Results Containing Restricts your search results according to the option you choose:
Match Exact Word Or Phrase Searches for the entire string of characters, including spaces, in the same order in which
they appear in the text box.
Match Any Of The Words Searches for any instances of at least one of the words typed. For example, if you search for
each of, the results include any instances in which one or both of the two words appear: each, of, each of, or of each.
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Match All Of The Words Searches for instances that contain all your search words, but not necessarily in the order you
type them. Available only for a search of multiple PDFs or index definition files.
Boolean Query Uses the Boolean operators that you type with the search words into theWhat Word Or Phrase Would
You Like To Search For box. Available only for searching multiple PDFs or PDF indexes.
note: You cannot run wildcard searches using asterisks (*) or question marks (?) when searching PDF indexes.
Use These Additional Criteria (text options) Includes the basic search options plus four additional options:
Proximity Searches for two or more words that are separated by no more than a specified number of words, as set in
the Search preferences. Available only for a search of multiple documents or index definition files, and when Match All
Of The Words is selected.
Stemming Finds words that contain part (the stem) of the specified search word. For example, a search for opening
finds instances of open, opened, opens, and openly. This option applies to single words and phrases when you search the
current PDF, a folder, or an index created with Acrobat 6.0 or later. Wildcard characters (*, ?) aren’t permitted in
stemming searches. Stemming isn’t available if either Whole Words Only or Case-Sensitive is selected.
Include Bookmarks Searches the text of any bookmarks, as viewed in the Bookmarks panel.
Include Comments Searches the text of any comments added to the PDF, as viewed in the Comments panel.
Include Attachments Searches files that are attached to the current PDF or other attached PDFs (up to two levels deep).
Use These Additional Criteria (document properties) Appears only for searches across multiple PDFs or PDF indexes.
You can select multiple property-modifier-value combinations and apply them to searches. This setting does not apply
to non-PDF files inside PDF Portfolios.note: You can search by document properties alone by using document property
options in combination with a search for specific text.
Check box Applies the criteria set in the three connected options to the search. (The check box is selected automatically
when you enter information in any of the three options for that set. After you enter options, deselecting the check box
doesn’t clear the entries; they just aren’t applied to the search.)
First menu (property) Indicates the document characteristic to search for. The available options include Date Created,
Date Modified, Author, Title, Subject, Filename, Keywords, Bookmarks, Comments, JPEG Images, XMP Metadata, and
Object Data.
Second menu (modifier) Indicates the level of matching. If the first menu selection is a date, the available options in the
second menu are Is Exactly,Is Before, Is After, Is Not. Otherwise, the available options are Contains and Does Not
Contain.
Third box (value or text) Indicates the information to be matched, which you type in. If the first menu selection is a
date, you can click the arrow to open a calendar that you can navigate to find and select the date you want.
Boolean operators
Commonly used Boolean operators include the following:ANDUse between two words to find documents that contain
both terms, in any order. For example, type paris AND france to identify documents that contain both paris and france.
Searches with AND and no other Boolean operators produce the same results as selecting the All Of The Words
option.NOTUse before a search term to exclude any documents that contain that term. For example, type NOT
kentucky to find all documents that don’t contain the word kentucky. Or, type paris NOT kentucky to find all
documents that contain the word paris but not the word kentucky.ORUse to search for all instances of either term. For
example, type email OR e-mail to find all documents with occurrences of either spelling. Searches with OR and no
other Boolean operators produce the same results as selecting the Any Of The Words option.^ (exclusive OR)Use to
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search for all instances that have either term but not both. For example, type cat ^ dog to find all documents with
occurrences of either cat or dog but not both cat and dog.( )Use parentheses to specify the order of evaluation of terms.
For example, type white AND (whale OR ahab) to find all documents that contain either white and whale or white and
ahab. (The query processor performs an OR query on whale and ahab and then performs an AND query on those
results with white.
To learn more about Boolean queries, syntax, and other Boolean operators that you can use in your searches, refer to
any standard text, website, or other resource with complete Boolean information.
Search index files of cataloged PDFs
A full-text index is created when someone uses Acrobat to define a catalog of PDFs. You can search that index rather
than running a full-text search of each individual PDF in the catalog. An index search produces a results list with links
to the occurrences of the indexed documents.
Note: To search a PDF index, you must open Acrobat as a stand-alone application, not within your web browser.
InMac OS, indexes created with some older versions of Acrobat are not compatible with the Acrobat X Search feature.
If you have upgraded recently, update the index before using Acrobat X to search.
Choose Edit > Advanced Search.
1Type the search text, and then click Show More Options, near the bottom of the Search window.
2For Look In, choose Select Index.
3Select an index from the list, or click Add and add an index. Repeat as needed.
Note: To read file data about a selected index, click Info. To exclude an index from the search, select it and click Remove.
4Click OK to close the Index Selection dialog box, and then choose Currently Selected Indexes from the Look In
menu.
5Proceed with your search as usual.
Note: Selecting the Match Whole Word Only option when searching indexes significantly reduces the time taken to
return results. See Creating PDF indexes.
Search features preferences
In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Search.
Ignore Asian Character Width Finds both half-width and full-width instances of the Asian language characters in the
search text.
Ignore Diacritics And Accents Finds the search terms with any variation of the alphabetical characters. For example,
typing cafe finds both cafe and café. Likewise, typing café finds both versions. If this option isn’t selected, typing cafe
doesn’t find café, and vice versa.
Always Show More Options in Advanced Search Shows the additional options available in the Search window, in
addition to the basic options.
Show Document Title In Search Results Displays document titles in search results. If a document does not have a title,
displays the filename. When deselected, displays filenames in search results.
Maximum Number Of Documents Returned In Results Limits the search results in the Search PDF window to a specific
number of documents. The default value is 500, but you can enter any number from 1 to 10,000.
Range Of Words For Proximity Searches Limits the search results to those in which the number of words between the
search terms isn’t greater than the number you specify. Accepts a range from 1 to 10,000.
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Enable Fast Find Generates a cache of information from any PDF that you search. This cache reduces subsequent
search times for that PDF.
Maximum Cache Size Limits the temporary cache of search information for the Fast Find option to the specified size
in megabytes (between 5 and 100,000). The default setting is 100.
Purge Cache Contents Deletes the Fast Find option’s entire temporary cache of search information.
Creating PDF indexes
Create and manage an index in a PDF
You can reduce the time required to search a long PDF by embedding an index of the words in the document. Acrobat
DC can search the index much faster than it can search the document. The embedded index is included in distributed
or shared copies of the PDF. Users search PDFs with embedded indexes exactly as they search those without embedded
indexes; no extra steps are required.
Add an index to a PDF
1With the document open in Acrobat DC, choose Tools > Index.
The Index toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Manage Embedded Index.
3In the Manage Embedded Index dialog box, click Embed Index.
4Read the messages that appear, and click OK.
Note: In Outlook and Lotus Notes, you have the option of embedding an index when you convert email messages or
folders to PDF. This is especially recommended for folders containing many email messages.
Update or remove the embedded index in a PDF
1Choose Tools > Index.
The Index toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Manage Embedded Index.
3Click either Update Index or Remove Index.
About the Catalog feature (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can define a specific group of PDFs as a catalog and create a unified index for that entire collection of documents.
When users search the cataloged PDFs for specific information, the index makes the search process much faster.
When you distribute the collection on a CD, you can include the index with the PDFs.
You can catalog documents written in Roman, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters. The items you can catalog
include the document text, comments, bookmarks, form fields, tags, object and document metadata, attachments,
document information, digital signatures, image XIF (extended image file format) metadata, and custom document
properties.
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Preparing PDFs for indexing (Acrobat Pro DC)
Begin by creating a folder to contain the PDFs you want to index. All PDFs should be complete in both content and
electronic features, such as links, bookmarks, and form fields. If the files to be indexed include scanned documents,
make sure that the text is searchable. Break long documents into smaller, chapter-sized files, to improve search
performance. You can also add information to a file’s document properties to improve the file’s searchability.
Before you index a document collection, it’s essential that you set up the document structure on the disk drive or
network server volume and verify cross-platform filenames. Filenames may be truncated and hard to retrieve in a cross-
platform search. To prevent this problem, consider these guidelines:
•Rename files, folders, and indexes using the MS-DOS file-naming convention (eight characters or fewer followed
by a three-character filename extension), particularly if you plan to deliver the document collection and index on
an ISO 9660-formatted CD-ROM disc.
•Remove extended characters, such as accented characters and non-English characters, from file and folder names.
(The font used by the Catalog feature does not support character codes 133 through 159.)
•Don’t use deeply nested folders or path names that exceed 256 characters for indexes that will be searched by Mac
OS users.
•If you use Mac OS with an OS/2 LAN server, configure IBM®LAN Server Macintosh (LSM) to enforce MS-DOS file-
naming conventions, or index only FAT (File Allocation Table) volumes. (HPFS [High Performance File System]
volumes may contain long unretrievable filenames.)
If the document structure includes subfolders that you don’t want indexed, you can exclude them during the
indexing process.
Adding metadata to document properties (Acrobat Pro DC)
To make a PDF easier to search, you can add file information, called metadata, to the document properties. (You can
see the properties of the currently open PDF by choosing File > Properties, and clicking the Description tab.)
When adding data for document properties, consider the following recommendations:
•Use a good descriptive title in the Title field. The filename of the document should appear in the Search Results
dialog box.
•Always use the same option (field) for similar information. For example, don’t add an important term to the Subject
option for some documents and to the Keywords option for others.
•Use a single, consistent term for the same information. For example, don’t use biology for some documents and life
sciences for others.
•Use the Author option to identify the group responsible for the document. For example, the author of a hiring policy
document might be the Human Resources department.
•If you use document part numbers, add them as Keywords. For example, adding doc#=m234 in Keywords could
indicate a specific document in a series of several hundred documents on a particular subject.
•Use the Subject or Keywords option, either alone or together, to categorize documents by type. For example, you
might use status report as a Subject entry and monthly or weekly as a Keywords entry for a single document.
If you already have specialized training in Adobe PDF, you can define custom data fields, such as Document Type,
Document Number, and Document Identifier, when you create the index. This is recommended only for advanced
users and is not covered in Acrobat Complete Help.
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Create an index for a collection (Acrobat Pro DC)
When you build a new index, Acrobat DC creates a file with the .pdx extension and a new support folder, which
contains one or more files with .idx extensions. The IDX files contain the index entries. All of these files must be
available to users who want to search the index.
1Choose Tools > Index.
The Index toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Full Text Index With Catalog.
The Catalog dialog box is displayed.
3In the Catalog dialog box, click New Index.
The New Index Definition dialog box is displayed.
4In Index Title, type a name for the index file.
5In Index Description, type a few words about the type of index or its purpose.
6Click Options, select any advanced options you want to apply to your index, and click OK.
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7Under Include These Directories, click Add, select a folder containing some or all of the PDF files to be indexed,
and click OK. To add more folders, repeat this step.
Note: Any folder nested under an included folder will also be included in the indexing process. You can add folders from
multiple servers or disk drives, as long as you do not plan to move the index or any items in the document collection.
8Under Exclude These Subdirectories, click Add, and select any nested folder that contains PDF files you do not
want to be indexed. Click OK and repeat, as needed.
9Review your selections. To edit the list of folders to be included or excluded, select the folder you want to change
and click Remove.
10 Click Build, and then specify the location for the index file. Click Save, and then:
•Click Close when the indexing finishes.
•Click Stop to cancel the indexing process.
Note: If you stop the indexing process, you cannot resume the same indexing session but you don’t have to redo the work.
The options and folder selections remain intact. You can click Open Index select the partially finished index, and revise
it.
If long path names are truncated in the Include These Directories and Exclude These Subdirectories options, hold
the pointer over each ellipsis (...) until a tool tip appears, displaying the complete path of the included or excluded
folder.
Indexing Options dialog box
Do Not Include Numbers Select this option to exclude all numbers that appear in the document text from the index.
Excluding numbers can significantly reduce the size of an index, making searches faster.
Add IDs To Adobe PDF v1.0 Files Select this option if your collection includes PDFs created before Acrobat 2.0, which
did not automatically add identification numbers. ID numbers are needed when long Mac OS filenames are shortened
as they are translated into MS-DOS filenames. Acrobat 2.0 and later versions automatically add identifiers.
Do Not Warn For Changed Documents When Searching When this option is not selected, a message appears when you
search documents that have changed since the most recent index build.
Custom Properties Use this option to include custom document properties in the index; only custom document
properties that already exist in the PDFs you index are indexed. Type the property, make a selection from the Type
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menu, and then click Add. These properties appear as a search option in the Search PDF window's additional criteria
pop-up menus when you search the resulting index. For example, if you enter the custom property Document Name
and choose the string property from the Type menu, a user searching the index can then search within the custom
property by selecting Document Name from the Use These Additional Criteria menu.
Note: When you create custom fields in a Microsoft Office application in which the Convert Document Information option
is selected in the PDFMaker application, the fields transfer over to any PDFs you create.
XMP Fields Use this option to include custom XMP fields. The custom XMP fields are indexed and appear in the
additional criteria pop-up menus to be searchable in the selected indexes.
Stop Words Use to exclude specific words (500 maximum) from the index search results. Type the word, click Add, and
repeat as needed. Excluding words can make the index 10% to 15% smaller. A stop word can contain up to 128
characters and is case sensitive.
Note: To prevent users from trying to search phrases that contain these words, list words that aren’t indexed in the Catalog
Read Me file.
Structure Tags Use this option to make specific leaf-element tag nodes searchable in documents that have a tagged
logical structure.
Note: The Custom Properties, Stop Words, and Tags settings apply to the current index only. To apply these settings globally
to any index you create, you can change the default settings for custom fields, stop words, and tags in the Catalog panel of
the Preferences dialog box.
Catalog ReadMe files (Acrobat Pro DC)
It is often a good idea to create a separate ReadMe file and put it in the folder with the index. This ReadMe file can give
people details about your index, such as:
•The kind of documents indexed.
•The search options supported.
•The person to contact or a phone number to call with questions.
•A list of numbers or words that are excluded from the index.
•A list of the folders containing documents included in a LAN-based index, or a list of the documents included in a
disk-based index. You might also include a brief description of the contents of each folder or document.
•A list of the values for each document if you assign Document Info field values.
If a catalog has an especially large number of documents, consider including a table that shows the values assigned
to each document. The table can be part of your ReadMe file or a separate document. While you are developing the
index, you can use the table to maintain consistency.
Revise an index (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can update, rebuild, or purge an existing index.
1Choose Tools > Index.
The Index toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, click Full Text Index With Catalog.
The Catalog dialog box is displayed.
3In the Catalog dialog box, click Open Index.
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4Locate and select the index definition file (PDX) for the index, and click Open.
5If the index was created with Acrobat 5.0 or earlier, select Create Copy to create a new index (without overwriting
the earlier version), or select Overwrite Old Index to overwrite the earlier index.
6In the Index Definition dialog box, make any changes you want, and then click the function you want Acrobat DC
to perform:
Build Creates a new IDX file with the existing information, and updates it by adding new entries and marking
changed or outdated entries as invalid. If you make a large number of changes, or use this option repeatedly instead
of creating a new index, search times may increase.
Rebuild Creates a new index, overwriting the existing index folder and its contents (the IDX files).
Purge Deletes the index contents (the IDX files) without deleting the index file itself (PDX).
Catalog preferences (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can set preferences for indexing that apply globally to all subsequent indexes you build. You can override some of
these preferences for an individual index by selecting new options during the index-building process.
In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Catalog. Many of the options are identical to those described
for the index-building process.
The Force ISO 9660 Compatibility On Folders option is useful when you don’t want to change long PDF filenames to
MS-DOS filenames as you prepare documents for indexing. However, you must still use MS-DOS file-naming
conventions for the folder names (8 characters or fewer) even though this isn’t necessary for the filenames.
Scheduled index updates (Acrobat Pro DC)
Use the Catalog feature and a catalog batch PDX file (.bpdx) to schedule when and how often to automatically build,
rebuild, update, and purge an index. A BPDX file is a text file that contains a list of platform-dependent catalog index
file paths and flags. You use a scheduling application, such as Windows Scheduler, to display the BPDX file in Acrobat
DC. Acrobat DC then re-creates the index according to the flags in the BPDX file.
For more information on scheduling an indexing update, search for BPDX at www.adobe.com/support.
Note: To use BPDX files, in the Preferences dialog box under Catalog, select Allow Catalog Batch Files (.bpdx) To Be Run.
Moving collections and their indexes (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can develop and test an indexed document collection on a local hard drive and then move the finished document
collection to a network server or disk. An index definition contains relative paths between the index definition file
(PDX) and the folders containing the indexed documents. If these relative paths are unchanged, you don’t have to
rebuild the index after moving the indexed document collection. If the PDX file and the folders containing the indexed
documents are in the same folder, you can maintain the relative path simply by moving that folder.
If the relative path changes, you must create a new index after you move the indexed document collection. However,
you can still use the original PDX file. To use the original PDX file, first move the indexed documents. Then copy the
PDX file to the folder where you want to create the new index, and edit the include and exclude lists of directories and
subdirectories, as necessary.
If the index resides on a drive or server volume separate from any part of the collection it applies to, moving either the
collection or the index breaks the index. If you intend to move a document collection either to another network location
or onto a CD, create and build the index in the same location as the collection.
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Chapter 13: Multimedia and 3D models
Add audio, video, and interactive objects to PDFs
Include audio, video, and interactive 3D objects in your PDF files. Add files directly to your PDF or link to files on the
web.
Multimedia and PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Adding video, sound, and interactive content transforms PDFs into multidimensional communication tools that
increase interest and engagement in your documents.
Acrobat Pro automatically converts video to FLV files. This format ensures both high-quality viewing and compatibility
across computer platforms. FLV files are also compact, so converting multimedia to this format is helps reduce the size
of multimedia PDFs.
All multimedia that are H.264 compliant can be played back in Adobe Reader 9 and later. (H.264, also known as MPEG-
4 part 10, is a video compression standard that provides high-quality video without substantially increasing file size.)
Video files of varying formats and filename extensions can be H.264 compliant.
Media files in other formats can be played back in earlier versions of Adobe Reader. However, users must install the
appropriate application (such as QuickTime or Windows Media Player) to play the multimedia.
Another way to add multimedia is by entering a URL that refers to a video file or streaming media. Three types of URLs
can be used: RTMP, HTTP, and HTTPS. On HTTP and HTTPS servers, H.264-compliant MOV and MP4 files are
supported.
Interactive content developed in Flash and produced as SWF files (.swf) can be added to PDFs to provide
complimentary tools for text. Examples of applications developed in Flash include an RSS Reader, calculator, and online
maps.
Add multimedia files to a PDF
Acrobat Pro DC supports mp3, mov, SWF files, and other files encoded in H.264 (with AAC audio). You can convert
other file types into one of the supported formats by using Adobe Media Encoder. You can also add mp3 audio files to
a PDF for playback on any platform.
Note: FLV and FV4 files are no longer supported in both Acrobat DC and PDFMaker. You cannot embed FLV and FV4
files using either Acrobat DC or PDFMaker. However, if a document has already FLV or FV4 files embedded (for example,
a PowerPoint presentation or a Word file), it will still be converted to PDFs.
For a list of supported multimedia file formats, see this TechNote.
1Open the PDF.
2Choose Tools > Rich Media, and then select the Add Video , the Add Sound , or the Add SWF tool.
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3Drag or double-click to select the area on the page where you want the video or sound to appear. The Insert dialog
box opens.
If you double-click the page, Acrobat Pro DC places the upper-left corner of the video where you clicked. If you drag
an area on the page, the media is placed within the area. The play area of the video is the exact size of the video frame
(if Acrobat Pro DC is able to read the video clip dimensions).
4Add a URL in the Name field, or click Browse to find the media file, and then click Open.
For URLs, use the full file address, including the video filename extension, such as .mov or .mp4.
5Use the advanced options on the Insert dialog box to change the media if needed, and then click OK.
Not all of these options are available for all media types.
Snap To Content Proportions Ensures that the play area retains the height and width ratios of the original video or
interactive content.
Show Advanced Options Opens the dialog for additional settings such as launch settings, playback controls, and
video settings. The options available depends on the format of the media you are inserting.
Advanced multimedia options (Acrobat Pro DC)
To view advanced multimedia options when you insert video, sound, or interactive content, select Show Advanced
Options in the Insert dialog box.
You can also change these options after multimedia has been added to a PDF. Double-click the multimedia with the
Select Object tool (Tools > Rich Media > Select Object).
Note: Video and sound quality settings can only be changed when a file is added to a PDF.
These features are available for FLV and SWF files only. In Acrobat Pro you can convert supported files to these formats.
Different options are available in the dialog box depending on the format of the file.
SWF tab Displays when you insert SWF files.
Pass Context Menu Click to SWF SWF file developers can select this option to replace the Acrobat Pro DC context
menu with the context menu of the originating SWF file. When the user right-clicks the SWF file, the available options
are from the originating file.
Launch Settings tab Use these settings to determine how the media is started and stopped, where it is displayed, and
what is displayed when the media isn’t running.
Activation Settings Select options to determine when the media is played and stopped. From the Playback Style menu,
select Play Content In Floating Window to have the video or interactive content run outside the page. Content in a
floating window enables users to read the page and view the video or application at the same time.
Border Width Creates a black border around the video or interactive content. For sound, the border surrounds the
poster image.
Poster Image To use an image that is not part of the file you are adding, select Create Poster From File. Click Browse
to find the image you want to be displayed when the video, sound, or interactive content is not activated.
Resources tab Use this tab to list all files that are required to run a SWF file. When a file is displayed in the list of added
files, you can click it to set the file properties.
Properties When you click a filename in the Resources list, the full filename (including the path) is displayed in the
Name field. You can rename the resources to ensure that scripts run properly.
Controls tab Use to set up which playback controls (skins) are available.
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Skin Select the set of playback controls (skin) you want to be displayed on the video.
Color Click to open the color palette and choose a color for the controls.
Opacity Sets the degree of transparency for the playback controls.
Autohide controls When selected, hides the play controls when the mouse pointer is not over the multimedia.
Video tab Available when you are adding a video.
Preview and Trim Drag the Start and End markers below the slider bar to remove unwanted frames from the clip. This
option is only available when a video clip is first added to a PDF.
Set Poster Image From Current Frame The poster image is displayed when the video isn’t playing. Drag the marker on
the top of the slider bar to the frame you want to use, and then click Set Poster Image From Current Frame.
Chapter Points Use Chapter Points to create markers in a video from which to launch specific actions. For example, in
a training video, chapter points can link to additional information in a file or on the Web.
To create a chapter point, move the slider to the frame you want to use. In Chapter Points, click the plus sign. To add
an action, highlight the chapter point in the list and click Actions.
Note: Generally, Chapter Point actions can be added only after the multimedia has been created. You can then edit the play
area and add Chapter Point actions.
Insert video into Word and PowerPoint files (Acrobat Pro)
Acrobat Pro DC adds a feature to Word and PowerPoint that enables you to add video in mov, mp3, or SWF format to
a Word or PowerPoint document.
After adding a video to a Word or PowerPoint document, you can convert the document to PDF and edit the video
properties if needed.
1In the Word or PowerPoint document, select the position where you want the video to appear.
2Do one of the following:
•In Office 2003, click the Embed Flash button in the PDFMaker toolbar.
•In Office 2007/2010, click the Embed Flash button in the Acrobat ribbon.
3Click the Browse button, and then locate the video you want to include.
4Change the video settings as needed:
•For video that is not in SWF format, set a poster image by moving the slider to the desired frame. Then click Set
Poster Image From Current Frame.
•To determine how the playback controls are displayed, select an option from the Skin menu.
•To change the display size of the video, click Resize Video, and then change the width and height. Maintain the
aspect ratio for best display.
5Click OK to convert the video (if needed), and add it to the document.
Edit the play area (Acrobat Pro DC)
1Select Tools > Rich Media > Select Object and click on a multimedia object.
When you move the tool over the play area, handles appear on the borders of the play area, even when the borders
are invisible.
