Adobe Using Acrobat X Standard User Guide En

User Manual: adobe Acrobat - X Standard - User Guide Free User Guide for Adobe Acrobat Reader Software, Manual

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Using
ADOBE ® ACROBAT ® X STANDARD
Last updated 10/11/2011
Legal noticesLegal notices
For legal notices, see http://help.adobe.com/en_US/legalnotices/index.html.
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Last updated 10/11/2011
Contents
Chapter 1: What’s new
What’s new (Acrobat 10.1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
What’s new (Acrobat X) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 2: Workspace
Workspace basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Opening and viewing PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Navigating PDF pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Adjusting PDF views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Grids, guides, and measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Maintaining the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Activation and registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Adobe Product Improvement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Services and downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Non-English languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Chapter 3: Creating PDFs
Overview of creating PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Creating simple PDFs with Acrobat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Scan documents to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Using the Adobe PDF printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Creating PDFs with PDFMaker (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Converting web pages to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Creating PDFs with Acrobat Distiller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Adobe PDF conversion settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Chapter 4: PDF Portfolios and combined PDFs
PDF Portfolios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Other options for combining files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Adding unifying page elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Rearranging pages in a PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Chapter 5: Saving and exporting PDFs
Saving PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Exporting PDFs to other file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Reusing PDF content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Chapter 6: Collaboration
File sharing and real-time collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Preparing for a PDF review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Starting a review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Participating in a PDF review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Tracking and managing PDF reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
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Commenting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Managing comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Importing and exporting comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Approval workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Chapter 7: Forms
Forms basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Creating and distributing forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Form fields behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Setting action buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Publishing interactive web forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Collecting and managing form data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Filling in forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Chapter 8: Security
Application security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Content security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Chapter 9: Digital signatures
About digital signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Comparing ink signatures with digital signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Setting up signing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Setting up signature validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Signing PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Validating signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Manage trusted identities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Chapter 10: Accessibility, tags, and reflow
Accessibility features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Checking the accessibility of PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Creating accessible PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Making existing PDFs accessible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Chapter 11: Editing PDFs
Page thumbnails and bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Links and attachments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Converted web pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Text and objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Setting up a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Document properties and metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Actions and scripting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Using Geospatial PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
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Chapter 12: Searching and indexing
Searching PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Creating PDF indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Chapter 13: Multimedia and 3D models
Multimedia in PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Interacting with 3D models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Chapter 14: Color management
Understanding color management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Keeping colors consistent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Color-managing imported images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Color-managing documents for online viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Proofing colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Color-managing documents when printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Working with color profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Color settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Chapter 15: Printing
Basic printing tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Other ways to print PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Printing custom sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Advanced print settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Chapter 16: Keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
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Chapter 1: What’s new
What’s new (Acrobat 10.1)
New browser, platform, and PDFMaker support (Windows)
Browser support View PDFs in Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, Mozilla Firefox 4, and Google Chrome.
Web page conversion Convert web pages to Adobe PDF from Firefox 4.
64-bit Office support Convert Microsoft Office 64-bit documents to Adobe PDF using the Acrobat PDFMaker
feature.
Protected View (Windows)
View PDFs originating from potentially unsafe locations in a restricted environment, called a sandbox. In Protected
View, PDF functionality is limited to basic navigation. See “Protected View (Windows only)” on page 192.
Create online forms
Use FormsCentral to create, test, and distribute forms, and then collect data from them. See “Create online forms using
FormsCentral” on page 155.
What’s new (Acrobat X)
Usability and productivity
Streamlined user interface A streamlined, simplified user interface displays the most commonly used tools,
depending on the task at hand. The Tools pane on the right side of the window organizes the tools into task-related
groups. By default, only the most commonly used tools appear. To add other groups of tools (called panels) to the
Tools pane, open the pane and click the options menu
in the upper-right corner. Choose a deselected panel from
the list. (The Tools pane replaces the Tasks toolbar in Acrobat 9.)
Adding tools to the Tools pane
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You can also access the desktop tools you use most by adding individual items to the customizable Quick Tools toolbar.
(The Quick Tools toolbar replaces the floating toolbars in Acrobat 9.) See “Workspace basics” on page 4.
Streamlined commenting process Access mark-up tools and view comments from a single, unified Annotations
panel. A read or unread indicator shows which comments you have read and which you have not. Find comments
quickly using the new Filter Comments feature. See “Managing comments” on page 142.
Read mode Optimize your screen for reading and presentation of PDFs. Menus and panels disappear and a semi-
transparent floating toolbar appears for navigation as needed. See “View PDFs in Read mode” on page 13.
Scanning enhancements Scan paper documents into PDF and automatically recognize text with improved optical
character recognition (OCR). Text can be copied for reuse in authoring applications or exported into Word and Excel
formats. Reduce file sizes by up to 50%, improve image fidelity, and scan a combination of color and monochrome
documents together with automatic color detection. See “Scan a paper document to PDF” on page 42.
Search enhancements Find and save a search, then export the search results to a PDF file or to a spreadsheet. See
“Searching PDFs” on page 292.
PDF creation and sharing
PDF Portfolios View PDF Portfolios in newly designed layouts, visual themes, and color palettes. Digitally sign child
documents within a PDF Portfolio. Accessibility support in File mode. See “PDF Portfolios” on page 83.
Microsoft Windows 7 and Office 2010 Create PDF files from within the most popular Office 2010 applications, as well
as specialized applications such as Microsoft Project and Visio. See “Convert Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
files to PDF” on page 54.
Mozilla Firefox support Convert web pages to PDF, keeping all links intact. See “Convert web pages to PDF in Internet
Explorer and Firefox (Windows)” on page 62.
PDF conversion to Excel and Word Save PDF files as Microsoft Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, retaining the
layout, fonts, formatting, and tables. See “Convert PDFs to Word, RTF, spreadsheets or other formats” on page 109.
Password strength meter Create better passwords with the password strength meter. See “Add password security” on
page 200
Online forms creation and distribution Create and distribute online forms using your web browser and the Adobe
FormsCentral service. Recipients fill out these forms using any Internet-connected device. See “Create online forms
using FormsCentral” on page 155.
Document sharing and storing Send and store large documents using services at Acrobat.com. Use online
Workspaces at Acrobat.com to store and share a set of documents with individuals or teams outside your organization.
See “File sharing and real-time collaboration” on page 114.
Where’s my Acrobat 9 tool?
Most Acrobat 9 menus have moved to a corresponding panel in the Tools, Comment, or Share pane.
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Acrobat 9 menu commands and tools map to panels in the Acrobat X task panes. To add all the panels to the Tools pane, click the options
menu under the Share pane and choose a deselected panel from the list. Excerpted from “Adobe Acrobat X Classroom in a Book,”
published by Adobe Press. Copyright 2011.
Here are a few additional command locations.
Acrobat 9 Acrobat X
Document > Optimize Scanned PDF Tools > Document Processing > Optimize Scanned PDF
Document > OCR Text Recognition Tools > Recognize Text
Document > Examine Document Tools > Protection > Remove Hidden Information
Document > Attach a File Tools > Content > Attach a File
Tools > Select & Zoom > Snapshot Tool Edit > Take A Snapshot
Tools > Typewriter Tools > Content > Add or Edit Text Box
Tools > Analysis Tools > Analyze
Tools > Advanced Editing Tools > Content
Tools > Advanced Editing > Article Tool Tools > Document Processing > Add Article Box
Advanced > Web Capture Tools > Document Processing > Web Capture
Advanced > PDF Optimizer File > Save As > Optimized PDF
Advanced > Extend Features in Adobe Reader File > Save As > Reader Extended PDF
Acrobat 9 task menu Acrobat X menu bar Acrobat 9 Advanced menu
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Chapter 2: Workspace
As you get acquainted with your product, make setting up your work environment a priority. The more you learn
about its potential, the better you can take advantage of its features, tools, and options.
There’s much more to the application than you see at first glance. Various hidden tools, preferences, and options can
enhance your experience and give you greater control over how your work area is arranged and displayed.
Workspace basics
Workspace overview
Adobe® Acrobat® X Standard opens in two different ways: as a stand-alone application, and in a web browser. The
associated work areas differ in small but important ways.
The menu bar and two toolbars are visible at the top of the work area. The work area for the stand-alone application
includes a document pane, a navigation pane, and a group of task panes 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.
Work area as it appears in Acrobat
A. Menu bar B. Toolbars C. Navigation pane (Bookmarks panel displayed) D. Document pane E. Task panes
A
D
B
C
E
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When you open a PDF inside a web browser, the toolbars, navigation pane, and task panes are not available. You can
display those items by clicking the Acrobat icon
in the semi-transparent floating toolbar near the bottom of the
window.
Note: Some, but not all, PDFs appear with a document message bar. PDF Portfolios appear with a specialized work area.
For videos on the Acrobat interface, see the following resources:
•Getting around the Acrobat X interface: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_10_interface_en
•Getting Started in Acrobat X: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_002_acrx_en
More Help topics
“Toolbars” on page 6
“Task panes” on page 8
“Document message bar” on page 9
“PDF Portfolio window overview” on page 84
Welcome Screen
The Welcome Screen is a window in the document pane that appears when no document is open. You can quickly
access the recently opened files, open a file, and launch some commonly used workflows with a single click.
Acrobat X Welcome Screen
Note: In Mac OS, you can turn off the Welcome Screen by setting a preference. Choose Acrobat/Reader > Preferences. In
the Categories on the left, click General. In the Application Startup section, deselect Show Welcome Screen. There is no
similar option in Windows.
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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
The default toolbars—Quick Tools and Common Tools—contain commonly used tools and commands for working
with PDFs. Most available tools are included in the Tools pane at the right side of the window. You can add tools to
the toolbars for easy access.
The toolbars also include the Create button. Click the arrow to the right of the Create button to display a menu of
commands related to creating PDFs.
Toolbars open by default
A. Create button B. Quick Tools toolbar C. Common Tools toolbar D. Page Navigation commands E. Select & Zoom commands F. Page
Display commands
Position the pointer over a tool to see a description of the tool. All tools are identified by name in the View > Tools
menu and View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items menu.
More Help topics
“Task panes” on page 8
“Menus and context menus” on page 6
“Keys for selecting tools” on page 341
“View PDFs in Read mode” on page 13
Quick tools
You can add tools you use frequently from the Tools and Comment panes to the Quick Tools toolbar.
1In the Quick Tools toolbar, click the Customize Quick Tools button .
2Do any of the following:
•To add a tool, select it in the left pane and click .
C
DEF
B
A
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•To remove a tool, select it in the right pane and click .
•To change a tool’s position in the toolbar, select a tool in the right pane and click the Up or Down Arrow.
•To add a vertical line to separate groups of tools in the toolbar, click .
To quickly add a tool from the Tools or Comment pane, drag the tool’s grabber bar to the location you want on the
Quick Tools toolbar. You can also right-click the tool and select Add to Quick Tools.
Dragging a tool to the Quick Tools toolbar
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.
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].
Switch temporarily to the Zoom In or Hand tool
You can use these tools temporarily, without deselecting the current tool.
•To select the Hand tool temporarily, hold down the spacebar.
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•To select the Zoom In tool temporarily, hold down Ctrl+spacebar.
When you release the keys, Acrobat reverts to the previously active tool.
Task panes
Most commands are now organized into the Tools, Comment, and Share task panes on the right side of the application
window. Most tools are now located in these task panes. Click Tools, Comment, or Share to display the respective task
panels.
For a visual reference of where Acrobat 9 tools and commands are located in Acrobat X, see “Where’s my Acrobat 9
tool?” on page 2.
You can customize which panels appear in the Tools and Comment panes.
❖Do any of the following:
•To toggle a panel’s visibility, click the Show Or Hide Panels icon in the upper-right corner of the task pane,
and click a panel. A check mark indicates that the panel is visible.
•To open a panel and add it to the Tools pane, choose View > Tools and select a panel.
•To keep panels open as you select them, choose Allow Multiple Panels Open in the Show Or Hide Panels menu.
By default, an open panel closes when you open a different panel.
Show or hide the 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, but 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.
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.
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Some panels also contain other buttons that affect the items in the panel. Again, these vary among the different panels,
and some panels have none.
Navigation panels and options menu
Document message bar
The document message bar appears only in certain types of PDFs. Typically, you see this area when you open a PDF
form, a PDF that has been sent to you for review, a PDF with special rights or security restrictions, or a PDF that is
compliant with PDF/A, PDF/E, or PDF/X standards. The document message bar appears immediately below the
toolbar area. To show or hide the document message bar, click its button
on the left side of the work area.
Look on the document message bar for instructions on how to proceed and for any special buttons associated with the
task. The bar is color coded: purple for forms, yellow for reviews or security alerts, and blue for certified PDFs, PDF
Portfolios, or PDFs with password security or document restrictions.
Document message bar for a form
Document message bar for a security alert
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Document message bar for a certified PDF Portfolio
More Help topics
“Security warnings” on page 195
“Enhanced security” on page 191
“Filling in forms” on page 185
“Commenting” on page 129
Set preferences
Many program settings are specified in the Preferences dialog box, including settings for display, tools, conversion,
and performance. Once you set preferences, they remain in effect until you change them.
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat/Adobe Reader > 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.
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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?”
Opening and viewing PDFs
You can open a PDF in many ways: from within the Acrobat application, from your email application, from your file
system, or on a network from within a web browser. 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.
More Help topics
“Defining initial view as Full Screen mode” on page 277
“PDF Portfolio window overview” on page 84
“Opening secured documents” on page 198
“View PDFs in Read mode” on page 13
“General preferences” on page 16
Opening PDFs
Open a PDF in the application
❖Start Acrobat and do one of the following:
•Open a file from the Getting Started window. You can open a recent file or click the Open button to locate a file.
•Choose File > Open, or click the Open File button in the toolbar. In the Open dialog box, select one or more
filenames, and click Open. PDF documents usually have the extension .pdf.
If more than one document is open, you can switch between documents by choosing the document name from the
Window menu. In Windows, a button for each open document appears in the Windows taskbar. Click this button to
move between open documents.
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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 may not be able to open a PDF created in Windows by double-clicking the icon. Instead, choose
File > Open With > Acrobat.
Open a PDF in a web browser
PDFs open in a web browser in Read mode, without the menus, panes, or toolbars visible. Near the bottom of the
window, a semi-transparent 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/Reader > 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 in a web browser. See the Select Default PDF Handler in General preferences.
About viewing PDFs in a web browser
You can view PDFs in a supported web browser. You can also set your Internet preferences to open linked or
downloaded PDF files in a separate Acrobat window. If you open PDFs in Acrobat outside the browser, you cannot
use Fast Web Viewing, form submittal 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 can prevent you from viewing
PDFs in a web browser. Examples include Acrobat 8 with Adobe Reader 9, or Acrobat 7 with Reader 8, and so on. Try
deselecting the Display PDF In Browser option in Internet Preferences in one program, and selecting the option in the
other program. For more information about coexisting installations, see this TechNote.
Internet preferences
Display PDF In Browser Displays any PDF opened from the web in the browser window. If this option is not selected,
PDFs open in a separate Acrobat window. If you have installed both Reader and Acrobat, you can select which
application and which version to use.
Note: If Reader is installed on your system and you later install Acrobat, Safari continues to use Reader to open PDFs in
your browser. Use this option to configure Safari to use Acrobat.
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.
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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.
Viewing PDFs
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.
Read mode with semi-transparent floating toolbar
More Help topics
“Open a PDF in a web browser” on page 12
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.
More Help topics
“Preferences for viewing PDFs” on page 14
“Setting up a presentation” on page 277
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.
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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.
1Choose View > Full Screen Mode.
2Do 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.
3To 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.
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.
More Help topics
“About PDF/X, PDF/E, and PDF/A standards” on page 70
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 will print 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.
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, Multimedia, and Page Display.
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.
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More Help topics
“3D preferences” on page 313
“Multimedia preferences” on page 299
“Setting accessibility preferences” on page 246
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 or not 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
forth. 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
unselected by default.
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Create Links From URLs Specifies whether links that weren’t created with Acrobat are automatically identified in the
PDF document and become clickable links.
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.
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 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 unselected 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 PDF application is used to open PDFs in a web browser or
the Windows shell (by double-clicking a PDF on the desktop, for example). This setting applies if you have multiple
versions of Acrobat or Adobe Reader or both installed on your computer. For example, if you choose Reader X, PDFs
open in Protected Mode--a secure, confined environment for viewing PDFs.
More Help topics
“Change updating preferences” on page 33
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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 intial
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 (on-screen) 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.
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.
Organizer
The Organizer and Organizer-related commands are not available in Acrobat X and later.
Working with files in Microsoft SharePoint (Windows)
About SharePoint and PDF
Microsoft SharePoint is a document management and collaboration platform that helps you manage, share, and
publish information within your enterprise. You can work on PDF files hosted on the SharePoint portal either through
the SharePoint web interface using Internet Explorer, or directly in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. See video on
Using SharePoint with Acrobat X for a quick demo.
Note: Your SharePoint administrator must configure the SharePoint server to enable editing of PDF documents. See this
TechNote for details.
Access PDF files in a SharePoint repository
You can access PDF files in a SharePoint repository in several ways.
In Internet Explorer, navigate to a PDF on your SharePoint web portal, and click the PDF. The PDF opens using an
Active X control.
You can also use the Acrobat Open and Save dialog boxes with the following options:
•URL of the repository; for example, http://mysharepointserver/mysite/mydoclib
•Complete UNC path; for example, \\mysharepointserver\mysite\mydoclib
•Mapped network drives
For example, to save files to the SharePoint repository:
1Choose File > Save As > PDF.
2In the File Name field, enter the filename along with the complete URL of the SharePoint repository.
3Click Save.
Check out a file
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:
•Using Internet Explorer, navigate to the PDF file on the SharePoint portal and click on the document, or choose
Edit Document from the file pop-up menu.
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•In Acrobat or Reader, choose File > Open and specify the URL or complete UNC path of the PDF file.
2A dialog box displays the file name 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 or Reader.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
More Help topics
“Retrace your viewing path” on page 23
“Adjust page magnification” on page 24
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.
More Help topics
“About bookmarks” on page 260
“About page thumbnails” on page 259
“Set the page layout and orientation” on page 27
“Retrace your viewing path” on page 23
Move through a PDF
❖Do one of the following:
•Click the Previous Page or Next Page button on 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” on page 101
(Acrobat only) and “Preferences for viewing PDFs” on page 14.
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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.
Bookmarks panel
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.
1Choose View > Page Navigation > Previous View.
2To 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.
More Help topics
“Links and attachments” on page 264
“Multimedia preferences” on page 299
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.
More Help topics
“Open, save, or delete an attachment” on page 268
“Attachments” on page 194
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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.
More Help topics
“Articles” on page 270
Open and navigate an article thread
1Click the Hand tool on the Common Tools toolbar.
2Choose 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.
3Double-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.
4With 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.
5At 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.
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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All zoom tools
A. Marquee Zoom tool B. Dynamic 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 Dynamic Zoom 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
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A B C D FE G H I J
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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 Dynamic Zoom tool (also called Continuous 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
1Choose View > Zoom> Loupe Tool.
2Click 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.
3To 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.
Use the Loupe tool to view a magnified area of the document.
Note: 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.
Change the magnification by using a page thumbnail
1Click the Page Thumbnails button in the navigation pane on the left side of the window.
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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.
A page-view box in a page thumbnail indicates the area of the page currently showing 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.
More Help topics
“About PDF layers” on page 284
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.
You can use the following page layouts when viewing PDF documents:
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.
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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.
Single Page View, Enable Scrolling, Two Page View, Two Page Scrolling layouts
Set the page layout of an open PDF
•To see only one page at a time, choose View > Page Display > Single Page View.
•To see two pages at a time, side by side, choose View > Page Display > Two Page View.
•To scroll down continuously through one page after another, choose View > Page Display > Enable Scrolling.
•To scroll down continuously through two pages at a time, choose View > Page Display > Two Page Scrolling.
•To display the first page of a multipage document alone on the right side, first specify either the Two Page View or
Two Page Scrolling option. Then choose View > Page Display > Show Cover Page In Two Page View.
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° 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” on page 10.)
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.
More Help topics
“Opening and viewing PDFs” on page 11
“View document properties” on page 280
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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.
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.
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Grids, guides, and measurements
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 Between Lines 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 the Grid Line Color square and choose a new color from the Color panel.
Create ruler guides
Horizontal and vertical rulers let you check the size of objects in your documents. 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 to the right of 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
❖Click the guide to select it, and then drag it to a new location, or press Delete. To delete all guides, right-click in the
ruler area and choose Clear All Guides or Clear Guides On Page.
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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 Reader 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.
Measuring tools
A. Measuring toolbar B. Object being measured C. Measurement Info panel
1Choose Tools > Analyze> Measuring Tool.
2To 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.
3While 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 choose Cancel Measurement.
•To delete a measurement markup, click it with the Measurement Tool and press Delete.