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2Click the play area to select it, and then do any of the following:
•Move the clip by dragging its icon to a new location on the page.
•Delete the clip by selecting it and pressing Delete.
•Resize the clip by dragging one of the corners of the frame until it is the desired size. Hold down Shift to retain
the correct proportions for video clips.
More Help topics
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro DC)
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Add 3D models to a PDF page (Acrobat Pro DC)
You can use the 3D tool to place a 3D file (in U3D 3rd Edition or PRC format) on a PDF page. Acrobat Pro can create
3D PDFs but only from U3D ECMA 1 files.
After you place a 3D file, you can adjust the area or canvas in which the 3D model appears, edit the presentation
properties for the 3D toolbar and content, and create additional views.
Add a 3D model to a page
1Choose Tools > Rich Media > Add 3D.
2Drag a rectangle on the page to define the canvas area for the 3D file.
3In the Insert 3D dialog box, click Browse to select the 3D file, and then click Open. Click OK.
Note: In the Insert 3D dialog box, check the Show Advanced Options to set initial 3D Properties for the file.
Move, delete, or resize the 3D canvas
1Choose Tools > Rich Media > Select Object .
Note: Be careful not to confuse the Select Object tool with the basic Select tool. Use the Select Object tool to adjust a 3D
canvas.
2Select the 3D canvas and change it as needed:
•To move the canvas, drag it to a new location on the page.
•To delete the canvas (and the 3D model), select it and press Delete.
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•To resize the canvas, drag the frame corners. The 3D content stays proportional within the adjusted frame.
3D properties (Acrobat Pro DC)
View 3D properties by using the Select Object Tool (Tools > Rich Media > Select Object) to double-click within an
activated model.
3D tab
The options on the 3D tab determine how the 3D model is presented. Unlike the settings on the other tabs, 3D settings
do not affect the imported file itself.
The options on the 3D tab are the same as the options on the 3D toolbar except for the following:
Animation Style For models created with animation, this setting determines how the animation runs in Acrobat.
Add Default Views Allows you to use different model views. An orthographic projection (ortho) effectively removes a
dimension, preserving the size ratio between objects but giving the 3D model a less realistic appearance. Orthographic
projection is especially useful for viewing certain diagrams, such as 3D mathematical functions plotted on a graph. A
perspective projection offers a more realistic scene in which objects in the distance appear smaller than objects of the
same size in the foreground.
Show Toolbar Displays the 3D toolbar along with the image. When this option is not selected, you can right-click the
3D image to view the 3D toolbar.
Open model tree Displays the model tree on the Model Tree pane. The Model Tree has three panes. Each pane displays
a specific type of information or controls.
Script Specifies the JavaScript file that runs if a 3D model is enabled. Click Browse to add a JavaScript file to the PDF.
Launch Settings
Enable When Specifies when the 3D model is activated. When the 3D model is enabled, you can interact with it by
using the 3D navigation tools, for example.
Disable When Determines how the 3D model can be deactivated. When a 3D model is disabled, the 2D preview image
or poster appears in the canvas.
Playback Style Enables you to display the 3D model in a floating window outside the page. If you select Play Content
In Floating Window, you can select the size of the window (in pixels) from the Height and Width menus.
Border Width Select to create a border around the 3D object.
Transparent Background Removes any background color.
Poster Image To replace the default view of the 3D model when it isn’t activated, select a poster image option. Click
Browse to find the image you want.
Resources
Use the Resources tab to add files developed in Flash® to a 3D model for animation, effects, and textures. To bind a Flash
resource, select it from the list of resources, and then select a binding type (Foreground, Background, or Material). To
bind a material, also enter the material name for the part or parts where you want to display the material.
Add Use to add SWF files for animations and backgrounds for the 3D model.
Add Directory Select to add a directory of resource files to the 3D object.
Remove Select a file in the list, and then click Remove to delete it from the file.
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Name Displays the name of the file that is selected from the list. You can also rename a resource, which is useful with
scripting. For example, you can replace the name with the one used in a script.
Binding When adding files that are developed in Flash as a resource for a 3D model, binding determines how those
files interact. For example, you can identify a resource to run in the background and one to run in the foreground. After
you add the files to the file list, select one, and in the Binding section, select either Background, Foreground, or
Material.
Material 3D designers can use the Material field to define a material to use in a model. The material name can be
associated with a resource by selecting Material in the Binding section.
FlashVars Flash developers can use the FlashVars field to add ActionScript™ variables for the selected file.
Run a JavaScript
If a separate JavaScript file is associated with the 3D model PDF, you can activate it.
1Open the PDF in Acrobat DC.
2Click the 3D model with the Hand tool to enable it, and then right-click the 3D model and choose Run A JavaScript.
3Find the JavaScript file you want to add, and click Open.
More Help topics
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
In Acrobat DC, you can view and interact with high-quality 3D content created in professional 3D CAD or 3D
modeling programs and embedded in PDFs. For example, you can hide and show parts of a 3D model, remove a cover
to look inside, and turn parts around as if holding them in your hands.
A 3D model initially appears as a two-dimensional preview image. Clicking the 3D model with the Hand or Select tool
enables (or activates) the model, opens the 3D toolbar, and plays any animation.
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A Model Tree B 3D toolbar C 3D object
3D toolbar overview
The 3D toolbar appears after you click the 3D model with the Hand tool. This action activates the 3D model and plays
animations that are set to play when the file is enabled. The 3D toolbar always appears in the area above the upper-left
corner of the 3D model and cannot be moved. A small arrow appears to the right of the Rotate tool, which you can click
to either hide or expand the toolbar.
You can use the 3D toolbar to zoom in and out, rotate, and pan across the object. Use the Model Tree to hide or isolate
parts, or make parts transparent.
You manipulate a 3D model by selecting and dragging various 3D navigation tools. When you navigate in 3D, it helps
to think of it as viewing the stationary 3D model from a camera’s perspective. You can rotate, pan (move up, down, or
side-to-side), and zoom in or out.
3D navigation tools
Rotate
Turns 3D objects around relative to the screen. How the objects move depends on the starting view, where you start
dragging, and the direction in which you drag.
Note: You can also use the Hand tool to rotate an object. Ensure that Enable 3D Selection For The Hand Tool is selected in
the 3D panel of the Preferences dialog box.
Spin
Turns a 3D model in parallel to two fixed axes in the 3D model, the x-axis and the z-axis.
Pan
Moves the model vertically and horizontally only. You can also pan with the Hand tool: Ctrl-drag.
Zoom
Moves you toward, or away from, objects in the scene when you drag vertically. You can also zoom with the Hand tool
by holding down Shift as you drag.
Walk
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Pivots horizontally around the scene when you drag horizontally. Moves forward or backward in the scene when you
drag vertically; maintains a constant elevation level, regardless of how you drag. The Walk tool is especially useful for
architectural 3D models. To change the walking speed, change the default display units in the Preferences (3D).
Note: The Walk tool is available when you select the Preferences setting that consolidates tools or when you right-click the
3D model and choose Tools > Walk.
Fly
Navigates through a model while maintaining the surface orientation. Right-click and drag inside the 3D window. The
Fly tool moves more slowly the closer you move toward an object. Drag the pointer right or left to turn.
To rotate the camera view, click the left mouse button inside the 3D window and drag to turn the camera view. To return
to the starting camera direction, move the mouse back to the initial click point.
Use the mouse scroll wheel to move rapidly backward and forward along the camera view direction. This functionality
is useful if you get lost within a model or fly into the surface.
Camera properties
Defines the camera angle, alignment, and other properties that define the lens through which a 3D model is viewed.
Camera properties are components of views but are set independently.
3D Measurement Tool
Measures part sizes and distances in the 3D model.
3D toolbar view controls
Default View
Returns to a preset zoom, pan, rotation, and projection mode of the 3D model. Use the Options menu in the View pane
of the Model Tree to set a different view as the default. Or use the Manage Views command on the 3D toolbar Views
menu to set a different view as the default.
If an object ever moves out of your view, you have, in essence, turned your camera away from the object. Click the
Default View icon on the 3D toolbar to move the object back into view.
Views menu Lists any views defined for the current 3D model.
Toggle Model Tree
Opens and hides the Model Tree.
Play/Pause Animation
Plays or pauses any JavaScript-enabled animation. The Play/Pause Animation pop-up menu opens a slider that you can
drag back and forth to move to different times in the animation sequence.
Use Orthographic/Perspective Projection
Toggles between displaying perspective and orthographic projection of the 3D object.
Model Render Mode menu
Determines how the 3D shape appears. For an illustrated guide, see Examples of model rendering modes.
Enable Extra Lighting menu
Lists the different lighting effects that are available to enhance the illumination of the 3D object. Experiment to get the
visual effects you want.
Background Color
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Opens the color picker, which you can use to select a different color for the space surrounding the 3D object.
Toggle Cross Section
Shows and hides cross sections of the object. Click the pop-up menu to open the Cross Section Properties dialog box.
For more information, see Create cross sections.
Add Multimedia/3D Comment
Enables you to add a sticky note to any part of the 3D model. The note stays with the view. See Commenting on 3D
designs in PDFs .
3D preferences
In the 3D & Multimedia panel of the Preferences dialog box, you can determine whether the 3D toolbar and Model
Tree are displayed by default. You can also specify a default renderer and determine whether animations are allowed.
Preferred Renderer Specifies the rendering engine used to affect both performance and quality, so it’s important to
select the appropriate renderer. Depending on your system, you can change your render engine. If you select a DirectX®
or OpenGL option, all rendering takes place using the graphics chip on the video adapter. If Software is selected,
rendering takes more time, but the performance is often more consistent with the model rendering of the originating
application.
Enable Hardware Rendering For Legacy Video Cards Forces the use of a hardware accelerator for even video adapters
that do not support a pixel shader.
Enable Double-Sided Rendering Some model parts have two sides. To save time and space, you can deselect this option
to render only the side facing the user. If the user looks inside a part rendered with only one side, the back side would
be invisible.
Preferred 3D PMI Rendering Mode Specifies the PMI mode to use for rendering. You can select one of the following
options:
Use Content Setting—The rendering of the PMI uses the setting of each PMI to decide whether it uses the Z-buffer.
Always Render 3D PMI In Front Of Model—The rendering of the PMI ignores the Z-buffer regardless of the setting in
the file.
Always Render 3D PMI Using Z-buffer—The rendering of the PMI always turns on Z-buffer regardless of the setting
in the file.
Open Model Tree On 3D Activation Determines whether the Model Tree is displayed when the 3D model is activated.
Choose Use Annotation’s Setting to use whichever setting the author used when adding the 3D model to the PDF.
Default Toolbar State Determines whether the 3D toolbar is shown or hidden when a 3D model is activated. Choose
Use Annotation’s Setting to use whichever setting the author used when adding the 3D model to the PDF.
Enable Selection For The Hand Tool Lets the user select and highlight parts of the 3D model using the Hand tool. If this
option is not selected, use the Object Data tool (Tools > Interactive Objects > Select Object) to select the object.
Consolidate Tools On The 3D Toolbar Selecting this option places the manipulation and navigation tools under the
Rotate tool, thereby shortening the 3D toolbar.
Enable View Transitions Some 3D models include animated transitions between views. Deselect this option if you want
to prevent this 3D animation.
Show 3D Orientation Axis Turns on or off an in-scene display of an axis that indicates the current orientation of the 3D
scene.
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Optimization Scheme For Low Framerate Specifies what happens to animations of complex models when the framerate
becomes low. None does not compromise the visuals and leaves the framerate low. Bounding Box shows the three-
dimensional planes enclosing the parts instead of the parts themselves, which keeps the framerate high. Drop Objects
does not show some parts of the model, which keeps the framerate high.
Framerate Threshold Sets the minimum framerate, either by dragging the slider or entering a number in the value box.
If the framerate drops below that number of frames per second, the Optimization Scheme For Low Framerate option
goes into effect.
More Help topics
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro DC)
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Interacting with 3D models
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Change rendering mode, lighting, projection, and background
The model rendering mode determines the surface appearance of the 3D model. The default rendering mode is solid,
but you can also choose another rendering mode. You can also change the lighting of the 3D model as well as the
background.
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A Default appearance B Wireframe rendering mode C Colored lighting D Different background color
❖Use items on the 3D toolbar to make any of these changes:
•To change the rendering mode, choose an option from the Model Render Mode pop-up menu .
•To view an orthographic projection, click the Use Orthographic Projection button . An orthographic
projection effectively removes a dimension, preserving the size ratio between objects but giving the 3D model a
less realistic appearance. Click the button again to use perspective projection.
•To turn lighting on or off or to change lighting, choose an option from the Enable Extra Lighting pop-up menu
.
•To change the background color, click the arrow next to the Background color swatch and choose a color.
Note: Model rendering modes, lighting schemes, and background color options are also available by right-clicking the
3D model, and then clicking Viewing Options. Model rendering modes also appear under the Options menu on the
Model Tree.
Examples of model rendering modes
The model rendering modes include combinations of factors that affect the appearance of the 3D object. The
illustration below shows a simple object rendered in each of the available modes.
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A Solid B Transparent Bounding Box C Transparent D Solid Wireframe E Illustration F Solid Outline G Shaded Illustration H Bounding Box
I Transparent Bounding Box Outline J Wireframe K Shaded Wireframe L Transparent Wireframe M Hidden Wireframe N Ver tices O Shaded
Ver tices
Hide, isolate, and change the appearance of parts
Some 3D models are composed of individual parts. You can use the Model Tree to hide or isolate parts, zoom in to parts,
or make parts transparent. Parts that show in the 3D model appear in the tree with a check mark next to them.
A Selected part B Hidden part C Isolated part D Transparent part
1In the 3D model, use the Hand tool to click the part you want to manipulate. If a preference setting prevents you
from using the Hand tool, select the part in the Model Tree list.
2From the Options menu in the top pane of the Model Tree, choose any of the following:
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Note: The items that appear on the Options menu depend on whether the 3D model is composed of just one part or
multiple parts. Many of these options are also available by right-clicking a part in the 3D model.
Model Render Mode Changes the surface appearance of the entire 3D model according to the item you choose from
the submenu: Transparent Bounding Box, Solid, Transparent, Solid Wireframe, and so on.
Show All Parts Displays the entire 3D model.
Fit Visible Displays all visible parts and centers them in the view.
Show Physical Properties Displays the surface area and volume (if available) in the Object Data pane of the Model
Tree.
Display Bounding Box Displays the box that encloses the 3D object or selected parts of the model.
Set Bounding Box Color Changes the color of the bounding box. Choose this option, select a color, and then click
OK.
Hide Displays the model without showing the selected parts. You can also select and deselect check boxes in the top
pane of the Model Tree to hide and show different parts.
Isolate Displays only the selected part, hiding all others.
Isolate Part Displays the geometry, the Product Manufacturing Information (PMI), and all views (including PMI
views) for the isolated part only. Views and information for all other parts are hidden or deselected. Changes occur
in the Model Tree as well. In the Structure pane (top), only the isolated part is selected. The structure of the other
parts is available but deselected. The View pane (middle) lists only the views that have been defined for the isolated
part, including PMI views. If you click a view, you see only the PMI for that view in the document pane. (To view
the PMI for the isolated part, make sure 3D PMI is selected in the Structure pane.) The View pane hides views related
to the assembly or other parts, including custom views created in Acrobat. You can add parts to the view by selecting
them in the Model Tree. You can also use the Hide/Show commands in the options menu of the Model Tree. To
cancel the isolated part, do any of the following:
•Select another part with the Isolate Part command.
•Select the top assembly in the Model Tree.
•Select the Home View button.
Zoom To Part Changes the center focus from the entire 3D model to the selected parts. This setting is especially
useful for rotating a part, allowing the rotation to occur around the center focus of the part rather than around the
entire model.
Part Render Mode Displays all of the rendering modes that are available for the part. The rendering mode changes
the appearance of the 3D model according to the rendering mode you choose.
Transparent Displays a see-through version of the selected part.
Export As XML Creates a separate XML file of either Whole Tree or Current Node of the 3D model.
Export As CSV Creates a separate file in CSV format that contains all of the model data. You can export the data from
the whole Model Tree or a selected node. The file can be opened in any program that supports CSV formatting, such
as Microsoft Excel.
Note: If the 3D model includes Product Manufacturing Information (PMI), options for showing and hiding the PMI are
available on this menu.
Model Tree overview
The Model Tree appears in the navigation pane on the left side of the work area. You can also open the Model Tree by
clicking the Toggle Model Tree button on the 3D toolbar. Or, right-click the 3D model and choose Show Model Tree.
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Note: Using the Model Tree requires version 7.0.7 or later of either Acrobat or Adobe Reader. Users with earlier versions
can interact with 3D models but not with the Model Tree.
The Model Tree has three panes, each of which displays a specific type of information or controls.
Structure pane The topmost pane shows the tree structure of the 3D object. For example, a 3D object depicting a car
has separate groups of objects (called nodes) for the chassis, engine, and wheels. In this pane, you can move through the
hierarchy and select, isolate, or hide various parts.
Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) appears as a group of items on the same hierarchical level as its related
object or assembly.
View pane The middle pane lists the views that have been defined for the 3D object. When you change a view, click one
of the listed views to return the 3D model to a saved state. See Setting 3D views in PDFs .
You can also add to and edit views in the View pane. For example, after you isolate and rotate a part, you can save that
particular view, including the camera angle, background, lighting, and other attributes. This feature is not available for
Adobe Reader.
Object Data pane The lower pane displays other information, including properties and metadata, if any, about the
object or part. You cannot edit this information for 3D objects in Acrobat.
A 3D object hierarchy B Saved views C Part or object information
Note: To change the default behavior for the Model Tree, open the Preferences dialog box and under Categories, select 3D
and Multimedia. Then choose an option from the Open Model Tree On 3D Activation menu.
The author of the PDF can set up a 3D model in the conversion settings so that clicking it automatically displays the
Model Tree.
Create cross sections
Displaying a cross section of a 3D model is like cutting it in half and looking inside. Use the Cross Section Controls
dialog box to adjust the alignment, offset, and tilt of the cutting plane.
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1Click the Toggle Cross Section icon on the 3D toolbar to turn on or off the cross section.
2(Optional) Click the arrow next to the Toggle Cross Section icon, and choose Cross Section Properties, which opens
the Cross Section Properties dialog box. Then do any of the following:
•Change settings under Alignment, Display Settings, and Position And Orientation.
•Click the Save Section View button to save the current cross-sectional view. (The saved view will appear on the
Views menu in the 3D toolbar and in the View pane of the Model Tree with a default name, SectionView[n].)
Cross-section properties
Changes you make here are applied immediately. To see these changes, make sure that the Cross Section Properties
dialog box does not block your view of the active 3D model. The Cross Section Properties dialog box remains on top if
you focus or interact with the underlying PDF. To close it, click the Close button in the upper-right corner.
Enable Cross Section When selected, makes the other options available.
Alignment Determines the axis (x, y, or z) to which the cross-section aligns.
Align To Face Cuts the cross-section on a plane defined by the surface of any face that you then click in the 3D model.
(The dialog box is dimmed until you click the face of a model part.)
Align To 3 Points Cuts the cross-section on a plane defined by any three points that you click the 3D model. (The dialog
box is dimmed until you click three points of a model.)
Show Intersections Indicates where the cutting plane slices the 3D model by adding a colored outline. Click the color
swatch if you want to select a different color.
Show Cutting Plane Displays the two-dimensional field that cuts the 3D model. Click the color swatch to select a
different color, and enter a different percentage to change the opacity of the plane.
Ignore Selected Parts Removes the selected parts from the cross-section view.
Show Transparent Displays parts that are not part of the cross-section.
Cutting Plane Opacity Defines the transparency level of the cutting plane.
Align Camera With Cutting Plane Rotates the 3D model so that it is level with the cutting plane.
Offset Determines how much of the 3D model is sliced. Drag the slider left or right, or change the percentage.
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To understand how each axis divides the 3D model, select an axis and then drag the Offset slider back and forth.
Observe the changes in the embedded 3D model.
Flip Reverses the cross-section. For example, if the top half of the model is cut off, click Flip to display the top half and
cut off the bottom half.
Tilt sliders Determine the angles between the cutting plane and the axes. Drag the sliders left or right, or change the
percentages.
Save Section View Opens the View Properties dialog box in which you can select the display properties to save with the
view. After you select the properties to save, the cross-sectional view is added to the list of views in the 3D toolbar and
the Model Tree. The saved view is given a default name, SectionView[n].
Display properties that you choose not to save revert to the setting of the previous view. For example, if you do not save
the background color, the cross-section view retains the background color of the previously displayed view.
Change camera properties
Camera properties define the precise angle and positioning for a view of an object. Camera properties make up a
camera view, which can be used both between views and between files.
1On the 3D toolbar, click the Camera Properties icon .
If you don’t see the icon, click the arrow next to the navigation tool on the left side of the 3D toolbar.
2In the Camera Properties dialog box, click Save As to name a new camera view, or select an existing view from the
menu.
3Move the Camera Properties dialog box so that you can see the 3D model. Select a camera alignment:
•Select Target to align the camera properties only to the target position.
•Select Camera And Target to align the camera properties to both the camera direction and the target position.
4Select the type of alignment:
Select Model After you select this option, click a 3D model in the document. The Camera Properties dialog box
shows the current camera position.
•If Target is selected, the new position of the camera target is the center of the selected model.
•If Camera And Target is selected, the position of the camera target is the center of the selected model. The camera
is aligned to the selected model.
Select Face After you select this option, click a face of the 3D model in the document. The Camera Properties dialog
box shows the current camera position.
•If Target is selected, the new position of the camera target is the center of the selected face.
•If Camera And Target is selected, the position of the camera target is the center of the selected face. The camera
is aligned to this face.
Select 3 Points After you select this option, select three points on the same or different models in the document.
The Camera Properties dialog box shows the current camera position.
•If Target is selected, the new position of the camera target is the center of the three selected points.
•If Camera and Target are selected, the camera target is the center of the three selected points. The camera position
is aligned to the plan composed by the three selected points.
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5In the Position section, select Angle Units to change the X, Y, and Z values to Azimuth, Altitude, and Distance. These
values enable you to manipulate the camera by azimuth (distance) and altitude (X axis), and to zoom using the
distance value.
6Move the sliders in the Camera and Target positions to the desired location.
7To change the focal angle of the camera, drag the Field Of View slider to the desired degree.
8To change the roll angle of the camera, drag the Roll slider to the desired degree.
9Click Save Camera View to save the settings and add the view to the Model Tree.
The view is added to the Model Tree with the default name of CameraView[n], with [n] being an incremental
number. You can rename the camera view in the Views list.
More Help topics
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro)
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro)
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Use the 3D Measurement Tool to measure 3D models. You can create measurements between combinations of points
or edges of the 3D model. As you move the pointer over the 3D model, specific points and edges are highlighted. The
3D Measurement Tool supports four types of measurements: perpendicular distance between two straight edges, linear
distance between two points, the radius of circular edges, and the angle between two edges (or three points).
You can associate 3D measurements with specific views. If the default view is active when a measurement is added, a
new measurement view is created. This view is added to the view hierarchy in the Model Tree. The measurement is
associated with that view only. The measurement shows up as a child of the view.
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You can also display comments while taking measurements. These comments (also called measurement markups) are
preserved after the document is closed.
Measure 3D objects
1Click a 3D model in a PDF to enable it.
2Click the 3D Measurement Tool icon on the 3D toolbar. (If the 3D toolbar view is set for consolidated tools,
select the 3D Measurement tool from the pop-up menu next to the Navigation tool.)
3Select the options you want in the Snap Enables and Measurement Types areas of the 3D Measurement Tool palette.
4Right-click the model background, and change the options as needed. Leave the 3D Measurement Tool palette open.
5Measure the 3D model:
•To measure the distance between two positions on the 3D model, click to set a start point. Then move the pointer
to another location or an edge.
•To measure the circumference of a round shape, move the pointer to the edge of the shape so that a circle appears,
and click once.