A
C
B
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More Help topics
“Change the look of your comments” on page 131
Measuring tool options
Use the right-click menu to set measuring tool 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.
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 Reader, 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.
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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.
View x and y coordinates
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Cursor Coordinates.
2Move the mouse 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 menu.
Maintaining the software
Updating the software
Acrobat 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 on-screen instructions.
Change updating preferences
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat/Adobe Reader > Preferences (Mac OS).
2From the Categories on the left, select Updater.
3In the Check For Updates section, select an option for installing updates.
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.
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. Digital Editions is
a separate web-based rich internet application (RIA) that replaces the eBooks features in previous versions of Acrobat.
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When you install Digital Editions, your existing bookshelf items are automatically imported and available within the
new Digital Editions bookshelf experience. You can also manually import individual PDFs into your Digital Editions
bookshelf.
Note: When you open an eBook for the first time, the 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.
Activation and registration
Help with installation
For help with installation issues, see Acrobat Help and Support at www.adobe.com/go/acrobat_support.
License activation
During the installation process, your Adobe software contacts Adobe to complete the license activation process. No
personal data is transmitted. For more information on product activation, visit the Adobe website at
www.adobe.com/go/activation.
A single-user retail license activation supports two computers. For example, you can install the product on a desktop
computer at work and on a laptop computer at home. If you want to install the software on a third computer, first
deactivate it on one of the other two computers. Choose Help
> Deactivate.
Register
Register your product to receive complimentary installation support, notifications of updates, and other services.
❖To register, enter your Adobe ID when prompted when you install or launch the software.
If you choose to skip entering your Adobe ID during installation or launch, you can register at any time by choosing
Help > Product Registration.
Adobe Product Improvement Program
After you have used your Adobe software a certain number of times, a dialog box appears, asking whether you want
to participate in the Adobe Product Improvement Program.
If you choose to participate, data about your use of Adobe software is sent to Adobe. No personal information is
recorded or sent. The Adobe Product Improvement Program only collects information about the features and tools
that you use in the software and how often you use them.
You can opt in to or opt out of the program at any time:
•To participate, choose Help > Product Improvement Program and click Yes, Participate.
•To stop participating, choose Help > Product Improvement Program and click No, Thank You.
Adobe provides more information about the Product Improvement Program in a frequently asked questions (FAQ)
list on the Adobe website.
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Services and downloads
Adobe Exchange
Visit the Adobe Exchange at www.adobe.com/go/exchange to download samples as well as thousands of plug-ins and
extensions from Adobe and third-party developers. The plug-ins and extensions can help you automate tasks,
customize workflows, create specialized professional effects, and more.
Adobe downloads
Visit www.adobe.com/go/downloads to find free updates, tryouts, and other useful software.
Adobe Labs
Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/labs gives you the opportunity to experience and evaluate new and emerging
technologies and products from Adobe.
Non-English languages
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.
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.
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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 International.
2Select Enable Right-To-Left Language Options.
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Chapter 3: Creating PDFs
Adobe® PDF is the solution of choice for capturing robust information from any application on any computer system.
You can create PDFs from document files, websites, scanned paper documents, and clipboard content.
Overview of creating PDFs
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® X Standard. 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 and drop files on 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 resources
•Adobe PDF in Creative Workflows: www.adobe.com/designcenter/creativesuite/articles/cs3ip_pdfworkflows.pdf.
•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 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.
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Paper documents
Requires a scanner and a hard copy of the document.
Create menu 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 ribbon.
Save As Adobe PDF (Mac OS) Within the authoring application, choose File > Save As, and select Adobe PDF as the
format.
Adobe PDF printer (Windows only) Within the authoring application, in the Print dialog box.
Drag and drop (Windows only) On the desktop or from a folder.
Context menu (Windows only) On the desktop or in a folder, by right-clicking.
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 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 Within Acrobat, by choosing PDF from Web Page.
PDFMaker (Windows only) Within Internet Explorer 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 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.
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.
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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 on-screen 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
“Adobe PDF conversion settings” on page 69
Creating simple PDFs with Acrobat
Convert a file to PDF using Acrobat
1In Acrobat, do one of the following:
•Choose File > Create > PDF From File.
•In the toolbar, click the Create button and choose PDF From File.
2
In the Open dialog box, select the file. You can browse all file types or select a specific type from the Files Of Type menu.
3Optionally, click Settings to change the conversion options. 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.
4Click Open to convert the file to a PDF.
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.
More Help topics
“View PDFMaker conversion settings” on page 53
“PDF Portfolios and combined PDFs” on page 83
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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 won’t have the opportunity to adjust any conversion settings during the process.
1Select the icons of one or more files.
2Drag the file icons onto the Acrobat application icon. Or (Windows only) drag the files into the open Acrobat
window.
If a message appears saying that the file could not be opened in Acrobat, 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 Distiller window or the
Distiller 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)
2In Acrobat, choose File > Create > PDF from Clipboard.
Note: The PDF from Clipboard command appears only when content is copied to the Clipboard. If the Clipboard is empty,
the command is disabled.
Convert screen captures to PDF (Mac OS)
In Mac OS, you can create PDFs from screen captures.
❖Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat choose File > Create > PDF [From Screen Capture, From Window Capture, or From Selection Capture].
•Use the Grab utility (Applications > Utilities > Grab) to capture a screen image, and choose Edit > Copy to copy
the image to the clipboard. Then start Acrobat and choose File > Create > PDF From Clipboard.
Note: The PDF From Clipboard command appears when an image or text is copied to the clipboard. If the clipboard is
empty, the command is not available.
Create a PDF from a blank page
You can create a PDF from a blank page 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 PDFs. 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® X Standard, close any open documents.
2Do one of the following:
•(Windows) Choose Tools > Pages > More Insert Options > Insert Blank Page.
•(Mac OS) Press Command+Shift+Q.
A blank single-page PDF is created. Using Insert Blank Page command again adds another page to the existing PDF.
Correct OCR text in PDFs
When you run OCR on a scanned output, Acrobat analyzes bitmaps of text and substitutes words and characters for
those bitmap areas. If the ideal substitution is uncertain, Acrobat 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. You can accept these suspects as they
are, or you can use the Edit Document Text tool
to correct them.
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 asks if you want to run OCR. If you click OK, the Recognize Text dialog box opens
and you can select options, which are described in detail under the previous topic.
1Do one of the following:
•Choose Tools > Recognize Text > Find All Suspects. All suspect words on the page are enclosed in boxes. Click any
suspect word to show the suspect text in the Find Element dialog box.
•Choose Tools > Recognize Text > Find First Suspect.
Note: If you close the Find Element window before correcting all suspect words, you can return to the process by choosing
Tools > Recognize Text > Find First Suspect, or by clicking any suspect word with the Edit Document Text tool.
2In the Find option, choose OCR Suspects.
3Compare the word in the Suspect text box with the actual word in the scanned document. To correct an OCR
suspect, click on the highlighted object in the document and type in the new text. If the suspect was incorrectly
identified as text, click the Not Text button.
4Review and correct the remaining suspect words, and then close the Find Element dialog box.
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
❖Do one of the following:
•Open the PDF in Acrobat, 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).
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•(Windows only) Right-click the PDF file icon and choose Properties. Click the PDF tab and look near the bottom
of the panel 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 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.
3When a message appears asking if you want to overwrite the existing file, click OK.
Scan documents to PDF
Scan a paper document to PDF
You can create a PDF file directly from a paper document, using your scanner and Acrobat. On Windows, Acrobat
supports TWAIN scanner drivers and Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) drivers.
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 judgement. 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.
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 from the list of registered applications.
Then, in the Acrobat Scan dialog box, select a scanner and a document preset or Custom Scan.
After you scan a document to PDF, you can apply security settings using one of the security or batch processing
methods in Acrobat, or using JavaScript. For more information see the documents at
learn.adobe.com/wiki/display/security/Document+Library.
For more information on scanning, see these resources:
•See a video on how to convert a scanned document into a PDF: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_024_acrx_en
•Troubleshooting scanning and OCR: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/troubleshoot-scanning-and-ocr
•How to edit a scanned PDF: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_edit_scans_en
•How to extract active text from an image: www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1272051
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More Help topics
“Choosing a security method” on page 198
“About Actions” on page 286
“Creating and distributing forms” on page 153
Scan a paper document to PDF using a 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, 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.
Optimize a scanned PDF
1Open a PDF created from a scanned document.
2Choose Tools > Document Processing > Optimize Scanned PDF.
3Select options in the Optimize Scanned PDF dialog box, and click OK.
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) supported
by your scanner. 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 supported by your scanner. 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 new 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 PDF 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” on page 46.
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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Optimize Scanned PDF dialog box
The Optimize 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.
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, and input resolution higher than 600 dpi is
downsampled to 600 dpi or lower.
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•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 the file is saved by Save, the scanned image remains
uncompressed. If the PDF document is saved 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 very 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 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.
For more information on text recognition, see these videos:
•Recognizing Text in Scanned PDF Documents: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_025_acrx_en
•How to Edit a Scanned PDF: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_edit_scans_en
Note: Scanning at 300 dpi produces the best text for conversion. At 150 dpi, OCR accuracy is slightly lower.
More Help topics
“Adding unifying page elements” on page 91
Converting Scanned PDF Files to Other File Formats
Recognize text in a single document
1Open the scanned PDF.
2Choose Tools > Recognize Text > In This File.
3In the Recognize Text dialog box, select an option under Pages.
4Optionally, click Edit to open the Recognize Text - General Settings dialog box, and specify the options as needed.
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Recognize text in multiple documents
1In Acrobat, choose Tools > Recognize Text > In Multiple Files.
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.
Recognize Text - General Settings dialog box
Primary OCR Language Specifies the language for the OCR engine to use to identify the characters.
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.
•ClearScan Synthesizes a new Type 3 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.
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.
Note: 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.
More Help topics
“Creating accessible PDFs” on page 253
“Creating PDFs with PDFMaker (Windows)” on page 51
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 As Adobe 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 PDF Printing Preferences, Adobe PDF Printing
Defaults, or Adobe PDF Document 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 PDF Conversion 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.
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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:
•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 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.
More Help topics
“Create and use a custom page size” on page 50
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 the Printers window 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 the Printers window from the Start menu.
3Right-click the Adobe PDF printer, and choose 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.
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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.
2Open the Printers window from the Start menu.
3Right-click the Adobe PDF printer, and choose Properties.
4Click the Ports tab.
5Select the default port, Documents, and click Apply.
6Select the port to delete, click Delete Port, and then click Yes 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 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
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 the 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.
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2Click the Page Setup button.
3Select the new custom page size from the Paper Size menu.
Creating 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. See the video Creating PDF Files from
Microsoft Office for more information.
For Microsoft Office 2007 and later applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, 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 the TechNote http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/333/333235.html.
More Help topics
“Customize Adobe PDF settings” on page 70
“Create PDFs from Word mail merges” on page 57
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 7 or earlier, choose File > Preferences > Toolbar Preferences, click Toolbars, and select the Visible
option for Acrobat 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.
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•(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.
3Do one of the following:
•If PDFMOutlook or Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Addin is not listed, choose COM Add-Ins from the Manage
pop-up menu and click Go.
•If PDFMOutlook or Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Addin 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 Addin and click OK.
5Restart the Office application.
Convert a file to PDF
If you also want to send the PDF for review, see Donna Baker’s One-Step Convert and Send for Review.
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, PowerPoint, and Access, click the Create PDF
button
on the Acrobat ribbon.
3Enter a filename and location for the PDF, and click Save.
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, PowerPoint, and Access, click the Create And
Attach To Email button
on the Acrobat ribbon.
When the conversion is 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 PDF button isn’t visible, choose Adobe PDF > Change Conversion Settings, and then select Show
Attach As Adobe PDF Buttons. 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.
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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.
•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 LiveCycle Rights 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, PowerPoint, and Access, 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” on page 121.
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 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.
More Help topics
“Adobe PDF conversion settings” on page 69
“Application-specific PDFMaker settings” on page 58
Settings tab of the Conversion Settings
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.)
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.
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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.
Create PDF/A Compliant PDF File Creates the PDF so that it conforms to this ISO standard for long-term preservation
of electronic documents. (In the Microsoft Publisher application alone, PDFMaker does not support the PDF/A
standard.)
Note: When Conversion Settings are opened from within Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, this option specifies PDF/A 1-
a:2005. When opened from within Access, it specifies PDF/A 1-b:2005.
Security tab of the Conversion Settings
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 kind of 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.
For tips on converting Word documents to PDFs, see Troubleshooting PDF-creation issues in Microsoft Word at
www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/troubleshooting-pdf-creation-issues-microsoft-word.
More Help topics
“View PDFMaker conversion settings” on page 53
“Application-specific PDFMaker settings” on page 58
Convert Excel files to PDF
1Open a file in Excel.
2Optionally, select the cells to convert.
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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.
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.
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.
More Help topics
“Application-specific PDFMaker settings” on page 58
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.
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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.
Important: 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.
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.
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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.
5
In 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.
Create PDFs from Word mail merges
Mail merges from Word generate documents like form letters—for one common example—which are personalized
with information like the names and addresses of the individuals to whom they will be sent. 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.
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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.
Important: 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 unselected, 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, which takes an amount of time that is
proportional to the complexity of the merge and the number of PDFs you create.
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 is 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.
Application-specific PDFMaker settings
The conversion settings available in one PDFMaker-enabled application may be different from those settings you
would encounter within 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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More Help topics
“Adobe PDF conversion settings” on page 69
“Convert web pages to PDF in Internet Explorer and Firefox (Windows)” on page 62
“Convert Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files to PDF” on page 54
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.
Note: In Microsoft Publisher 2003 documents, PDFMaker includes Publisher headings as bookmarks in the PDF.
PDFMaker does not support the conversion of Publisher 2002 bookmarks, links, transparency, or crop marks and bleed
marks.
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. For more information, see “Preferences for viewing PDFs” on page 14.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
•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 only) 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.
Enable Advanced Tagging Integrates this into the PDF.
For tips on converting Word documents to PDFs, see Troubleshooting PDF-creation issues in Microsoft Word at
www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/troubleshooting-pdf-creation-issues-microsoft-word.
Bookmarks tab settings (Microsoft Word)
The options you specify on this tab determine which items are converted into PDF bookmarks in the PDF.
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Important: To include bookmarks in the conversion process, the Add Bookmarks To Adobe PDF option on the Settings
tab must be selected. If you deselect that option, it overrides 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.
(Unselected 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.
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.
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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.
Convert web pages to PDF in Internet Explorer and Firefox (Windows)
Acrobat installs an Adobe PDF toolbar in Internet Explorer (version 7.0 or later) 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.
A menu on the PDF toolbar provides easy conversion and print capabilities.
See the video Creating PDF Files from a Web Browser for additional information.
More Help topics
“Web page conversion options” on page 65
Convert a web page to PDF
1In Internet Explorer or Firefox, go to the web page.
2Using the Convert menu on the Adobe PDF toolbar, do one of the following:
Note: If you don’t see the Adobe PDF toolbar, choose View > Toolbars > Adobe PDF (Internet Explorer) or View >
Toolbars > Adobe Acrobat - Create PDF (Firefox).
•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.
•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.
•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.
Convert part of a web page to PDF
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. Then select a name and location for the PDF.
•To append the selected content to another PDF, choose Append To Existing PDF. 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 .
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 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 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.
More Help topics
“Asian language PDFs” on page 35
“Web page conversion options” on page 65
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.
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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.
6Click Create.
Note: You can view PDF pages while they are downloading; however, you cannot modify a page until the download
process is complete.
7If you closed the Download Status dialog box, choose Tools > Document Processing > Web Capture > Bring Status
Dialogs To Foreground to see the dialog box again.
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 > Document Processing > Web Capture > Add To PDF 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.
2Do one of the following:
•Right-click the web link, and choose Append To Document.
•Choose Tools > Document Processing > Web Capture > View Web Links. The dialog box lists all the links on the
current page or on the tagged bookmark’s pages. Select the linked pages to add. Click Properties to set the download
options, as needed, and then click Download.
•Choose Tools > Document Processing > Web Capture > Append All Links On Page.
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 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.
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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 or Firefox, in the Adobe PDF toolbar, choose Convert > Preferences.
•From Acrobat, choose File > Create > PDF from Web Page, and then click Settings.
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, 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.
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•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.
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.
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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Acrobat Distiller main window (Windows)
A. Menus B. Adobe PDF settings files C. Files in job queue D. Failed job E. Context menu F. Status window
To start Acrobat Distiller, choose Adobe Acrobat Distiller X from the Start menu.
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 Jobs 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).
(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 X 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.
•Give a PostScript file the same name as the original document, but with the extension .ps. (Some applications use
a .prn extension instead.)
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•Use color and custom page sizes that are available with the Acrobat Distiller 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.
Adobe PDF conversion settings
Choose an Adobe PDF preset for converting files
1Do one of the following:
•Start Acrobat Distiller.
•In an Adobe Creative Suite® application, choose File > Print, select Adobe PDF as the target printer, and click
Properties.
•(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 Suite
applications, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat. 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.
Important: Acrobat Standard does not include the Extras folder. The presets installed in the Extras folder are only
available in Acrobat Pro.
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
•(Vista or Windows 7) ProgramData/Adobe/Adobe/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
•(Vista or Windows 7) Users/[username]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings
Some presets are not available in some Creative Suite 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.
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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.
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 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.
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.
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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.
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, click Advanced 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.
Adobe PDF Settings dialog box (Windows)
A. Predefined Adobe PDF settings B. Options panel
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) 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.
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Adobe PDF settings
The Adobe PDF Settings dialog box in Acrobat Distiller contains panels of options that you can select to customize
your PDF output.
More Help topics
“Find PostScript font names” on page 82
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.
•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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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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.
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.
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•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 on-screen 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.
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.
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•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.
Advanced panel options
The 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 on-screen 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.
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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, or (Mac
OS)/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Distiller/Data.
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. Or, you can type the path into the Address text box.
Note: Distiller processes prologue and epilogue files only if both files are present and located properly. The two files must
be used together.
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.
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 X.
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 doesn’t meet the PDF/X requirements and notes these problems
in the report.
•Cancel Job Creates a PDF only if the PostScript file meets the PDF/X requirements of the selected report options,
and is otherwise valid.
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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.
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) Users/[username]/AppData/Roaming/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.
Acrobat 3.0 (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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•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.
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 Photoshop 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), 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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Suitable compression methods for different art types
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.
A
CD
Sales Plan
Kahili Mountain Coffee
B
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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.
Note: For Asian text, Acrobat 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 characters are unconventional (left), the substitution font will not match (right).
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
•/Windows/Fonts
Distiller searches the following font folders in Mac OS:
•/Resource/Font in the Acrobat folder
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•/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.
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, 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.
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Chapter 4: PDF Portfolios and combined
PDFs
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.
Note: Acrobat Standard and Adobe Reader® users cannot create PDF Portfolios or edit the layout, colors, headers, and so on.
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.
Reordering Drag files to change their order. You can then define the new order as the initial sort order—the order in
which files appear when someone opens the PDF Portfolio.
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.
Additional resources
For videos on PDF Portfolios, see the following resources:
•What is a PDF Portfolio?: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_021_acrx_en
•Working in PDF Portfolios: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_023_acrx_en
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•Articles, tutorials, and tips about PDF Portfolios: acrobatusers.com
•How to customize your PDF Portfolio: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_022_acrx_en.
•PDF Portfolio gallery: www.acrobatusers.com/gallery/pdf_portfolio_gallery
•Filtering form response files: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2008/06/a9video_understanding_form_tracker
•Filtering Outlook messages: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/archiving-emails-pdf-microsoft-outlook
More Help topics
“Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio” on page 337
“Search a PDF Portfolio” on page 294
PDF Portfolio window overview
You preview PDF Portfolios, and work with component files using various elements, such as toolbars and windows.
PDF Portfolio in Click-Through layout
A. PDF Portfolio toolbar B. Card representing component file C. Component files and folders in mini-navigator preview D. Share pane for
sharing the PDF Portfolio
•The PDF Portfolio toolbar is located immediately below the menu. Look here for PDF Portfolio viewing options,
a search tool, and buttons for common tasks, such as printing and saving.
AD
C
B
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•Cards represent each component file in the PDF Portfolio. Click the Show Info View icon on the card to view
information about the file on the back of the card.
•The mini-navigator is the row of cards across the bottom of the PDF Portfolio window in Click-Through, Linear,
and Wave layouts. By default, the cards are displayed alphabetically.
•The Share pane includes options for sharing the PDF Portfolio with others.
•Layout (Preview mode) shows the PDF Portfolio in any of several views, depending on the design or type of file or
layout specified by the author. For information about each type of preview, see “Preview modes” on page 85.
•Files mode shows the file details in a list. You can click a column name to sort by ascending and descending order.
To return to the original view, click the Layout button.
A PDF Portfolio is accessible when it opens in 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 Pro only,
choose Acrobat > Preferences (Mac OS). Under Categories, select Accessibility, and then select Show Portfolios In
Files Mode.