•To create and set an annotation on the measurement, right-click the object background and select Change
Markup Label. Type a markup label. Measure the 3D model as described previously. Click to set the end point
for the measurement, and then click a third time to set the location of the measurement and label.
•To save a measurement as a comment, select the Hand tool, right-click the measurement, and click Convert To
Comment.
•To discontinue a measurement, right-click and choose Cancel Measurement.
•To delete a measurement markup, click it with the3D Measurement Tool and press Delete.
Note: To learn how to rotate, pan, zoom, and snap while you measure, right-click the model and choose 3D
Measurement Navigation Tips.
Snap Enables options in the 3D Measurement Tool palette
3D Snap To Edge Endpoints
Snaps to the entire edge.
3D Snap To Linear Edges
Snaps to a straight-line segment of an edge.
3D Snap To Radial Edges
Snaps to a circumference.
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3D Snap To Silhouettes
Snaps to the apparent edge of a part, such as the side of a cylinder.
3D Snap To Planar Faces
Snaps to the geometric plane making up a face of the part.
Measurement Types options in the 3D Measurement Tool palette
3D Point To Point Measurement
Measures the distance between two positions on the 3D model. Click to set a start point, and then click another location
to set an end point or edge.
3D Perpendicular Dimension
Measures the distance between two edges taken at a right angle to the starting edge.
3D Radial Dimension
Measures the radius at the location clicked.
3D Angle Measurement
Measures the angle between two edges.
Units and markup options
To use the Units and Markup measurement tools, select the 3D Measurement Tool, and then right-click inside the
model.
Define Model Units Select to change the measurement units.
Enable Coordinate Display Displays or hides the coordinates of the mouse pointer location in the Measurement Info
Window.
Change Markup Label Type the text that you want to appear with the measurement, both in the 3D model area and in
the Comments panel. (Not available if Measurement Markup is not selected.)
Disable Measurement Markup Select when you want to take measurements in a model, but not add them to the
document. The measurements are only visible while the current measurement is active. If you start another
measurement or change tools, the markup disappears.
Don’t Snap To 3D Content Disables the ability to snap the insertion point to a likely target. Select this option to improve
performance when you are working with a large model. Return to Snap To 3D Content to ensure precise measurement
in 3D objects.
3D Measurement Navigation Tips Opens a dialog box that lists the keyboard shortcuts for several navigation shorts.
You can use these shortcuts while you are measuring.
Preferences Opens the Measuring (3D) Preferences dialog box.
Hide/Show Measurement Info Window The Measurement Info Window displays the Units And Markup settings for the
model. Select to remove the window from the model window.
Hide/Show Measurement Toolbar Removes/displays the 3D Measurement Tool palette.
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Measuring preferences
Change the 3D Measuring preferences to determine how 3D data is measured. These options appear in the Measuring
(3D) panel of the Preferences dialog box.
Note: In Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, these preferences apply to PDFs that have commenting enabled.
Use Scales And Units From Model (When Present) Displays measurements based on the model units, if present,
generated from the original 3D model. Deselect this option to specify the units of measurements manually. This setting
can be changed in the 3D Measurement Tool palette.
Use Default Display Unit Uses units of measurement that you specify here rather than the measurement units in the 3D
model.
Significant Digits To Display Specifies the maximum number of digits in the measurement number.
3D Measuring Line Color Specifies the color of the line that appears when you click or drag to measure an object.
Measure Feedback Size Sets the text size for the measurement display.
Angular Measurements Shown In Specifies units as either degrees or radians.
Circular Measurements Shown As Designates whether the diameter or radius is measured for circular parts.
Show Circle For Radial Measurements Displays the circumference associated with the radial measurement.
3D Snap Settings Turns on snap and specifies whether points, arcs, edges, silhouette edges, or faces are snapped to.
Sensitivity indicates how close the pointer must be to the item being snapped to. For Snap Hint Color, specify the color
of the snap line that appears when you hold the pointer over the 3D object.
More Help topics
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro)
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
The default view of a 3D model lets you quickly revert to a starting point at any time as you interact with the model. A
default view is different from a preview, which determines what the 3D model looks like when it’s not activated. The
list of all available views for the 3D model appears in the Views menu on the 3D toolbar and in the View pane of the
Model Tree.
You can also create additional views of the 3D model in Acrobat that let you quickly navigate the 3D content as you
want (such as top, bottom, left, right, inside, outside, exploded, or assembled). A view can include lighting, camera
position, rendering mode, the Model Tree state, and transparency and cross section settings. Custom views can include
precise camera properties.
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You can link views to bookmarks in the Bookmarks panel, or you can use the Go To 3D View action to link views to
buttons and links that you create on the page.
Default view
When you create a PDF from a 3D model or add a 3D file to an existing PDF, Acrobat creates an initial default view.
The default view is generated independently of whether additional default views are created or views exist in the 3D file.
The characteristics of the default view generated are as follows:
• A perspective projection is used.
•The viewpoint is placed away from the object such that all visible nodes fill most of the field view.
•The direction and orientation of the offset is mainly along the negative X-axis, with a relatively small offset along
the negative Y-axis, and a smaller positive Z-axis offset.
•The camera points at the center of the visible nodes, oriented such that the Z-axis is vertical and upwards direction
is positive in the displayed annotation.
Set the background color, render mode and lighting for the default view by checking the Show Advanced Options box
in the Insert 3D dialog, selecting the 3D tab and adjusting the parameters shown.
Create a custom view
1With the Hand tool, click the 3D model to enable it.
2Use the Rotate, Pan, and Zoom tools in the 3D toolbar to change the view.
3In the View Properties dialog box, select the display settings to include in the view.
Properties that are not selected use the settings that were last displayed. For example, if Background Color is not
selected, the background color of the view remains the same as the background that was previously displayed.
The view is listed as NewView in the View pane of the Model Tree. Select it to rename it.
Display a view
❖Use these methods to change the view, as appropriate:
•From the 3D toolbar, select the view from the Views pop-up menu.
•In the Model Tree, click the view name.
•Click the Default View icon .
Change the default view
❖In the View pane of the Model Tree, do one of the following:
•Select a view, and then choose Set As Default View from the Options menu.
•Right-click a view, and then choose Set As Default View.
Note: To create a new view, choose Views > Manage Views from the 3D toolbar or the context menu. In the subsequent
Manage Views dialog that appears, click the New View button.
Change the poster to match the default view
1Using the Select Object tool (Tools > Rich Media > Select Object,) double-click the 3D model.
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2In the Edit 3D dialog box, click the Launch settings tab.
3Under the Poster Image area, select Retrieve poster from default view.
4Click OK, and then save the PDF.
Add a 3D view to a bookmark or link
This process requires a 3D model with one or more defined views, which you can create. You can associate the view
with an existing bookmark or link, or you can create a new one for this purpose.
1Do one of the following:
•To create a new bookmark, click the New Bookmark button at the top of the Bookmarks panel, and type a
new name for the bookmark. Then, right-click it and choose Properties.
•To create a new link, choose Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit Link, and drag to create a link rectangle
anywhere on the page. Then, under Link Action, in the Create Link dialog box, select Custom Link, and click
Next.
•To link a view to an existing bookmark or link, right-click the bookmark or link, and choose Properties.
2In the Properties dialog box, click the Actions tab.
3From the Select Action menu, choose Go To A 3D/Multimedia View, and then click Add.
4In the Select A 3D View dialog box, select the 3D annotation for the 3D model from the list on the left, and then
select a view option on the right:
Current View Matches the 3D rotation, pan, and zoom characteristics that are active in your document at the time
you create the link or bookmark, whether or not this view is listed on the Model Tree as a defined view.
First View Changes to the view that appears at the top of the list in the Model Tree.
Last View Changes to the view definition that appears at the bottom of the list in the Model Tree.
Previous View Moves up the Model Tree list of defined views, one view at a time.
Next View Moves down the Model Tree list of defined views, one view at a time.
Named View Changes to the defined view that you select from the list appearing below this option.
5(Optional) To make a bookmark or link also jump to a specific page and page view, choose Go To A Page View on
the Selection Action menu, and click Add. Then use the scroll bars and zoom tools to adjust the page view before
you click the Set Link button. When finished, click Close in the Properties dialog box.
Delete a 3D view
❖Do one of the following:
•On the 3D toolbar, open the Views pop-up menu and choose Manage Views. Select the views you want to remove,
and click Delete View.
•In the View pane of the Model Tree panel, select the views you want to remove. From within the View pane, either
click the Delete button or click the Options button and choose Delete View.
More Help topics
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro)
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Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Include audio, video, and interactive 3D objects in your PDF files. Add files directly to your PDF or link to files on the
web.
Multimedia and PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Adding video, sound, and interactive content transforms PDFs into multidimensional communication tools that
increase interest and engagement in your documents.
All multimedia that are H.264 compliant can be played back in Adobe Reader 9 and later. (H.264, also known as MPEG-
4 part 10, is a video compression standard that provides high-quality video without substantially increasing file size.)
Video files of varying formats and filename extensions can be H.264 compliant.
Media files in other formats can be played back in earlier versions of Adobe Reader. However, users must install the
appropriate application (such as QuickTime or Windows Media Player) to play the multimedia.
Another way to add multimedia is by entering a URL that refers to a video file or streaming media. Three types of URLs
can be used: RTMP, HTTP, and HTTPS. On HTTP and HTTPS servers, H.264-compliant MOV and MP4 files are
supported.
Interactive content developed in Flash and produced as SWF files (.swf) can be added to PDFs to provide
complimentary tools for text. Examples of applications developed in Flash include an RSS Reader, calculator, and online
maps.
Add multimedia files to a PDF
Acrobat Pro DC supports mp3, mov, SWF files, and other files encoded in H.264 (with AAC audio). You can convert
other file types into one of the supported formats by using Adobe Media Encoder. You can also add mp3 audio files to
a PDF for playback on any platform.
Note: FLV and FV4 files are no longer supported in both Acrobat DC and PDFMaker. You cannot embed FLV and FV4
files using either Acrobat DC or PDFMaker. However, if a document has already FLV or FV4 files embedded (for example,
a PowerPoint presentation or a Word file), it will still be converted to PDFs.
1Open the PDF.
2Choose Tools > Rich Media, and then select the Add Video , the Add Sound , or the Add SWF tool.
3Drag or double-click to select the area on the page where you want the video or sound to appear. The Insert dialog
box opens.
If you double-click the page, Acrobat Pro DC places the upper-left corner of the video where you clicked. If you drag
an area on the page, the media is placed within the area. The play area of the video is the exact size of the video frame
(if Acrobat Pro DC is able to read the video clip dimensions).
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4Add a URL in the Name field, or click Browse to find the media file, and then click Open.
For URLs, use the full file address, including the video filename extension, such as .mov or .mp4.
5Use the advanced options on the Insert dialog box to change the media if needed, and then click OK.
Not all of these options are available for all media types.
Snap To Content Proportions Ensures that the play area retains the height and width ratios of the original video or
interactive content.
Show Advanced Options Opens the dialog for additional settings such as launch settings, playback controls, and
video settings. The options available depends on the format of the media you are inserting.
Advanced multimedia options (Acrobat Pro DC)
To view advanced multimedia options when you insert video, sound, or interactive content, select Show Advanced
Options in the Insert dialog box.
You can also change these options after multimedia has been added to a PDF. Double-click the multimedia with the
Select Object tool (Tools > Rich Media > Select Object).
Note: Video and sound quality settings can only be changed when a file is added to a PDF.
SWF tab Displays when you insert SWF files.
Pass Context Menu Click to SWF SWF file developers can select this option to replace the Acrobat Pro DC context
menu with the context menu of the originating SWF file. When the user right-clicks the SWF file, the available options
are from the originating file.
Launch Settings tab Use these settings to determine how the media is started and stopped, where it is displayed, and
what is displayed when the media isn’t running.
Activation Settings Select options to determine when the media is played and stopped. From the Playback Style menu,
select Play Content In Floating Window to have the video or interactive content run outside the page. Content in a
floating window enables users to read the page and view the video or application at the same time.
Border Width Creates a black border around the video or interactive content. For sound, the border surrounds the
poster image.
Poster Image To use an image that is not part of the file you are adding, select Create Poster From File. Click Browse
to find the image you want to be displayed when the video, sound, or interactive content is not activated.
Resources tab Use this tab to list all files that are required to run a SWF file. When a file is displayed in the list of added
files, you can click it to set the file properties.
Properties When you click a filename in the Resources list, the full filename (including the path) is displayed in the
Name field. You can rename the resources to ensure that scripts run properly.
Controls tab Use to set up which playback controls (skins) are available.
Skin Select the set of playback controls (skin) you want to be displayed on the video.
Color Click to open the color palette and choose a color for the controls.
Opacity Sets the degree of transparency for the playback controls.
Autohide controls When selected, hides the play controls when the mouse pointer is not over the multimedia.
Video tab Available when you are adding a video.
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Preview and Trim Drag the Start and End markers below the slider bar to remove unwanted frames from the clip. This
option is only available when a video clip is first added to a PDF.
Set Poster Image From Current Frame The poster image is displayed when the video isn’t playing. Drag the marker on
the top of the slider bar to the frame you want to use, and then click Set Poster Image From Current Frame.
Chapter Points Use Chapter Points to create markers in a video from which to launch specific actions. For example, in
a training video, chapter points can link to additional information in a file or on the Web.
To create a chapter point, move the slider to the frame you want to use. In Chapter Points, click the plus sign. To add
an action, highlight the chapter point in the list and click Actions.
Note: Generally, Chapter Point actions can be added only after the multimedia has been created. You can then edit the play
area and add Chapter Point actions.
Insert video into Word and PowerPoint files (Acrobat Pro)
Acrobat Pro DC adds a feature to Word and PowerPoint that enables you to add video in mov, mp3, or SWF format to
a Word or PowerPoint document.
After adding a video to a Word or PowerPoint document, you can convert the document to PDF and edit the video
properties if needed.
1In the Word or PowerPoint document, select the position where you want the video to appear.
2Do one of the following:
•In Office 2003, click the Embed Flash button in the PDFMaker toolbar.
•In Office 2007/2010, click the Embed Flash button in the Acrobat ribbon.
3Click the Browse button, and then locate the video you want to include.
4Change the video settings as needed:
•For video that is not in SWF format, set a poster image by moving the slider to the desired frame. Then click Set
Poster Image From Current Frame.
•To determine how the playback controls are displayed, select an option from the Skin menu.
•To change the display size of the video, click Resize Video, and then change the width and height. Maintain the
aspect ratio for best display.
5Click OK to convert the video (if needed), and add it to the document.
Edit the play area (Acrobat Pro DC)
1Select Tools > Rich Media > Select Object and click on a multimedia object.
When you move the tool over the play area, handles appear on the borders of the play area, even when the borders
are invisible.
2Click the play area to select it, and then do any of the following:
•Move the clip by dragging its icon to a new location on the page.
•Delete the clip by selecting it and pressing Delete.
•Resize the clip by dragging one of the corners of the frame until it is the desired size. Hold down Shift to retain
the correct proportions for video clips.
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More Help topics
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro DC)
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro DC)
When you view a video, you can add comments to individual frames. Each comment is attached to a specific frame, so
that when you view the comments, they appear in the context in which they were made.
1With the video open (in a PDF file), open the Comment list pane.
Note: To open the Comment list pane, choose Tools > Comment. The annotations and drawing markup tools are
displayed in the secondary toolbar and comments are displayed in the right-hand pane.
2Start the video and click Pause where you want to add a comment.
3Select the commenting tool you want to use from the secondary toolbar, and then click the video frame to add the
comment.
4Click Play to continue the video.
The comments display in the Comments list.
More Help topics
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Commenting and markup tools overview
View comments
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Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Play multimedia in PDFs
Using the Hand tool or the Select tool, click the play area of the video or sound file. When the pointer is positioned over
the play area, it changes to the play mode icon .
Supported video, audio, and interactive formats
You can play the following types of multimedia in PDFs created using Adobe Acrobat DC or Adobe Acrobat Reader
DC or earlier:
Interactive multimedia Includes SWF files.
Video Includes MOV, M4V, 3GP, and 3G2 video files that use H.264 compression. It also includes FLV, F4V, MP3, and
MP4 files. You must have H.264 codecs installed on your computer to play files that use H.264 compression.
Audio Includes audio files, such as MP3 and MP4
You can play these files on a page or activate them from a link, bookmark, form field, or page action. Each multimedia
file includes a play area from which the media can be activated. The play area typically appears on the PDF page as an
image or a rectangle, but can also be invisible.
Acrobat and Reader also let you play legacy multimedia files created using an earlier version of Acrobat. These include
QuickTime, MPEG, ASF, RAM, and Windows® Media files. However, Acrobat and Reader X do not provide a way to
create legacy multimedia files.
To help protect your computer from viruses, Acrobat asks you if you want to play multimedia files from unverified
sources. You can change this default behavior in the Multimedia Trust preferences.
❖Using the Hand tool or the Select tool, click the play area of the video or sound file. When the pointer is positioned
over the play area, it changes to the play mode icon .
Multimedia preferences (legacy)
Two types of PDF files require you to set multimedia preferences:
•PDF files created in Acrobat 8 and earlier.
•PDF files containing multimedia content that needs a plug-in or external player to play, rather than the built-in
media player.
These files require you to identify an additional media player with which to run the multimedia.
Open the Preferences dialog box, and then select Multimedia (Legacy) from the left side of the dialog box.
Player Options Choose the format in which you want to run legacy media content: QuickTime, Flash, Windows Media,
or Windows built-in player.
Accessibility Options Specify if you want special features (if available) to appear when media plays, such as subtitles
and dubbed audio. Specify the preferred language for the media, in case multiple languages are available.
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Multimedia Trust preferences (legacy)
Acrobat and Reader play most multimedia files, such as audio or video, using the built-in media player. (For the
supported file types, see Supported video, audio, and interactive formats.) Multimedia content that requires additional
resources to play, such as an external player or plug-in, is considered “legacy” multimedia content. You can control the
use of external players or plug-ins in the Multimedia Trust (Legacy) preferences.
More Help topics
URLsettings
Attachments as security risks in Reader and Acrobat
Multimedia Trust (Legacy)
(Acrobat and Reader 10.1.1 or earlier) In Multimedia Trust preferences, you can specify whether to play embedded
multimedia files in trusted or non trusted PDF documents. A trusted document is a document that you or an author
you trust has approved. By setting your permissions to play multimedia only in trusted documents, you can prevent
programs, macros, and viruses from potentially damaging your computer.
The list of trusted documents and authors is stored internally and can’t be viewed. If you add a certified document to
the list, both the document and the certificate of the author are added to the list of trusted documents. All documents
that this author certified are trusted. (Trusted documents also include PDFs from authors in your list of trusted
identities.)
In the Preferences dialog box, select Multimedia Trust (Legacy) from the Categories.
(Acrobat and Reader 10.1.1 or earlier) Display Permissions For Choose to set permissions for either trusted documents
or other (non trusted) documents.
Allow Multimedia Operations Select this option to allow media clips to be played. When selected, you can change the
permission settings for a particular player and enable options that determine the appearance of the media during
playback.
Change Permission For Selected Multimedia Player To Select the player from the list, and then choose one of the
following options from the menu:
Always Allows the player to be used without prompting.
Never Prevents the player from being used.
Prompt Asks the user whether the player can be used. If you select this option and allow the player to play the media
in a particular document, that document becomes trusted.
Allow Playback Options Three playback options enable you to control how the video is displayed.
Allow Playback In A Floating Window With No Title Bars Select this option to run the video without a title bar. The
result is that no title or close buttons are displayed.
Allow Document To Set Title Text In A Floating Playback Window Select this option to display a title bar when the video
plays back in a floating window. To edit the text in the title bar, double-click the video with the Select Object Tool (Tools
> Interactive Objects > Select Object). Select Edit Rendition, and then on the Playback Location tab, select Show Title
Bar. Add the title bar text in the Title text field.
Allow Playback In Full-Screen Window This option automatically plays the video in full screen mode when it is played
back. Full screen display can conflict with end-user security settings.
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(Acrobat and Reader 10.1.1 or earlier) Clear Your List Of Trusted Documents Deletes the current list of trusted
documents and authors. Use this option to prevent media from playing in documents that were previously trusted
documents or created by trusted authors. This option is available only when a PDF that contains multimedia is open.
More Help topics
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro)
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs
Comments added to a 3D object are associated with specific views that are defined when the comments are added. If
the view is changed—for example, if the 3D object is rotated or moved—the comments are no longer visible.
You have three ways to add comments to a 3D object:
•Using the 3D Comment Tool on the 3D toolbar to add comments to specific parts of a 3D model.
•Using the annotation tools available in the secondary toolbar of the Comment tool to add a variety of comment
types to a 3D view.
•Converting a 3D measurement into a comment.
Note: Adding comments to 3D model views requires version 7.0.7 or later of Acrobat or Reader.
If you don’t want a comment to be associated with a 3D view, add the comment outside the 3D object area.
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Add a 3D Comment to an object
Comments created by using the 3D Comment Tool are like measurements in that they are associated with a specific
part of the 3D geometry. When you add 3D comments to the default view of a model, a new view, called
3DCommentView is created. 3D comments added to other views are listed as components of that view in the Model
Tree. You can edit and remove 3D comments the same way to edit and remove measurements.
1Click the Add 3D Comment tool on the 3D toolbar.
Note: The 3D toolbar appears when you hover the cursor over the 3D model. If the Add 3D Comment tool is not visible
in the toolbar, then right-click the 3D model and choose Tools > Add 3D Comments. You can also expand the default
3D toolbar by right clicking the 3D model and choosing Tools > Expand 3D Tools.
2Select a part of the model you want to add a 3D comment to.
3In the Enter Comment String dialog box, type your comment.
Add comments from the Comment toolset
When you add comments by using the tools on the Comment toolset, a new view is created in the Model Tree called
CommentView.
Note: Adobe Reader DC users can add comments to a PDF if the document author enables commenting for that PDF.
1Choose Tools > Comment.
The Comment toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2In the secondary toolbar, select a commenting tool, and then click inside the 3D object area.
3Click inside the 3D object area to create a comment. A new view definition is also created in the Model Tree with a
default name such as “CommentView1.”
4To add more comments, do one of the following:
•To create an additional comment in a view, make sure that the commenting view you want is selected in the
Model Tree. Then click inside the 3D object area.
•To create an additional comment in a new commenting view, make sure that no commenting view is selected in
the Model Tree. Then click inside the 3D object area.
Note: If you delete one of these automatically generated commenting views, the associated comments are still available. You
can view and select them in the Comments panel or in the Model Tree, where they are listed under the views. Selecting a
comment switches the 3D model to the same viewing configuration it had when the comment was added.
Convert 3D measurements to comments
Individual measurements can be converted to comments, so that they can be reviewed and annotated like other types
of comments.
1In the View pane of the Model Tree, right-click the plus sign next to the measurement view to display the list of
individual measurements.
Note: The measurement view is available only when you have added measurements by using the 3D Measurement Tool
.
2Right-click a measurement name and click Convert To Comment.
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Display comments for a 3D object
1Do one of the following:
•In the Model Tree, select a view that contains comments.
•Choose Tools > Comment, the comments are displayed in the comment list in the right pane.
•In the View pane of the Model Tree, click Options and choose List Comments.
2Double-click a comment to open its comment window.
3Repeat steps 1 and 2 to see other comments associated with other views.
When you select a comment, the 3D model appears in the same view it was in when the comment was added.
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More Help topics
Enable commenting for Reader users (Acrobat Pro)
Commenting
Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs
Adding multimedia to PDFs
Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro)
Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro)
Displaying 3D models in PDFs
Interacting with 3D models
Measuring 3D objects in PDFs
Setting 3D views in PDFs
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Chapter 14: Print production tools
(Acrobat Pro DC)
Print production tools overview (Acrobat Pro DC)
Adobe Acrobat DC adds sophisticated print production tools that enable a complete PDF workflow for high-end color
output. The print production tools can be accessed by choosing Tool s > Print Production.
Open the Print Production tools
❖Choose Tools > Print Production.
The Print Production tools are displayed in the right hand pane.
Print Production tools
Output Preview Combines separation preview, soft proofing, color warnings, and more in one convenient dialog box.
Preflight Allows you to perform more than 400 predefined checks for all the common output errors, and then correct
all fixable errors.
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Edit Object Allows you to select, move, and edit both raster and vector objects. You can edit individual object
properties, such as tags, color space, or rendering intent.
Convert Colors Allows you to convert any color space in the document to the target color space.
Flattener Preview Allows you to define and apply flattening settings for transparent objects. Includes a preview for
viewing transparent objects and the effects your settings have on those objects. You can save the settings as presets to
apply to other pages or PDFs.
Save As PDF/X Allows you to save the current document as per the PDF/X standards.
Set Page Boxes Allows you to define the crop, trim, bleed, art, and media boxes on a page. The elements are important
for proper page positioning and placement of printer marks, especially for imposition.
Add Printer Marks Adds standard printer marks to a PDF page for positioning. These marks are embedded in the PDF.
Fix Hairlines Based on user settings, finds hairlines and replaces them with heavier-weight lines.
Ink Manager Modifies the way inks are treated while the current PDF is open. The Acrobat Ink Manager uses the same
options and controls as other Adobe applications.
Trap Presets Allows you to create and apply trap settings for later execution by an Adobe RIP that licenses Adobe In-
RIP Trapping.
Add Article Box Allows you to define a series of article boxes.
Printer marks and hairlines (Acrobat Pro DC)
About printer marks in PDFs
When you prepare a document for print production, a number of marks are needed to help the print service provider
align separation films for producing proofs, measure film for correct calibration and ink density, trim film to size, and
so on. Printer marks indicate the boundaries of document boxes supported by Adobe PDF, such as trim boxes and bleed
boxes.
You can add printer marks temporarily at print time using the Marks And Bleeds panel of the Advanced Print Setup
dialog box, or you can embed printer marks in the file (and optionally in a layer) using the Add Printer Marks dialog
box. For information about adding printer marks to just the printed output, see Include marks and bleeds (Acrobat Pro
DC).
Note: A PDF created from Adobe InDesign CS and later can include printer marks, either in a separate layer or on the page.
You can view these marks using the Layers tab in Acrobat. If the printer marks were exported as a layer, any printer marks
you create using the Acrobat Add Printer Marks feature replace the InDesign printer marks. If the printer marks are not in
a layer, Acrobat printer marks overlay InDesign printer marks and might not align.
Embed printer marks in a PDF
1Choose Tools > Print Production > Add Printer Marks.
2Specify the pages to mark.
3Specify the marks and settings.
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Set Page Boxes dialog box overview
Use the Set Page Boxes dialog box (formerly called Crop Pages) to define boundaries for trim, bleed, and art when
preparing your PDF for printing and other output. You can adjust the margins of document boxes supported by Adobe
PDF, including the media (page size), trim, bleed, and art boxes. This capability is useful if the printer marks you add
using the Add Printer Marks tool (not the Marks And Bleeds panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box) would be
clipped because the crop box is too small to accommodate the marks. Print service providers can also use this tool to
expand the page size for imposition tasks.
You can switch between boxes without losing the margins you set for each. As you adjust individual boxes, the preview
in the Set Page Boxes dialog box is redrawn to reflect the new settings. For example, if you expand the crop or media
box, the page content “shrinks” in the preview.
Note: When the crop box is expanded, the media box adjusts accordingly.
Open the Set Page Boxes dialog box
❖Choose Tools > Print Production > Set Page Boxes.
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Fix hairlines
Very thin lines, called hairlines, are problematic in offset printing. If left as is in PDFs, they might not appear in the final
printed piece. The Fix Hairlines tool can find most hairlines and replace them with a heavier-weight line.
1Choose Tools > Print Production > Fix Hairlines.
2Enter a width for the hairline you want to find, and enter a replacement width.
3Select the unit of measurement from the Units menu.
4(Optional) Select Include Type3 Fonts or Include Patterns to replace hairlines in Type 3 characters or patterns with
the same replacement width as other hairlines.
Font characters and patterns can be used in a variety of contexts in the same document (for example, different
magnification values), so changing the line width may produce unexpected results. Check the results if you select
these options, and adjust your selections as necessary.
5Specify the pages to check.
Previewing output (Acrobat Pro DC)
Output Preview dialog box overview
The Output Preview dialog box provides the tools and controls to help you simulate how your PDF looks in different
conditions. The top part of the dialog box has several controls for previewing your document. The Preview menu allows
you to switch between previewing separations and previewing color warnings. When you select Separations, the
bottom half of the dialog box lists information about the inks in the file, as well as total area coverage controls. When
you select Color Warnings, a warnings section replaces the separations section and provides information about ink
warning controls. The preview settings you specify in the Output Preview dialog box are reflected directly in the open
document.
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You can also access the Object Inspector from the Preview section of the Output Preview dialog box to inspect the
content of your document. For more information, see View information about the content of a PDF document.
Output Preview also includes access to the complete Ink Manager for remapping spot-color inks in both printing and
previewing. Ink mapping for previewing only applies when the Output Preview dialog box is open.
Note: If you are using a color management system (CMS) with accurately calibrated ICC profiles and have calibrated your
monitor, the onscreen separation preview colors more closely match the final color separation output.
More Help topics
About color profiles
About monitor calibration and characterization
About soft-proofing colors
Open the Output Preview dialog box
1Choose Tools > Print Production.
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2Choose Output Preview in the right pane.
Choose simulation profile and preview options
Select an existing profile for simulating how your document looks when printed.
1In the Output Preview dialog box, select an option from the Simulation Profile.
2Select any of the following options:
Simulate Overprinting simulates the blending and overprinting of colors in the color-separated output.
Simulate Black Ink Simulates black and dark colors according to the black specified in the simulation profile.
Otherwise, blacks are mapped to the darkest color that the monitor can draw.
Simulate Paper Color simulates how colors may look when they are printed on the paper color. If you deselect this
option, then the paper color is monitor white.
Set Page Background Color Displays the page color. Click the colorswatch to select the color.
View colors by source space or preview specific elements
You can limit which colors are displayed in the preview. You can also view specific element types, such as solid color
objects, images, smooth shades, text, and line art. When you select a source color space, you see only the objects in that
color space. Limiting colors is useful, for example, for seeing whether a page contains any RGB color or where a spot
color is used.
1In the Output Preview dialog box, select one of the available options from the Show menu.
2Select Show Art, Trim, & Bleed Boxes to preview any page boxes you’ve defined. For more information on defining
page boxes, see Set Page Boxes dialog box overview.
Preview color separations
You can preview separation plates and ink coverage to ensure that the printed piece meets your requirements. Although
previewing separations on your monitor can help you detect problems without the expense of printing separations, it
does not let you preview trapping, emulsion options, printer marks, and halftone screens and resolution. Those settings
are best verified with your print service provider using integral or overlay proofs.
Note: Objects on hidden layers are not included in an onscreen preview.
1In the Output Preview dialog box, choose Separations from the Preview menu.
2Do any of the following:
•To view one or more separations, select the empty box to the left of each separation name. Each separation
appears in its assigned color.
•To hide one or more separations, deselect the box to the left of each separation name.
•To view all process or spot plates at once, select the box for Process Plates or Spot Plates.
Note: A single process or spot plate appears as a black plate. This makes objects on a light-colored plate, such as yellow,
appear more visible.
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Check ink coverage
Too much ink can saturate paper and cause drying problems or change the expected color characteristics of the
document. Total Area Coverage specifies the total percentage of all inks used. For example, 280 means 280% ink
coverage, which could be accomplished with 60C, 60M, 60Y, and 100K. Ask your print service provider for the
maximum ink coverage of the press you use for printing. You can then preview the document to identify areas where
total ink coverage exceeds the press limit. If you find any problems, you can Shift-click the area to insert a comment.
The comment is prepopulated with the ink coverage details.
1In the Output Preview dialog box, choose Separations from the Preview menu.
2Do one of the following:
•To set a sample size, choose an option from the Sample Size list. Point Sample specifies the value of the pixel you
click. 3 By 3 Average and 5 By 5 Average specify the average value of the specified number of pixels within the
area you click. Sample size does not have an impact on the Total Area Coverage warnings. It only has an impact
on the percentages next to each of the individual plates.
•To check for total document coverage, select TotalArea Coverage, and choose a number from the pop-up menu
or type a percentage in the box. Highlights identify areas where the ink coverage exceeds that percentage. To
change the highlight color, click the colorswatch and select a new color.
•To check for specific area coverage, use the pointer to hover over that area in the document window. Ink coverage
percentages appear in the ink list next to each ink name.
You can adjust ink coverage by converting some spot colors to process colors using the Ink Manager.
3To record problems, shift-click the area. Acrobat DC inserts a comment that contains the ink coverage percentages.
Set the background color
You can simulate what your document would look like if printed on color paper.
1In the Output Preview dialog box, choose Separations from the Preview menu.
2Select the Set Page Background Color option at the top of the dialog box, and then select a color.
View color warnings
Output problems can occur when the colors in a document are not reproducible on a particular press, or when rich
black is used unintentionally on type. To diagnose such color problems before handing off a PDF for high-end output,
you can use the various color warnings in the Output Preview dialog box. Pixels in areas that trigger the warning are
displayed in the warning color, which is identified by the swatch color next to the warning type.
1In the Output Preview dialog box, choose Color Warnings from the Preview menu.
2Select either or both of the following options:
Show Overprinting Indicates where on the page overprinting appears in color-separated output. If you select
Simulate Overprinting in the Output panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box, you can also see overprinting
effects when you output to a composite printing device. This option is useful for proofing color separations.
By default, when you print opaque, overlapping colors, the top color knocks out the area underneath. You can use
overprinting to prevent knockout and make the topmost overlapping printing ink appear transparent in relation to
the underlying ink. The degree of transparency in printing depends on the ink, paper, and printing method used.
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Rich Black Indicates areas that print as rich black—process black (K) ink mixed with color inks for increased opacity
and richer color. Rich black is used for large areas since you need the extra darkness to make the text look black
rather than gray.
Type the Start Cutoff percentage to define the minimum percentage of black to diagnose the content as rich black.
Rich black for this warning is a percentage of black (based on the cutoff value) and any nonzero C, M, or Y.
To change the warning color used in the preview, select a color from the swatches color picker.
View information about the content of a PDF document
Use the Object Inspector dialog box to view image resolution, color mode, transparency, and other information about
the content of a document. If you find any problems or issues with an object, you can Shift-click the object to insert a
comment. The comment is prepopulated with all the details found by the Object Inspector.
1In the Preview section of the Output Preview dialog box, choose Object Inspector.
2Click in the document window to view information about the objects that are under the pointer in the Output
Preview dialog box.
3To note problem areas, shift-click the object. Acrobat DC inserts a comment that contains the information found by
the Object Inspector.
Transparency flattening (Acrobat Pro DC)
About flattening
If your document or artwork contains transparency, to be output it usually needs to undergo a process called flattening.
Flattening divides transparent artwork into vector-based areas and rasterized areas. As artwork becomes more complex
(mixing images, vectors, type, spot colors, overprinting, and so on), so does the flattening and its results.
Flattening may be necessary when you print or when you save or export to other formats that don’t support
transparency. To retain transparency without flattening when you create PDF files, save your file as Adobe PDF 1.4
(Acrobat 5.0) or later.
You can specify flattening settings and then save and apply them as transparency flattener presets. Transparent objects
are flattened according to the settings in the selected flattener preset.
Note: Transparency flattening cannot be undone after the file is saved.
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For more information on transparency output issues, see the Print Service Provider Resources page of the Adobe
Solutions Network (ASN) (English only), available on the Adobe website.
Flattener Preview dialog box overview
Use the preview options in the Flattener Preview dialog box to highlight the areas and objects that are transparent, as
well as those affected by transparency flattening. Transparent content is highlighted in red, and the rest of the artwork
appears in grayscale.
Use this information to adjust the flattener options before you apply the settings, and then save them as flattener presets.
You can then apply these presets from other dialog boxes. For example, PDF Optimizer (Save As Other > Optimized
PDF), Advanced Print Setup dialog box, and the PostScript Settings dialog box (File > Export To).
Open the Flattener Preview dialog box
❖Choose Tools > Print Production >Flattener Preview.
Preview which areas of artwork will be flattened
Use the preview options in the Flattener Preview to highlight areas that are affected by flattening. You can use this color-
coded information to adjust flattening options.
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Note: The Flattener Preview is not intended for precise previewing of spot colors, overprints, and blending modes. Instead,
use Overprint Preview mode for those purposes.
1Display the Flattener Preview panel (or dialog box):
•In Illustrator, choose Window > Flattener Preview.
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Print Production > Flattener Preview.
•In InDesign, choose Window > Output > Flattener Preview.
2From the Highlight menu, choose the kind of areas you want to highlight. The availability of options depends on
the content of the artwork.
3Select the flattening settings you want to use: Either choose a preset or, if available, set specific options.
Note: (Illustrator) If the flattening settings aren’t visible, select Show Options from the panel menu to display them.
4If the artwork contains overprinted objects that interact with transparent objects, in Illustrator, select an option from
the Overprints menu. You can preserve, simulate, or discard overprints. In Acrobat, choose Preserve Overprint to
blend the color of transparent artwork with the background color to create an overprint effect.
5At any time, click Refresh to display a fresh preview version based on your settings. Depending on the complexity
of the artwork, you may need to wait a few seconds for the preview image to appear. In InDesign, you can also choose
Auto Refresh Highlight.
In Illustrator and Acrobat, to magnify the preview, click in the preview area. To zoom out, Alt-click/Option-click in
the preview area. To pan the preview, hold down the spacebar and drag in the preview area.
Transparency Flattener options
You can set Transparency Flattener options when creating, editing, or previewing flattener presets in Illustrator,
InDesign, or Acrobat.
Highlight (preview) options
None (Color Preview) Disables previewing.
Rasterized Complex Regions Highlights the areas that will be rasterized for performance reasons (as determined by the
Rasters/Vectors slider). Keep in mind that the boundary of the highlight area has a higher probability of producing
stitching problems (depending on the print-driver settings and the rasterization resolution). To minimize stitching
problems, select Clip Complex Regions.
Transparent Objects Highlights the objects that are sources of transparency, such as objects with partial opacity
(including images with alpha channels), objects with blending modes, and objects with opacity masks. In addition, note
that styles and effects may contain transparency, and overprinted objects may be treated as sources of transparency if
they are involved in transparency or if the overprint needs to be flattened.
All Affected Objects Highlights all objects that are involved in transparency, including transparent objects and objects
that are overlapped by transparent objects. The highlighted objects will be affected by the flattening process—their
strokes or patterns will be expanded, portions of them may get rasterized, and so on.
Affected Linked EPS Files (Illustrator only) Highlights all linked EPS files that are affected by transparency.
Affected Graphics (InDesign only) Highlights all placed content affected by transparency or transparency effects. This
option is useful for service providers who need to see graphics that require attention to print properly.
Expanded Patterns (Illustrator and Acrobat) Highlights all patterns that will be expanded if involved in transparency.
Outlined Strokes Highlights all strokes that will be outlined if involved in transparency or because Convert All Strokes
To Outlines is selected.
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Outlined Text (Illustrator and InDesign) Highlights all text that will be outlined if involved in transparency or because
Conver t All Text To Outlines is selected.
Note: In the final output, outlined strokes and text may appear slightly different from native ones, especially very thin
strokes and very small text. However, the Flattener Preview doesn’t highlight this altered appearance.
Raster-Fill Text And Strokes (InDesign only) Highlights text and strokes that have rasterized fills as a result of flattening.
All Rasterized Regions (Illustrator and InDesign) Highlights objects and intersections of objects that will be rasterized
because there is no other way of representing them in PostScript or because they are more complex than the threshold
specified by the Rasters/Vectors slider. For example, the intersection of two transparent gradients will always be
rasterized, even if the Rasters/Vectors value is 100. The All Rasterized Regions option also shows raster graphics (such
as Photoshop files) involved in transparency, and raster effects such as drop shadows and feathers. Note that this option
takes longer to process than the others.
Transparency Flattener Preset options
Name/Preset Specifies the name of the preset. Depending on the dialog box, you can type a name in the Name text box
or accept the default. You can enter the name of an existing preset to edit that preset. However, you can’t edit the default
presets.
Raster/Vector balance Specifies the amount of vector information that will be preserved. Higher settings preserve
more vector objects, while lower settings rasterize more vector objects; intermediate settings preserve simple areas in
vector form and rasterize complex ones. Select the lowest setting to rasterize all the artwork.
Note: The amount of rasterization that occurs depends on the complexity of the page and the types of overlapping objects.
Line Art And Text Resolution Rasterizes all objects, including images, vector artwork, text, and gradients, to the
specified resolution. Acrobat and InDesign allow a maximum of 9600 pixels per inch (ppi) for line art, and 1200 ppi for
gradient mesh. Illustrator allows a maximum of 9600 ppi for both line art and gradient mesh. The resolution affects the
precision of intersections when flattened. Line Art and Text Resolution should generally be set to 600-1200 to provide
high-quality rasterization, especially on serif or small point sized type.
Gradient And Mesh Resolution Specifies the resolution for gradients and Illustrator mesh objects rasterized as a result
of flattening, from 72 to 2400 ppi. The resolution affects the precision of intersections when flattened. Gradient and
mesh resolution should generally be set between 150 and 300 ppi, because the quality of the gradients, drop shadows,
and feathers do not improve with higher resolutions, but printing time and file size increase.
Convert All Text To Outlines Converts all type objects (point type, area type, and path type) to outlines and discards all
type glyph information on pages containing transparency. This option ensures that the width of text stays consistent
during flattening. Note that enabling this option will cause small fonts to appear slightly thicker when viewed in
Acrobat or printed on low-resolution desktop printers. It doesn’t affect the quality of the type printed on high-
resolution printers or imagesetters.
Convert All Strokes To Outlines Converts all strokes to simple filled paths on pages containing transparency. This
option ensures that the width of strokes stays consistent during flattening. Note that enabling this option causes thin
strokes to appear slightly thicker and may degrade flattening performance.
Clip Complex Regions Ensures that the boundaries between vector artwork and rasterized artwork fall along object
paths. This option reduces stitching artifacts that result when part of an object is rasterized while another part of the
object remains in vector form. However, selecting this option may result in paths that are too complex for the printer
to handle.
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Note: Some print drivers process raster and vector art differently, sometimes resulting in color stitching. You may be able to
minimize stitching problems by disabling some print-driver specific color-management settings. These settings vary with
each printer, so see the documentation that came with your printer for details.
(Illustrator only) Select Preserve Alpha Transparency (Flatten Transparency dialog box only) Preserves the overall
opacity of flattened objects. With this option, blending modes and overprints are lost, but their appearance is retained
within the processed artwork, along with the level of alpha transparency (as when you rasterize artwork using a
transparent background). Preserve Alpha Transparency can be useful if you are exporting to SWF or SVG, since both
of these formats support alpha transparency.
(Illustrator only) Select Preserve Spot Colors And Overprints (Flatten Transparency dialog box only) Generally
preserves spot colors. It also preserves overprinting for objects that aren’t involved in transparency. Select this option
when printing separations if the document contains spot colors and overprinted objects. Deselect this option when
saving files for use in page-layout applications. With this option selected, overprinted areas that interact with
transparency are flattened, while overprinting in other areas is preserved. The results are unpredictable when the file is
output from a page-layout application.
Preserve Overprint (Acrobat only) Blends the color of transparent artwork with the background color to create an
overprint effect.
About transparency flattener presets
If you regularly print or export documents that contain transparency, you can automate the flattening process by saving
flattening settings in a transparency flattener preset. You can then apply these settings for print output as well as for
saving and exporting files to PDF 1.3 (Acrobat 4.0) and EPS and PostScript formats. In addition, in Illustrator you can
apply them when saving files to earlier versions of Illustrator or when copying to the clipboard; in Acrobat, you can also
apply them when optimizing PDFs.
These settings also control how flattening occurs when you export to formats that don’t support transparency.
You can choose a flattener preset in the Advanced panel of the Print dialog box or of the format-specific dialog box that
appears after the initial Export or Save As dialog box. You can create your own flattener presets or choose from the
default options provided with the software. The settings of each of these defaults are designed to match the quality and
speed of the flattening with an appropriate resolution for rasterized transparent areas, depending on the document’s
intended use:
[High Resolution] is for final press output and for high-quality proofs, such as separations-based color proofs.
[Medium Resolution] is for desktop proofs and print-on-demand documents that will be printed on PostScript color
printers.
[Low Resolution] is for quick proofs that will be printed on black-and-white desktop printers and for documents that
will be published on the web or exported to SVG.
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Create a flattener preset
You can save transparency flattener presets in a separate file. Using a separate file makes it easy to back them up or to
make them available to service providers, clients, or others in your workgroup. Once you create a custom flattener
preset, you can edit it in PDF Optimizer.
Flattener presets are stored in the same location as printer settings files:
(Windows XP) \Documents and Settings\[current user]\Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat\10.0\Preferences
(Windows Vista®/Windows 7) \Users\[current user]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\10.0\Preferences
(Mac OS) Users/[current user]/Library/Preferences/Adobe/Acrobat/10.0
Note: Flattener presets created in Acrobat have a different file format from the presets created in other Adobe applications,
so you cannot share them between applications.
1Choose Tools > Print Production > Flattener Preview.
2To base a preset on an existing one, select it from the Preset menu.
3Set flattening options.
4If necessary, click Reset to return to the default settings.
5Click Save.
6Type a name and click OK.
Note: To delete a custom preset, choose it from the Preset menu and press Delete. Low, Medium, and High settings are built-
in and can’t be deleted.
Apply a flattener preset
❖Do one of the following:
•In the Flattener Preview dialog box, choose a preset from the menu, specify a page range, and click Apply.
•In the PDF Optimizer, select Transparency on the left, and then select a preset from the list.
•In the Advanced Print Setup dialog box, select the Output panel on the left, and then select a preset from the
Transparency Flattener Preset menu.
•Choose File > Export To > Encapsulated PostScript or PostScript, and then click Settings. In the Output panel,
select a preset from the Transparency Flattener Preset menu.
Edit a flattener preset in the PDF Optimizer
You can modify custom presets only.
1Choose File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF.
2Select Transparency on the left.
3Double-click the custom preset you want to edit, modify the settings, and click OK.
Color conversion and ink management (Acrobat Pro DC)
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About color conversion
Colors must often be converted when they are displayed on a monitor or sent to a printer. Conversion is necessary when
the color models do not match (for example, when CMYK color is displayed on an RGB monitor, or when a document
with images in an RGB color space is sent to a printer).
Acrobat uses the source color spaces of objects in a PDF to determine what (if any) color conversion is required, for
example, from RGB to CMYK. For images and objects that contain embedded color profiles, Acrobat uses the
information in the profile to manage the appearance of the color. For files that comply with the PDF/X family of
standards, the OutputIntent is used to manage the colors in the file. Unmanaged colors, however, do not use profiles,
so a profile must be temporarily used for conversion. The Color Management panel of the Preferences dialog box
provides profiles for converting unmanaged colors. You can also select specific profiles based on local press conditions.
Convert Colors dialog box overview
If you output your PDF to a high-end device or incorporate it in a prepress workflow, you can convert color objects to
CMYK or another color space. Unlike other Acrobat features that temporarily convert colors during printing or
viewing, the Convert Colors feature changes the color values in the document. In the Convert Colors dialog box, you
can convert the colors of a single page or an entire document.
Note: The Convert Colors dialog box converts all colors in the document or all colors for specified object types to the
destination color space. To convert only the colors of a selected object, use the Edit Object tool.
A Conversion Attributes B Document Colors
Open the Convert Colors dialog box
❖Choose To ol s > Print Production > Convert Colors.
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Convert colors to a different color space
Depending on the color spaces you select, color conversion preserves, converts, or maps (aliases) color values from the
source color space to the destination space as follows:
•Objects with untagged (Device) data are converted to the destination space using the working space profiles as the
source. This conversion is applied to all untagged spaces, RGB, CMYK and grayscale, whether stand-alone or as
alternate value for spot colors.