•Edit mode allows you to modify the file information, reorder files, convert files to PDF, reduce file size, and show,
hide, and sort columns. To open Edit mode, right-click and choose Edit Portfolio.
Scroll through component files
Depending on the layout, you can scroll through component files in various ways. Some layouts include a mini-
navigator, scroll bar, or Next
and Previous buttons.
More Help topics
“Search a PDF Portfolio” on page 294
Preview modes
You can preview the component files in several different ways. In Preview mode, you can preview images and pages,
play video and SWF files, and 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). To return to the original view, click the Layout
button. The Share pane is available with options for sharing the PDF Portfolio with others.
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Viewing a PDF Portfolio in different Preview modes
A. Mini-navigator preview B. Card preview C. Full preview D. Platform preview
Mini-navigator preview The row of cards across the bottom of the PDF Portfolio window. By default, the cards
(component files) appear alphabetically. To hide
or show the mini-navigator, click the double arrow below the
card. In Preview mode, the mini-navigator appears in Click-Through layout only. In Edit mode, the mini-navigator
appears in Wave and Linear layouts.
Card preview A visual representation of each component file (piece of content) added to a PDF Portfolio. A thumbnail
image, where possible, appears on the card. Metadata, or details about the file, are available on the back of the
thumbnail image. Click the Information icon
on the card to view file details. Click the close button to return to the
thumbnail image. Cards also indicate whether a component file is open in another application or being edited.
Full preview A larger visual representation of the file, with other content visible behind the preview. These file types
open in Full preview when you double-click the card: PDFs with no security added, Word documents, and images.
FLV files open in Full preview when you double-click the card in the mini-navigator. Move the pointer over the bottom
of the file in Full preview to see a semi-transparent floating toolbar with buttons to interact with the file. To return to
the original view, click the close button in the upper-right corner of the preview.
Platform preview A full-size preview within the PDF Portfolio window. The navigation pane appears so you have
access to page thumbnails, bookmarks, signatures, and layers. These file types open in Platform preview when you
double-click the card: SWF files and HTML files. To open other file types in Platform preview, such as e-mail
A B
C D
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portfolios, form response files, and secured PDFs, choose View > Portfolio > Preview File. To close Platform preview,
click the close button in the upper-left corner or press Esc.
Switch between Preview mode and Edit mode
Right-click in the PDF Portfolio window and choose Preview Portfolio or Edit Portfolio.
Additional resources
For videos on customizing a PDF Portfolio, see the following resources:
•How to Customize a PDF Portfolio: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_022_acrx_en.
•How to Create a PDF Portfolio: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_portfolio_create_en.
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 Preview mode, click the Files button in the PDF Portfolio toolbar. To sort file details by ascending and descending
order, click a column name. Click it a second time to reverse the order.
Add files and folders to a PDF Portfolio
You can add files and folders to an existing PDF Portfolio in either Layout (Preview) mode or Files mode.
1Right-click in the PDF Portfolio window and choose Edit Portfolio.
2Do any of the following:
•To add a folder, right-click and choose Create Folder.
•To add files from your computer, drag any files or folders into the PDF Portfolio workspace or onto a folder.
•To move files to a different folder, drag them.
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.
❖In Edit mode, select one or more files or folders in the PDF Portfolio and press Delete. Or click the Delete File icon
on the card, if available.
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 Preview mode, right-click/Control-click the file, and choose Open File In Native Application (for non-PDFs) or
Open File (for PDFs).
•In Edit mode, double-click the file.
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Note: The component file opens in a separate window. If you’re viewing the PDF Portfolio in a browser, the file opens in
the standalone 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
❖In Edit mode, do any of the following:
•To edit the displayed name of a component file, select the file. Then click in the Display Name text box to show the
insertion point. You can also click the Show Info View icon
on the card to edit the Display Name on the back
of the card. (In Details view, Display Name is a column.)
•To edit the description of a component file, click the Show Info View icon. Then click in the Description text box
to show the insertion point. (In Details view, Description is a column.)
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 mode, click the Extract File icon in the component file.
•Select one or more files, and then drag them to your computer.
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 “File sharing and real-time collaboration” on page 114.)
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” on
page 104.
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” on page 200. 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 “Content security” on page 197.
Print Prints component documents. For more information, see “Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio” on page 337.
More Help topics
“PDF Portfolios and digital signatures” on page 237
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Other options for combining files
Create merged PDFs
In a merged PDF, converted documents flow into a single PDF as sequential pages.
1Choose File > Create > Combine Files Into A Single PDF.
If a PDF is currently open, it appears in the list of included files.
2From the Add Files menu, choose any of the following:
•To add individual files, choose Add Files, then select the files.
•To add all the files in a folder, choose Add Folders, then select the folder.
Note: If the folder contains files that Acrobat does not support for PDF conversion, those files are not added.
•To add files that you have combined into PDFs in other sessions, choose Reuse Files. Then select a previously
created PDF from the left list, and from the right list, select the component documents. (If you have not used the
Combine Files dialog box before, this option is not available.)
•To add currently open PDFs, choose Add Open Files, then select the files.
In Windows, you can also drag files or folders from the desktop or a folder into the Combine Files dialog box. Or right-
click the selected items and choose Combine Supported Files In Acrobat.
If any files are password-protected, one or more messages appear, in which you must enter the correct password.
You can add a file more than once. For example, one file could be used for transition pages between other files or a
blank file could be used to add blank pages.
3As needed, do any of the following in the list of files:
•To rearrange the order of files on the list, select a file, then drag it or click Move Up or Move Down.
•To sort the list, click the column name that you want to sort by. Click again to sort in reverse order.
•To convert only part of a multipage source file, double-click the file, or select the file and click the Choose Pages
button (see Note). In the Preview, review and select pages, as needed, following the instructions in the dialog box,
which vary according to file type, and click OK.
Note: The name of the Choose button varies according to file type. For PDFs and Word documents, it is labeled Choose
Pages; for PowerPoint files, it is Choose Slides; for Excel files, Choose Sheets.
4Click Options to specify conversion settings.
5Specify a file size, and then click Combine Files.
A status dialog box shows the progress of the file conversions. Some source applications start and close automatically.
More Help topics
“Convert email messages to PDFs” on page 55
“Adobe PDF conversion settings” on page 69
File Size settings
Smaller File Size Reduces large images to screen resolution and compresses, using low-quality JPEG. Suitable for on-
screen 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 Creates PDFs suitable for reliable viewing and printing of business documents.
Larger File Size Applies the High Quality Print conversion preset.
Insert one PDF into another
1Open the PDF that serves as the basis of the combined file.
2Choose Tools > Pages > Insert From File.
3Select the PDF.
4In 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.
5To 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 open PDF. Drag the file icon directly into position in 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).
2Open the PDF that serves as the basis of the combined file.
3Choose Tools > Pages > More Insert Options > Insert From Clipboard.
4In 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.
5To leave the original PDF intact as a separate file, choose Save As, and type a new name for the merged PDF.
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 make changes to the original
PDF, the OLE features in the container application can update the embedded file in the container document, reflecting
your changes to the original PDF.
❖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.
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Adding unifying page elements
Add and edit headers and footers
A header and footer present consistent information in the page margins throughout a PDF. For example, the
information could be a date, automatic page numbering, the title of the overall document, or name of the author. You
can add headers and footers to one or more PDFs, including component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
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.
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
1Choose Tools > Pages > Header & Footer > Add Header & Footer.
2As 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 button 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.
3Type 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.
4To specify the pages on which the header and footer appear, click the Page Range Options button. Then specify a
page range and choose a Subset option, as needed.
5Examine the results in the Preview area, using the Preview Page option to see different pages of the PDF.
6(Optional) To save these header and footer settings for future use, click Save Settings at the top of the dialog box.
7(Optional) To apply the same settings to additional PDFs, click Apply To Multiple. 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 > Pages > Header & Footer > Add Header & Footer.
2In 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.
3Follow steps 2 through 6 in the procedure for adding headers and footers with an open document. When you have
finished setting up your headers and footers, click OK.
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4In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences and click OK.
Add headers and footers to component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio
1Select one or more component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
2Follow the steps in the procedure for adding headers and footers with an open document.
Update the headers and footers
Updating applies to the most recently added header and footer set.
1Open a single PDF.
2Choose Tools > Pages > Header & Footer > Update.
3Change the settings as needed.
Add another header and footer
1Open a single PDF, or select one component PDF in a PDF Portfolio.
2Choose Tools > Pages > Header & Footer > Add Header & Footer, and then click Add New in the message that
appears.
The preview shows any existing headers and footers.
3Type 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.
4Select new formatting options, as preferred, again noticing the updating in the preview.
Replace all headers and footers
1Open a single PDF.
2Choose Tools > Pages > Header & Footer > Add Header & Footer, and then click Replace Existing in the message
that appears.
3Specify 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 a single PDF, or select one component PDF in a PDF Portfolio. Then choose Tools > Pages > Header & Footer
> Remove.
•To remove headers and footers from multiple PDFs, close any open documents and choose Tools > Pages > 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 and edit backgrounds
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.
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Before and after adding a background
Add, replace, or edit a background, with an open document
1Choose Tools > Pages > Background > Add Background.
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.
2(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.
3Specify 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
.
•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.
4Adjust the appearance and position of the background, as needed.
5(Optional) To apply the same background to additional PDFs, click Apply To Multiple. 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, replace, or edit a background, with no document open (Windows only)
1Choose Tools > Pages > Background > Add Background.
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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 Background dialog box.
4Follow steps 2 through 4 in the procedure for adding, replacing, or editing a background with an open document.
When you have finished setting up your background, click OK.
5In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences and click OK.
Add, replace, or edit a background for component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio
1Select one or more component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
2Follow the steps in the procedure for adding, replacing, or editing a background with an open document.
Update a recently edited background image
If the original image file that you are using as a background changes, you can update the PDF to show the new version
of the image rather than removing the old version and re-adding the new one.
1Open a single PDF.
2Choose Tools > Pages > Background > Update.
3Click 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 a single PDF, or select one or more component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
2Choose Tools > Pages > Background > Add Background/Replace.
3Click Page Range Options, and then specify a page range and choose a Subset option, as needed.
Remove a background from all pages
❖Do one of the following:
•Open a single PDF, or select one or more component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio. Then choose Tools > Pages >
Background > Remove.
•To remove a background from multiple PDFs, close any open PDFs and choose Tools > Pages > Background >
Remove. In the dialog box, click Add Files, choose Add Files or Add Open Files, and then select the files. Click OK,
and then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences.
Add and edit watermarks
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 each watermark must be added 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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Before and after adding a watermark
Add or replace a watermark, with an open document
1Choose Tools > Pages > Watermark > Add Watermark.
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 Text, 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. 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 > Pages > Watermark > Add Watermark.
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 > Pages > Watermark > Update.
3Make changes to the watermark, and then click OK.
Important: 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 Tools > Pages >
Watermark > Remove.
•To remove watermarks from multiple PDFs, close any open PDFs and choose Tools > Pages > 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.
Crop pages
The Crop Pages dialog box is where you can adjust the visible page area. This can help you create consistency within
a PDF composed of pages of different sizes.
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Cropping does not reduce file size because information is merely hidden, not discarded.
Crop empty areas around page content
1Choose Tools > Pages > Crop.
2Under Margin Controls, select Remove White Margins.
Crop one or more pages
1Choose Tools > Pages > Crop.
2Adjust values for the Margin Controls.
3As needed, specify Page Range settings.
Crop a page with the Crop tool
1Choose Tools > Pages > Crop.
2Drag 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.
3Double-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 these settings or apply other options by making new selections in the dialog box before
clicking OK.
Crop Pages dialog box settings
The Crop Pages options specify a selection of options for cropping pages.
The Margin Control options are as follows:
Constrain Proportions Locks the proportions of the crop so that all margins are 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 tool.
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 choosing Crop Pages from the options menu in the Page Thumbnails
panel of the navigation pane.
2Reset the margins to the original dimensions.
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Rearranging pages in a PDF
Rotate a page
You can rotate all or selected pages in a document. Rotation is based on 90° increments.
1Open the Rotate Pages dialog box using one of the following methods:
•Choose Tools > Pages > Rotate.
•From the options menu in the Page Thumbnails panel of the navigation pane, choose Rotate Pages.
2For Direction, select the amount and direction of the rotations: Counterclockwise 90 Degrees, Clockwise 90
Degrees, or 180 Degrees.
3For Pages, specify whether all pages, a selection of pages, or a range of pages are to be rotated.
4From the Rotate menu, specify even pages, odd pages, or both, and select the orientation of pages to be rotated.
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 in a PDF
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 and choose Tools > Pages > Extract.
2Specify the range of pages to extract.
3In the Extract Pages dialog box, do one or more of the following before you click OK:
•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 named Pages From [original document name]-[n].
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 Security.
More Help topics
“Move or copy a page” on page 99
“Extract component files in a PDF Portfolio” on page 88
Splitting 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 by top-level bookmarks.
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Split one or more PDFs, with an open document
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Pages > Split Document.
2In the Split Document dialog box, specify 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.
3To specify a target folder for the split files and filename preferences, click Output Options. Specify the options as
needed, and then click OK.
4(Optional) To apply the same split to multiple documents, click Apply To Multiple. Click Add Files, and choose
Add Files, Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Select the files or folder, and then click OK.
Split one or more PDFs, with no document open (Windows only)
1Choose Tools > Pages > Split Document.
2Click Add Files, and choose Add Files, Add Folders. Select the files or folder, and then click OK.
3Follow steps 2 and 3 in the procedure for splitting documents with a document open.
Move or copy a page
You can use page thumbnails in the Navigation pane to copy or move pages within a document, and copy pages
between documents.
When you drag a page thumbnail in the Page Thumbnails panel of the Navigation pane, a bar appears near other
thumbnails, indicating the position in which it will appear in the PDF. This bar appears at the bottom or top when the
thumbnails are in a single column, or to the left or right if more than one column of thumbnails is displayed.
More Help topics
“Insert one PDF into another” on page 90
“About tags, accessibility, reading order, and reflow” on page 244
Move or copy a page within a PDF, using page thumbnails
1Click the Page Thumbnails button in the Navigation pane to open the Page Thumbnails panel, and select one or
more page thumbnails.
2Do 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.
Copy a page between two PDFs, using page thumbnails
1Open both PDFs, and display them side by side.
2Open the Page Thumbnails panels for both PDFs.
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 a page
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.
A page before and after it is replaced. The page’s bookmarks and links remain in the same locations.
Delete pages, using the Delete command
Note: You cannot undo the Delete command.
1Choose Tools > Pages > Delete.
2Enter the page range to be deleted, and click OK.
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 Delete Pages dialog box, and the page is deleted.
Delete pages, using page thumbnails
1In the Page Thumbnails panel, select a page or group of pages.
2Choose Delete Pages from the Page Thumbnails panel options menu , and click OK.
Replace the contents of a page
1Open the PDF that contains the pages you want to replace.
2Choose Tools > Pages > Replace.
3Select the document containing the replacement pages, and click Select.
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4Under Original, enter the pages to be replaced in the original document.
5Under 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.
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 Pages 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.
Printed page numbering (top) compared to logical page numbering (bottom)
You can number the pages in your document in a variety of ways. You can specify a different numbering style for
groups 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.
1Click the Page Thumbnails button to open the Page Thumbnails panel, and choose Number Pages from the options
menu.
2Specify a page range. (Selected refers to pages selected in the Page Thumbnails panel.)
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3Select 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.
Extend Numbering Used In Preceding Section To Selected Pages Continues the numbering sequence from previous
pages without interruption.
More Help topics
“Add and edit headers and footers” on page 91
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Chapter 5: Saving and exporting 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 Reader® users can save a copy of a PDF or PDF Portfolio if the creator of the document has enabled usage rights.
If usage rights are enabled, Reader users can also save comments, entries in form fields, or digital signatures that they
have added to a document. If a document has additional or restricted usage rights, the document message bar under
the toolbar area describes the assigned restrictions or privileges.
Saving PDFs
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.
Reader users can save PDF Portfolios, comment, fill in forms, and use digital signatures only when the PDF creator
has extended additional rights to Reader users. Reader users can save files in PDF or .txt format.
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 > PDF.
•In Reader, choose File > Save As > PDF or File > Save As > Text.
•To save a copy of a PDF Portfolio, choose File > Save As > PDF Portfolio.
If you are viewing a PDF in a web browser, the Adobe® Acrobat® X Standard File menu is not available. Use the Save
A Copy button in the Acrobat toolbar to save the PDF.
More Help topics
“Filling in forms” on page 185
“Participating in a PDF review” on page 122
Recover the last saved version
❖Choose File > Revert, and then click Revert.
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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.
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 > 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, the Autosave feature must be enabled, 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 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.
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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 > Reduced Size PDF.
3Select the version compatibility that you need.
If you’re certain that all your users use Acrobat X or Adobe Reader X, limiting compatibility to the latest version can
further reduce file size.
Note: If you select Acrobat 4.0 And Later, and the document contains transparency, the conversion will fail.
4(Optional) To apply the same settings to multiple files, click Apply To Multiple, and add the files. Click OK, then
in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences.
Note: The Apply To Multiple button is not available in PDF Portfolios.
More Help topics
“Balancing PDF file size and quality” on page 39
Exporting PDFs to other file formats
Exporting PDFs
You can export or convert one or more PDFs to several different file formats, and then open and use those files in other
applications. The available formats include both text and image formats. To make a PDF compatible with earlier
versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader, you can resave the PDF to an earlier PDF version. See video Converting
Scanned PDF Files to Other File Formats.
When you save a PDF in an image format, each page is saved as a separate file.
Note: You cannot export PDF Portfolios, or PDFs within them, to other file formats.
Export a single PDF
1Choose File > Save As > [Type] > [version], and choose a file format.
2Click Settings to set conversion options. (If the Settings button is unavailable, the format you selected has no
options.) Click OK to apply the settings. Conversion settings can also be edited in the Convert From PDF
Preferences.
Note: These conversion settings are stored separately from the settings used with the Export All Images command.
3Click 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.
File format options
When you export PDFs to different file formats using the Save As command, 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 Default button at any time to revert to the default settings.)
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More Help topics
“Convert PDFs to Word, RTF, spreadsheets or other formats” on page 109
“Export images to another format” on page 110
“Export selections to another format” on page 110
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 > Document Processing > 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.
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 Save As 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. 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
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.
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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).
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.
Run OCR if needed Recognizes text if the PDF contains images that contain text.
Set Language Specifies the language setting for OCR.
Spreadsheet and HTML options
Include Images Specifies if images are exported when you export a PDF as HTML.
Run OCR if needed Recognizes text if the PDF contains images that contain text.
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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.
Printer Description File The PostScript 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.
More Help topics
“PostScript options” on page 340
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.
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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 file names if you have several versions of the same image file. File
names 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.
Convert PDFs to Word, RTF, spreadsheets or other formats
Use the Save As command to convert a PDF to Microsoft Word format, or Rich Text Format (RTF), a standard for
exchanging content between text-editing applications. The file you obtain when you export a PDF to Word or RTF is
not equivalent to the source file in the authoring application. Some coding information may be lost in the conversion.
You can also export a PDF to plain text or accessible text. Accessible text follows the reading order preference selected
in the Reading preferences, and includes comments and form fields in its output. Accessible text also includes some
formatting, such as line breaks. Any alternate text in the document tags is used in place of images and figures. Plain
text follows the structure order of text in the document and ignores all artifacts and figure elements in the conversion.
Hard hyphens are preserved, and soft hyphens are removed.
You can also export a PDF to a spreadsheet format for Excel.
1Choose File > Save As > [Type] > [version], and choose a file format.
2Click Settings, select the options you want, click OK, and click Save.
Additional resources
For videos and tutorials on saving PDFs to other formats, see these resources:
•Exporting a PDF to Excel: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/exporting-pdf-excel
•Converting PDF files to other file formats: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_012_acrx_en
•Converting scanned PDF files to other file formats: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_026_acrx_en
•How to save a PDF with Acrobat JavaScript: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/how-save-pdf-acrobat-javascript
Conversion options
You can configure conversion options before you save the file. By default, the conversion options specified under
Preferences are used.
More Help topics
“Microsoft Word & RTF options” on page 107
“Spreadsheet and HTML options” on page 107
“Text and XML options” on page 108
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Export images 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 > Save
As command, you can export each image in a PDF to an image format.
Note: You can export raster images, but not vector objects.
1Choose Tools > Document Processing > Export All Images.
2In the Export All Images As dialog box, choose a file format for the images.
By default, exported image files use the source filename.
3Click Settings.
4In the Export All Images As Settings dialog box, select the file settings, color management, and conversion settings
for the file type.
5For Exclude Images Smaller Than, select the smallest size of image to be extracted. Select No Limit to extract all
images.
6Click OK. In the Export All Images As dialog box, click Save or OK.
More Help topics
“Image conversion settings” on page 106
Export selections 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 parts of 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 on the selected content and choose Export Selection As.
3Select a format from Save As Type list and click Save.