•Objects in device-independent color spaces (CalGray, CalRGB, or Lab) can be preserved or converted. If converted,
Acrobat uses the device-independent object information.
•Objects set in spot colors can be preserved, converted, or mapped (aliased) to any other ink present in the document.
Objects include Separation, DeviceN, and NChannel color spaces. Spot colors can also be mapped to a CMYK
process color, if the process color model of the destination space is CMYK. Spot colors mapped to other inks can be
previewed in the Output Preview dialog box.
Note: If you want to convert specific spot plates, use Ink Manager in combination with the Convert Colors tool. To convert
only specific spot plates to process, map them to process in Ink Manager. Otherwise, all spots in the document are converted
to process if you have selected Spot Color as the color type.
Convert document colors
1In the Convert Colors dialog box, select a conversion command. If the list contains no existing commands, click Add
to add the default conversion command.
2Select the conversion command that you want to edit, and then select an option from the Matching Criteria:
Object Type Specifies if you want to convert the colors for all objects or for a specific type of object within the
document.
Color Type Specifies the color space of the objects to be converted.
Text Size Specifies the minimum and maximum text size for text objects to be converted.
3Select one of the available convert commands:
Preserve Keeps objects in the selected color space when the document is output.
Convert To Profile Uses the destination space profile to convert color objects to a common ICC profile for an output
device.
Decalibrate Removes embedded profiles from the matching objects.
4Specify the conversion profile.
5Select the rendering intent to use for conversion. The default is Use Document Intent. If you select any of the other
intents, the selected intent overrides the document intent for the conversion.
6Select Embed to embed the profile. Selecting Embed tags all objects with the selected conversion profile. As an
example, a document can contain five objects: one in grayscale and two each in the RGB and CMYK color spaces.
In this case, you can embed a separate color profile to calibrate the color for each color space, for a total of three
profiles. This process is useful if your RIP performs color management of PDFs or if you are sharing PDFs with other
users.
7Select Convert Colors To Output Intent and specify the output intent profile to be used instead of the document’s
current output intent. An output intent describes the color reproduction characteristics of a possible output device
or production environment in which the document is printed. This choice is not available if the document does not
have an output intent. (PDFs that don't comply with standards, such as PDF/X or PDf/A, often lack an output
intent.)
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8Specify the pages to convert.
9Select any additional conversion options:
Preserve Black Preserves any black objects drawn in CMYK, RGB, or grayscale during conversion. This option
prevents text in RGB black from being converted to rich black when converted to CMYK.
Promote Gray To CMYK Black Converts device gray to CMYK.
Preserve CMYK Primaries When transforming colors to prepare CMYK documents for a different target print
profile, preserves primaries. For colors with just one colorant, Acrobat uses that colorant. For colors with more than
one colorant, Acrobat finds the color with the smallest color difference.
10 Click Document Colors to see a list of color spaces and spot colors in your document.
11 Click Ink Manager to specify the ink settings and create an ink alias. If an alias is set up in the Ink Manager, the alias
name is next to the Ink Manager button in the Convert Colors dialog box.
12 Select a command from the list of Conversion Commands, and Move Up or Move Down to change the order of the
conversion.
13 To create a preset based on your settings, click Save Commands. You can later import the settings by clicking Load
Commands.
Convert object colors
If certain objects in the PDF don’t match the color space of the document, you can use the Edit Object tool to
correct them. The Edit Object tool can change the color space of selected objects. For example, if you place an RGB
image in a CMYK document, use this tool to change only the RGB image and not affect the other PDF colors. You can
embed the profile with the object.
Note: The Edit Object tool doesn’t let you change the output intent, because that affects the entire document.
1Choose Tools > Print Production > Edit Object.
2Select the objects you want to convert.
If you are having trouble selecting an object, try using the Content tab (View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes >
Content). The Content tab lists all the elements of the PDF in the order in which they appear on the page.
3Right-click the selection, and choose Properties.
4Click the Color tab.
5From the Convert To menu, choose the profile that will be the new color space of the object. The current color space
of a single object (or identical color spaces for multiple objects) appears at the top of the Color tab for reference.
Different color spaces for multiple objects aren’t shown.
6From the Rendering Intent menu, choose the translation method appropriate for the object.
7(Optional) Select any of the following conversion options:
Embed Profile Embeds the color profile with the object.
Preserve Black Preserves any black objects drawn in CMYK, RGB, or grayscale during conversion. This option
prevents text in RGB black from being converted to rich black when converted to CMYK.
Promote Gray To CMYK Black Converts device gray to CMYK.
Preserve CMYK Primaries When transforming colors to prepare CMYK documents for a different target print
profile, preserves primaries. For colors with just one colorant, Acrobat uses that colorant. For colors with more than
one colorant, Acrobat finds the color with the smallest color difference.
8Click Convert Colors.
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Remove embedded profiles from individual objects
You can remove the embedded color profiles from images and other objects in the PDF. Without the embedded profile,
Acrobat uses the working space profile of the object to determine how to handle the appearance of the color.
1Choose Tools > Print Production > Edit Object, and select the objects you want to convert.
2Right-click the selection, and choose Properties.
3Click the Color tab.
4Click Decalibrate Colors.
Ink Manager overview
The Ink Manager provides control over inks at output time. Changes you make using the Ink Manager affect the output,
not how the colors are defined in the document.
Ink Manager options are especially useful for print service providers. For example, if a process job includes a spot color,
a service provider can open the document and change the spot color to the equivalent CMYK process color. If a
document contains two similar spot colors when only one is required, or if the same spot color has two different names,
a service provider can map the two to a single alias.
In a trapping workflow, the Ink Manager lets you set the ink density for controlling when trapping takes place, and it
lets you set the correct number and sequence of inks.
Note: InDesign and Acrobat share the same Ink Manager technology. However, only InDesign has the Use Standard Lab
Values For Spots option.
A Process ink B Aliased Spot ink C Spot ink
Open the Ink Manager in Acrobat
Do one of the following:
•Choose Tools > Print Production > Ink Manager.
•Choose File > Print, and click Advanced. In the Output panel of the Advanced Print Setup dialog box, click Ink
Manager.
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•Choose File > Save As Other > More Options > Encapsulated PostScript or PostScript. Click Settings, and then
click Ink Manager.
Separate spot colors as process
Using the Ink Manager, you can convert spot colors to process colors. When spot colors are converted to process color
equivalents, they are printed as separations rather than on a single plate. Converting a spot color is useful if you’ve
accidentally added a spot color to a process color document, or if the document contains more spot colors than are
practical to print.
1In the Ink Manager, do one of the following:
•To separate individual spot colors, click the ink-type icon to the left of the spot color or alias ed spot color. A
process color icon appears. To change the color back to spot, click the icon again.
•To separate all spot colors, select Convert All Spots To Process. The icons to the left of the spot colors change to
process color icons. To restore the spot colors, deselect Convert All Spots To Process.
Note: Selecting Convert All Spots To Process removes any ink aliases you’ve set up in the Ink Manager and can also affect
overprinting and trapping settings in the document.
2(InDesign only) To use the Lab values of a spot color rather than CMYK definitions, choose Use Standard Lab
Values For Spots.
Create an ink alias for a spot color
You can map a spot color to a different spot or process color by creating an alias. An alias is useful if a document
contains two similar spot colors when only one is required, or if it contains too many spot colors. You can see the effects
of ink aliasing in the printed output, and you see the effects onscreen if Overprint Preview mode is on.
1In the Ink Manager, select the spot color ink you want to create an alias for.
2Choose an option in the Ink Alias menu. The ink type icon and ink description change accordingly.
More Help topics
Why colors sometimes don’t match
Working with color profiles
Working with color profiles
Previewing output
About rendering intents
Trapping color (Acrobat Pro DC)
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About ink trapping
When an offset printed document uses more than one ink on the same page, each ink must be printed in register
(perfectly aligned) with any other inks that it abuts, so that there is no gap where the different inks meet. However, it’s
impossible to ensure exact registration for every object on every sheet of paper running through a printing press, so
misregistration of inks can occur. Misregistration causes an unintended gap between inks.
You can compensate for misregistration by slightly expanding one object so that it overlaps an object of a different
color—a process known as trapping. By default, placing one ink over another knocks out, or removes, any inks
underneath to prevent unwanted color mixing; but trapping requires that inks overprint, or print on top of each other,
so that at least a partial overlap is achieved.
Most traps employ spreading—expanding a light object into a dark object. Because the darker of two adjacent colors
defines the visible edge of the object or text, expanding the lighter color slightly into the darker color maintains the
visual edge.
Adobe In-RIP trapping
Acrobat can automatically trap color documents with the Adobe In-RIP Trapping engine, which is available on Adobe
PostScript output devices that support Adobe In-RIP Trapping.
Adobe In-RIP Trapping can precisely calculate and apply any necessary adjustments to the edges of type and graphics
throughout your document. It can apply effective trapping techniques to different parts of a single object, even if the
object overlaps several different background colors. Trapping adjustments are made automatically, and you can define
trap presets to address the trapping requirements of specific page ranges. The effects of trapping are apparent only on
color separations generated by the trapping engine; you cannot see the results onscreen within the program.
The trapping engine decides where to trap by detecting contrasting color edges. It then creates traps based on the
neutral densities (lightness or darkness) of abutting colors, in most cases by spreading lighter colors into adjacent
darker colors. The trapping settings you specify in the Trap Presets palette modify the trapping engine’s results.
Requirements
Adobe In-RIP Trapping requires the following software and hardware:
•A PPD (PostScript Printer Description) file for a printer that supports Adobe In-RIP Trapping. You must select this
PPD by using the operating system driver.
•An Adobe PostScript Level 2 or later output device that uses a RIP that supports Adobe In-RIP Trapping. To find
out if a PostScript output device supports Adobe In-RIP Trapping, contact the manufacturer or your print service
provider.
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Trap a PDF
Trapping is a complex process that depends on the interaction of various color, ink, and printing factors; the correct
settings vary, depending on specific press conditions. Do not change the default trap settings unless you’ve consulted
with your print service provider.
1If necessary, choose Tools > Print Production > Trap Presets to create a trap preset with custom settings for your
document and printing press conditions.
2Assign the trap preset to a page range.
3Choose File > Print to open the Print dialog box, and then click Advanced.
4Select Output from the list on the left.
5For Color, choose In-RIP Separations.
6For Trapping, choose Adobe In-RIP.
Note: This option works only when you target an output device that supports Adobe In-RIP Trapping.
7Click Ink Manager. As necessary, select an ink, specify the following options (only if your service provider
recommends changing the settings), and then click OK:
Type Choose an ink type that describes the selected ink.
Neutral Density Type a value that differs from the default.
Trapping Sequence Type a value to set the order in which inks are printed.
8Continue specifying other print options, and then click OK to print your document.
Specify settings using trap presets
A trap preset is a collection of trap settings you can apply to pages in a PDF. Use the Trap Presets dialog box for entering
trap settings and saving a collection of settings as a trap preset. If you don’t apply a trap preset to a trapping page range,
that page range will use the [Default] trap preset, a collection of typical trap settings that are applied to all pages of a
new document.
Note: In Acrobat, trap presets and their assignments apply to the document only while it is open; trap settings are not saved
in the PDF. This behavior is different from InDesign, where trap presets and their assignments are saved with the InDesign
document.
Create or modify a trap preset
Choose Tools > Print Production >Trap Presets.
1Select an existing preset, and then click Create.
2Specify the following options, and then click OK:
Name Type a name for the preset. You cannot change the name of either of the two built-in presets: [No Trap Preset]
and [Default].
Trap Width Type values to specify the amount of overlap for inks.
Trap Appearance Specify options for controlling the joins and ends of the traps.
Images Specify settings that determine how to trap images.
Trap Thresholds Type values to specify the conditions under which trapping occurs. Many variables affect the
values you’ll need to enter here. For more information, consult with your print service provider, and see the other
trapping topics.
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Delete a trap preset
❖In the Trap Presets dialog box, select the presets, and then click the Delete button.
Note: You cannot delete either of the two built-in presets: [No Trap Preset] and [Default].
Assign a trap preset to pages
You can assign a trap preset to a document or to a range of pages in a document. Pages with no abutting colors print
faster if you disable trapping on those pages. Trapping doesn’t actually occur until you print the document.
1In the Trap Presets dialog box, click Assign.
2For Trap Preset, choose the preset you want to apply.
3Select the pages you want to apply the trap preset to.
4Click Assign.
Note: If you click OK without clicking Assign, the dialog box closes without changing the trap assignments. Trap
assignments previously made using the Assign button are preserved.
5After you finish assigning trap presets, click OK.
Disable trapping on pages
1In the Trap Presets dialog box, click Assign.
2Select the pages you want to disable trapping on and choose [No Trap Preset] in the Trap Preset menu.
3Click Assign.
4After you finish updating the dialog box, click OK.
Trap preset options
You can change trap preset options whenever you create or edit a trap preset. The same trap preset options are available
in Acrobat and InDesign. In Acrobat, you can view trap presets by choosing Tools > Print Production > Trap Presets.
In InDesign, choose Window > Output > Trap Presets.
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Trap widths
Trap width is the amount of overlap for each trap. Differences in paper characteristics, screen rulings, and printing press
conditions require different trap widths. To determine the appropriate trap widths for each job, consult your
commercial printer.
Default Specifies the trap width in points for trapping all colors except those involving solid black. The default value is
0p0.25.
Black Indicates the distance that inks spread into solid black, or the holdback amount—the distance between black
edges and underlying inks for trapping rich blacks. The default value is 0p0.5. This value is often set to be 1.5 to 2 times
the value of the default trap width.
In InDesign, the value you set for Black Color determines the value for a solid black or a rich black, a process black (K)
ink mixed with color inks for increased opacity and richer color.
Note: (InDesign) If you choose Application Built-In trapping, and you specify a Default trap width or Black trap width
larger than 4 points, the resulting trap width is limited to 4 points. However, the value you specified will continue to be
displayed, because if you switch to Adobe In-RIP Trapping, traps larger than 4 points are applied as you specified.
Trap appearance
A join is where two trap edges meet at a common endpoint. You can control the shape of the outside join of two trap
segments and the intersection of three traps.
Join Style Controls the shape of the outside join of two trap segments. Choose from Miter, Round, and Bevel. The
default is Miter, which matches earlier trapping results to retain compatibility with previous versions of the Adobe
Trapping Engine.
End Style Controls the intersection of three-way traps. Miter (the default) shapes the end of the trap to keep it away
from the intersecting object. Overlap affects the shape of the trap generated by the lightest neutral density object that
intersects with two or more darker objects. The end of the lightest trap is wrapped around the point where the three
objects intersect.
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Trap thresholds
Step Specifies the color change threshold at which the trapping engine creates a trap. Some jobs need only the most
extreme color changes trapped, while others require traps for more subtle color changes. The Step value indicates the
degree to which components (such as CMYK values) of abutting colors must vary before trapping occurs.
To change how much the component inks in abutting colors can vary before causing those colors to trap, increase or
decrease the value for Step in the New Trap Preset or Modify Trap Preset Options dialog box. The default is 10%. For
best results, use a value from 8% to 20%. Lower percentages increase sensitivity to color differences and result in more
traps.
Black Color Indicates the minimum amount of black ink required before the Black trap width setting is applied. The
default value is 100%. For best results, use a value no lower than 70%.
Black Density Indicates the neutral density value at or above which InDesign considers an ink to be black. For example,
if you want a dark spot ink to use the Black trap width setting, enter the neutral density value here. This value is typically
set near the default of 1.6.
Sliding Trap Determines when the trapping engine starts to straddle the centerline of the color boundary. The value
refers to the proportion of the lighter color’s neutral density value to a darker, abutting color’s neutral density value. For
example, setting the Sliding Trap value to 70% moves the point at which the trap begins to straddle the centerline to
where the lighter color exceeds 70% of the darker color in neutral density (lighter color’s neutral density divided by
darker color’s neutral density > 0.70). Colors of identical neutral density will always have their traps exactly straddle the
centerline, unless the Sliding Trap is set to 100%.
Trap Color Reduction Indicates the degree to which components from abutting colors are used to reduce the trap color.
This setting is useful for preventing certain abutting colors (such as pastels) from making an unsightly trap that is
darker than either color. Specifying a Trap Color Reduction lower than 100% begins to lighten the color of the trap; a
Trap Color Reduction value of 0% makes a trap with a neutral density equal to the neutral density of the darker color.
Trapping imported graphics
You can create a trap preset to control traps within images, and to control traps between bitmap images (such as
photographs and those saved in raster PDF files) and vector objects (such as those from a drawing program and vector
PDF files). Each trapping engine handles imported graphics differently. It’s important to be aware of these differences
when setting trapping options.
Trap Placement Provides options for determining where the trap falls when you trap vector objects (including objects
drawn in InDesign) to bitmap images. All options except Neutral Density create a visually consistent edge. Center
creates a trap that straddles the edge between objects and images. Choke causes objects to overlap the abutting image.
Neutral Density applies the same trapping rules as used elsewhere in the document. Trapping an object to a photograph
with the Neutral Density setting can result in noticeably uneven edges as the trap moves from one side of the edge to
another. Spread causes the bitmap image to overlap the abutting object.
Trap Objects To Images Ensures that vector objects (such as frames used as keylines) trap to images, using the Trap
Placement settings. If vector objects don’t overlap images in a trapping page range, consider turning this option off to
speed trapping of that page range.
Trap Images To Images Turns on trapping along the boundary of overlapping or abutting bitmap images. This feature
is on by default.
Trap Images Internally Turns on trapping among colors within each individual bitmap image (not just where they
touch vector artwork and text). Use this option only for page ranges containing simple, high-contrast images, such as
screen shots or cartoons. Leave it unselected for continuous-tone and other complicated images, as it will create bad
traps. Trapping is faster when this option is unselected.
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Trap 1-Bit Images Ensures that 1-bit images trap to abutting objects. This option doesn’t use the Image Trap Placement
settings, because 1-bit images use only one color. In most cases, leave this option selected. In some cases, such as with
1-bit images where pixels are widely spaced, selecting this option may darken the image and slow the trapping.
About trapping black
When creating or editing presets, the value you type for Black Color determines what is considered solid black and rich
black. A rich black is any black color that uses a support screen—additional percentages of one or more process inks to
strengthen the black.
The Black Color setting is useful when you must compensate for extreme dot gain (as when using low-grade paper
stock). These situations cause black percentages lower than 100% to print as solid areas. By screening back blacks or
rich blacks (using tints of solid black) and decreasing the Black Color setting from its default of 100%, you can
compensate for dot gain and ensure that the trapping engine will apply the proper trap width and placement to black
objects.
When a color reaches the Black Color value, the Black trap width value is applied to all abutting colors, and keepaway
traps are applied to rich black areas using the Black trap width value.
If support screens extend all the way to the edge of a black area, any misregistration causes the edges of support screens
to become visible, creating an unwanted halo or distorting the edges of objects. The trapping engine uses a keepaway,
or a holdback, for rich blacks to keep support screens a specified distance away from edges of reversed-out or light
elements in the foreground, so that the light elements retain their sharpness. You control the distance of support screens
from the edges of black areas by specifying the Black trap width value.
Note: If the element you’re trapping is a thin element, such as a black keyline around graphics, the trapping engine overrides
the Black trap width setting and limits the trap to half the width of the thin element.
Adjusting ink neutral density values
By adjusting the ink neutral density (ND) values that the selected trapping engine uses, you can determine the precise
placement of traps. The default ND values for process inks are based on the neutral density readings of process ink
swatches that conform to industry standards in different parts of the world. The language version determines which
standard it conforms to. For example, the ND values for the U.S. English and Canadian versions conform to the
Specifications for Web Offset Publications (SWOP) solid ink density values published by the Graphic Arts Technical
Foundation of North America. You can adjust process ink neutral densities to match printing industry standards in
other parts of the world.
The trapping engine derives the ND values for a spot color from its CMYK equivalent. For most spot colors, the ND
values of their CMYK equivalents are accurate enough for proper trap creation. Spot inks that aren’t easily simulated
using process inks, such as metallic inks and varnishes, may need their ND values adjusted so that the trapping engine
can trap them correctly. By typing new values, you can ensure that an ink that is observably darker or lighter is
recognized that way by the trapping engine; the appropriate trap placement is then applied automatically.
You can get the appropriate neutral density value for a given ink by asking your commercial printer. The most accurate
method of determining an ink’s ND value is by measuring a swatch of the ink with a commercial densitometer. Read
the “V” or visual density of the ink (don’t use process filters). If the value differs from the default setting, type the new
value in the ND text box.
Note: Changing the neutral density for a spot color affects only how that color will trap. It doesn’t change the appearance
of that color in your document.
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Follow these guidelines when adjusting ND values:
Metallic and opaque inks Metallic inks are usually darker than their CMYK equivalents, while opaque inks obscure
any ink beneath them. In general, you should set the ND values for both metallic and opaque spot colors much higher
than their default values to ensure that these spot colors won’t spread.
Note: Setting an ink to Opaque or Opaque Ignore in the Type menu of the Ink Manager prevents an opaque ink from
spreading into other colors, unless another opaque ink has a higher ND value.
Pastel inks These inks are normally lighter than their process equivalents. You may want to set the ND value for these
inks lower than their default values to ensure that they spread into adjacent darker colors.
Other spot inks Some spot colors, such as turquoise or neon orange, are significantly darker or lighter than their
CMYK equivalents. You can determine whether this is the case by comparing printed swatches of the actual spot inks
to printed swatches of their CMYK equivalents. You can adjust the spot ink’s ND value higher or lower as necessary.
Customize trapping for specialty inks
Using certain inks involves special trapping considerations. For example, if you are using a varnish on your document,
you don’t want the varnish to affect trapping. However, if you’re overprinting certain areas with a completely opaque
ink, you don’t need to create traps for items underneath. Ink options are available for these situations. It’s usually best
not to change the default settings, unless your prepress service provider recommends changing them.
Note: The speciality inks and varnishes used in the document may have been created by mixing two spot inks or by mixing
a spot ink with one or more process inks.
1Open the Ink Manager and select an ink that requires special treatment.
2For Type, choose one of the following options, and then click OK:
Normal Use for traditional process inks and most spot inks.
Transparent Use for clear inks to ensure that underlying items trap. Use this option for varnishes and dieline inks.
Opaque Use for heavy, nontransparent inks to prevent trapping of underlying colors but allow for trapping along
the ink’s edges. Use this option for metallic inks.
Opaque Ignore Use for heavy, nontransparent inks to prevent trapping of underlying colors and to prevent trapping
along the ink’s edges. Use this option for those inks, such as metallic and varnishes, that have undesirable
interactions with other inks.
Adjust the trapping sequence
The trapping sequence (also called the trapping order) matches the order in which inks are printed at the press, but it
doesn’t match the order in which separations are produced at the output device.
The trapping sequence is particularly important when you’re printing with multiple opaque colors, such as metallic
inks. Opaque inks with lower sequence numbers are spread under opaque inks with higher sequence numbers. This
process prevents the last applied ink from being spread, and it still creates good traps.
Note: Don’t alter the default trapping sequence without first consulting with your prepress service provider.
1Open the Ink Manager. The current trapping sequence is displayed in the Sequence column of the inks list.
2Select an ink, type a new value for Trapping Sequence, and then press Tab. The sequence number of the selected ink
changes, and the other sequence numbers change accordingly.
3Repeat the previous step for as many inks as necessary, and then click OK.
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Chapter 15: Preflight (Acrobat Pro DC)
Advanced preflight inspections (Acrobat Pro DC)
More Help topics
Analyzing documents with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC)
Viewing preflight problems inside the PDF structure
For detailed information on PDF structure, see the documents on the Adobe PDF Technology Center at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_pdftechnology_en (English only). If you have advanced knowledge of the PDF file
format, examine the internal structure of the PDF and its fonts for technical reasons for a preflight mismatch. Preflight
includes three options for in-depth inspection of a PDF. Technically skilled users can use these tools to analyze the
objects and fonts that caused a mismatch.
In-depth knowledge of font internal structures, and font specifications for Type 1, TrueType, and OpenType fonts is
important. The font specifications are listed in the bibliography of the guide.
Note: You can navigate the PDF and fonts in the windows that appear, but you can’t edit the PDF structure or fonts.
Browse the internal PDF structure
View the structure of a PDF, as defined by content streams and cos objects, in a tree array. (Content streams represent
pages, form XObjects, Type 3 font characters, and the appearance of comments and form fields. Cos objects include such
items as color space, images, and XObjects.)
Check PDF syntax, view the results of a fixup, or determine the cause of a mismatch. Choose between five view modes
that organize content streams in different ways. You cannot edit the PDF in the Internal PDF Structure window.
Note: Do not confuse the internal structure with the logical structure in tagged PDFs that improves accessibility for low- or
non-sighted readers. The internal structure is a superset of all objects in the document, including tags.
Before you can browse the internal PDF structure, you must run a preflight check.
1In the Preflight window, choose Browse Internal PDF Structure from the Options menu.
The Internal PDF Structure window opens, showing a tree view of the document information and the document
catalog (the root of the document’s object hierarchy).
2Expand each tree item to view the document structure.
3Click the Page button to view the structure of each page.
4To change how content streams appear in the tree view, select a view mode in the toolbar:
Classic
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Displays the content stream as a sequence of page content operators. Expand the subtree for an operator to view its
operands. This is the default view.
Q
Groups all operators in the content stream that belong to the same graphic state nesting level within a pair of the
q/Q operators. Expand the subtree for a q/Q pair to view the operator and parameters inside.
BMC
Similar to Q, but arranges content streams by marked content (BMC/EMC) nesting levels.
BT/ET
Arranges content streams by text blocks, which are enclosed by BT and ET operators.
Snippet
Displays content streams as a series of snippets. A snippet is a contiguous group of objects that share the same
graphic state. In this view, each snippet represents a type of drawing operation (for example, paint area) and its
graphic state.
Browse the internal font structure
View the internal structure of embedded fonts in a PDF in greater detail than the preflight results with a graphical view
that shows the outline and coordinates of each glyph. You can determine the source of various preflight problems, such
as mismatches caused by inconsistent glyph widths.
Before you can browse the internal font structure, you must run a preflight check.
1In the Preflight window, choose Browse Internal Structure Of All Document Fonts from the Options menu.
To view the structure of a single font, expand the Fonts entry in Results > Overview. Then select a font and choose
Browse Internal Font Structure from the Options menu.
2To view the glyph details, click any of the following buttons:
Display Grid
Shows the origin of the glyph’s coordinate space, indicated by two green-colored orthogonal lines.
Display Boxes
Shows the area used by the selected glyph and the maximum area used by all glyphs using blue lines that coincide
on the top and bottom.
Display Filling
Shows the areas of a filled glyph as medium gray.
Display Points
Shows all the points used to define the glyph’s outline. Black points indicate the outline’s contour. Red points indicate
bezier curves and are offset from the outline’s contour.
Display Cursor
Shows the position of the currently selected point, indicated by two magenta-colored orthogonal lines. This button
is available only if Display Points is selected.
3To adjust the size of the glyph display area, drag the handle between the tree view and the glyph display area up or
down.
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Preflight reports (Acrobat Pro DC)
More Help topics
Analyzing documents with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC)
Create a results report
You can capture the results of a preflight inspection in various types of reports. You can capture the results in a text file,
an XML file, or a single PDF file. A PDF report can include just an overview or detailed information presented in
different ways.
A PDF report includes information about the document and problem objects in layers, which you turn on or off in the
Layers navigation pane.
Note: You can also create an inventory of all objects and resources used in the PDF.
Create a report of preflight results
1In the Results panel of the Preflight dialog box, click Create Report, or choose Create Report from the Options
menu.
2Specify a name and location for the report. The suffix “_report” is automatically added to the report name.
3Select the type of report, and click Save.
Report types
PDF Report Creates a summary of problems accompanied by details that are shown using transparent masks,
comments, or layers for each problem object.
Overview Condenses the preflight results into a short document that includes applied fixups, a results summary, and
document information.
Details Reports additional information about each problem object—for example, where the object is located on the
page. Problems Highlighted By Transparent Masks places a colored mask, similar to a Photoshop mask, over areas to
make the problem areas stand out. You can change the mask color using Preflight preferences. Problems Highlighted
By Comments inserts preflight results as comments. Problems Highlighted By Layers shows the file separated into
layers of mismatches or found objects according to the criteria used in the profile itself. Another layer calledOther
Objects includes objects that have nothing to do with the profile used.
XML Report Produces a structured report for workflow systems that can interpret and process the preflight results. For
details, contact your print service provider.
Text Report Produces a report in plain text format, with each line indented according to the hierarchy in the Preflight
Results dialog box. You can open the report in a text editor.
Hide or show layers in a PDF report
1In the navigation pane for the PDF report, click the Layers button to open the Layers panel.
2In the Layers panel, expand the report and click the square to the left of a layer name to hide or show the layer.
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About inventory reports
An inventory report shows resources used in a PDF, including color spaces, images, patterns, shadings, metadata, and
fonts and glyphs in each font family. Related information is grouped together and arranged on a PDF page so that you
can scan and locate items. You can run an inventory report before or after you run a preflight inspection. Unlike a
preflight results report, which provides only the information requested by checks in the selected profile, an inventory
report does not filter the PDF content. Together, a preflight inspection report and an inventory report can help you
identify and fix problems.
The information in an inventory report can be useful when you perform tasks such as these:
•Exploring files that seem unusual, such as those created by an unknown application, or files with slow screen redraw
or copy-and-paste actions that don’t work.
•Examining processing issues, such as failure to print correctly, or problems encountered during color conversion,
imposition, placement on an InDesign page, and so on.
•Identifying aspects of a PDF that are not ideal, such as the inadvertent embedding of a font because of an unnoticed
space character on a master page, or cropped images with extraneous image data, or objects that are not of the
expected type (such as type or vector objects converted to images or merged with an image).
•Providing additional information about an object besides its presence. For example, by locating a spot color in the
inventory report, you can determine whether it is used by itself or in combination with other colorants, such as in a
duotone image. Or you can determine which glyphs in a font are embedded, what they look like, and which
character they are supposed to represent. This information can help you resolve a missing-glyph error.
•Exploring XMP metadata embedded with the file, such as its author, resolution, color space, copyright, and
keywords applied to it. This information is stored in a standardized way using the Extensible Metadata Platform
(XMP) standard.
Create an inventory of PDF content
1In the Preflight dialog box, choose Create Inventory from the Options menu.
2Select the types of objects and resources you want included in the inventory. In addition to fonts, colors, images, and
so on, you can include the following information:
Form XObjects
Objects that are referenced within a PDF. For example, if a PDF contains many occurrences of the same object, it
exists as a single resource that is referenced many times.
Include XMP Metadata
Includes information embedded in the PDF that can be used by an XMP-enabled application or device in the
workflow. This information can include meaningful descriptions and titles, searchable keywords, the author’s name,
and copyright information. If you select Include Advanced Fields, you can include the fields and structures used for
storing the metadata using namespaces and properties. This advanced information appears as a text-based tree view
of all the XMP data in the PDF, both for the document as well as for those images in the PDF for which XMP
metadata is present.
Note: You can also view the metadata for the PDF document as a whole in the Document Properties dialog box. Choose
File > Properties, click the Description tab, and then click Additional Metadata. To see the advanced fields, click
Advanced from the list on the left.
3(Optional) Save the report.
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Viewing preflight results, objects, and resources
(Acrobat Pro DC)
More Help topics
Analyzingdocuments with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC)
About preflight results
You can view the results of a preflight inspection as a list, as comments, or individually in the Preflight dialog box. In
the Results list, mismatches appear according to their severity, with all errors first, followed by warnings, and then just
information. An alert icon appears next to each check that did not meet the criteria specified in the preflight profile.
The icons at the top of the Preflight dialog box indicate that at least one issue of a particular severity has been found:
the red error icon , the yellow warning icon , and the blue Info icon for information only (with no errors or
warnings). The green check mark means that no problems were found.
View results in a list
The Preflight dialog box lists the issues flagged after an inspection that tests against the criteria specified in the selected
profile.
1Run a preflight inspection.
2When the results appear, do any of the following:
•If details are available, expand an area to see details about the problem object. Your Preflight preferences
determine how many results, if any, are listed.
•To see an object in a separate view, select Show In Snap.
•To embed an audit trail, click Embed Audit Trail. You can embed an audit trail only if you used a profile to run
the preflight inspection.
•If you switched to a different view in the Preflight dialog box, click Results to get back to the Results list.
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•To see an object in context on the PDF page, double-click the item. The object is highlighted with a dotted line
for easier identification. This option is useful when an object such as a font exists in multiple places in the
document. In some cases, the item is an attribute of an object (for example, a color space). In those cases, the
inspection finds the objects that use the attribute.
You can change the type of line, its thickness, and its color on the Highlighting tab of Preflight preferences.
Use Snap View to view a problem object
Use Snap View to isolate an item when you’re working with pages containing complex, overlapping areas. Some items,
such as document information fields or page labels, cannot be displayed.
1Expand a results category to display the problem objects found during the inspection.
2Select a problem object in the list.
3Click Show In Snap.
4In the Preflight Snap View window, choose an option from the Background Color menu. All problem objects are
displayed on this color in Snap View.
You can click the arrow buttons to navigate through all of the results in this view. If the results panel is active, you
can also use the arrow keys on the keyboard.
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View resources and general information
The Overview section of the Preflight dialog box lists all types of properties and resources for the document. It lists the
color spaces, fonts, patterns, halftone settings, graphic states, and images used in the document. It also lists general
information about the analyzed document. This information includes the application used to create it, the date it was
created, and the date it was last modified.
1In the Results panel of the Preflight dialog box, expand the Overview and Preflight Information sections to view
details.
2In the Overview section, expand a property to list the resources.
View results as comments
You can embed preflight results as comments in the PDF and then view them as you would any PDF comments. For
example, you can choose Tools > Comment > Comments List in the right pane to list each comment (or filtered
comment) in a list.
Insert and view preflight comments
1In the Results panel of the Preflight dialog box, choose Insert Preflight Results As Comments from the Options
menu.
2If prompted, click Embed if you want to embed comments, regardless of how many exist.
3In the PDF, hold the pointer over a comment or click the sticky note for each comment to view its contents.
Remove preflight comments
❖In Preflight dialog box, choose Remove Preflight Comments from the Options menu.
Embed an audit trail
When you embed an audit trail, a digital signature is added as well as the audit trail information. The audit trail
information lists the profile used and the application that created it. It also specifies whether the preflight inspection
succeeded.
1Run a preflight inspection using a full profile.
2When the results appear, click Embed Audit Trail.
3If an informational dialog box appears, click OK.
4Save the file and close the Preflight dialog box.
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5To view basic Audit Trail information, click the Standards icon in the navigation pane on the left. In the
Standards panel, do any of the following, as needed:
•To verify that the profile used on the document is the same as the profile on your local system, clickCheck Profile
Fingerprint. For example, if you asked a customer to use a specific profile, you can use this check to confirm it
was used.
•To remove the audit trail, click Remove Preflight Audit Trail and save the file.
6To view additional Audit Trail information, choose File > Properties, and click Additional Metadata in the
Description tab. Then in the dialog box, click Advanced. In the list, expand
http://www.gwg.org/ns/gwg_preflight_v1. In addition to the basic preflight information, this list includes an
overview of results, and the date and time the profile was executed.
Note: You can overwrite an existing audit trail by embedding a new audit trail.
More Help topics
Preflight alert options
Preflight profiles (Acrobat Pro DC)
More Help topics
Analyzing documents with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC)
About preflight profiles
The success of a preflight inspection depends on how well you define the criteria for the inspection. The inspection
criteria are packaged in a file called a preflight profile. A preflight profile includes one or more checks, fixups, or both
checks and fixups. Each check includes one or more property statements that validate the PDF content. Preflight shows
an error only if all the property statements in the check are in error. In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, you can
specify which values to use and how to handle mismatches. For example, you can choose a profile that simply reports
mismatches, or one that automatically fixes a mismatch according to its specified parameters. A profile with a fixup has
the filled-in gray wrench icon next to it.
Adobe Acrobat includes several predefined preflight profiles, organized into groups, such as Digital Printing, PDF
Analysis, Prepress, and PDF/A, PDF/E, or PDF/X Compliance. You can use the predefined profiles as is or modify them
to create custom profiles. The checks that make up the profiles (called rules in previous versions of Acrobat) are
organized by categories, such as Document, Pages, Images, and so on. Each check in a category governs a particular
document property.
To help you determine what document properties the preflight profile analyzes, you can review information about each
selected check in the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box. This information describes what criteria the check uses to
analyze, and possibly fix, a document property.
View profiles
1Do one of the following:
•If the Preflight dialog box is not open, choose To ols > Print Production > Preflight.
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•If another panel is displayed in the Preflight dialog box, click the Profiles tab.
2Expand the profile groups as desired.
The list includes all predefined profiles, and any custom profiles you’ve created.
Set up favorite profiles
1Do one of the following:
•If the Preflight dialog box is not open, choose To ols > Print Production > Preflight.
•If another panel is displayed in the Preflight dialog box, click the Profiles tab.
2Expand the groups as desired.
3Select a profile, click the flag next to the name, and then choose Favorite.
Preflight Edit Profile dialog box overview
The Preflight Edit Profile dialog box lists all available profiles and shows which document properties are being
analyzed. From this dialog box you can unlock and lock a profile, create a new group for organizing profiles, and specify
inspection criteria. You can access additional options and information by expanding the profile.
To open the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, expand a profile group in the Preflight dialog box, select a profile, and
click Edit (or choose Edit Preflight Profiles from the Options menu).
A Profile B Predefined set of checks C More options D Profile groups
Add and remove profiles
You can create your own custom preflight profiles. Before you create a new profile from scratch, review existing profiles
for ones that achieve results similar to those you want. If possible, duplicate an existing profile and modify only the
relevant portion.
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A preflight profile must contain at least one check or fix and one property that validate the PDF content. When you
build a check from scratch, you can use existing properties or create new properties as you go. For best results when
creating and modifying profiles, add only as many checks as you need to validate the PDF content, and keep the checks
and properties simple and straightforward. For example, you can use a PDF/X profile to check for certain criteria, and
then add checks for non-PDF/X criteria, such as image resolution.
Create a profile
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Profiles button .
2Choose Options > Create New Preflight Profile.
3Type a name and purpose for the new profile and specify other options as desired.
By default, newly created profiles appear under the Custom Profiles group, unless you assigned them to a different
group.
4Expand the profile in the column on the left.
5Modify checks (as provided).
6Add additional checks and fixups.
Duplicate a profile
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Profiles button .
2Select an existing profile, and choose Options > Duplicate Preflight Profile.
The duplicate profile is added to the same group as the original profile.
Create a profile group
1In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, choose New Group from the Group menu.
2Type a name for the group and click OK.
Note: If you select a group of profiles, all profiles are moved to the new group.
Remove a profile
❖In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, select the profile and click Delete .
Import or export preflight profiles
Preflight profiles can be shared with other users. For example, print service providers can provide them to their
customers to ensure that jobs pass an inspection defined by those profiles before the jobs are handed off. Users in a
workgroup can create their own profiles as a way to check a document before uploading to the web or printing to a
special printer, or to check in-house production.
To exchange a profile, you package it for import and export. The package includes all checks and properties for the
selected profile.
Import a preflight profile
1Do one of the following:
•In the Preflight dialog box, choose Import Preflight Profile from the Options menu.
•In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, click the Import icon .
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2Locate the preflight package file (.kfp extension), and click Open. The profile appears in the Profiles list in the
Imported Profiles group.
3(Optional) If the profile is locked, choose Unlocked from the pop-up menu in the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box.
You can edit a profile after it is unlocked.
4(Optional) If prompted, enter the password.
You can also import a preflight profile by dragging the file to the Acrobat DC window or Acrobat DC application icon.
Export a preflight profile
1If needed, rename the profile (in the Edit Profile dialog box) before starting the export process.
2To lock the profile before you export it, choose Locked from the pop-up menu in the Preflight Edit Profile dialog
box. You can also select Password Protected and enter a password.
3Do one of the following:
•In the Preflight dialog box, choose Export Preflight Profile from the Options menu.
•In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, click the Export icon .
4Specify a location for the package, and click Save. Don’t rename the file.
Lock, unlock, and password-protect profiles
You can prevent unauthorized changes to preflight profiles by locking profiles and giving them passwords. This may be
useful if preflight profiles are shared among several users. You can lock or password-protect preflight profiles when you
first create them or any time you save the preflight profiles. By default, all predefined preflight profiles are locked.
Lock a profile
1In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, select a profile.
2Choose Locked from the pop-up menu at the upper left of the dialog box.
The options become unavailable.
Password protect a profile
1In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, select a profile.
2Choose Password Protected from the pop-up menu at the upper left of the dialog box.
3Type and reenter the password, and click OK. You can use uppercase and lowercase letters, numerals, or punctuation
marks.
The options become unavailable.
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Unlock or unprotect a profile
1In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, select a profile.
2Choose Unlocked from the pop-up menu at the upper left of the dialog box.
3If prompted, enter the correct password, and click OK.
Change profile settings
You can change the settings of a single profile.
Change general profile settings
1Open the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box.
2Expand the profile group and select a profile.
3If the profile is locked, choose Unlocked from the pop-up menu.
4Change any of the following settings:
•Enter a new name for the profile, and describe it in the Purpose box.
•To apply password protection to the profile, selectPassword Protected from the pop-up menu. When prompted,
type and reenter the password, and click OK. Otherwise, choose Unlocked.
•Enter your name and email address.
•Assign the profile to a group. Select an existing group from the menu, or select New Group, type a name, and
click OK. Groups are sorted alphabetically.
5When you finish editing a password-protected profile, select Locked from the pop-up menu. You may also want to
password-protect it again.
6Click OK, or click Save to save your changes without closing the dialog box.
Modify existing check and alert settings
1Open the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box.
2Expand the profile group and select a profile.
3If the profile is locked, choose Unlocked from the pop-up menu.
4Expand the profile to view the groups of properties available for the profile.
5Select a property group.
6Set options to specify the criteria for the inspection. Options vary according to the selected category of properties
under the profile. You can select or deselect criteria, edit values, or activate a property.
7Select an alert option from the pop-up menu to specify how to handle mismatches during the inspection.
8Click OK, or click Save to save your changes without closing the dialog box.
Preflight alert options
For each check in a profile, you specify how to handle mismatches during the inspection. You can select from the menu
next to each alert icon. The icon for the alert appears next to the check in the Preflight dialog box.
Error
Generates an error message for this check (or any checks in this category). Choose this option for mismatches that you
must correct before proceeding to the next stage in the workflow.
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Warning
Generates a warning message for this check (or any checks in this category). Choose this option for mismatches that
you want to know about and may need to correct before final output.
Info
Generates a simple note for this check (or any checks in this category). Choose this option for mismatches that you want
to know about but do not need to correct before final output.
Inactive
Never generates an alert message for this check (or any checks in this category). Choose this option for mismatches that
will not affect the output quality of the PDF document. You must change the state from Inactive to any other state to
make the text boxes available.
View a profile summary
You can view a description of each check and its inspection criteria for a given profile by creating a profile summary.
❖In the Preflight dialog box, select a profile, and choose Create Profile Summary from the Options menu.
More Help topics
About additional checks and properties
Add checks to a profile
Create or modify custom checks
Add fixups to a profile
Create or modify fixups
Output intents in PDFs (Acrobat Pro DC)
More Help topics
Analyzingdocuments with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC)
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About output intents
An output intent describes the final destination device you will use to reproduce the color in the PDF, such as the
separations printing device. Output intents override working spaces during viewing and printing, but they do not
convert the colors in the PDF.
Note: In a PDF/X1-a workflow, the output intent describes the working CMYK space. In a PDF/X-3 workflow, the
embedded ICC profile in the output intent is used to dynamically convert any objects with color-managed color to the color
space of the ICC profile in the output intent. In most cases this will be CMYK, but can also be RGB or Grayscale.
There are two kinds of output intents: One includes an embedded device profile that defines the color space of the
destination device, such as U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2; the other is a name that defines the destination color space
and usually names a standard output condition. Using a named output intent rather than an embedded profile helps
reduce the size of a PDF, but this is typically only possible for PDF/X-1a files, or PDF/X-3 files that do not contain color-
managed color.
You include output intents when you create PDF/X (or PDF/A) files, using the Standards panel of the Adobe PDF
Settings dialog box. (You access Adobe PDF Settings differently, depending on the application you’re using.) You can
also use third-party plug-ins to include output intents. For documents with named output intents rather than
embedded profiles, the program looks for the color profile associated with the named intent.
Create output intents
1Choose Tools > Print Production > Preflight. On the Output Intents tab of Preflight Preferences, do one of the
following:
•To create a new output intent from scratch, click the Create A New Output Intent icon .
•To create an output intent based on an existing one, select an option from the list on the left, and then click the
Duplicate Selected Output Intent icon . An integer is appended to the name of the duplicated output intent.
2Set output intent options.
Extract an output intent for reuse
You can extract an embedded output intent from another PDF, and then add it to the list of output intents in Preflight
preferences.
1On the Output Intents tab of Preflight Preferences, click Capture.
2Locate the file with the embedded output intent you want and open it.
The output intent appears at the end of the list, with a name that indicates it was captured from a certain type of file,
for example, “Captured Output Intent from PDF/X file.”
Export an ICC profile from an output intent
1Choose Tools > Print Production > Preflight. On the Output Intents tab ofPreflight Preferences, select the output
intent and click ExportICC Profile.
2Specify a name and location, and click Save.
The ICC profile appears with the other ICC profiles in the Profiles folder.
Delete an output intent
1On the Output Intents tab of Preflight Preferences, select the output intent and click Delete .
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2Confirm the deletion.
More Help topics
Adobe PDF settings
Preflight preferences
Correcting problem areas with the Preflight tool
(Acrobat Pro DC)
About preflight fixups
You can use the Preflight tool to fix many errors in a document. To do this, you add error corrections, called fixups, to
a profile. The fixup automatically corrects the problem, if possible, or provides information so that you can correct the
problem in the source file. A profile with a fixup has the gray wrench icon next to it. An outline of a wrench means that
no fixups are associated with the profile.
Preflight includes several predefined fixups that you can add to a profile. These cover a broad range of errors that affect
color, fonts, images, print production, compliance with international standards like PDF/X and PDF/A, and other areas.
Preflight also includes a toolkit for creating your own single fixups.
Note: A fixup permanently changes the document.
For example, fixups can perform the following actions to correct errors:
•Convert color spaces, just as the Convert Color feature does.
•Repair documents and eliminate unneeded content to reduce file size, just as PDF Optimizer does.
•Convert the PDF to a different version.
•Widen hairlines.
•Flatten transparency.
•Remove objects outside the trim and bleed boxes.
•Prepare the PDF for PDF/X, PDF/E, or PDF/A conversions.
•Set document information.
Add fixups to a profile
The Preflight tool includes a collection of fixups that you can add to a profile. These are all available from the Fixups
section of each profile.
1Open the Preflight dialog box (To ols > Print Production > Preflight), select a profile, and click the Edit link next
to the profile name.
2Expand the category with the profile you want, and then expand the profile.
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3If necessary, unlock the profile so that you can modify it. Choose Unlock from the pop-up menu at the top.
4Select Fixups from the items under the profile.
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5Select a fixup from the column on the right and click the left-facing arrow to move the fixup to the column on the
left.
You can add as many fixups as you want.
Note: To remove a fixup from a profile, select the fixup from the list on the left and click the right-facing arrow.
Edit Fixup dialog box overview
The Edit Fixup dialog box lists the types of predefined fixups you can add to a profile, and the values associated with
each fixup. You can use the Edit Fixup dialog box to change the values associated with a fixup, or create a custom fixup
based on an existing one. Like checks, fixups are organized by categories.