Reusing PDF content
Select and copy text
The Select tool lets you select horizontal and vertical text or columns of text in a PDF. You can use the Copy, Copy
with Formatting, 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 > 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.
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Select text by dragging from an insertion point to an end point (left) or by dragging diagonally over text (right).
More Help topics
“Opening secured documents” on page 198
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.
Select a part of the page
1Click the Select tool , and press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS). The pointer changes to .
2Drag the pointer and draw a rectangle to select a part of the page.
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.
•Right-click on the selected text, and then select Copy.
•Right-click on the selected text, and then choose Copy With Formatting. This command, which preserves the
column layout, appears only if the document is tagged properly.
You can paste copied text into comments and bookmarks as well as into documents authored in other applications.
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Convert selected content to other formats
You convert selected content other formats by copying and pasting the content to a file. For example, you can select
content and save it as a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, comma separated values.
1For scanned documents, choose Tools > Recognize Text > In This File. This command converts the scanned images
to text. The quality of your original scan affects how well you can copy and paste the text.
2Click the Select tool .
3Press Alt as you drag a rectangle over the rows and columns to copy.
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)
4Right-click the selection, and choose Export Selection As and specify a file name.
5Depending 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 a RTF or HTML file.
To copy a table in RTF, drag the selected table into an open document in the target application.
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 it 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.
More Help topics
“Export images to another format” on page 110
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.
1Select the Snapshot tool by choosing Edit > Take a Snapshot.
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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. The
Common Tools toolbar is located to the left of the Tools, Comment, and Share panes. See “Toolbars” on page 6.
You can save all the images from a PDF. See “Export images to another format” on page 110. This feature isn’t
available in Reader.
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Chapter 6: Collaboration
You can conduct reviews for many types of content by distributing an Adobe® PDF version of the source document
for others to review. Reviewers add their comments to the PDF using commenting and markup tools. In shared
reviews, reviewers can publish their comments in a shared workspace, and they can view and reply to the comments
of other reviewers.
If you have an Acrobat.com account, you can upload and share most document types. You can create an Acrobat.com
account and access these services directly from Acrobat.
Note: Acrobat.com is not available in all languages.
File sharing and real-time collaboration
Share files using Adobe SendNow Online
You can upload and share many file types to Acrobat.com, not just PDF files.
1To open the Share task pane, do one of the following:
•Choose File > Share Files Using SendNow Online.
•Click the Share task pane button.
2In the Share task pane, choose Use Adobe SendNow Online.
3Click Select Files, and select a file to upload. If a document is open, Acrobat adds it by default.
4Click the To field. The Subject and Message fields appear.
5Enter email addresses of the recipients. Click the To button to select email addresses from your email application
address book. Insert a semicolon or a return after each address.
6(Optional) Set the Delivery Options:
Require Sign In To Access Files To access and download the files, recipients are required to sign in to SendNow with
their Adobe ID and password. (If a recipient doesn’t have a SendNow account, they can sign up for a free Adobe
SendNow account.)
Get Delivery Receipts Receive email notification each time a recipient downloads a file you’ve sent.
Limit Download To nn Days Enter the number of days the file is available for download. Deselect this option if you
don’t want to limit how long the file is available.
7Click Send Link.
8If prompted, enter your Adobe ID and password, or create an ID if you don’t have one.
Acrobat uploads the files to Acrobat.com and sends emails to the recipients, with a link to the shared file. You can view
and track the sent files by clicking the link that appears in the Completed box in the Share panel. A similar link appears
in the confirmation email message that you receive.
For a video on how to share files on Acrobat.com see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_032_acrx_en.
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Share files by email
You can share many file types, not just PDF files.
1To open the Share task pane, do one of the following:
•Choose File > Attach to Email.
•Click the Share task pane button.
2In the Share task pane, choose Attach To Email.
3If a document is open, Acrobat adds it by default. Else, click Add File, and select a file.
4Click Attach. Acrobat creates an email using your default email application.
5Enter the email addresses, subject, and message.
6Click Send.
Collaborate with others in a PDF
Use Collaborate Live to review a PDF with one or more remote users in an online session. In a Collaborate Live session,
the participants view a document with a live chat window. When a participant shares a document, the page number
and magnification are also shared, so that everyone sees the same part of a document.
To start a Collaborate Live session, you must have Acrobat X installed. Participants in a Collaborate Live session must
have Acrobat X or Adobe Reader® X.
Initiate a Collaborate Live session
1Choose Comment > Review > Collaborate Live.
2If prompted, select or browse to the PDF, and click Next.
3If prompted, enter your Adobe ID and password, or create an ID if you don’t have one.
4On the email screen, do the following, and then click Send:
•Enter email addresses of your invitees. Insert a semicolon or a return after each address. Click the To or Cc buttons
to select email addresses from your email application address book.
•Preview and edit the email subject and message as needed. To use the default message, click Reset Default Message.
•To conduct the collaboration session on Acrobat.com, select Store File On Acrobat.com And Send A Link To
Recipients. To send the file as an attachment to the recipients, leave this option deselected.
•If you are conducting the collaboration session on Acrobat.com, choose an option from the Access Level menu to
specify who can download the file.
The Collaborate Live navigation pane opens in the document. After at least one participant joins the session, you can
share pages and chat online.
Participate in a Collaborate Live session
1In the Collaborate Live email invitation, do one of the following:
•If the email contains a PDF attachment, double-click the attachment.
•If the email contains a URL, click the URL or type the URL in the address box of a browser. If prompted, log in with
your Adobe ID and password.
The PDF opens with the Collaborate Live navigation pane open.
2If prompted, sign in as a guest or with your Adobe ID and password.
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3While participating in a Collaborate Live session, do any of the following as needed:
•Type chat messages in the box at the bottom of the pane. Click the color box to choose a different color for your
chat text.
•To share your pages so that the same page view appears for all participants, click the Start Page Sharing button.
During page sharing, the button changes to Stop Page Sharing, and you can stop sharing at any time.
•To share your screen in an Adobe ConnectNow meeting, from the options menu , choose Share My Screen.
•To save the chat history, from the options menu , choose Save Chat.
•To disable live collaboration in a document, from the options menu , choose Disable Chat & Page Sharing In
My Copy, or (initiator only) Disable Chat & Page Sharing In All Copies. If you disable live collaboration in all
copies, then users cannot log in to a live collaboration session with any copy of the document.
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.
Manage Account Click to view and manage your account settings.
Change Password Click to clear your currently saved password and specify a new one.
Use Share pane when sending email attachment When selected, opens the Share pane to send the document by e-
mail. When unselected, it creates an email using your default email client.
Always Connect When Opening Documents Enabled For Live Collaboration If this option is selected, you are
connected automatically when you open a PDF enabled for live collaboration. If this option is deselected, you are
prompted to sign in when you open a document enabled for live collaboration.
Copy Me When I Send An Email Invitation Using Acrobat.com When selected, sends you a copy of your initiating email
for shared documents, Collaborate Live sessions, shared reviews, and form distributions.
Create a Buzzword document
The feature to create an Adobe Buzzword document directly from Acrobat is not available in Acrobat X and later. If
you have an Acrobat.com account, you can create and share Buzzword documents. For more information, see
http://acrobat.com.
Collaborate in ConnectNow meetings
The feature to start a ConnectNow meeting directly from Acrobat is not available in Acrobat X and later. If you have
an Acrobat.com account, you can share PDFs and your desktop, and use other collaboration features in ConnectNow
meetings. For more information, see http://acrobat.com.
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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 installed to enable commenting for Reader users in managed reviews. You cannot
enable commenting for Reader users using Acrobat Standard.
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.
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 Acrobat.com or 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.
In a shared review, recipients can easily join the review, share their comments, track their reviews, and get regular updates.
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Note: You must have Acrobat 9 or later installed to initiate shared reviews on Acrobat.com. Participants in shared
reviews on Acrobat.com must have Acrobat 9 or Reader 9 or later. For shared reviews that are not on Acrobat.com,
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.
In an email-based review, participants send their comments to the initiator, who merges the comments into the master copy of the PDF.
Browser-based reviews
You can participate in browser-based reviews set up using Adobe LiveCycle ES2. The document opens in the web
browser and the document message bar displays the Save and Work Offline buttons. See Adobe LiveCycle
documentation for more details.
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.
Acrobat.com
Acrobat.com is a free, secure web service that works with Acrobat. Participants can download the file from
Acrobat.com, and add comments or forms data using Acrobat or Adobe Reader. When finished, participants publish
comments or submit secure form responses to Acrobat.com. Form responses are also stored on your hard drive as they
are returned. When using Acrobat.com, you can also allow reviewers or form submitters to open and share the PDF
in a live chat session.
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For an alternate workflow where initiators host documents on Acrobat.com, but recipients use email attachments, read
Patti Sokol’s article Acrobat.com for comment/review and forms distribution.
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. 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.
Select an email application for reviews
You need an email application and a mail server connection 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.
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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.
Starting a review
Start a shared review
The shared PDF that you send includes the Annotation and Drawing markup panels, and instructions in the document
message bar.
1Choose Comment > Review > Send For Shared Review.
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 Review. For Office 2007/2010 applications, choose
Acrobat > Create And Send For Review.
2If prompted, specify a PDF.
3Choose a delivery and collection method. You can use Acrobat.com, your own internal server, or a server profile if
you have already created one. (For more information, see “Choosing a distribution option for reviews and forms”
on page 118.) Then follow the onscreen instructions.
4On 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.
Access Level (Acrobat.com only) Specifies who can download the file from Acrobat.com. You can limit access to only
the recipients of your email, or you can allow open access to anyone who knows the URL.
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.
Allow Page View Sharing And Chat Collaboration In This Document (Acrobat.com only) When selected, reviewers can
use the Collaborate Live feature to open and share the PDF in a live chat session.
5Click 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.
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More Help topics
“Save the PDF with comments” on page 126
“Online Services preferences” on page 116
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.
Start the review
Before you start an email-based review, make sure that your email application is configured to work with Acrobat. (See
“Select an email application for reviews” on page 119.)
1Choose Comment > Review > Send for Email Review.
2If prompted, enter information in the Identity Setup dialog box.
3Specify 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.
4Specify 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 address book.
5Preview and edit the email invitation as needed, and then click Send Invitation.
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” on page 124). 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.
You can hide comments that you don’t want to merge by using the Show menu in the Comments list. Save and reopen
the PDF, and then select Yes in the Merge PDF dialog box.
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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 from the
Annotations and Drawing Markup panels in the Comment pane. Then save the PDF and send it back. (See “Annotations
and drawing markup tools overview” on page 129.)
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. For a video on the basics of reviewing,
see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_014_acrx_en
If you review a PDF using Acrobat 9 or earlier, or Reader 9 or earlier, some features are not available.
More Help topics
“Reply to comments” on page 143
“Rejoin a review” on page 124
“Save the PDF with comments” on page 126
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 Acrobat.com 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 Comment pane. 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.
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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.
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.
For information about the different types of reviews, see “About managed PDF reviews” on page 117.
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.
Save & Work Offline Saves the file for you to work offline. This option is available for browser-based reviews set up
using Adobe LiveCycle.
Send & Receive Synchronizes comments. This option is available for browser-based reviews set up using Adobe
LiveCycle.
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 synchronizes published comments on your local hard drive with the
comments on the server. Acrobat 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 have access to Acrobat.com or 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.
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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 > Attach To Email.
2In the Share pane, choose Attach to Email, and click Attach.
3In the new email that opens, enter the address for the initiator, and click Send.
To bypass the Share pane and directly attach the pdf to an email, in the Preferences dialog box, under Categories select
Online Services. Then, uncheck Use Share pane to send email attachments.
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 click Send.
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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Comment > Review > Track Reviews.
•In Reader, choose 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.)
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Acrobat 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
“Save the PDF with comments” on page 126
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 from Acrobat, choose Comment >
Review > Track Reviews. To open the Tracker from Reader, choose View > Tracker. For a video on how to track your
review in acrobat see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_015_acrx_en
Use the Tracker to manage reviews, forms, and web broadcast subscriptions (RSS feeds). Left panel has links to review files, forms, server status
messages, and RSS feeds. Right panel shows details for item selected in left panel.
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.
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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” on page 185.
Server Status
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 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.
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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.
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.
More Help topics
“Start a shared review” on page 120
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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.
2
In 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 under Categories, select Commenting.
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 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.
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Commenting
Annotations and drawing markup tools overview
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 use annotation and drawing markup tools (Comment pane) to add comments. 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 add them.
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 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.
Annotations panel
A. Add Sticky Note B. Highlight text C. Attach file D. Record audio E. Add Stamp tool and menu F. Insert text at cursor G. Replace text
H. Strikethrough I. Underline J. Add note to text
Drawing Markups panel
A. Add text box B. Add text callout C. Draw line D. Draw arrow E. Draw oval F. Draw rectangle G. Draw cloud H. Draw polygon I. Draw
connected lines J. Draw free form K. Erase free form
F G H I J
ABCD E
G H I J K
ABCD E F
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Types of comments in a PDF
A. Stamp B. Text edit C. Comment rollover (tool tip) D. Sticky note
Additional resources
For videos and tutorials on commenting, see these resources:
•The Basics of Commenting: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_013_acrx_en
•The Document Review Process: www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1670579&seqNum=4
More Help topics
“Comment on 3D designs” on page 314
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.
❖Click the Comment task pane button, and then click the Annotations or Drawing Markup panels.
Select an annotation or drawing markup tool
•Choose Comment > Annotations > [tool].
•Choose Comment > Drawing Markups > [tool].
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.
1Select the tool you want to use (but don’t use it yet).
2Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) and choose Keep Tool Selected.
Commenting preferences
Commenting preferences affect both the appearance of and the way you view annotations and markups in PDFs.
A
B
C
D
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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 Reader, 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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Properties
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 Close:
•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
1In Annotations and Drawing Markup panels in the Comment task pane, right-click the tool that you want to use,
and choose Tool Default Properties.
2Set the properties as desired, and click OK.
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 Reader, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
A B
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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.
Use the Sticky Note tool to add a text message in a pop-up note.
A. Annotations panel B. Sticky Note tool C. Options menu D. Time stamp E. Text message
Add a sticky note comment
1Select the Sticky Note tool in the Annotations panel, and either click where you want to place the note or drag
to create a custom-sized 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 > Properties Bar, 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.
When you’re finished, 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 .
2 Select the note icon, and press Delete.
Alternatively, double-click the note icon and choose Delete from the Options menu of the pop-up note.
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.
A
B
D
C
E
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Acrobat offers two basic methods to add text edit annotations: pre-select and post-select.
Pre-select Use the Select tool to mark the text and then click on a text edit tool. You can also right-click (Windows)
or Control-click (Mac OS) on the selected text to open a menu of text editing options.
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.
Replace Text option
A. Selected text is struck out. B. New text is added to a linked pop-up note.
More Help topics
“Export comments to Word (Windows)” on page 147
Replace text
1Select Replace from the Annotations panel.
2Select the text. Any selected text is crossed out and a pop-up note opens.
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
1Select the Insert tool from the Annotations panel.
2Click between the words or characters where you want to insert text.
3Do any of the following:
•Type the text you want to insert.
A B
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•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
1In the Annotations panel, 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.
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 Comment > Annotations, 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.
Stamp a document
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 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 Annotations panel by default.
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Stamp tool categories
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
www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2007/02/dynamic_stamp_secrets.
Open the Stamps palette
❖Choose Comment >Annotations > Stamps > Show Stamps 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.
•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 Annotations panel, click the Stamp tool and choose Add Current Stamp To Favorites.
A
B
C
D
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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 Reader, 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 Comment > Annotations > 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 Comment > Annotations > 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 Comment > Annotations > 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 Comment > Annotations > 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.
Add a line, arrow, or shape
Note: In Reader, 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 Comment > Drawing Markups, and select a drawing 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, right-click the drawing tool, choose Properties,
and set the desired options in the Properties dialog box.
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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.
Ungroup markups
❖Right-click the grouped selection, and choose Ungroup.
Add comments in a text box or callout
Note: In Reader, 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.
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Another way to add a text box is simply to paste copied text into the PDF. 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 Comment > Drawing Markups > Add Text Box .
2Click in the PDF.
3Choose View > Show/Hide > Toolbar Items > Properties Bar, 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.
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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 Comment >Drawing Markups > Callout tool .
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 > Toolbar Items > Properties Bar, 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 Reader, 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
“Change the look of your comments” on page 131
Add a prerecorded audio comment
1Choose Comment > Annotations > Record Audio and then click in the PDF where you want to place the audio
comment.
2Click Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS), and select the audio file you want to add.
3
(Optional) To hear the audio comment, click the Play button . When you’re finished, click Stop and then click OK.
4Specify options in the Properties dialog box, and then click OK.
Record an audio comment
1Choose Comment > Annotations > Record Audio and then click in the PDF where you want to place the audio
comment.
2In 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.
3Specify options in the Properties dialog box, and then click OK.
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Add comments in a file attachment
Note: In Reader, 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.
Important: Be sure to use the Attach tool in the Annotations panel when attaching files for a document review.
Document-level file attachments that you attach using the paper clip icon (Attach A File tool) from the Tools > Content
panel aren’t tracked with other comments in a review workflow and may cause your attached comments to be lost.
1Choose Comment > Annotations > Attach File .
2Click in the PDF where you want to place the attachment.
3Select the file that you want to attach, and then click Select. 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 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 Reader, 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, 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 Comment > Annotations > Stamps > 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
“Copy images” on page 112
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Managing comments
View comments
The Comments list displays all the comments in a PDF, and it provides a toolbar with common options, such as
sorting, filtering, and other Options to work with comments.
The Comment task pane contains the Comments list.
Open the Comments list
1Choose Comment > Comments List.
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
or collapse individual comments, click the plus and minus signs next to 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 Comment > Comments List.
2Choose an option from the Sort By menu in the Comments list.
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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 checked to appear, choose > Type > Sticky Notes so that only the sticky note
comments appear, and then choose > Checked > Unchecked so that only unchecked 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 All Pop Ups. (Only available if the
Comments list is closed)
Reply to comments
Note: In Reader, 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.
Replies appear directly below the comment, in the pop-up note and in the Comments list.
A. Reply heading B. Options menu C. Reply option in Comments List
A B C
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Reply in the pop-up note
1Open the pop-up note for the comment.
2Choose Reply from the Options menu.
3Type your reply in the box that appears.
Reply in the Comments list
1Select a comment in the Comments list.
2Choose Reply from the Options menu.
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 Reader, 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 new 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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Page layout options for comment summaries
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 Comment 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 Comment > Comments List 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.
More Help topics
“Search features overview” on page 292
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Delete comments
You cannot delete other reviewers’ comments in a shared review, nor can you delete locked comments.
To delete all of the comments in a PDF, choose Tools > Protection > Remove Hidden Information. Then remove
comments using the dialog box. This feature is not available in Reader.
More Help topics
“Find and remove hidden content” on page 220
Delete a comment
❖Do one of the following:
•Select the comment and press Delete.
•In the Comments list, select the comments you want to delete, choose Delete from the options 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, Fields, & Editable Text. 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.
Importing and exporting comments
Import Comments
Note: In Reader, 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.
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2Choose All Files (*.*) from the 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 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 Reader, 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 Reader.
1In the Comments list, select the comments you want to export.
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.
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. For
Word 2007, click Acrobat, and then choose Acrobat Comments
> Import Comments From Acrobat.
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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 o 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 2007 and later, this option is on the
Acrobat ribbon.
Approval workflows
About approval workflows
Acrobat 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.
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.
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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.
More Help topics
“Create a custom stamp” on page 137
“Annotations and drawing markup tools overview” on page 129
“Select an email application for reviews” on page 119
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 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.
Important: 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
1From the Stamp menu in the Annotations panel, choose Show Stamps Palette.
2 In 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.
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Chapter 7: Forms
You can fill in forms using either Adobe® Acrobat® X Standard or the free Adobe Reader®. You can create static or
interactive forms in Acrobat or Adobe LiveCycle® Designer ES2 (included with Acrobat Pro for Microsoft® Windows®).
Interactive forms streamline the process of filling in and collecting data.
Forms basics
About forms
You can use Acrobat 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.
Note: In Mac OS, you can only create a form using an existing PDF file.
•Scan a paper form to convert it to a PDF form.
Note: You can create or edit XML forms in Designer ES2 but not in Acrobat.
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 these resources:
•Articles, tutorials, and tips about forms: http://acrobatusers.com/
•Forms gallery: http://acrobatusers.com/gallery/forms
•For a video on creating simple forms: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_017_acrx_en
More Help topics
“Create online forms using FormsCentral” on page 155
About LiveCycle Designer ES2 (Windows only)
Designer ES2 is a graphical form design tool that contains advanced features and controls for creating advanced forms.
Designer ES2 is included with Acrobat Pro for Windows. You can use Designer ES2 to create dynamic forms that adapt
to accommodate varying amounts of data, or to user interaction. For example, you can create a form that calculates
the proceeds of stock sales. As the user enters names of stocks and quantities in the Sell field, it expands to accept the
user entries. When the user enters number to be sold, the Net Proceeds field is updated automatically. You can also
use Designer ES2 to create forms that support industry-specific XML schema and data.