A Fixup name B Fixup categories C Fixup criteria D Button for seeing which profiles use the fixup E Search F Areas in the fixup that can be
modified
Create or modify fixups
You can create a custom fixup for certain jobs or output devices. The settings you specify determine such things as what
output intent is used, what color conversions take place, how images are compressed and sampled, and what PDF
compatibility level the PDF must support. Although you can modify any of the predefined fixups, as long as they are
unlocked, it is better to duplicate an existing fixup and change its values. This technique is useful if the fixup belongs
to multiple locked profiles, and you don’t want to find and unlock all those profiles. A duplicated fixup is unlocked by
default because it does not yet belong to a profile. You can also create a single fixup that can be quickly run without it
being part of a profile.
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Create a fixup for a profile
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Profiles button .
2Select a profile and click the Edit button next to the profile name.
3On the left side of the dialog box, under the profile, select Fixups.
4If necessary, choose Unlocked from the pop-up menu.
5Under Fixups In This Profile, click the New icon .
6Name the fixup and specify the criteria.
Create a fixup based on an existing one
1Follow steps 1 through 4 for creating a fixup for a profile.
2In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, select the fixup you want to modify, and click the Duplicate button on
the right.
3In the Duplicate Fixup dialog box, modify the information as needed or create a new column.
4To see which profiles currently use this fixup, click Usage. You may need to unlock other profiles before you can
modify the fixup.
5Do any of the following, and click OK:
•To rename the fixup, type in the Name box at the top.
•To change how an error is handled, specify options or values for each selected fixup option.
Create a single fixup
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Single Fixups button .
2Choose Options > Create New Preflight Fixup.
3Name the fixup and specify the criteria.
The new fixup appears in the group appropriate to its category and type.
Duplicate a single fixup
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Single Fixups button .
2Select an existing fixup, and choose Options > Duplicate Preflight Fixup.
Set up favorite single fixups
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Single Fixups button .
2Expand the groups as desired.
3Select a single fixup, click the flag next to the name, and then choose Favorite.
Automating document analysis with droplets or
preflight actions (Acrobat Pro DC)
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About droplets and actions
If you routinely use the same preflight profile to inspect documents, you can use a droplet or a preflight action to
process files.
A droplet in Preflight is a small application that runs a Preflight inspection on one or more PDFs that you drag onto the
Droplet icon . You can save a droplet on the desktop or to another location on your computer.
Like droplets, a preflight action inspects multiple files at once, separates successful files from problem files, and creates
reports in designated locations. In addition, hot folders can convert multiple file types (JPEG, HTML, RTF, and so on)
to PDF or to PDF/X using conversion settings you specify; inspect the files using specified profiles; and output them in
any format Acrobat supports, including PDF and PostScript.
Note: If you are inspecting only files, you probably don’t need to save changes or save copies in output folders.
Create and edit a droplet for running a preflight inspection
When you inspect files using a droplet, you can separate successful files from problem files, and review results in an
optional report.
Create a droplet
1Choose Tools > Print Produciton > Preflight, and then Create Preflight Droplet from the Options menu in the
Preflight dialog box.
2Choose a Preflight profile from the pop-up menu. Create a new one if the exact profile you need is not listed.
3Specify settings for handling the PDFs after the preflight inspection, and then save the droplet.
Edit droplet settings
1Double-click the Droplet icon , or choose Edit Preflight Droplet from the Options menu of the Preflight
dialog box (Tools > Print Production > Preflight).
2Change the settings you want to modify, and then save the droplet.
Droplet settings
Use the droplet options to specify how the Preflight tool processes PDFs when you drag them onto the Droplet icon.
Note: You also specify these options when you run a preflight inspection using the Actions feature. (See Action wizard
(Acrobat Pro DC).)
Keep Profile [profile] (Edit Droplet Settings) Uses the currently selected profile for the preflight inspection.
Capture (Edit Droplet Settings) Inserts the profile being used in the droplet into the profile list under the Imported
Profiles category.
Change Profile (Edit Droplet Settings) Provides a menu of all available profiles. You can select a different profile for the
preflight inspection.
Run Preflight Profile Without Applying Fixups Inspects and reports on problems without correcting them. This option
is available only if you choose a profile that includes a fixup for correcting problems.
Copy PDF File Places a copy of the PDF in the Success or Error folder.
Move PDF File Moves the inspected PDF to the Success or Error folder.
Save Alias Of PDF File Places a link to the PDF in the Success or Error folder, so that the original file is not moved from
its location.
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Create Report And Save In Success/Error Folder Lets you specify the type of report and amount of detail. This report
indicates the results of the preflight inspection.
Settings Lets you change report options.
Success/Error Folder Lets you specify a folder and location for the files and optional reports.
Display A Summary PDF Creates a report of files that generated mismatches during the inspection. The report indicates
the location of each file; the path to the file is an active link.
More Help topics
Action wizard
Create a results report
Analyzing documents with the Preflight tool (Acrobat
Pro DC)
To verify that your Adobe® PDF contains only the features, fonts, and formatting that you’ve specified, use the Preflight
tool to inspect and, in certain cases, correct the document’s contents.
About preflight inspections
The Preflight tool analyzes the contents of a PDF to determine its validity for print production and a variety of other
conditions that you can specify. Preflight inspects the file against a set of user-defined values, called preflight profiles.
Depending on the profile, the preflight inspection can also correct certain errors. Preflight also runs checks and fixups
on visible areas or certain objects, and makes PDFs comply with various standards.
Preflight identifies issues with colors, fonts, transparency, image resolution, ink coverage, PDF version compatibility,
and more. Preflight also includes tools for examining PDF syntax or the actual PDF structure of a document.
Before you use the Preflight tool or create a PDF for print, follow these recommendations:
•If you created PDFs using Acrobat Distiller, InDesign, or Illustrator, optimize them for print or press. Use either the
predefined settings in Distiller or InDesign PDF styles, or settings provided by your print service provider.
•Embed all fonts from within the authoring application. Embedding ensures that fonts aren’t substituted.
The Preflight dialog box
Use the Preflight dialog box to control all aspects of the preflight inspection. If the Print Production panel is not visible
in the right pane, choose Tools > Print Production. Then choose Preflight in the right pane.
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A Views B Preflight profiles, checks, or fixes C DisplaySettings Alert (off by default) D Groups E Profile description
Run a preflight inspection
You can use or modify an existing profile, or create your own.
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Print Production > Preflight in the right pane.
2Do one of the following:
•To view a list of available profiles, click the Select Profiles button .
•To view a list of available checks, click the Select Single Checks button .
•To view a list of available fixups, click the Select Single Fixups button .
3Use the menu to specify if you want to view all, your favorites, most recently used, most frequently used, or one of
the available categories.
4Select a profile, check, or fixup on the list to see its description.
Profiles are organized in groups that you can expand and collapse. Profiles with the gray wrench icon include fixups
that can correct errors in your file.
You can also use the Find box to search for a profile, check, or fixup.
5(Optional) Select a profile or single check, expand Further Options, and do any of the following, as needed:
•Specify whether to limit the inspection to visible layers. Selecting this option disables any fixups.
•Specify a page range for the inspection.
6If you selected a profile, click Analyze to run the inspection without fixing the errors or Analyze And Fix to identify
and fix the problems. If you selected a single check only, the Analyze option is available. If you selected a single fixup,
click Fix to start a fixup.
You can also double-click a profile in the list to run the preflight inspection. If you double-click the file, profiles that
contain fixups apply the fixups.
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Preflight preferences
Use the Preflight Preferences dialog box to control how results are reported and to specify output intents when creating
PDF/X, PDF/A, or PDF/E files. A PDF can have an embedded output intent containing an ICC profile.
To open the Preflight Preferences dialog box, from the Preflight dialog box, choose Options > Preflight Preferences.
General tab
The General tab includes options for specifying how dialog box elements and preflight results are displayed:
Maximum Number Of Results To Be Displayed Per Type Of Check Specifies how many instances of a mismatch appear
in the Results list. Use the Per Page (Under “Further Matches”) option to nest additional results under the Further
Matches section in the Results list. The maximum number of results for a document is 25000.
Degree Of Detail When Displaying Results Specifies how much detail appears in the Preflight Results list. You can
specify no details, only important details, or all details.
Show “Display Settings Alert” If Display Is Not Set To Highest Quality Displays a Warning icon at the top of the
Preflight dialog box if the display is not set to the highest quality. You can click the Warning icon to see a list of the
alerts. Click Adjust to automatically adjust the settings for maximized reliability of the display of the selected PDF
document.
Output intent options
You can set the following options on the Output Intents tab of the Preflight Preferences dialog box. For more
information on using output intents, see Output intents .
Name The name of the output intent.
Output Intent Profile (ICC Profile) The ICC profile that describes the characterized printing condition for which the
document has been prepared and that is required for PDF/X-, PDF/A-, or PDF/E-compliance. Click Browse to select
one from the default Profiles folder.
Output Condition Identifier The reference name specified by the ICC registry of registered standard printing
conditions. Choose from the list of output conditions—the description appears in the Output Condition box—or
choose Custom and create your own.
Registry The URL giving more information about the output intent profile name. For the standard printing conditions
registered with the ICC, this entry must be http://www.color.org/.
Output Condition A description of the intended printing condition of the job, including type of printing (for example,
offset commercial), paper type, and screen frequency. You can modify this description for output conditions you edit
or create from scratch.
ICC Profile URL For PDF/X-4p The URL that provides output intent information for PDF/X-4p file types.
Locked This option is a safeguard against accidental modification of the output intent. All the text fields are dimmed.
Highlighting tab
The Highlighting tab includes options for identifying problem objects on a PDF page. The Highlighting preferences
control the appearance of masks in mask reports. They also control the appearance of lines on screen when you double-
click Highlighting in the Preflight Results window. You set highlighting properties for each type of alert: Error,
Warning, and Info.
Problems Highlighted By Transparent Masks Identifies the problems by highlighting them. If this option is deselected,
non-problematic content is highlighted and problem content is not highlighted.
Color/Opacity Click Color to choose colors from a color spectrum. Specify the opacity of the color.
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Draw Border For Bounding Box Draws the same lines in a mask report that you see on screen when you double-click a
result in the Preflight Results window. This option is useful for identifying objects in a mask report when an image
occupies the entire page. In this case you don’t see the mask, but you see the lines around objects.
Color/Line Style/Effective Line Width Click Color to choose colors from a color spectrum. ClickLine Style to select the
line pattern (lines, dots, or dashes). Specify the line width (thickness).
More Help topics
Choose an Adobe PDF preset for converting files
Accessing and embedding fonts using Distiller
PDF/X-, PDF/A-, and PDF/E-compliant files (Acrobat Pro
DC)
More Help topics
Analyzing documents with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC)
Convert PDFs to PDF/X, PDF/A, or PDF/E
You can validate PDF content against PDF/X, PDF/A, PDF/VT or PDF/E criteria. You can also save a copy of the PDF
as PDF/X, PDF/A, or PDF/E, provided it complies with the specified requirements. For example, under certain
circumstances, an ICC profile that describes the destination device is required for PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, and PDF/X-4
compliance. If your document doesn’t have an embedded ICC output profile, you can embed one before saving.
You can convert a PDF to a standards-compliant PDF using the Standards wizard. This wizard explains the intents of
specific formats as it guides you through the process. If you are familiar with the standards, you can use a built-in
profile, or a profile created via the wizard, to convert a PDF.
Note: You can also create PDF/X-, and PDF/A-compliant files using Acrobat Distiller.
Convert to PDF/X, PDF/A, or PDF/E using a profile
1Choose Tools > Print Production.
The Print Production toolset is displayed in the right hand pane.
2Click Preflight.
The Preflight dialog box is displayed.
3In the Preflight dialog box, click Profiles.
4Expand a compliance profile and select the profile you want. For example, under PDF/A Compliance, select Convert
To PDF/A-1b.
5Click Analyze And Fix.
6Click Save to convert the file based on the selected profile.
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Convert to PDF/X, PDF/A, or PDF/E using a wizard
1Choose Tools > Print Production.
The Print Production toolset is displayed in the right hand pane.
2Click Preflight.
The Preflight dialog box is displayed.
3In the Preflight dialog box, click Standards.
4Select Save As PDF/X, Save As PDF/A, or Save As PDF/E, and then click Continue.
5Select the desired version and click Continue.
6Select a conversion profile and one of the available viewing or printing condition.
7Do any of the following:
•To apply corrections during the conversion, choose the Apply Corrections check box.
•Click the question mark icon to see a list of the fixups that are applied.
•To save the profile, click Save As Profile.
•To convert the PDF based on the selected profile and settings, click Save As.
If the conversion succeeds, a green check mark appears in the Preflight dialog box. If the conversion fails, a red X
appears in the Preflight dialog box.
Verify a PDF against PDF/X, PDF/A, PDF/VT, or PDF/E criteria
PDF/X, PDF/A, PDF/VT, and PDF/E files can be created in various ways, such as by using Acrobat Distiller or the File
> Save As Other command. If you open a PDF that conforms to one of these standards, you can view the standards
information in the Navigation pane. (Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes, and then click the
Standards .) The Standards menu and panel are available only if the PDF conforms to a standard. The Standards
panel is present in all versions (DC, Std, and even Reader). However, Verify Conformation functionality is only present
in Acrobat DC.
The Conformance information indicates the standard used to create the file, the ISO name, and whether the file has
been verified as PDF/X-, PDF/A-, PDF/VT-, PDF/UA-, or PDF/E-compliant. The Output Intent information indicates
the color settings associated with the file. To verify the standards conformance for the file, click Verify Conformance.
Remove PDF/X, PDF/A, or PDF/E information
You can remove all PDF/X-, PDF/A-, or PDF/E-specific information, such as the output condition or the GTS_PDFX
version key. This action is useful if a file has been modified, if you want to start over, or if an ICC profile increases the
file size too much.
1Choose Tools > Print Production.
The Print Production toolset is displayed in the right hand pane.
2Click Preflight.
The Preflight dialog box is displayed.
3In the Preflight dialog box, click Profiles.
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4Expand a compliance profile and select the Remove <compliance_name> Information option. For example, under
PDF/A Compliance, select Remove PDF/A Information.
5Click Analyze And Fix.
6Select a location to save the file and click Save.
If the operation is successful, a green check mark appears in the Results tab of the Preflight dialog box. If the operation
fails, a red X appears in the Results tab of the Preflight dialog box.
More Help topics
Adobe PDF settings
About PDF/X, PDF/E, and PDF/A standards
Additional checks in the Preflighttool (Acrobat Pro DC)
More Help topics
Analyzing documents with the Preflight tool (Acrobat Pro DC)
About additional checks and properties
The Preflight tool includes a collection of additional checks (called rules in previous versions of Acrobat) that you can
add to a profile. These checks are available from the Custom Checks section of each profile. You can modify these
checks in a variety of ways, depending on the PDF property they describe. You can also create single checks that can be
quickly run without being part of a profile. If single checks are run, all flagged content appears in the results as errors.
Some properties are defined by a simple statement that is either true or false for a given object in a PDF—for example,
“Font is not embedded” or “Color managed color used.” Some property statements specify relationships between the
actual value of a property (for example, text size or spot color name) and the value you enter in the dialog box (for
example, “12” or “Deep blue”). Other statements compare numerical values.
Property groups
The properties for defining a check are grouped in categories. You can view a list of all property groups in the Edit
Check dialog box. In addition, you can view the individual properties that make up each group, as well as an
explanation of how the Preflight tool uses the properties.
Relationship between property
value and typed value
Relationship between
numerical values
Boolean properties
is equal to is not equal to is less than is true
contains does not contain is less than or equal to is not true
begins with does not begin with is equal to
ends with does not end with is not equal to
is contained in is not contained in is greater than
is greater than or equal to
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The following property groups are available:
Text Includes information about how text is rendered, whether it is scaled anamorphically or slanted, or whether it can
be mapped to Unicode and thus copied or exported correctly.
Font Describes all aspects of a font in which text is rendered. Note that text size is a text property, not a font property,
because a font can be used at many sizes throughout a PDF document. Text size is included in the Text property group.
Image Includes image resolution, bit depth, number of pixels, rendering intent, and more.
Colors Includes color characteristics, such as color spaces, alternate color spaces, patterns, and spot colors. Alternate
color spaces enable Acrobat to display or print certain spot colors and multicomponent spot colors (DeviceN). For
example, to reproduce the color orange on a monitor or printer, the PDF requires an alternate color space (made up of
RGB or CMYK colors) that defines what the spot color looks like.
ICC Color Spaces Includes properties for accessing the characteristics in the embedded ICC profiles, which define the
ICC color spaces. ICC profiles contain data for translating device-dependent color to a device-independent color space,
such as Lab. This helps you reproduce color consistently across different platforms, devices, and ICC-compliant
applications (such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign). A document that contains objects in different color
spaces (such as RGB, CMYK, and Grayscale) could have different ICC profiles for calibrating the color for each color
space.
Graphic State Properties For Fill Includes graphic state information about how areas are filled, particularly the color
values of the current color space.
Graphic State Properties For Stroke Includes graphic state information about how lines are drawn, particularly the
color values of the current color space, as well as line-specific properties, such as thickness.
General Graphic State Properties Includes settings that control how text, graphics, or images are displayed in a PDF
page. Overprint settings, for example, are included here.
Halftone Includes graphic state settings relevant to prepress operations, such as screen angles, frequencies, and spot
shapes.
Page Description Includes general information about objects on a PDF page, such as the type of object (for example,
whether it is an image, a piece of text, or a smooth shade) or whether it is inside or outside the viewable area of the page,
or how far it is from the trim box.
OPI Includes properties for analyzing all existing OPI links (comments), whether from OPI version 1.3 or 2.0. The
possible OPI entries in a PDF are the same as in PostScript files.
Embedded PostScript Refers to the PostScript code that can be embedded into the PDF. There are three properties: one
for a PostScript operator used directly in a page description; one for PostScript code embedded in a PostScript XObject;
and one for an early form of a PostScript XObject, a PostScript Form XObject.
Object Metadata Includes information embedded with the object, such as its creator, resolution, color space, copyright,
and keywords applied to it. For example, if a Photoshop image with metadata is placed in an InDesign document, and
the document is converted to PDF, this information can be retrieved and checked by properties in this group.
Annotations Includes most characteristics of comments and drawing markups, traps, and printer marks.
Form Fields Includes properties for form fields.
Layers Checks for optional content, which sometimes affect the appearance of a page.
Pages Includes page numbers and page sizes that represent the various document boxes supported by Adobe PDF 1.3
and later technology (media box, bleed box, trim box, and art box). This group also includes plate names for PDF pages
that belong to a preseparated PDF.
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Document Includes all the pieces of information that apply to the PDF as a whole, such as whether the document is
encrypted, contains form fields, or contains bookmarks.
Document Info Lists all the standard entries that can also be accessed by the Document Info dialog box in Acrobat, and
information that has been standardized by the ISO 15930 standard (PDF/X).
Document Metadata Includes information embedded within the document, such as its title, author, copyright, and
keywords applied to it. This information is also available in the Document Metadata section of the Document
Properties dialog box in Acrobat. (Choose File > Properties, click the Description tab, and then click Additional
Metadata.)
Signatures Includes information about the signatures in the document.
Structured PDF Includes several basic properties for the tagging structure in a tagged PDF, for which the PDF/A
standard defines constraints.
Output Intents For PDF/X, PDF/A, or PDF/E Defines which output process the PDF has been prepared for. A PDF
intended for high-resolution printed output typically contains an output intent with an embedded ICC profile, for use
by a proofing device or a device’s RIP (raster image processor).
Output Intent For PDF/X, PDF/A, or PDF/E (ICC Profile Properties) Includes properties for accessing information from
an ICC profile embedded in the output intent. This group includes the same properties as ICC profiles for objects, such
as profile name and type. The ICC profile describes the output condition of the device where the document will be
imaged.
Efficiency Of PDF Content Stream Helps determine how efficiently page descriptions are encoded. For example, it is
possible to include the text Hello as a text operator for the whole word, or as several text operators for each character
in the word. The latter is less efficient and reduces the speed of page rendering. The efficiency checks return percentages
for several types of operators. A smaller value in most cases is better than a higher value.
Errors In PDF Syntax Returns information about specific errors in the syntax of a PDF. For example, if certain keys
required by the PDF specification are not included, Acrobat may still be able to render the file. For predictable PDF
rendering, however, it is preferable to encode all PDFs in strict compliance with the PDF specification.
Errors In Structured PDF Returns information about errors in the tag structure of a tagged PDF. For example, an error
is returned if the type of a tagged object is not properly specified. The properties in this group help identify errors in
tag structure.
Errors In PDF Content Stream Returns information about errors in the page descriptions in a PDF. For example, three
number operands are required to define RGB color. If there are fewer than three operators, it is not possible to render
the page. Properties in this group help determine the reasons why a PDF page isn’t rendered.
Preflight Edit Profile dialog box overview (Custom Checks)
The Profiles list in the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box contains predefined profiles included with Acrobat, and any
custom profiles you’ve created. If you select Custom Checks, you get more options for selecting and modifying items.
The buttons at the bottom of the column perform basic editing functions, such as duplicating, removing, and creating.
The search box helps you locate a specific check.
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A Search B Description C Alerts D CreateNew Check And Include in Current Profile E Duplicate Check And Assign To Current Profile F Edit
Check G RemoveCheck From Profile H IncludeIn Profile I New Check J Duplicate Check K Edit Check L Delete Check
Add checks to a profile
Acrobat includes several predefined preflight profiles, which you can use as is or modify to create custom profiles. You
can modify a profile that nearly meets your needs by adding one or more checks that analyze the document using
different criteria. For example, an existing check might detect all text that is not plain black—that is, text that uses black
plus some amount of cyan, magenta, and yellow. Because this could be a problem when you print small text, you could
modify the check so that it flags text objects that use more than one color and have a text size equal to or smaller than
12 points.
You can reuse a check in any profile where it’s needed. Keep in mind, however, that if you modify a check that’s being
used in multiple profiles, the check is modified in every profile that uses it. To avoid making unnecessary modifications,
rename the check for a particular profile. Before editing a preflight profile, you must unlock it.
1In the Preflight dialog box, select a profile, and click the Edit link next to the profile name, or choose Edit Preflight
Profiles from the Options menu.
2Choose Unlocked from the pop-up menu at the upper left.
3Select Custom Checks from the list of items displayed under the profile name.
4Work with the panels by doing any of the following:
•To quickly find a specific check, type all or part of its name in the search box. Only those items containing the
search term are displayed. Removing the name from the search box displays all the checks again.
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•To add a check to the profile, select the check in the right panel, click the left-facing arrow, and adjust the alert
type, if needed, from the pop-up menu at the lower left of the dialog box. The alert type, which is Error by default,
specifies what kind of alert the Preflight tool displays if it finds a mismatch. You can add as many checks as
needed.
•To remove a check from the profile, select it in the left panel, and click the right-facing arrow.
•Double-click a check to edit it.
Create or modify custom checks
Although you can modify any unlocked predefined check, it’s best to leave the predefined checks as they were
configured. Instead, you can create a new check or base a check on an existing one.
Note: Checks with locks are in locked profiles and cannot be edited until the profiles that use the check are all unlocked.
Create a custom check for a profile
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Profiles button .
2Select a profile and click the Edit button next to the profile name.
3If necessary, choose Unlocked from the pop-up menu.
4On the left side of the dialog box, under the profile, select Custom Checks.
5In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, under Custom Checks In This Profile, do one of the following:
•In the list of checks, click the New icon .
•To base the new check on an existing one, select a check and click the Duplicate icon .
6In the left side of the New/Duplicate Check dialog box, do any of the following, as needed:
•Type the message you want to display when the check finds a mismatch (fires) and when it doesn’t find a
mismatch. For example, if you’re defining a check against the use of spot colors, your message when no mismatch
is found could be “Document has no spot colors.”
•Type an explanation for the check.
•Select the items to apply the check to.
7On the right side of the dialog box, select a group, select a property for the group, and then click Add.
Create a single check
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Single Checks button .
2Choose Options > Create New Preflight Check.
3On the right side of the dialog box, select a group, select a property for the group, and then click Add.
The new single check appears in the group appropriate to its group and property.
Duplicate a single check
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Single Checks button .
2Select an existing check, and choose Options > Duplicate Preflight Check.
Set up favorite single checks
1In the Profiles panel of the Preflight dialog box, click the Select Single Checks button .
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2Expand the groups as desired.
3Select a single check, click the flag next to the name, and then choose Favorite.
See where a check or property is used
❖In the Preflight Edit Profile dialog box, double-click a check, and then click Usage in the Edit Check dialog box to
see which profiles use the check.
More Help topics
About preflight profiles
Lock, unlock, and password-protect profiles
Correcting problem areas
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Chapter 16: Color management
Keeping colors consistent
About color management in Adobe applications
Adobe color management helps you maintain the appearance of colors as you bring images in from external sources,
edit documents and transfer them between Adobe applications, and output your finished compositions. This system is
based on conventions developed by the International Color Consortium, a group responsible for standardizing profile
formats and procedures so that consistent and accurate color can be achieved throughout a workflow.
By default, color management is turned on in color-managed Adobe applications. If you purchased the Adobe Creative
Cloud, color settings are synchronized across applications to provide consistent display for RGB and CMYK colors.
This means that colors look the same no matter which application you view them in.
If you decide to change the default settings, easy-to-use presets let you configure Adobe color management to match
common output conditions. You can also customize color settings to meet the demands of your particular color
workflow.
Keep in mind that the kinds of images you work with and your output requirements influence how you use color
management. For example, there are different color-consistency issues for an RGB photo printing workflow, a CMYK
commercial printing workflow, a mixed RGB/CMYK digital printing workflow, and an Internet publishing workflow.
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Basic steps for producing consistent color
Consult with your production partners (if you have any) to ensure that all aspects of your color management
workflow integrate seamlessly with theirs.
Discuss how the color workflow will be integrated with your workgroups and service providers, how software and
hardware will be configured for integration into the color management system, and at what level color management
will be implemented. (See Do you need color management?.)
Calibrate and profile your monitor.
A monitor profile is the first profile you should create. Seeing accurate color is essential if you are making creative
decisions involving the color you specify in your document. (See Calibrate and profile your monitor.)
Add color profiles to your system for any input and output devices you plan to use, such as scanners and printers.
The color management system uses profiles to know how a device produces color and what the actual colors in a
document are. Device profiles are often installed when a device is added to your system. You can also use third-party
software and hardware to create more accurate profiles for specific devices and conditions. If your document will be
commercially printed, contact your service provider to determine the profile for the printing device or press condition.
(See About color profilesand Install a color profile.)
Set up color management in Adobe applications.
The default color settings are sufficient for most users. However, you can change the color settings by doing one of the
following:
•If you use multiple Adobe applications, use Adobe® Bridge to choose a standard color management configuration
and synchronize color settings across applications before working with documents. (See Synchronize color settings
across Adobe applications.)
•If you use only one Adobe application, or if you want to customize advanced color management options, you can
change color settings for a specific application. (See Set up color management.)
(Optional) Preview colors using a soft proof.
After you create a document, you can use a soft proof to preview how colors will look when printed or viewed on a
specific device. (See Proofing colors.)
Note: A soft proof alone doesn’t let you preview how overprinting will look when printed on an offset press. If you work with
documents that contain overprinting, turn on Overprint Preview to accurately preview overprints in a soft proof.
Use color management when printing and saving files.
Keeping the appearance of colors consistent across all of the devices in your workflow is the goal of color management.
Leave color management options enabled when printing documents, saving files, and preparing files for online
viewing. (See Color-managing PDFs for printing (Acrobat Pro DC)and Color-managing documents for online
viewing.)
Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications
If you use Adobe Creative Cloud, you can use Adobe Bridge CC to automatically synchronize color settings across
applications. This synchronization ensures that colors look the same in all color-managed Adobe applications.
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If color settings are not synchronized, a warning message appears at the top of the Color Settings dialog box in each
application. Adobe recommends that you synchronize color settings before you work with new or existing documents.
1Open Bridge.
To open Bridge from a Creative Cloud application, choose File > Browse In Bridge. To open Bridge directly, either
choose Adobe Bridge CC from the Start menu (Windows) or double-click the Adobe Bridge CC icon (Mac OS).
2Choose Edit > Color Settings.
3Select a color setting from the list, and click Apply.
If none of the default settings meet your requirements, select Show Expanded List Of Color Setting Files to view
additional settings. To install a custom settings file, such as a file you received from a print service provider, click
Show Saved Color Settings Files.
Set up color management
1Select the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
2Select a color setting from the Settings menu, and click OK.
The setting you select determines which color working spaces are used by the application, what happens when you
open and import files with embedded profiles, and how the color management system converts colors. To view a
description of a setting, select the setting and the description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
Note: Acrobat color settings are a subset of those used in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
In certain situations, such as if your service provider supplies you with a custom output profile, you may need to
customize specific options in the Color Settings dialog box. However, customizing is recommended for advanced
users only.
Note: If you work with more than one Adobe application, it is highly recommended that you synchronize your color
settings across applications. (See Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications.)
Managing process and spot colors
When color management is on, any color you apply or create within a color-managed Adobe application automatically
uses a color profile that corresponds to the document. If you switch color modes, the color management system uses
the appropriate profiles to translate the color to the new color model you choose.
Keep in mind the following guidelines for working with process and spot colors:
•Choose a CMYK working space that matches your CMYK output conditions to ensure that you can accurately
define and view process colors.
•Use Lab values (the default) to display predefined spot colors (such as colors from the TOYO, PANTONE, DIC, and
HKS libraries) and convert these colors to process colors. Using Lab values provides the greatest accuracy and
guarantees the consistent display of colors across Creative Cloud applications.
Note: Color-managing spot colors provides a close approximation of a spot color on your proofing device and monitor.
However, it is difficult to exactly reproduce a spot color on a monitor or proofing device because many spot color inks exist
outside the gamuts of many of those devices.
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Working with color profiles
About color profiles
Precise, consistent color management requires accurate ICC-compliant profiles of all of your color devices. For
example, without an accurate scanner profile, a perfectly scanned image may appear incorrect in another program,
simply due to any difference between the scanner and the program displaying the image. This misleading
representation may cause you to make unnecessary, time-wasting, and potentially damaging “corrections” to an already
satisfactory image. With an accurate profile, a program importing the image can correct for any device differences and
display a scan’s actual colors.
A color management system uses the following kinds of profiles:
Monitor profiles Describe how the monitor is currently reproducing color. This is the first profile you should create
because viewing color accurately on your monitor allows for critical color decisions in the design process. If what you
see on your monitor is not representative of the actual colors in your document, you will not be able to maintain color
consistency.
Input device profiles Describe what colors an input device is capable of capturing or scanning. If your digital camera
offers a choice of profiles, Adobe recommends that you select Adobe RGB. Otherwise, use sRGB (which is the default
for most cameras). Advanced users may also consider using different profiles for different light sources. For scanner
profiles, some photographers create separate profiles for each type or brand of film scanned on a scanner.
Output device profiles Describe the color space of output devices like desktop printers or a printing press. The color
management system uses output device profiles to properly map the colors in a document to the colors within the
gamut of an output device’s color space. The output profile should also take into consideration specific printing
conditions, such as the type of paper and ink. For example, glossy paper is capable of displaying a different range of
colors than matte paper.
Most printer drivers come with built-in color profiles. It’s a good idea to try these profiles before you invest in custom
profiles.
Document profiles (Not applicable to PDFs) Define the specific RGB or CMYK color space of a document. By
assigning, or tagging, a document with a profile, the application provides a definition of actual color appearances in the
document. For example, R=127, G=12, B=107 is just a set of numbers that different devices will display differently. But
when tagged with the Adobe RGB color space, these numbers specify an actual color or wavelength of light—in this
case, a specific color of purple.
When color management is on, Adobe applications automatically assign new documents a profile based on Working
Space options in the Color Settings dialog box. Documents without assigned profiles are known as untagged and
contain only raw color numbers. When working with untagged documents, Adobe applications use the current
working space profile to display and edit colors.
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A Profiles describe the color spaces of the input device and the document. B Using the profiles’ descriptions, the color management system
identifies the document’s actual colors. C The monitor’s profile tells the color management system how to translate the document’s numeric values
to the monitor’s color space. D Using the output device’s profile, the color management system translates the document’s numeric values to the
color values of the output device so the correct appearance of colors is printed.
About monitor calibration and characterization
Profiling software can both calibrate and characterize your monitor. Calibrating your monitor brings it into compliance
with a predefined standard—for example, adjusting your monitor so that it displays color using the graphics arts
standard white point color temperature of 5000° K (Kelvin). Characterizing your monitor simply creates a profile that
describes how the monitor is currently reproducing color.
Monitor calibration involves adjusting the following video settings:
Brightness and contrast The overall level and range, respectively, of display intensity. These parameters work just as
they do on a television. A monitor calibration utility helps you set an optimum brightness and contrast range for
calibration.
Gamma The brightness of the midtone values. The values produced by a monitor from black to white are nonlinear—
if you graph the values, they form a curve, not a straight line. Gamma defines the value of that curve halfway between
black and white.
Phosphors The substances that CRT monitors use to emit light. Different phosphors have different color
characteristics.
White point The color and intensity of the brightest white the monitor can reproduce.
Calibrate and profile your monitor
When you calibrate your monitor, you are adjusting it so it conforms to a known specification. Once your monitor is
calibrated, the profiling utility lets you save a color profile. The profile describes the color behavior of the monitor—
what colors can or cannot be displayed on the monitor and how the numeric color values in an image must be converted
so that colors are displayed accurately.
1Make sure your monitor has been turned on for at least half an hour. This gives it sufficient time to warm up and
produce more consistent output.
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2Make sure your monitor is displaying thousands of colors or more. Ideally, make sure it is displaying millions of
colors or 24-bit or higher.
3Remove colorful background patterns on your monitor desktop and set your desktop to display neutral grays. Busy
patterns or bright colors surrounding a document interfere with accurate color perception.
4Do one of the following to calibrate and profile your monitor:
•In Windows, install and use a monitor calibration utility.
•In Mac OS, use the Calibrate utility, located on the System Preferences/Displays/Color tab.
•For the best results, use third-party software and measuring devices. In general, using a measuring device such
as a colorimeter along with software can create more accurate profiles because an instrument can measure the
colors displayed on a monitor far more accurately than the human eye.
Note: Monitor performance changes and declines over time; recalibrate and profile your monitor every month or so. If
you find it difficult or impossible to calibrate your monitor to a standard, it may be too old and faded.
Most profiling software automatically assigns the new profile as the default monitor profile. For instructions on how to
manually assign the monitor profile, refer to the Help system for your operating system.
Install a color profile
Color profiles are often installed when a device is added to your system. The accuracy of these profiles (often called
generic profiles or canned profiles) varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. You can also obtain device profiles from
your service provider, download profiles from the web, or create custom profiles using professional profiling equipment.
•In Windows, right-click a profile and select Install Profile. Alternatively, copy the profiles into the
WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\color folder.
•In Mac OS, copy profiles into the /Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder or the
/Users/[username]/Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder.
After installing color profiles, be sure to restart Adobe applications.
Embed a color profile
You can embed a color profile in an object. Acrobat attaches the appropriate profile, as specified in the Convert Colors
dialog box, to the selected objects in the PDF. For more information, see Color conversion and ink management
(Acrobat Pro DC) .
Convert colors to another profile (Acrobat Pro DC)
You convert colors in a PDF using the Convert Colors tool available in Print Production. For more information, see
Color conversion and ink management (Acrobat Pro DC) .
•About color working spaces
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More Help topics
Understanding color management
A color management system reconciles color differences among devices so that you can be reasonably certain of the
colors your system ultimately produces. Viewing color accurately allows you to make sound color decisions throughout
your workflow, from digital capture through final output. Color management also allows you to create output based on
ISO, SWOP, and Japan Color print production standards.
Why colors sometimes don’t match
No device in a publishing system is capable of reproducing the full range of colors viewable to the human eye. Each
device operates within a specific color space that can produce a certain range, or gamut, of colors.
A color model determines the relationship between values, and the color space defines the absolute meaning of those
values as colors. Some color models (such as CIE L*a*b) have a fixed color space because they relate directly to the way
humans perceive color. These models are described as being device-independent. Other color models (RGB, HSL, HSB,
CMYK, and so forth) can have many different color spaces. Because these models vary with each associated color space
or device, they are described as being device-dependent.
Because of these varying color spaces, colors can shift in appearance as you transfer documents between different
devices. Color variations can result from differences in image sources; the way software applications define color; print
media (newsprint paper reproduces a smaller gamut than magazine-quality paper); and other natural variations, such
as manufacturing differences in monitors or monitor age.
A Lab color space B Documents (working space) C Devices
What is a color management system?
Color-matching problems result from various devices and software using different color spaces. One solution is to have
a system that interprets and translates color accurately between devices. A color management system (CMS) compares
the color space in which a color was created to the color space in which the same color will be output, and makes the
necessary adjustments to represent the color as consistently as possible among different devices.
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A color management system translates colors with the help of color profiles. A profile is a mathematical description of
a device’s color space. For example, a scanner profile tells a color management system how your scanner “sees” colors.
Adobe color management uses ICC profiles, a format defined by the International Color Consortium (ICC) as a cross-
platform standard.
Because no single color-translation method is ideal for all types of graphics, a color management system provides a
choice of rendering intents, or translation methods, so that you can apply a method appropriate to a particular graphics
element. For example, a color translation method that preserves correct relationships among colors in a wildlife
photograph may alter the colors in a logo containing flat tints of color.
Note: Don’t confuse color management with color correction. A color management system won’t correct an image that was
saved with tonal or color balance problems. It provides an environment where you can evaluate images reliably in the
context of your final output.
Do you need color management?
Without a color management system, your color specifications are device-dependent. You might not need color
management if your production process is tightly controlled for one medium only. For example, you or your print
service provider can tailor CMYK images and specify color values for a known, specific set of printing conditions.
The value of color management increases when you have more variables in your production process. Color
management is recommended if you anticipate reusing color graphics for print and online media, using various kinds
of devices within a single medium (such as different printing presses), or if you manage multiple workstations.
You will benefit from a color management system if you need to accomplish any of the following:
•Get predictable and consistent color output on multiple output devices including color separations, your desktop
printer, and your monitor. Color management is especially useful for adjusting color for devices with a relatively
limited gamut, such as a four-color process printing press.
•Accurately soft-proof (preview) a color document on your monitor by making it simulate a specific output device.
(Soft-proofing is subject to the limitations of monitor display, and other factors such as room lighting conditions.)
•Accurately evaluate and consistently incorporate color graphics from many different sources if they also use color
management, and even in some cases if they don’t.
•Send color documents to different output devices and media without having to manually adjust colors in documents
or original graphics. This is valuable when creating images that will eventually be used both in print and online.
•Print color correctly to an unknown color output device; for example, you could store a document online for
consistently reproducible on-demand color printing anywhere in the world.
Creating a viewing environment for color management
Your work environment influences how you see color on your monitor and on printed output. For best results, control
the colors and light in your work environment by doing the following:
•View your documents in an environment that provides a consistent light level and color temperature. For example,
the color characteristics of sunlight change throughout the day and alter the way colors appear on your screen, so
keep shades closed or work in a windowless room. To eliminate the blue-green cast from fluorescent lighting, you
can install D50 (5000° Kelvin) lighting. You can also view printed documents using a D50 lightbox.
•View your document in a room with neutral-colored walls and ceiling. A room’s color can affect the perception of
both monitor color and printed color. The best color for a viewing room is neutral gray. Also, the color of your
clothing reflecting off the glass of your monitor may affect the appearance of colors on-screen.
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•Remove colorful background patterns on your monitor desktop. Busy or bright patterns surrounding a document
interfere with accurate color perception. Set your desktop to display neutral grays only.
•View document proofs in the real-world conditions under which your audience will see the final piece. For example,
you might want to see how a housewares catalog looks under the incandescent light bulbs used in homes, or view
an office furniture catalog under the fluorescent lighting used in offices. However, always make final color
judgements under the lighting conditions specified by the legal requirements for contract proofs in your country.
Color settings
About color working spaces
A working space is an intermediate color space used to define and edit color in Adobe applications. Each color model
has a working space profile associated with it. You can choose working space profiles in the Settings menu of the Color
Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
If an object has an embedded color profile that doesn’t match the working space profile, the application uses a color
management policy to determine how to handle the color data. In most cases, the default policy is to preserve the
embedded profile.
Working space options
Select the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
To view a description of any profile, select the profile. The description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
RGB Determines the RGB color space of the application. In general, it’s best to choose Adobe RGB or sRGB, rather than
the profile for a specific device (such as a monitor profile).
sRGB is recommended when you prepare images for the web or mobile devices, because it defines the color space of
the standard monitor used to view images on the web. sRGB is also a good choice when you work with images from
consumer-level digital cameras, because most of these cameras use sRGB as their default color space.
Adobe RGB is recommended when you prepare documents for print, because Adobe RGB’s gamut includes some
printable colors (cyans and blues in particular) that can’t be defined using sRGB. Adobe RGB is also a good choice when
working with images from professional-level digital cameras, because most of these cameras use Adobe RGB as their
default color space.
CMYK Determines the CMYK color space of the application. All CMYK working spaces are device-dependent,
meaning that they are based on actual ink and paper combinations. The CMYK working spaces Adobe supplies are
based on standard commercial print conditions.
Grayscale Determines the grayscale color space of the application.
Note: You can use the color space in an embedded output color space for viewing and printing. For more information on
output intents, see Color conversion and ink management (Acrobat Pro DC) .
Adobe applications ship with a standard set of working space profiles that have been recommended and tested by
Adobe Systems for most color management workflows. By default, only these profiles appear in the working space
menus.
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About missing and mismatched color profiles
Unless specified otherwise, the document uses the working space profile associated with its color mode for creating and
editing colors. However, some existing documents may not use the working space profile that you have specified, and
some existing documents may not be color-managed. It is common to encounter the following exceptions to your
color-managed workflow:
•You might open a document or import color data (for example, by copying and pasting or dragging and dropping)
from a document that is not tagged with a profile. This is often the case when you open a document created in an
application that either does not support color management or has color management turned off.
•You might open a document or import color data from a document that is tagged with a profile different from the
current working space. This may be the case when you open a document that was created using different color
management settings, or scanned and tagged with a scanner profile.
In either case, the application uses a color management policy to decide how to handle the color data in the document.
Color conversion options
Color conversion options let you control how the application handles the colors in a document as it moves from one
color space to another. Changing these options is recommended only if you are knowledgeable about color
management and very confident about the changes you make. To display conversion options, select the Color
Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
Engine Specifies the Color Management Module (CMM) used to map the gamut of one color space to the gamut of
another. For most users, the default Adobe (ACE) engine fulfills all conversion needs.
To view a description of an engine or intent option, select the option. The description appears at the bottom of the dialog
box.
Use Black Point Compensation Ensures that the shadow detail in the image is preserved by simulating the full dynamic
range of the output device. Select this option if you plan to use black point compensation when printing (which is
recommended in most situations).
About rendering intents
A rendering intent determines how a color management system handles color conversion from one color space to
another. Different rendering intents use different rules to determine how the source colors are adjusted; for example,
colors that fall inside the destination gamut may remain unchanged, or they may be adjusted to preserve the original
range of visual relationships when translated to a smaller destination gamut. The result of choosing a rendering intent
depends on the graphical content of documents and on the profiles used to specify color spaces. Some profiles produce
identical results for different rendering intents.
In general, it is best to use the default rendering intent for the selected color setting, which has been tested by Adobe
Systems to meet industry standards. For example, if you choose a color setting for North America or Europe, the default
rendering intent is Relative Colorimetric.. If you choose a color setting for Japan, the default rendering intent is Perceptual.
You can select a rendering intent when you set color conversion options for the color management system, soft-proof
colors, and print artwork:
Perceptual Aims to preserve the visual relationship between colors so it’s perceived as natural to the human eye, even
though the color values themselves may change. This intent is suitable for photographic images with lots of out-of-
gamut colors. This is the standard rendering intent for the Japanese printing industry.
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Saturation Tries to produce vivid colors in an image at the expense of color accuracy. This rendering intent is suitable
for business graphics like graphs or charts, where bright saturated colors are more important than the exact relationship
between colors.
Relative Colorimetric Compares the extreme highlight of the source color space to that of the destination color space
and shifts all colors accordingly. Out-of-gamut colors are shifted to the closest reproducible color in the destination
color space. Relative Colorimetric preserves more of the original colors in an image than Perceptual. This is the
standard rendering intent for printing in North America and Europe.
Absolute Colorimetric Leaves colors that fall inside the destination gamut unchanged. Out-of-gamut colors are clipped.
No scaling of colors to destination white point is performed. This intent aims to maintain color accuracy at the expense
of preserving relationships between colors and is suitable for proofing to simulate the output of a particular device. This
intent is particularly useful for previewing how paper color affects printed colors.
Color-managing documents
Color-managing documents for online viewing
Color management for online viewing is very different from color management for printed media. With printed media,
you have far more control over the appearance of the final document. With online media, your document will appear
on a wide range of possibly uncalibrated monitors and video display systems, significantly limiting your control over
color consistency.
When you color-manage documents that are viewed exclusively on the web, Adobe recommends that you use the sRGB
color space. sRGB is the default working space for most Adobe color settings, but you can verify that sRGB is selected
in the Color Management preferences. With the working space set to sRGB, any RGB graphics you create will use sRGB
as the color space.
When you export PDFs, you can choose to embed profiles. PDFs with embedded profiles reproduce color consistently
under a properly configured color management system. Keep in mind that embedding color profiles increases the size
of PDFs. RGB profiles are usually small (around 3 KB); however, CMYK profiles can range from 0.5 to 2 MB.
Proofing colors
In a traditional publishing workflow, you print a hard proof of your document to preview how its colors look when
reproduced on a specific output device. In a color-managed workflow, you can use the precision of color profiles to soft-
proof your document directly on the monitor. You can display an onscreen preview of how your document’s colors look
when reproduced on a particular output device.
Keep in mind that the reliability of the soft proof depends upon the quality of your monitor, the profiles of your monitor
and output devices, and the ambient lighting conditions of your work environment.
Note: A soft proof alone doesn’t let you preview how overprinting looks when printed on an offset press. If you work with
documents that contain overprinting, turn on Overprint Preview to accurately preview overprints in a soft proof.
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A Document is created in its working color space. B Document’s color values are translated to color space of chosen proof profile (usually the
output device’s profile). C Monitor displays proof profile’s interpretation of document’s color values.
Soft-proof colors (Acrobat Pro DC)
1Choose Tools > Print Production. The Print Production tools are displayed in the right-hand pane.
2In the right-pane, click Output Preview.
3Choose the color profile of a specific output device from the Simulation Profile menu.
4Choose any additional soft-proof options:
Simulate Black Ink Simulates the dark gray you really get instead of a solid black on many printers, according to the
proof profile. Not all profiles support this option.
Simulate Paper Color Simulates the dingy white of real paper, according to the proof profile. Not all profiles support
this option.
Color-managing PDFs for printing (Acrobat Pro DC)
When you create Adobe PDFs for commercial printing, you can specify how color information is represented. The
easiest way to do this is using a PDF/X standard. For more information about PDF/X and how to create PDFs, search
Help.
In general, you have the following choices for handling colors when creating PDFs:
•(PDF/X-3) Does not convert colors. Use this method when creating a document that is printed or displayed on
various or unknown devices. When you select a PDF/X-3 standard, color profiles are automatically embedded in
the PDF.
•(PDF/X-1a) Converts all colors to the destination CMYK color space. Use this method if you want to create a press-
ready file that does not require any further color conversions. When you select a PDF/X-1a standard, no profiles are
embedded in the PDF.
Note: All spot color information is preserved during color conversion; only the process color equivalents convert to the
designated color space.

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