If you have Acrobat X or later, you can use the Distribute wizard of Designer ES2 to send PDF forms to multiple
recipients. The wizard is available from the File menu in Designer ES2. The wizard certifies the identity of the form
originator and encrypts the data that the recipients submit. It also adds usage rights to the form so that recipients can
save the form in Adobe Reader.
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Use Designer ES2 when you want to extend basic form capabilities in Acrobat. For example, a Designer ES2 form can
include Image Object fields so that you can easily add graphics to a form. Consider using Designer ES for these tasks:
•Create forms from scratch or from the predesigned layouts in the build-in templates that you edit and customize.
•Create dynamic forms.
•Add graphics, such as photographs.
•Add barcode collections.
•Create forms in formats that Designer ES2 can convert to HTML, especially if you intend to post the interactive
form on a website for people to fill in and submit from within a browser.
•Integrate PDF forms into existing workflows by binding forms to XML schemas, XML sample data files, databases,
and web services.
•Use scripting objects.
You must use Designer ES2 to edit any forms that were opened and saved in Designer ES2, even if the form was
originally created in Acrobat.
Note: When creating forms in Designer ES2, do not specify an Edit pattern if you want only numeric values (such as dates
and decimals) to be entered.
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.
More Help topics
“Auto-Complete forms (interactive forms only)” on page 188
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.
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 Adobe 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.
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.
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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.)
Creating and distributing forms
About form elements
After you determine what information you want to receive from users, you can match information types with
appropriate form elements.
•For text and numeric data that the user will type, design the form to use text fields or dropdown list boxes.
•For a single choice from a limited number of options, use radio buttons, a list box, or a dropdown list.
•For a limited number of options from which the user can select none, one, or more items, use check boxes, or use
a list box and set the form field properties to allow multiple selections.
•For actions, such as opening a file, playing a sound or video, submitting form data, and so forth, use buttons.
•For added security, add a digital signature field that verifies the user’s identity.
You can also make changes to individual form field properties, making it even easier and more foolproof for users
filling in the PDF form.
A PDF form created with Acrobat can contain the following types of elements:
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.
Note: Action buttons have a different purpose than radio buttons, which represent data choices made by the user.
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.
Document message bar Displays automatically generated information about the PDF form and can display action
buttons and other options. The document message bar informs Reader users about their usage rights for the form. It
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also specifies if a form is certified or has signature fields and allows users to highlight fields. If the form doesn’t have a
submit button, a Submit Form button is added to the document message bar to allow the users to submit the form.
Note: If form recipients are using older versions of Acrobat or Reader, the document message bar may not be visible or
may contain different information.
Dropdown list Let the user either choose an item from a pop-up menu or type a value.
Note: 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.
Note: 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.
Adobe Acrobat PDF form
A. Digital signature field B. Dropdown list box C. Text fields D. Forms document message bar E. Check boxes F. Radio buttons G. List box
H. Buttons
More Help topics
“Setting action buttons” on page 176
“Enable Reader users to save form data” on page 156
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Create forms using Acrobat
You can convert an existing electronic document (for example, a Word, Excel, or PDF document) or scan a paper
document to a PDF form, and then add interactive form fields to the form.
Note: When you convert a document to an Acrobat form, Acrobat detects the form fields in the document. You need to
examine the document carefully to verify that Acrobat detected the correct fields.
You can create forms from an existing electronic document (for example, a Word, PDF, or Excel document) or scan a
paper form into a PDF form.
1Choose File > Create > PDF Form.
2Do one of the following, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
•To convert an existing electronic document (for example, Word or PDF) to a PDF form, select Use The Current
Document or Browse to a file.
Note: If you don’t want to use the wizard, you can open the file, and then choose Tools > Forms > Edit to convert a PDF
document to an Acrobat form. Acrobat detects the document type, converts it to PDF, and detects and creates fields.
•To scan a paper form and convert it to a PDF form, select Scan a Paper Form.
Acrobat creates the form and opens it in the form edit mode. The Forms task pane displays the options that you’ll need
to edit the form.
To create a form from scratch, in Acrobat choose Tools > Pages > More Insert Options > Insert Blank Page, and then
choose Tools > Forms > Edit.
For tutorials and videos on creating forms, see these resources:
•Bill Carberry’s technique on setting up your source document for automatic checkboxes: How to have the Acrobat
Form Wizard automatically create check boxes
•Creating simple forms: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_017_acrx_en
Create online forms using FormsCentral
Note: This feature is available in Acrobat 10.0.1 and 9.4.2 and later.
Adobe FormsCentral is an online service—accessible through a web browser—for creating and distributing online
forms and surveys. You distribute the link, and then Adobe hosts the form, and collects and compiles the responses.
Recipients need only a web browser and any Internet-connected device, including a tablet or smartphone, to fill in
forms created using FormsCentral.
1Do one of the following to start the FormsCentral wizard:
•Choose File > Create > PDF Form Or Online Form.
•In the Tools pane on the right, open the Forms panel and select Create.
2Select the option Create Or Edit A Form Using The Online Application.
Note: You can click the FormsCentral.adobe.com link below this option to skip the rest of the wizard and go directly
to the service. Once you sign up for an account or sign in with an existing Adobe ID account, you can start creating
online forms using your web browser.
3Click Next.
4On the Create Or Edit Form dialog box, do one of the following.
•Click the View More link to show additional form templates available in the FormsCentral service. Then sign
up for an account or sign in with an existing Adobe ID account.
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•Click Launch to open a web browser to access the FormsCentral service.
5Enter your Adobe ID and password, or sign up for a free account.
Adobe FormsCentral starts, and you can begin creating a form from scratch or from a template. For detailed
instructions, click the Help menu in the upper-right corner of the window and choose FormsCentral Help.
Additional resources
For videos about Adobe FormsCentral, see these resources:
•Create a form using FormsCentral: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_formscentral_create_en
•Distribute a form and manage responses using FormsCentral:
www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_formscentral_distribute_en
Enable Reader users to save form data
Ordinarily, Reader users can’t save filled-in copies of forms that they complete. However, you can extend rights to
users of Reader 8 and later so they can do so. If you have Acrobat Pro, you can include additional capabilities for Reader
users.
1Open a single PDF, or preview a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio.
2If you are editing the form, click Close Form Editing in Forms task pane.
3Enable Reader users to do any of the following:
•Save data in interactive or fillable forms (File > Save As > Reader Extended PDF > Enable Adding Text In
Documents).
•(Acrobat Pro) Type in non-fillable forms (File > Save As > Reader Extended PDF > Enable Additional Features.
•(Acrobat Pro) Add comments or digitally sign PDFs (File > Save As > Reader Extended PDF > Enable
Additional Features).
Note: Acrobat users can type in non-fillable forms, add comments, and digitally sign PDFs without requiring special
rights.
These extended privileges are limited to the current PDF. When you create a different PDF form, complete this task
again to enable Reader users to save their own filled-in copies of that PDF.
If you don’t want recipients to overwrite the blank form template by saving form data, do not extend rights in the
copy you send to them.
For troubleshooting tips on Reader-enabling forms, see this TechNote.
Limitations on saving filled-in forms locally
Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro, each 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 or Acrobat Pro 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 or Acrobat Pro customer can send an extended
document to no more than 500 unique recipients. For example, an Acrobat customer belongs to an organization with
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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.
Both limitations apply per entity/company, and multiple users in an entity cannot abuse this feature. Obtaining
additional licenses to use Acrobat does not increase the above restrictions. For example, five Acrobat Standard 9 users
in a company cannot send out the same extended document to receive and extract data collectively more than 500
times.
Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro include technology that can enable PDF documents with certain features by using
a digital credential. This credential is located within the Software (“Key”). You agree not to access, attempt to access,
control, disable, remove, distribute the Key for any purpose.
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 Reader doesn’t support some custom JavaScripts, so the form
may not function properly when viewed in 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
Create form fields
In Acrobat, you create a form field by choosing one of the form tools. For each field type, you can set a variety of
options through the form field Properties dialog box.
Note: In Windows, you can use Designer ES2 to edit forms that were created in Acrobat. However, Acrobat can’t edit
form fields that have been opened and saved in Designer ES2.
More Help topics
“Form fields behavior” on page 166
Open form editing mode
The form editing mode displays the Form task pane. Using the options in the Forms task pane you can add new fields,
edit existing fields, and perform other form related tasks.
•If you created a new form, it opens in Form editing mode by default.
•For existing forms, choose Tools > Forms > Edit
The form now displays in Form editing mode, and the Forms task pane is opened.
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Create a new form field
1After you convert your document to a PDF form, open the Forms task pane if it is not already open.
2Do one of the following:
•Click Tasks > Add New Field, and then select a tool.
•Choose a form field from the Quick Access toolbar.
•Right-click the page and select a tool.
Your cursor becomes a crosshair, and displays a preview of the field.
3On 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.
4In 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.
5To 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 forms toolbar (visible in the form editing mode), 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.
6To test your form, click the Preview button. 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.
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.
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 Place Multiple Fields 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.
If you want to prevent a duplicate or copied form field from reacting in unison with the original field to user-entered
responses, change the name of the new form field.
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Create a copy of a form field
❖Select 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.
To constrain the vertical or horizontal movement as you drag, press and hold Shift.
Create multiple copies of a form field on a page
1Do one of the following:
•Right-click the form field and choose Place Multiple Fields.
•Select the form field and choose Forms > Tasks> Other Tasks > Edit Fields > Place Multiple Fields.
2In 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.
3Make 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.
Duplicate a form field across multiple pages
1Do one of the following:
•Right-click the form field and choose Duplicate.
•Select the form field and choose Forms > Tasks> Other Tasks > Edit Fields > Duplicate.
Note: The Duplicate command isn’t available for forms with only one page.
2Do 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.
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.
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.
❖If necessary, choose Tools > Forms > Edit, and then do 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.
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•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.
To make adjustments in the layout of form fields, make sure that you are in editing mode (choose Tools > Forms >
Edit).
Resize a form field
1Select the Select Object tool.
2Select the form field that you want to resize.
3Do any of the following:
•To resize the field manually, click to select the form field, and then 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.
Resize multiple form fields to match a selected form field
1Select all the form fields that you want to resize.
2Right-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.
1Using the Select Object tool, select one or more form fields that you want to move.
2Do one of the following:
•To move to an approximate location, drag the selected form fields to the new location.
To constrain movement to a horizontal or vertical direction, begin dragging, and then press Shift while continuing to
drag the selection.
•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.
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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
1Select two or more form fields that you want to align.
2Right-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.
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.
1Select the form fields that you want to adjust.
2Right-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 in Tools > Forms 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
1In the Fields panel or the page view, select the form fields that you want to delete.
2Press Delete, or choose Edit > Delete.
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.
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•The form author enables the form for Reader users (if the author wants to allow Reader 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.
•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 standalone 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, refer to 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.
More Help topics
“Manage custom barcode settings” on page 174
“Value tab for form field properties” on page 174
“Options tab for form field properties” on page 168
Add a barcode field
1Open the form in Acrobat, open the Preferences dialog box, and select Forms on the left. Then select Automatically
Calculate Field Values.
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2Select Tools > Forms > Edit.
3Click the Barcode tool in the quick access bar, or choose Forms > Tasks > Add new Field > Barcode.
4
Drag 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.
•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, or Data 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
1Choose Forms >Tasks > Close Form Editing, or click the Preview button in the Forms 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. Choose Forms > Clear
Form to remove the sample data.
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 edit mode, choose Tools > Forms > Edit.
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.
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Adjust data content to fit in a barcode field
1To edit the barcode properties so that it can accommodate more data, double-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.
•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.
2To 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.
More Help topics
“Create forms using Acrobat” on page 155
“Make Adobe PDF forms accessible” on page 257
Set tabbing order in edit mode
1If you are not in form editing mode, choose Tools > Forms > Edit. The Forms task pane opens.
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, choose Forms > Tasks > Other Tasks > Edit Fields > 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.
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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 only move
one field at a time. 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.
Set tabbing order in Page Properties
1If you are in editing mode, click Close Form Editing 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.
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.
Distribute (send) forms to recipients
After you create a form, you choose a method for sending it to recipients.
1Choose Tools > Forms > Distribute.
2A series of messages might appear, depending on the conditions Acrobat detects in your form. Respond to the on-
screen instructions as needed, and save the form.
3Choose a distribution and collection method:
•Automatically download and organize responses with Acrobat.com
•Manually collect responses in my email inbox.
•Automatically collect responses on my own internal server. For more information, see “Specify a server” on
page 119.
In the Distribute Form wizard, select an option for distributing the form. For more information, see “Choosing a
distribution option for reviews and forms” on page 118.
4Click Next and follow the on-screen 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.
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•Deselect the option if you want to receive anonymous submissions, or you don't care about that level of tracking.
You can also have the responses sent to someone else; see Patti Sokol’s Return Acrobat form to...not the sender.
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.
•How to send a PDF form: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_018_acrx_en.
•Complete forms workflow: tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1495v1626
•Form Submit/E-mail Demystified: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/form-submit-e-mail-demystified
•Distribute forms using Acrobat.com: www.layersmagazine.com/distributing-forms-with-acrobatcom.html
•Acrobat.com for comment/review and forms distribution: www.sokolconsulting.com/blog/?p=29
Form fields behavior
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 forth.
You can set a variety of properties for an Acrobat 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 on each field to change its properties.
Note: If you select Locked on any tab, it locks all options for the field, not just the options on that tab.
More Help topics
“Setting action buttons” on page 176
Modify form field properties
You can access Acrobat form field properties only when you are in editing mode (by choosing Tools > Forms > Edit).
You can change the properties for multiple form fields at a time.
1Open 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.
2Change the properties on each of the available tabs, as needed.
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The property is changed as soon as you select another property or press Enter.
3Click Close to close the Properties dialog box.
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.
More Help topics
“Setting action buttons” on page 176
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.
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 International 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, dropdown list boxes, and list boxes.
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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 Flate 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 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.
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Dropdown 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 dropdown 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 Text (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.
Radio buttons
Create a group of radio buttons if you want the user to select only one choice among a set of choices. All of the radio
buttons in a group share 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 share 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.
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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.
Text fields with and without the Comb property
A. Four text fields with a border color, using the Comb property B. Text field without the Comb property
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.
AB
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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.
1Choose Forms > Tasks > Other Tasks > Edit Fields > 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.
2To change the field calculation order, select the field from the list, and then click the Up or Down button as needed.
Acrobat 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.
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More Help topics
“Adding JavaScript to forms” on page 157
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 Category pop-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.
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.
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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.
Example of an Arbitrary Mask entry
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).
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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” on page 157
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.
A type of barcode, with the URL reference below
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.
http://www.adobe.com/formscatalog/thisform.pdf
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More Help topics
“Create, test, and edit barcode fields” on page 162
“About barcodes” on page 161
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 > Forms > Edit 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.
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.
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Setting action buttons
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.
Add a button to an Acrobat PDF form
1Make sure you are in edit mode by selecting Tools > Forms > Edit, and then select Button from the Add New Field
list. 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 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, you can add a custom submit button to your form.
1Using the Button tool, create a button. Double-click the button and set options in the General and Options tabs.
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2In 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.
3In the Actions tab, choose Submit A Form on the Select Action menu, and then click Add.
4In 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. 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.
5Select 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.
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.
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Button layouts
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
You can make button icons from any file format that Acrobat 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.
Edit a button
❖Select 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.
More Help topics
“Scale and position buttons” on page 179
Specify Acrobat button display properties
1Make sure you are in edit mode by selecting Tools > Forms > Edit, and then click the Select Object tool .
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.
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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
1Make sure you are in edit mode by selecting Tools > Forms > Edit, and then click the Select Object tool .
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.
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 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.
Showing and hiding icons
A. Pointer not over button area B. Pointer enters button area C. Pointer exits button area
1Using 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.
2Double-click the button.
3Click the Options tab, and choose Icon Only from the Layout menu.
ABC
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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 web forms
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 set in the CGI application.
Important: CGI scripts must be built outside Acrobat, and their creation is not covered by the Adobe Acrobat 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.
1Select Tools > Forms > Edit, then select Button from the Add New Field list, 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.
7Change settings on other tabs in the Button Properties dialog box as needed, and then click Close.
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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.
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 > Forms > Clear Form
feature, which is available to you when you create and edit Acrobat forms. However, you can set up your reset button
so that it clears only specific fields.
1Select Tools > Forms > Edit, then select the Button tool from the Add New Field list, 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.
As needed, you can open other tabs in the Button Properties dialog box and apply other types of properties to the
button.
More Help topics
“Form fields behavior” on page 166
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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 or Adobe Reader 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 or Adobe Reader folder and the System
Preferences folder.
1Select Tools > Forms > Edit, then select Button from the Add New Field list, 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.
More Help topics
“Manage form data files” on page 184
“Add a button to an Acrobat PDF form” on page 176
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 dropdown lists boxes or list boxes 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 dropdown list box
or list box 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.
Collecting and managing form data
When you distribute a form, Acrobat 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. You can use this
file to compile returned forms.
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Collect data from Acrobat.com
If you are using Acrobat.com to automatically download and organize form data, the response file periodically checks
on Acrobat.com and downloads data for new submitted forms. To manually check for responses on Acrobat.com
1Open the response file.
2Click Update to check for new responses.
The response file can connect to Acrobat.com even it is moved to a different computer.
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.
The response file opens after you click OK. Each returned form added to the response file appears as a component file
of a PDF Portfolio.
Compile form data
1In Acrobat, choose Tools > Forms > More Form Options > Compile Returned Forms.
2In the Compile Data dialog box, do one of the following to select a PDF response file:
•Click Browse, and then locate and select the response file.
•Type the path to the response file.
3Click Add File, and navigate to the returned form.
4Repeat the previous step as many times as necessary to add more returned forms.
After you click OK, the data from the selected forms is added to the response file. Each returned form appears as a
component file of a PDF Portfolio.
Add user data to an existing response file
1In Acrobat, open the response file.
2In the left navigation panel, click Add.
3In the Add Returned Forms dialog box, click Add File. 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, open the response file and select the data to export.
2In the left navigation panel, click Export.
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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.
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, open the PDF form into which you want to import data.
2Choose Tools > Forms > 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 Tools > Forms > More Form Options > Manage Form Data > 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 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, open the completed form file.
2Choose Tools > Forms > More Form Options > Manage Form Data > 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.
1Choose Tools > Forms > More Form Options > Manage Form Data > Merge Data Files Into Spreadsheet.
2In the Export Data From Multiple Forms dialog box, click Add Files.
3
In 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.
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6In the Export Progress dialog box, click either View File Now to open the spreadsheet file or Close Dialog to return
to Acrobat.
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.
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 Tools > Forms > 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” on page 125
“Distribute (send) forms to recipients” on page 165
Filling in 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. These non-interactive forms are called flat forms.
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Fillable forms visually differ from flat forms
A. Typewriter tool lets you type in flat forms. Here, the tool is available in purple message bar. B. Typewriter tool available in Tools menu.
C. Typewriter tool available from floating toolbar. D. Save form, then open in Acrobat and choose Typewriter tool in Tools menu. E. Purple
message bar indicates presence of fillable fields. F. When clicked, shows where fillable fields exist.
Flat fillable A flat form does not have interactive fields. However, you can use the Typewriter tool to type information
over blank form fields, and then print a copy of the completed form. In the free Reader, you can use the Typewriter
tool only if the creator of the form enabled it. You cannot enable the Typewriter tool from within Reader.
Flat form in browser (no Typewriter tool) If the purple message bar or Typewriter toolbar isn’t displayed, you cannot
fill in the form online. Save the form and open it directly in Acrobat. Then use the Typewriter tool to fill in the form.
Interactive fillable An interactive fillable form contains fields that you can select or fill in. In an interactive form, the
pointer changes to a different icon, depending the field. For example, the Hand
tool changes to an I-beam when
you can type text into the form field.
Fill in flat forms
The Typewriter tool provides a simple solution for filling out forms without interactive fields, called flat forms. The
text you add with the Typewriter tool is a form of commenting, and appears in the Comments List (Comment >
Comments List).
Note: Reader users can use the Typewriter tool only if the creator of the form enabled the use of the Typewriter tool for
that form.
1Choose Tools > Content > Add Or Edit Text Box to open the Typewriter toolbar.
2Click the Typewriter button.
Flat form in browser (no Typewriter tool)Flat llable forms (three variations)
Interactive llable form
D
F
E
A
B
C
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3Click a blank form field and type.
4(Optional) Use the tools in the Typewriter toolbar to change the size or position of the typed text. For more
information about the Typewriter tool and toolbar, see “Add text using Add Or Edit Text Box (Typewriter tool)”
on page 275.
5When finished, print a copy of the completed 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 Typewriter tool to fill out the form. Some forms open with the
Typewriter toolbar displayed. But with others, you must first save the form, then open it directly in Acrobat.
Note: You cannot electronically submit a form that you filled out using the Typewriter tool. You can print a copy of the
completed form.
If the Typewriter toolbar is displayed, click the Typewriter tool. Then click the page and start typing. For more
information, see “Fill in flat forms” on page 186.
If you close the Typewriter toolbar, roll your cursor near the bottom of the form and click the Acrobat icon in the
semi-transparent floating toolbar. The Typewriter toolbar reappears. If you close the Typewriter toolbar again, roll
down to the floating toolbar and click the Read Mode button
. Then click the Acrobat icon again.
If you don’t see the Typewriter toolbar and you can’t select or type in the fields, save the PDF to your computer. (Roll
your cursor near the bottom of the form and click the Save icon
in the semi-transparent floating toolbar.) Open
the PDF form in Acrobat, and choose Tools > Content > Add Or Edit Text Box.
Note: Reader users can use the Typewriter tool only if the creator of the form enabled the use of the Typewriter tool for
that form.
Fill in interactive forms
Some text fields are dynamic, meaning that they automatically resize to accommodate the amount of data you enter
and can span across pages.
1If necessary, select either the Hand tool or the Select tool.
2(Optional) To make form fields easier to identify, click the Highlight 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.
4Press Tab to move forward or Shift+Tab to move backward. For more choices, see “Options for moving among
form fields” on page 188.
5When 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.
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Options for moving among form fields
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.
Enable the Auto-Complete option
1Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat/Adobe Reader > Preferences (Mac OS).
2Select Forms on the left.
3Under Auto-Complete, choose Basic or Advanced from the menu.
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.
4
In 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.
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
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•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.)
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 > Reader Extended PDF > Enable
Additional Features. For limitations on saving filled-in forms locally, see “Enable Reader users to save form data”
on page 156
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 Typewriter 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 Typewriter tool.
•(Interactive form only) To print only the typed entries and not the form itself, choose Form Fields Only.
Clear forms
Clear a form in a browser
❖Do either of the following:
•Select the reset form button, if one exists. You cannot undo this action.
•Quit the browser, and start again.
Note: Clicking the web browser’s Reload or Refresh button, the Back or Go Back button, or following a link to another
page may not completely clear the form.
Clear unsaved form entries
❖Choose File > Revert.
Sample forms
Patti Sokol, of Sokol Consulting, created two sample forms to show the differences between a flat form and an
interactive form. Click here to see a flat form. Notice that you cannot type in the fields of a flat form. Click here to see
an interactive form. You can highlight the fields and type in them.
Be sure to read the information in the top text box of each sample form. Then move your cursor over the fields to see
what actions are available. You can also print and save the forms to your computer.
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More Help topics
“Forms preferences” on page 152
“Add text using Add Or Edit Text Box (Typewriter tool)” on page 275
“Create forms using Acrobat” on page 155
“Enable Reader users to save form data” on page 156
“Export file data” on page 184
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Chapter 8: Security
Application security
Application (software) security involves customizing Acrobat and Reader security features to protect against
vulnerabilities, malicious attacks, and other risks. Advanced users can customize the application via the user interface.
Enterprise administrators can also configure the registry.
Enhanced security
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” on page 195.)
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 Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat/Reader > Preferences (Mac OS).
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 “Allow or block links to the Internet in PDFs” on
page 193.)
•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” on page 229.)
•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 Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat/Adobe Reader > Preferences (Mac OS).
2From the Categories on the left, select Security (Enhanced).
3Select the Enable Enhanced Security option.
4Specify 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.
•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:).
Protected View (Windows only)
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 in Protected View if you are concerned about
security, or if you frequently interact with PDFs on the Internet.
Note: Adobe Reader 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 or in a web
browser.
PDF in stand-alone Acrobat In Protected View, Acrobat displays a warning for a PDF that doesn’t originate from a
trusted location. The warning lets you decide whether to trust the document.
If you trust the PDF and where it came from, click Enable All Features. The PDF is added to your list of privileged locations and is trusted from
then on.
PDF in a web browser A PDF in Protected View functions the same in a browser as a Reader-extended PDF that is
viewed in Reader. The warning does not appear in the browser.
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.
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Enable or disable Protected View
Unlike Protected Mode in Reader, Protected View in Acrobat is off by default.
1Choose Edit > 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” on page 192.)
•Click Enable All Features in the warning.
Additional resources
For more information on Protected View, see the following resources:
•Protected View troubleshooting | Acrobat X: kb2.adob e.com/cps/901/cpsid_90161.html.
•Application Security Guide: www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_appsecurity_en.
More Help topics
“Enhanced security” on page 191
“Bypass enhanced security restrictions” on page 191
“Specify privileged locations for trusted content” on page 192
Allow or block links to the Internet in PDFs
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 and Reader to display a warning
when a PDF attempts to connect to an Internet site.
You can allow Acrobat and Reader 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/Adobe Reader > Preferences (Mac OS).
2From the Categories on the left, select Trust Manager.
3Click Change Settings to specify the default behavior for accessing the Internet from PDFs.
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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.
Attachments
Attachments represent a potential security risk because they can contain malicious content, open other dangerous
files, or launch applications. Acrobat and Reader always let you open and save PDF and FDF file attachments. Acrobat
and Reader recognize certain files, such as those whose names end in .bin, .exe, and .bat, as threats. You can’t attach
such files. Acrobat does allow you to attach files that cannot be saved or opened from Acrobat, such as ZIP files.
However, this practice is not recommended.
Acrobat and Reader 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 > Content > 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.
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/Adobe Reader > Preferences (Mac OS).
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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.
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.
JavaScript
Acrobat and Reader 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/Adobe Reader > 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.
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.
Security warnings
You sometimes see a warning when you open a PDF. The warning comes in many forms (three are shown below).
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Security warnings
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
options 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” on page 191.
To open Preferences, choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat/Adobe Reader > 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 and Adobe Reader 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.
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.
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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 “JavaScript” on page 195
•For more information about the situations that trigger JavaScript warnings, see the TechNote at
go.adobe.com/kb/ts_cpsid_50432_en-us.
•For more information about blacklisted JavaScripts, see the TechNote at go.adobe.com/kb/ts_cpsid_50431_en-us.
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 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.
Important: 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” on page 191
“Document message bar” on page 9
“Play multimedia” on page 299
“Multimedia Trust preferences” on page 300
Content security
Content security includes features such as digital signatures, encryption, and permissions that ensure data integrity.
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Opening secured documents
Acrobat and Reader 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.
A PDF Portfolio with a certifying signature
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES configured Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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
“Digital signatures” on page 222
“Securing documents with passwords” on page 200
“Certificate security” on page 203
Choosing a security method
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 “Add password security” on page 200.)
•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 “Add password security” on page 200.)
•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 IDs” on page 215 and “Securing documents with certificates” on page 203.)
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•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” on page 208.)
Security policies
A security policy enforces systematic constraints on information flow and exchange within an organization. You can
use Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights 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.
Additional resources
For more information on using security features, see these resources:
•Legal professionals: blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/
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” on page 8.
If your company is signed up, you can also use Adobe
LiveCycle Rights Management ES to secure documents.
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” on page 216.
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
e-mail
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 LiveCycle
Rights 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” on page 8.
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•Security Matters blog: blogs.adobe.com/security
More Help topics
“Removing sensitive content” on page 219
“Setting up security policies” on page 209
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 LiveCycle
Rights 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.
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 LiveCycle Rights 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.
Securing documents with passwords
Add password security
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 With a document open password (also known as a user password), users must type in the
password you specify to open the PDF.
Permissions password When you set only a permissions password (also known as a master password), recipients don’t
need a password to open the document. However, they must type the permissions password to set or change the
restricted features.
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.
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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Important: 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.
1Do one of the following:
•In a single PDF or component PDF in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF and choose Tools > Protection > Encrypt >
Encrypt with Password. (You can also choose File > Properties and select the Security tab.) If you don’t see the
Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
•In a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and choose View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet. Then choose Tools >
Protection > Encrypt > Encrypt With Password. (You can also choose File > Portfolio Properties and select the
Security tab.)
Note: If these options are unavailable, it’s either because the document or PDF Portfolio already includes security settings,
or the PDF was created in LiveCycle Designer ES.
2If you receive a prompt, click Yes to change the security.
3Select a compatibility level. This option sets the encryption level and key size.
Encryption algorithm and key size are version specific. Ensure that your encryption level is equal to or lower than the
recipients’ version of Acrobat or Reader.
4Select the document components to encrypt.
To allow the document contents to be searched, leave the metadata unencrypted. To create security envelopes, use
Encrypt Only File Attachments.
5Select the type of password to add, and 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. If you
are setting a permissions password, determine the level of access.
Password strength indicator
6To allow recipients to copy PDF content to another document, select Enable Copying Of Text, Images, And Other
Content.
7Click OK. At the prompt to confirm each password, retype the appropriate password in the box and click OK.
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Security options
You can set the following options when you create a PDF or when you apply password protection to a PDF. Options
vary depending on the Compatibility setting. Security options are not available for PDF/X standards or presets. The
names of the settings may vary in different applications.
Compatibility Sets the type of encryption for opening a password-protected document. If you choose Acrobat 3.0 And
Later (PDF 1.3) option, a low-encryption-level security (40-bit RC4) is used. If you choose Acrobat 5.0 And Later (PDF
1.4) or Acrobat 6.0 And Later (PDF 1.5), a high encryption level (128-bit RC4) is used. Choosing 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.
Note: Select Acrobat X And Later to apply 256-bit AES encryption to Acrobat 8 and 9 documents.
Be aware that anyone using an earlier version of Acrobat cannot open a PDF document with a higher compatibility
setting. For example, if you select the Acrobat
X and later option, the document cannot be opened in Acrobat 7 or
earlier.
Encrypt All Document Contents (Acrobat) Select this option to encrypt the document and the document metadata. If
this option is selected, search engines cannot access the document metadata.
Encrypt All Document Contents Except Metadata (Acrobat) Select this option to encrypt the contents of a document
but still allow search engines access to the document metadata.
Encrypt Only File Attachments (Acrobat) Select this option to require a password for opening file attachments.
However, users can open the document without a password.
Require A Password To Open The Document Select this option to require users to type the password you specify to
open the document. This option is unavailable if Encrypt Only File Attachments is selected.
Document Open Password Specify the password that users must type to open the PDF file.
Note: If you forget a password, there is no way to recover it from the document. It’s a good idea to store passwords in a
separate secure location in case you forget them.
Restrict Editing And Printing Of The Document Restricts access to the PDF file’s security settings. If the file is opened
in Adobe Acrobat, the user can view the file but must enter the specified Permissions password in order to change the
file’s Security and Permissions settings. If the file is opened in Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign, the user must enter
the Permissions password, since it is not possible to open the file in a view-only mode.
Change Permissions Password Specify a password that is required to change the permissions settings. This option is
available only if the previous option is selected.
Printing Allowed Specifies the level of printing that users are allowed for the PDF document.
•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.
Changes Allowed Defines which editing actions are allowed in the PDF document.
•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.
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•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.
•Page Layout, Filling In Form Fields, And Signing Lets users insert, rotate, or delete pages and create bookmarks or
thumbnail images, fill out forms, and add digital signatures. This option doesn’t allow them to create form fields. This
option is only available for low (40-bit RC4) encryption.
•Any Except Extracting Pages Lets users edit the document, create and fill in form fields, and add comments and
digital signatures.
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.
Enable Plaintext Metadata Encrypts the contents of a document but still allows search engines access to the document
metadata.
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.
1In the open PDF, do one of the following:
•Select Tools > Protection > Encrypt > Remove. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding
panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
•In the Security tab of the Document Properties dialog box, choose No Security from the Security Method menu.
2Your options vary depending on the type of password security attached to the document:
•If the document only had 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.
Securing documents with certificates
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” on page 215.
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.
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Encrypt a PDF or PDF Portfolio with a certificate
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 > Protection > Encrypt > Encrypt with Certificate. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
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.
•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.
More Help topics
“About digital IDs” on page 215
“Get certificates from other users” on page 205
“About PDF Portfolios” on page 83
“Signed and certified PDF Portfolios” on page 237
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 > Protection > More Protection > Security Properties. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
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.
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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 > Protection > Encrypt > Remove. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding
panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
3
If prompted, type the permissions password. If you don’t know the permissions password, contact the author of the PDF.
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.
More Help topics
“Export security settings” on page 214
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.
More Help topics
“Encrypt a PDF or PDF Portfolio with a certificate” on page 204
Request a certificate from another user
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Manage Trusted Identities.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Manage Trusted Identities.
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Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8.
2Click Request Contact.
3Type your name, e-mail address, and contact information.
4To allow other users to add your certificate to their list of trusted identities, select Include My Certificates.
5Select either Email Request or Save Request As A File. Then click Next.
6Select the digital ID file to use, and then click Select.
7Do one of the following:
•If the Compose Email dialog box appears, type the e-mail address of the person you’re requesting a certificate from,
and click Email. Send the e-mail message that appears, with the attached certificate, in the default e-mail
application.
•If the Export Data As dialog box appears, specify a name and location for the file, click Save, and then click OK.
Add a certificate from e-mail
When a contact sends a certificate to you in e-mail, it is displayed as an import/export methodology file attachment.
1 Double-click the e-mail attachment, and then click Set Contact Trust in the dialog box that appears.
2On the Trust tab of the Import Contact Settings dialog box, select trust options.
•Select 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 Content Includes FLV and SWF files as well as external links.
Embedded High Privilege JavaScript Trusts embedded scripts.
Privileged System Operations Includes networking, printing, and file access
3Click OK to view the import details, and then click OK again.
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.
1Open the PDF containing the signature.
2Open the signature panel, and select the signature in the Signatures panel.
3On the Options menu, click Show Signature Properties, and then click Show 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 Identities, 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)
1In the Security preferences, click Advanced Preferences.
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2Click the Windows Integration tab, and select Enable Searching The Windows Certificate Store For Certificates
Other Than Yours. Select the desired options, and click OK twice.
Trusting certificates from the Windows certificate store is not recommended.
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.
Associate a certificate with a contact
If you have a contact that is not associated with a certificate, or you want to change the certificate associated with a
contact, follow these steps. A contact must have at least one valid certificate to exchange encrypted PDFs.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Manage Trusted Identities.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Manage Trusted Identities.
Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8.
2Select the contact, and click Details.
3Click Associate Certificate.
4Select a certificate, and click OK. Click OK again.
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.
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Verify your own certificate
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
2Select your digital ID, and then click Certificate Details .
Verify information on the certificate of a contact
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Manage Trusted Identities.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Manage Trusted Identities.
Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8.
2Select the contact, and click Details.
3Select the certificate name, and click Show Certificate.
Delete a certificate from trusted identities
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Manage Trusted Identities.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Manage Trusted Identities.
Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8.
2Choose Certificates from the Display menu.
3Select the certificate, and click Delete.
Securing documents with Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES is a server-based security system that provides dynamic control over PDFs.
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES can be configured to run with LDAP, ADS, and other enterprise systems.
Policies provided by Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES are stored on the server and can be refreshed from the
server. Users connect to Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES to work with these policies.
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
Security policies are stored on a server running Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights Management ES, click Help on the Adobe
LiveCycle Rights Management ES website after you log in to your account.
Connect to Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
1Choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
2Click Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management Servers on the left.
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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 > Protection > More Protection Rights Management > Manage Account. If you don’t see the
Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
The Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights Management, click the Help link in the upper right corner.
Setting up security policies
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
LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights
Management ES. Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES controls access to PDFs and auditing events as defined
by the security policy. You can use Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights Management
ES, you can create a user policy that’s stored on Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES. That policy is available
only to you.
How organizational policies are authenticated
In addition to reusing security settings, policies stored on Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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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Security policies
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 LiveCycle Rights Management ES The system administrator of your company or group usually
configures Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES, manages accounts, and sets up organizational policies. For more
information on configuring Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights Management ES to authenticate documents.
The policies for password and certificate security can be stored on a local computer. Security policies created using
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES are stored on a server. You can audit actions and change security settings
dynamically. You can use Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES if your company has licensed the software and
made it available to you.
More Help topics
“Securing documents with certificates” on page 203
“Securing documents with passwords” on page 200
“Securing documents with Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES” on page 208
Create a password policy
1In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > Encrypt > Manage. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
2Click New.
3Select Use Passwords, and then click Next.
AB C
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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.
6Review the policy details, click Finish, and then click Close.
Create a certificate policy
1In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > Encrypt > Manage. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
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.
6
Select 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 e-mail
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 e-mail. 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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Embed file attachments in security envelopes for secure transit.
1Choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Create Security Envelopes. If you don’t see the Protection panel,
see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
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 e-mail program opens with the security envelope as an attachment. Type the e-
mail addresses of the recipients, and send the e-mail message.
More Help topics
“Apply security policies to PDFs” on page 213
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 using Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES,
you’re redirected to the Adobe LiveCycle 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 > Protection > Encrypt > Manage. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for
adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
3Click New.
4Select Use The Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management, and click Next.
5On the Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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.
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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.
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 LiveCycle Rights Management ES. Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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.
More Help topics
“Securing documents with Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES” on page 208
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 > Protection > Encrypt > Manage. Select a policy. Choose an Adobe
LiveCycle Rights 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 > Protection > Encrypt > Manage. 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” on page 8.
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 LiveCycle Rights Management ES is set up and available in Acrobat.
1In Outlook, choose File > New > Mail Message.
2In the toolbar, click the Attach As Secured Adobe PDF button .
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 e-mail 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.
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2Select Tools > Protection > Encrypt > Remove. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding
panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
Export security settings
1Choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Export Security Settings. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see
the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
2Choose which groups of settings you want to share and click OK.
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.
5Certify the file.
Copy, edit, or delete a policy
1Choose Tools > Protection > Encrypt > Manage. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for
adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
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
LiveCycle Rights Management ES. Changes to these policies can be made only on Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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 LiveCycle Rights Management, and choose View >
Portfolio > Cover Sheet.
2Choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Rights Management > Revoke. If you don’t see the Protection
panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
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.
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Digital IDs
About digital IDs
Digital IDs include a private key that you safeguard and a public key (certificate) that you share.
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 Security Partner Community at
www.adobe.com/security/partners/index.html.
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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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8.
2Select Digital IDs on the left, and then click the Add ID button .
3Select the option A New Digital ID I Want To Create Now, and click Next.
4Specify 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.
5Type 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.
6(Optional) To use Unicode values for extended characters, select Enable Unicode Support, and then specify
Unicode values in the appropriate boxes.
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.
Important: 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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
2Select Digital IDs on the left.
3Click the Add ID button .
4Select My Existing Digital ID From and choose 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.
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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.
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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
2Expand Digital IDs on the left, select Digital ID Files, and then select a digital ID on the right.
3Click the Change Password button. 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 never prompted for a password.
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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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
2Select Digital IDs on the left, and then select the digital ID to remove.
3Click Remove ID, and then click OK.
More Help topics
“Delete a certificate from trusted identities” on page 208
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.
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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.
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
“Sharing certificates with others” on page 205
“Register a digital ID” on page 216
“About digital signatures” on page 222
“Securing documents with certificates” on page 203
Removing sensitive content
Why 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. Such information can be hidden or not immediately apparent. 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.
Use the Remove Hidden Information feature to find and remove hidden content from a PDF. Use the Black Out &
Remove Content tools to remove sensitive images and text that are visible in a PDF.
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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 e-mail, specify that option in the Documents
preferences using the Preferences dialog box.
1Choose Tools > Protection > Remove Hidden Information. If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
If items are found, they are listed in the Remove Hidden Information panel with a selected check box beside each item.
2Make sure that the check boxes are selected only for the items that you want to remove from the document. (See
“Remove Hidden Information options” on page 221.)
3Click Remove to delete selected items from the file, and click OK.
4Choose File > Save, and specify a filename and location. If you don’t want to overwrite the original file, save the file
to a different name, 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.
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Remove Hidden Information options
Metadata Metadata includes information about the document and its contents, such as the author’s name, keywords,
and copyright information, used by search utilities. 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.
Comments And Markups This item includes all comments that were added to the PDF using the comment and
markup tools, including files attached as comments. To view comments, choose the Comments pane.
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 file. To determine if the PDF contains
a search index, choose View > Tools > Document Processing > Manage Embedded Index. 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.
Additional resources
For videos and articles on removing sensitive content, see these resources:
•Removing Sensitive Information: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_027_acrx_en
•Content Deletion Using Acrobat X: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/i-didnt-know-acrobat-could-do-that-loris-top-10-
for-acrobat-x/content-deletion/
•Using the redaction tools in legal situations: blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/
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Chapter 9: Digital signatures
You use a digital signature, much like a handwritten signature, to approve documents. However, unlike a handwritten
signature, a digital signature verifies your identity to the recipients. A digital signature serves to protect the integrity
and authenticity of a document as of the time it was signed. A digital signature on a PDF document may include a
photo, image of your handwritten signature, or other personal details. Document authors can attest to the contents of
their documents by adding a certifying signature.
About digital signatures
A digital signature, like a conventional handwritten signature, identifies the person signing a document. Unlike a
handwritten signature, a digital 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, 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 digital
signature. The certificate is a credential that is automatically applied to the signed document. The signature is verified
when recipients open the document.
When you apply a digital 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.
Digital signature in a PDF form
Additional resources
For videos and articles on digital signatures, see these resources:
•Using Digital Signatures in a PDF File: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_029_acrx_en
•How to Digitally Sign a Document with Adobe Reader: www.adobe.com/go/lrvid_030_acrx_en
•Digital Signatures in PDF and Acrobat: www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/digital-signatures-pdf-acrobat
•Security Matters (Adobe blog): http://blogs.adobe.com/security/
•Content Security Library which contains quick keys, enterprise user guides, and other technical resources:
learn.adobe.com/wiki/display/security/Document+Library
More Help topics
“Digital IDs” on page 215
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Comparing ink signatures with digital signatures
You can sign PDFs with ink signatures using graphics tablets and other input devices. An ink signature is a handwritten
mark, similar to a free-form drawing you make by choosing Tools > Sign & Certify > Apply Ink Signature in Acrobat.
Ink signatures do not provide the advanced functionality available with digital signatures. Unlike a digital signature,
an ink signature does not use a digital ID. Therefore, it is not possible to verify the identity of the signer using ink
signature. A digital signature can be verified as valid. The digital signature becomes invalid if changes are made to the
document after it is signed. An ink signature does not carry any validity state. Moreover, an ink signature does not
notify the recipient about changes made to a document after it is signed. Ink signatures do not appear in the Signatures
pane of the document.
Setting up signing
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” on page 216. You can’t sign a PDF 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 digital signature. (See “Create the signature appearance” on page 224.)
•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” on page 232.
•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” on page 223.)
For details on the full range of configuration options in enterprise settings, see the Digital Signature Guide (PDF)
at learn.adobe.com/wiki/display/security/Document+Library.
•Choose a signature type. Learn about approval and certification signatures to determine the type you should choose
to sign your document. (See “Signature types” on page 230.)
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 (PDF) at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
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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 signature appearance
You determine the look of your digital signature by selecting options in the Security section 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.
Signature formats
A. Text signature B. Graphic signature
1(Optional) If you want to include an image of your handwritten signature in the digital 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 Security section of the Preferences dialog box. In the Appearance section,
select one of the available options or click New to create an appearance.
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 digital signature icon and other information specified in the Configure Text
section.
Imported Graphic Displays an image with your digital 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 digital 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.
A
B
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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 selected them
using the Advanced Preferences section of the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences > Security > Advanced
Preferences > Creation tab).
More Help topics
“Enable right-to-left languages” on page 36
Security settings
Security settings control document security by configuring digital IDs, passwords, certificates, and Adobe LiveCycle
Rights Management (ALCRM) servers. Content security settings also control features that affect application behavior
in signing and certificate security workflows.
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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8
2Expand Digital IDs on the left, select Roaming ID Accounts, and click Add Account.
3Type the name and URL for the roaming ID server, and click Next.
4Type 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.
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.
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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.
1To open the file, double-click it, or do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8
2
Select Directory Servers on the left, and then click Import. Select the import/export methodology file, and click Open.
3If the file is signed, click the Signature Properties button to check the current signature status.
4Click Import Search Directory Settings.
5Click 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, click Identity, and enter your name, organization, and e-mail address to create
your profile.
2Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Protection > More Protection > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8
3Select Directory Servers on the left, and then select one or more servers on the right.
4Click Export, select a destination, and click Next.
5To prove that the file came from you, click Sign, add your signature, and then click Next.
6Do one of the following:
•To save the file, specify its name and location, and click Save.
•To send the file as an e-mail attachment, type an e-mail address in the To box, click Next, and then click Finish.
More Help topics
“Export security settings” on page 214
Add a timestamp to signatures
You can include the date and time you signed the document as part of your 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.
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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” on page 238.) 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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8
2Select Time Stamp Servers on the left.
3Do 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.
Set a timestamp server as the default
To be able to use a timestamp server to timestamp signatures, set it as the default server.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Security Settings.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Security Settings.
Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8
2Select the timestamp server, and click the Set Default button .
3Click OK to confirm your selection.
More Help topics
“Validate a timestamp certificate” on page 236
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management (ALCRM) servers
Adobe LiveCycle Rights 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.
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Setting up 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
1In Acrobat or Reader, click Edit > Preferences.
2From the Preferences dialog box, select Security on the left.
3To 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.
4Click Advanced Preferences, and then click the Verification tab.
5Select verification options.
6(Windows only) Click the Windows Integration tab, and specify whether you can import identities from the
Windows Certificates feature into the list of trusted identities. In addition, 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.
Verification options
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 During Signature Verification 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.
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.
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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.
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.
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Manage Trusted Identities.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Manage Trusted Identities.
Note: If you don’t see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8
2Select a contact, and click Details.
3Select the certificate name, and click Edit Trust.
4In 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.
5Click OK twice, and then click Close.
For more information, see the Digital Signature Guide (PDF) at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_security_en.
Signing PDFs
You can sign a document to attest to its contents or approve the document. Based on the intent, you use different types
of signatures.
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Signature types
A document can contain certification signatures, approval signatures, or both. The signature type you need depends
on the intent of both the author and the signer. Signature types include the following:
Certification signature A certification signature provides a higher level of document control than an approval
signature. Because it must be the first signature in a document, certification menu options are disabled if another
signature is already present. In addition, you can control the types of changes other people may make.
Approval signature An Approval signature is a digital signature applied to a document that is not a certification
signature. All signatures other than certification signatures are classified as Approval signatures.
Both certification and approval signatures 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. To view this option, go to Edit > Preferences > Security > Advanced Preferences > Creation, and
expand Default Signature Signing Format list. 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.
Sign a PDF
You can sign a PDF to indicate your approval using either a digital signature or ink signature. Digital signatures can
be used to sign a PDF multiple times and by different persons. When you sign a document, your digital signature
appears in the signature field. The appearance of the signature depends on options you choose. The actual information
for your digital signature is embedded in the PDF.
In Acrobat, the first person to sign a document can add a certifying signature to restrict changes to the document.
Note: To allow Reader users to sign documents using either type of signature, choose File > Save As > Reader Extended
PDF in Acrobat. Then, choose an option from the list.
Sign a PDF—Quick steps
Signing is essentially a straightforward process. It can be complicated by special requirements, such as creating
different signatures for different roles and adding timestamps. But to create an uncomplicated signature, follow these
steps.
1Complete your edits before you sign. Changes made to the document after it is signed can invalidate the signature.
2Get 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” on page 216. You can’t sign a PDF without a digital id.
3Drag your pointer to create a space for the signature.
4Follow the onscreen prompts to finish signing the PDF.
Sign with a new digital ID
1Open the PDF and choose Tools > Sign & Certify > Sign Document. If you don't see the Sign & Certify panel, see
the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
2If a dialog box appears, read the information and then click OK.
3Drag your pointer to create a space for the signature.
4Select A New Digital ID I Want To Create Now from the Add Digital ID dialog box.
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5In the Add Digital ID dialog box, select a storage location for the digital ID.
6Type a name, e-mail 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.
7(Optional) To use Unicode values for extended characters, select Enable Unicode Support, and then specify
Unicode values in the appropriate boxes.
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.
10 Confirm your password, and click Finish.
Sign with an existing digital ID
1Open the document.
2Choose Tools > Sign & Certify > Sign Document. If you don't see the Sign & Certify panel, see the instructions for
adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
3Click an existing signature field, or drag your pointer to create a space for the signature.
4In the Sign Document dialog box, complete the signature as follows:
Password Type the password associated with the digital ID.
Appearance Select to modify the information to be displayed in the signature, for example date and time.
Lock Document After Signing If this option is available, select it only if you are the last recipient to sign the document.
Selecting this option locks all fields, including the signature field.
Sign with EchoSign
EchoSign is an online service that lets you quickly sign documents in a web browser, without requiring a digital ID.
The service tracks the entire process, showing the person who initiated a document the current signature status. For
more information, visit www.echosign.com.
To access EchoSign, do any of the following:
•In the upper left of the window, click the EchoSign icon <<ICON>>.
•When you start Acrobat, click Get Documents Signed Online from the Acrobat.com Services listed in the center of
the Welcome Screen.
•If a document is open, choose File > Get Documents Signed Online.
Sign with an ink signature
Ink signatures use the default color of Pencil tool markups. To change the color of the signature, right-click the Pencil
tool in the Drawing Markups panel that appears when you choose Comment > Drawing Markups. Then choose Tool
Default Properties, and change the color in the Appearance tab.
1To sign a PDF with an ink signature, do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > Apply Ink Signature. If you don't see the Sign & Certify panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
•In Reader, choose Tools > Extended Features > Apply Ink Signature. (This command is available only if the PDF
creator enabled digital signature and commenting rights.)
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The cursor changes to a cross-hairs.
2Click where you want to sign and draw your signature.
3To include the signature with the document, save the PDF.
Note: You cannot add an ink signature to a PDF created in LiveCycle Designer ES or the LiveCycle Forms ES. PDFs
created from those sources do not allow comments and markups.
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.
1Select Edit > Preferences.
2From the Preferences dialog box, select Security on the left.
3Select View Documents In Preview Document Mode When Signing, and click OK.
4In the PDF, click the signature field and choose Sign Document.
The document message bar appears with the compliance status and options.
5(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.
6If you’re satisfied with the compliance status of the document, click Sign Document in the document message bar,
and add your digital signature.
7Save the PDF using a different name than the original, and close the document without making any further changes.
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, such as JavaScripts, actions, or embedded media, which may compromise document security.
To let other Adobe Reader users sign the document, enable usage rights by choosing File > Save As > Reader Extended
PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
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2Choose Tools > Sign & Certify and then select one of the following options. If you don't see the Sign & Certify panel,
see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
•With Visible Signature.
•Without Visible Signature. If you choose this option, your signature appears only in the Signatures panel.
3Click OK in the Save As Certified Document dialog box.
If you are certifying with Visible signatures, you can place the signature in an existing signature field or create a field
for the signature. Follow the directions in the prompts to choose a location.
4If you’re adding a visible signature, draw the signature field on the page.
Note: If you enabled View Documents In Preview Document Mode When Signing in the Security Preferences, click Sign
Document in the document message bar.
5Follow the onscreen instructions to select a digital ID, if prompted.
Specify a default ID to avoid being prompted each time you sign a PDF.
6In the Certify Document dialog box, specify the permitted changes, type your password or PIN for your digital ID,
and then click Sign.
Note: Some digital IDs are configured to ask for a password or other user authentication after you click the Sign button.
7Save 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.
More Help topics
“Specify the default digital ID” on page 217
“About digital signatures” on page 222
Timestamp a document
Acrobat X provides users with the capability to add a document timestamp to a PDF without also requiring an identity-
based signature. In this way, the authenticity and existence of a document at a particular time can be asserted. These
timestamps are compliant with the timestamp and revocation features described in Part 4 of ETSI 102 778 PDF
Advanced Electronic Signatures (PAdES) standard. Reader X users 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
To place a document timestamp:
1Open the document to which you want to add a timestamp.
2Choose Tools > Sign & Certify > Time Stamp Document. If you don't see the Sign & Certify panel, see the
instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on page 8.
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.
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Remove a digital signature
❖Do one of the following:
•To remove a signature, right-click the signature field and choose Clear Signature.
•To remove all signatures in a PDF, choose Clear All Signature Fields from the options menu in the Signatures panel.
You cannot remove a signature unless you are the one who placed it and you have the digital ID for signing it installed.
To delete the signature field in Acrobat, choose Tools > Content > Select Object. Then select the signature field and
press the Delete key.
Additional resources
For more information on digital signatures, see these resources:
•Adobe Systems Information Assurance initiatives:
blogs.adobe.com/security/2009/05/sign_here_getting_started_with.html
•Adobe Security Partner Community: www.adobe.com/security/partners/index.html
•Creating a Digital ID Profile in Acrobat 9 (Acrobat X user interface is different):
www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1272552.
Validating signatures
Set your verification preferences in advance. This helps ensure that signatures are valid when you open a PDF and
verification details appear with the signature. See “Set signature verification preferences” on page 228 for details.
When 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.
Signatures panel overview
The Signatures panel displays information about each signature in the current document and the change history of the
document since the first signature. Each 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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Verify signatures in the Signatures panel
❖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 signature manually
You can assess the validity of a digital signature by checking the signature properties.
1Set your signature verification preferences. For more information, see “Set signature verification preferences” on
page 228.
2Open the PDF containing the signature, right-click the signature, and then choose Validate Signature. The
Signature Validation Status describes the validity of the signature.
3Click Signature Properties, and do the following:
•If the status is unknown, click the Signer tab, and then click Show Certificate to view the details of the certificate. If
you’re working with self-signed digital IDs, confirm that the certificate details are valid. If the certificate isn’t valid,
request a valid certificate from the signer. Click OK.
•Click the Date/Time tab to verify the timestamp, if added.
•Click the Legal tab to learn more about the legal restrictions of the signature. In the Legal tab, click View Document
Integrity Properties to check if it contains items that could alter its appearance.
If the document was modified after it was signed, check the signed version of the document and compare it to the
current version.
More Help topics
“Validate a timestamp certificate” on page 236
“Sign in Preview Document mode” on page 232
“View previous versions of a signed document” on page 236
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Validate a timestamp certificate
Review the Validity summary section on the Summary tab of the Signature Properties dialog box for the validity status
of a timestamp certificate. 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 from the Digital Signature Advanced
Preferences dialog. To display the Digital Signature Advanced Preferences dialog, choose Security from the Categories
pane in the Preferences dialog, and then click Advanced Preferences. Acrobat and Reader display an alert message
when validating signatures with expired timestamp.
To validate a signature that contains a timestamp:
1Click the Signatures button in the navigation pane, select the signature, and choose Validate Signature from the
options menu .
2Click the Signature Properties button in the Signature Validation Status dialog box.
3In the Signature Properties dialog box, click the Date/Time tab to view the timestamp authority, and then click the
Show Certificate button. This button appears in the Date/Time tab only if the signer used a timestamp server.
4In the Certificate Viewer, click the Trust tab to determine if the timestamp certificate is trusted. If it isn’t trusted by
Acrobat but you trust it, click Add To Trusted Identities. If a certificate for the timestamp server isn’t listed, request
one from the signer.
More Help topics
“Securing documents with certificates” on page 203
View previous versions of a signed document
Each time a document is signed, 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 signatures and their corresponding versions can be accessed
from the Signatures panel.
1
In 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.
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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 digital signatures” on page 222.
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 “Signing PDFs” on page 229. 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. In
Acrobat X, the details of those signatures appear only in the cover sheet (View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet). In Acrobat
10.1 and later, the most significant signature appears in a Signature Badge in the toolbar. Details of all signatures
appear in the cover sheet.
The Signature Badge provides a quick way to verify the PDF Portfolio's approval or certification.
•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.
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More Help topics
“Signature types” on page 230
“Securing documents with certificates” on page 203
“Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL)” on page 240
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.
Checking the validity of a 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.
More Help topics
“Verify information on a certificate” on page 207
“Get certificates from other users” on page 205
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 >
Reader extended Document).
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.
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More Help topics
“Validate a timestamp certificate” on page 236
“Configure a timestamp server” on page 227
“Set signing preferences” on page 223
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 When Signing is still selected. (Preferences >
Security > Advanced Preferences > Creation tab.) 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.
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.
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Import and export a certificate
To import a certificate for use in signature validation and certificate security workflows:
1Do one of the following:
•In Acrobat, choose Tools > Sign & Certify > More Sign & Certify > Manage Trusted Identities.
•In Reader, choose Edit > Protection > Manage Trusted Identities.
Note: If you don't see the Sign & Certify or Protection panel, see the instructions for adding panels at “Task panes” on
page 8
2In the Display menu, select Contacts, and then click Add Contacts.
3Do any of the following:
•If Windows certificate digital IDs are allowed, select the appropriate directory and group.
•If your organization has configured an identity search directory, click Search to locate certificates.
•Click Browse, select the certificate file, and click Open.
4Select the added certificate in the Contacts list to add it to the Certificates list. Select the certificate in the Certificates
list, and click Details.
5If 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.
6Click Trust, specify trust options, and click OK.
You can export a certificate and contact data via e-mail directly from the Trusted Identity Manager. This allows other
users to add 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.
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 digital 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 digital 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/Adobe Reader > 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.
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Chapter 10: Accessibility, tags, and reflow
Accessibility features assist people with disabilities, such as mobility impairments, blindness, and low vision in their
use of Adobe®
Acrobat® X Standard and Adobe PDFs.
Accessibility features
About accessibility features
A document or application is accessible if it can be used by people with disabilities, such as mobility impairments,
blindness, and low vision. Accessibility features in Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader®, 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 and Reader fall into two broad categories: 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.
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
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Acrobat Standard provides some functionality for making existing PDFs accessible. Acrobat Pro 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: acrobatusers.com/forums/aucbb/
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.
Fonts that allow characters to be extracted to text
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
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
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
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
Specifying the document language in a PDF enables some screen readers to switch to the appropriate language.
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Security that doesn’t interfere with assistive software
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/.
More Help topics
“Recognize text in scanned documents” on page 46
“Set the document language” on page 258
“Prevent security settings from interfering with screen readers” on page 258
“Keys for accessibility” on page 346
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.
More Help topics
“Reading PDFs with reflow and accessibility features” on page 246
“Accessibility preferences” on page 247
“Creating accessible PDFs” on page 253
“Making existing PDFs accessible” on page 257
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Checking the accessibility of PDFs
About accessibility checkers
The best way to test the accessibility of a document is to attempt to use the document with the tools that your readers
will use. However, if you don’t have a screen reader or braille printer, use a method provided by Acrobat to check PDF
accessibility.
•Use Quick Check to check for document structure tags, searchable text, and appropriate security settings for
accessibility. This method is often the best way to check for accessibility before attempting to use a PDF.
•Use Reflow view to quickly check the reading order.
•Use Read Out Loud to experience the document as it will be experienced by readers who use the text-to-speech
conversion tool.
•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.
Note: The accessibility checker tools can help identify areas of documents that may be in conflict with the Adobe
interpretation of the accessibility guidelines. These guidelines may be referenced in the application and its
documentation. However, these tools don’t check documents against all accessibility criteria, including those in the
referenced guidelines. In addition, Adobe doesn’t warrant that documents comply with any specific guidelines or
regulations.
More Help topics
“Reading a PDF with a screen reader” on page 251
“Reflow a PDF” on page 250
“Read a PDF with Read Out Loud” on page 251
“Save as accessible text for a braille printer” on page 250
Check accessibility with Quick Check
Use Quick Check to examine a PDF to see if it has searchable text, document structure tags, and appropriate security
settings to make it accessible.
❖Choose Tools > Recognize Text> In This File.
If the document is unstructured, a message may appear, suggesting that you change reading order preferences.
More Help topics
“Setting accessibility preferences” on page 246
Accessibility Quick Check results
“This document has logical structure but it is not a Tagged PDF. Some accessibility information may be missing.”
Quick Check has found an underlying document structure in the document, so Acrobat uses the available document
structure to control the reading order, rather than analyzing the document itself. However, this untagged document
structure might be incomplete or unreliable, so assistive software and the accessibility features in Acrobat (such as the
Read Out Loud and the Save As Text features) may not read the page properly. If the reading order of the page seems to
be wrong, select Override The Reading Order In Tagged Documents in the Reading panel of the Preferences dialog box.
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“This document is not structured, so the reading order may not be correct. Try different reading orders using the
Reading Preferences panel.” Quick Check has found no underlying document structure that Acrobat can use for
reading order. Acrobat will analyze the reading order of the document using the current analysis method set in the
Reading Order preference, but this PDF might not be read correctly by screen readers. If the reading order seems
wrong, select a different option for Reading Order in the Reading panel of the Preferences dialog box.
“No accessibility problems were detected in this quick check. Choose the Full Check command to check more
thoroughly.” Quick Check has found that the PDF contains searchable text, is tagged, has an underlying document
structure, and has no security settings that prohibit access for screen readers. To check for other types of accessibility
problems that may be present in the PDF, use Full Check.
“This document’s security settings prevent access by screen readers.” Quick Check has found that the PDF has
security settings that interfere with screen readers’ ability to extract text for conversion to speech. You may be able to
use a screen reader with this document if your assistive technology product is registered with Adobe as a Trusted
Agent. Contact your assistive technology product vendor.
“This document appears to contain no text. It may be a scanned image.” Quick Check has found that the PDF
contains no searchable text, probably because the document consists entirely of one or more scanned images. This
means that screen readers, Read Out Loud, Reflow view, and most other accessibility features, which rely on text as
input, will not work with this document.
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 on-
screen 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.
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 on-screen instructions. If you click Cancel at any point, Acrobat uses default settings for the preferences
set by the assistant (not recommended).
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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 the Accessibility Setup
Assistant.
Always Use Zoom Setting Corresponds to the Override Document Zoom option in the Accessibility Setup Assistant.
Use Document Structure For Tab Order When No Explicit Tab 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 will be 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.
Accessibility preferences in Internet panel
Display PDF In Browser Causes PDFs linked to from web pages to open in the web browser instead of a separate
Acrobat window. Deselect this preference for greater control when navigating a document in a screen reader. This
preference corresponds to the Display PDF Documents In The Web Browser option in the Accessibility Setup
Assistant.
Accessibility preferences in Multimedia panel
•Show Subtitles When Available
•Play Dubbed Audio When Available
•Show Supplemental Text Captions When Available
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•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 on-screen 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 of that specified by the tag structure of the document. 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, which can
take a long time for a long document. You may want to set Acrobat to deliver only the currently visible page so that it
analyzes only a small piece of the document at a time. This consideration will vary 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 those
of the assistive technology, to navigate from page to page in the document. You should also set the Default Page Layout
option in preferences to Single Page if you choose to have Acrobat send only the currently visible pages to the assistive
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
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page it has already read aloud. For instructions on setting the default page layout to Single Page, see “Preferences for
viewing PDFs” on page 14.
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 will be 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 this section 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 provided by your operating system. 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.
More Help topics
“Keys for navigating a PDF” on page 342
“Keys for selecting tools” on page 341
“Keys for working with comments” on page 342
“Keys for general navigating” on page 344
“Keys for working with navigation panels” on page 345
“Keys for navigating the Help window” on page 346
“Keys for accessibility” on page 346
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.
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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.
1Choose View > Page Display > Automatically Scroll.
2Do 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 can be used by a person with blindness or low vision.
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, although the text version of an accessible PDF
contains alternate text descriptions for such objects if they have been provided.
❖Choose File > Save As > More Options > 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.
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Headings and columns (left) reflow in a logical reading order (right).
Reflow a tagged PDF
❖Choose View > Zoom > Reflow.
If the Page Display setting is Two-Up before you choose Reflow view, the Page Display setting automatically becomes
Single Page when the document is reflowed. If the Page Display setting is Two-Up Continuous before you choose
Reflow view, the Page Display setting automatically becomes Continuous 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 may not 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 Read Out Loud.
You can also use the Select Object tool to locate text. Activate Read Out Loud, and then choose Tools > Content >
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 > Resume.
•Choose View > Read Out Loud > Stop.
About operating system accessibility tools
Accessibility tools in Windows
Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 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, or Windows 7 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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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” on page 254.
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” on page 157.
For information on setting the tab order to use document structure, see “Set form field navigation” on page 164.
Add other accessibility features to the PDF
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” on page 258, “Prevent
security settings from interfering with screen readers” on page 258, and “About bookmarks” on page 260.
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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.
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.
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 the World 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.
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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.
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 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, will be 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 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 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. The tags won’t need to be rearranged 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 to delete the tags of deleted pages from the tag tree.
For more information, see “Create merged PDFs” on page 89.
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About tools for creating accessible PDF forms
Adobe offers several tools for the creation of accessible PDF forms:
Acrobat Pro, Acrobat Standard 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) 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 from LiveCycle 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 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 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 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 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 touchup in Acrobat Pro 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 TouchUp Reading Order tool or the tag tree.
1. 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.
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2. 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
3. Tag the PDF form and correct tagging issues.
If the PDF form is already tagged, use the TouchUp 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.
More Help topics
“Set form field navigation” on page 164
Making existing PDFs accessible
Add tags to an existing PDF
Creating a tagged document directly from an authoring application is the best way to make PDFs accessible. However,
if a PDF was created without tags, you can add them using Add Tags To Document.
1Open the PDF.
2Choose Tools > Accessibility > Add Tags To Document.
Note: The Add Tags To Document command removes any tags that were in the document before the command was run.
Make Adobe PDF forms accessible
You can make form fields accessible to vision- and motion-challenged users by adding tags to the PDF and by properly
structuring it. In addition, you can use the tool tip form field property to provide the user with information about the
field or to provide instructions. For example, using the tool tip property value, the screen reader could say “Your
name.” Without the tool tip property, a screen reader simply names the type of form field.
1If necessary, choose Tools > Forms > Edit, and make sure that the Select Object tool is selected.
2Double-click a selected form field to open the Properties window.
3In the General tab, type a description into the tool tip box.
Note: If you use Designer ES for creating your form, you must run the screen reader before opening the form in Acrobat
in order to display accessibility tags with a flowable layout in Acrobat.
More Help topics
“Accessibility features” on page 242
“Create forms using Acrobat” on page 155
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Set the document language
Setting the document language in a PDF enables some screen readers to switch to the appropriate language. You can
set the document language for an entire document with Acrobat Pro or Acrobat Standard. You can set the document
language for specific portions of a multi language document with Acrobat Pro.
•To set the language for an entire document, choose File > Properties. Then select a language from the Language
menu in the Reading Options area of the Advanced tab.
•To set the language for an entire document to a language not in the Language menu, choose File > Properties. Then
enter the ISO 639 code for the language in the Language field in the Reading Options area of the Advanced tab. For
more information about ISO 639, see www.loc.gov/standards.
Prevent security settings from interfering with screen readers
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 in order to convert it to speech.
To maintain document security while allowing screen readers access to text, use one of the following settings:
•For low-encryption-level security, select Enable Copying Of Text, Images, And Other Content in the Password
Security - Settings dialog box.
•For high-encryption-level security, select Enable Text Access For Screen Reader Devices For The Visually Impaired
in the Password Security - Settings dialog box. This option overrides the document’s security settings only for the
purpose of giving assistive software, such as screen readers, access to the content.
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.
More Help topics
“Securing documents with passwords” on page 200
About watermarks and screen readers
You can add a watermark to a tagged PDF without adding it to the tag tree. Not having the watermark appear in the
tag tree is helpful for people who are using screen readers, because they won’t hear the watermark read as 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.
More Help topics
“Add and edit watermarks” on page 94
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Chapter 11: Editing PDFs
It’s a fact that Adobe® PDF is unlike other document formats, in which you can freely copy, paste, and move text and
images on a page. Instead, consider a PDF as a snapshot of your original file. Use Adobe®
Acrobat® X Standard to touch
up and enhance the file for readability and distribution, and reserve more substantial revisions for your source
application.
Page thumbnails and bookmarks
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.
In Adobe Reader®, when you move a page thumbnail, you move the corresponding page.
In Acrobat, 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.
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More Help topics
“PostScript options” on page 340
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.
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.
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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.
Bookmarks act as a table of contents for some PDFs.
More Help topics
“About tags, accessibility, reading order, and reflow” on page 244
Create a bookmark
1Open the page where you want the bookmark to link to, and adjust the view settings.
2Use the Select tool to create the 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 selected text, drag to select it. The selected text becomes the label of the new bookmark. You can edit
the label.
3Click the Bookmarks button, and select 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.
4Choose New Bookmark from the options menu .
5Type or edit the name of the new bookmark.
Edit a bookmark
In Acrobat, you can change a bookmark’s attributes at any time.
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More Help topics
“Action types” on page 287
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.)
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.
Important: 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.
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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.
Nesting a bookmark (left), and the result (right)
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.
Moving a bookmark out of its nested position (left), and the result (right)
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.
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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.
The tagged bookmarks are nested under a new, untitled bookmark.
More Help topics
“Links and bookmarks in web pages” on page 269
Links and attachments
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.
More Help topics
“Destinations” on page 266
Create a link using the Link tool
1Choose Tools > Content > Link.
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.
Additional resources
For tutorials on creating links, see these resources:
•Adding links to an Acrobat page: www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1694067&seqNum=2
•Creating hyperlinks in Adobe Acrobat: http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/2010/04/creating-hyperlinks-in-adobe-
acrobat/
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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 Link tool or the Select Object tool , (Tools > Content > Select Object) and then move the pointer
over the link rectangle so that the handles appear.
2Do one of the following:
•To move the link rectangle, drag it.
•To resize the link rectangle, drag any corner point.
Change the appearance of a link
1Select the Link tool and double-click the link rectangle.
2In the Appearance tab of the Link Properties dialog box, choose a color, line thickness, and line style for the link.
3Select 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.
4Select 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.
5Select the Locked option if you want to prevent users from accidentally changing your settings.
6To 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 Link tool and double-click the link rectangle.
2In 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 Link tool or the Select Object tool .
2Select the link rectangle you want to delete.
3Choose Edit > Delete, or press the Delete key.
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Create web links from URLs
You can automatically create links in a PDF from all URLs or from URLs on selected pages. When selected, the Create
Links From URLs setting in the General preferences generates active links from text in all PDFs that you open.
Create web links
1Choose Tools > Document Processing > Create Links From URLs.
2In the Create Web Links dialog box, select All to create links from all URLs in the document, or select From and
enter a page range to create links on selected pages.
Remove all web links
❖Choose Tools > Document Processing > Remove All Links.
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 > Content > Link, 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.
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.
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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 Tools > Content > Link , 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.
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” on page 141.)
Use the Attachments panel to add, delete, or view attachments.
1Choose Tools > Content > Attach A File.
2In the Add Files dialog box, select the file you want to attach, and click Open.
Important: 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).
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•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.
More Help topics
“Open, save, or delete an attachment” on page 268
“Attachments” on page 194
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.
Any changes you make are not applied to the attachment. Instead, save changes to the file, and then reattach it to the
PDF document.
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.
Open an attachment
❖In the Attachments panel, select the attachment, and then choose Open Attachment from the options menu .
Save an attachment
❖In the Attachments panel, select one or more attachments, and then choose Save Attachment from the options
menu
.
If you selected a single attachment, you have the option to rename the file.
Delete an attachment
❖In the Attachments panel, select an attachment, and then choose Delete Attachment from the options menu .
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
1In the Attachments panel, choose Search Attachments from the options menu .
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2In 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
1Choose Edit > Advanced Search.
2Type the word or phrase that you want to search for, and select the results option you want.
3Click Show More Options at the bottom of the window, and then select Include Attachments.
Converted 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 Page Conversion 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” on page 260
Get information on converted web pages
You can display a dialog box with the current page’s URL, title, date and time downloaded, and other information.
❖Choose Tools > Document Processing > Web Capture > Page Info.
Compare converted pages with current web pages
❖To open a page or web link, do one of the following:
•To open the current page in a web browser, choose Tools > Document Processing > Web Capture > Open Page In
Web Browser.
•To open the bookmarked page, right-click a tagged bookmark, and choose Open Page In Web Browser.
•To open a linked page, right-click a link in the PDF version of the web page, and choose Open Web Link In Browser.
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The browser opens in a new application window to the page you specify.
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.
The flow of an article thread. The user reads through text A, skips text B and C, and moves on to text A again.
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.
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 > Document Processing > 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.
1
A
3
A
C
2
A
B
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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 > Document Processing > Add Article Box.
View articles in the PDF
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Articles.
2To 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.
3To 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.
An example of selecting an article with the Article tool
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.
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•To resize the box, drag a center handle to change only height or width, or drag a corner handle to change both
dimensions.
An example of resizing an article box
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.
2
Select 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.
Text and objects
Choosing a tool
A common misconception about PDF documents is that they should behave like any other document that contains
images and text, letting you freely move or edit items on a page. A PDF is like a snapshot of your original document.
You can perform minor touch-ups, but if your PDF requires substantial revision, it’s easier to make changes to the
source document and regenerate the PDF.
For editing text and objects, choose from the tools in the Tools task pane. To insert editing marks in a PDF to indicate
your changes to the original document, see “Mark up text with edits” on page 133.
The Edit Document Text tool lets you add to and replace existing text if the fonts used are available on the system. If
the fonts aren’t available, you can change only the appearance of existing text. However, you can add new blocks of
text using the Edit Document Text tool. To wrap text on a line during editing, select Enable Text Word Wrapping in
the Touchup Preferences. Add or Edit Text Box command also lets you create new text, but provides fewer options to
modify new text than the Edit Document Text tool. See video The Basics of Editing a PDF Document for a quick
overview.
Note: Using Edit Document Text may affect how the document reflows, which can make the document less accessible to
the visually impaired.
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The Select Object tool provides basic editing capabilities for most objects. You can modify the size, page location, and
properties of images, links, fields, and multimedia objects. You can make these same changes with the tool used to
create the object.
Editing text with the Edit Document Text tool
Edit text
You can insert or replace 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 or subsetted in the PDF, you can make changes only to color, word spacing, character
spacing, baseline offset, or font size.
You can edit text on rotated lines in the same way as on horizontal lines, and you can edit text using vertical fonts in
the same way as text using horizontal fonts. The baseline offset or shift for vertical fonts is left and right, instead of up
and down for horizontal fonts.
Note: Editing and saving a digitally signed PDF invalidates the signature.
Edit text using the Edit Document Text tool (formerly TouchUp Text)
The Edit Document Text tool works best when editing only a few characters. For more extensive editing, make changes
in the original document (if available), and then recreate the PDF.
If the original document is unavailable, try exporting the PDF to Word. Choose File > Save As > Microsoft Word >
[version]. For details, see “Convert PDFs to Word, RTF, spreadsheets or other formats” on page 109.
1Choose Tools > Content > Edit Document Text.
2Click in the text you want to edit. A bounding box outlines the selectable text. If a bounding box doesn’t appear,
choose Tools > Recognize Text > In This File. For details, see “Recognize text in scanned documents” on page 46.
3Select the text you want to edit:
•Choose Edit > Select All to select all the text in the bounding box.
•Drag to select characters, spaces, words, or a line.
4Edit the text by doing one of the following:
•Type new text to replace the selected text.
•Press Delete, or choose Edit > Delete to remove the text.
•Choose Edit > Copy to copy the selected text.
•Right-click/Command-click the text and choose the appropriate option.
Note: If you can’t edit the text, see “Replace custom fonts with local fonts” on page 274.
5Click outside the selection to deselect it and start over.
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Replace custom fonts with local fonts
Documents scanned to PDF using the ClearScan option in Acrobat can’t be edited until you replace the fonts. During
the conversion to PDF, ClearScan converts the fonts in the document to custom fonts. To edit the scanned text, replace
the custom fonts with fonts that you have on your computer. These fonts are called system or local fonts.
1Use the TouchUp Text tool to select the text you want to edit.
2Right-click/Command-click the selected text, and choose Properties. Make sure the Text tab opens.
3Open the Font menu, and select a font below the line that closely matches the custom font.
Replace custom fonts (A) with local fonts (B).
4In the Font Size menu, select a size that closely matches the custom font.
5Leave the other properties in the Text tab as they are.
Edit text attributes
1Select Tools > Content > Edit Document Text.
2Click in the text you want to edit.
3Right-click the text, and choose Properties.
4In the TouchUp Properties dialog box, click the Text tab. You can change any of the following text attributes:
Font Changes the font used by the selected text to the font you specify. You can select any font installed on your system
or fully embedded in the PDF document. Document fonts are listed at the top; system fonts are listed below.
Font Size Changes the font size to the size (in points) that you specify.
Character Spacing Inserts uniform spacing between two or more characters in selected text.
Word Spacing Inserts uniform spacing between two or more words in selected text.
Horizontal Scaling Specifies the proportion between the height and the width of the type.
Baseline Offset Offsets the text from the baseline. The baseline is the line on which the type rests.
Fill Specifies the fill color.
A
B
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Stroke Specifies the stroke color.
Stroke Width Specifies the width of the stroke.
Note: For legal reasons, you must have purchased a font and have it installed on your system to revise text using that font.
Add new text
You can add or insert new text into a PDF using any of the fonts installed on the system.
1Select Tools > Content > Edit Document Text.
2Ctrl-click where you want to add text.
3In the New Font dialog box, select the font and mode you want, and click OK.
4Type the new text.
5To change the font size and other attributes, select the text, right-click, and choose Properties.
Note: Editing and saving a digitally signed PDF invalidates the signature.
Add text using Add Or Edit Text Box (Typewriter tool)
Use Add Or Edit Text Box (Tools > Content > Edit Text & Objects) to type text anywhere on a PDF page.
Organizations sometimes provide PDF versions of their paper forms without interactive form fields. The Add or Edit
Text Box tool provides a simple solution for filling out such forms.
Note: Reader users can use the Add or Edit Text Box tool if the document author enables its use for that PDF.
1Choose Tools > Content > Add Or Edit Text Box to open the Typewriter toolbar.
2Click the Typewriter button.
3Click where you want to type, and then begin typing. Press Enter to add a second line.
Note: If a blue text box appears, double-click it to get the I-beam so you can enter text.
4To change the text properties, select the text using the Selection tool in the Common Tools toolbar. (You may have
to double-click a word to make the text properties available.) Then use any of the following tools in the Typewriter
toolbar:
•To change the text size, click the Decrease Text Size button or the Increase Text Size button. Or choose a typeface
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 Color pop-up menu.
•Choose a typeface from the typeface pop-up menu.
5To move or resize Typewriter text block, select the Select tool, click a Typewriter text block, and drag the text block
or one of its corners.
6To edit the text again, select the Typewriter tool, and then double-click the Typewriter text.
Note: Editing and saving a digitally signed PDF invalidates the signature.
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Embed fonts using the Edit Document Text tool
Embedding fonts ensures that your PDF uses the same fonts as the original document, no matter where you open the
PDF or what fonts are installed on that system.
1Choose Tools > Content > Edit Document Text.
2Click the text containing the font embedding or subsetting to edit. A paragraph of text is enclosed in a bounding
box. You can select text within the paragraph by dragging.
3Right-click the text, and choose Properties.
4In the TouchUp Properties dialog box, click the Text tab to display the font name and font properties as well as
embedding and subset capabilities.
5To see a list of all the fonts, scroll through the Font menu. Document fonts are listed first. Your system fonts are
listed below the document fonts.
6Choose a font from the Font menu, check the permissions to determine which options are available for that font,
and then select an embedding option. The permissions determine which embedding options are available:
Can Embed Font You can select both the Embed and Subset options. To embed the entire font rather than a subset,
make sure that Subset is not selected.
Can Embed Font For Print And Preview Only You can only subset-embed the font. You can embed the font for print
and preview but not for editing.
Cannot Embed Font Both the Embed and Subset options are unavailable.
No System Font Available Both the Embed and Subset options are unavailable.
Note: Editing and saving a digitally signed PDF invalidates the signature.
More Help topics
“Fonts” on page 81
Working with objects
A selected object usually shows a bounding box. Selection handles appear when the pointer is over the object. When
the pointer is over a locked object, no selection handles appear. When you select multiple objects, the last object you
select becomes the anchor and appears red; the others appear blue. The anchor object remains stationary during
alignment operations.
To make another object in the selection the anchor object, Ctrl-click the new target object twice, once to remove the
object from the selection, and once to add it back to the selection. As the last object added to the selection, it becomes
the anchor object.
When objects of the same type are selected and the selection covers multiple pages, you can change the appearance of
the objects but not move them.
Note: Editing and saving a digitally signed PDF invalidates the signature.
Select an object
1Select one or more objects:
•Click the object with the Select Object tool , or with the tool you used to create the object. Use the Select Object
tool to select and move objects such as form fields and links.
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•Right-click the object and choose Select All from the context menu. If the Select Object tool is active and the
document uses single-page layout, all objects on the current page are selected. If the document is in any other page
layout, all objects in the document are selected. If a tool in the Content panel is active, all objects of that type in the
document are selected.
2(Optional) Add one or more objects to the current selection:
•Ctrl-click an object.
•Shift-click to add a range of objects. (The Select Object tool includes all objects when you Shift-click.) Using Shift
selects all items that lie within the rectangular bounding box formed by all items in the selection (including the item
that was just added).
Move an object
1Click the object with the Select Object tool , or the tool used to create the object.
2Move the image or object:
•Drag the object to the desired location. Objects cannot be dragged 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.
•Right-click the image and choose an option to move the image on the page.
Resize an object
1Click the object with the Select Object tool , or the tool used to create the object.
2Drag a handle of the object. Shift-drag the handle to retain the original aspect ratio.
Setting up 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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Normal view and Full Screen view.
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.
More Help topics
“View document properties” on page 280
“Set the page layout and orientation” on page 27
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.
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•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.
•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 with page thumbnails” on page 287.)
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Add page transitions
You can create an interesting effect that occurs each time a page advances by using page transitions.
1Do one of the following:
•Choose Tools > Document Processing > 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.
Document 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, 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.
More Help topics
“Choosing a security method” on page 198
“Create print presets” on page 335
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.
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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 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.
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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.
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.
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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.
Use the Object Data tool to view object grouping and object data.
More Help topics
“Find text in multiple PDFs” on page 293
View and edit Visio object metadata
1Choose Tools > Analyze > 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 > Analyze > 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.
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Layers
About PDF layers
You can view, navigate, and print layered content in PDFs created from applications such as InDesign, AutoCAD, and
Visio.
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.
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. The visibility of a locked layer cannot
be changed.
Layers panel
A. Eye icon indicates a displayed layer B. Locked layer C. Hidden layer
1Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Layers.
2To 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.
3From 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.
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).
A
B
C
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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.
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.
2While holding down the Alt key, drag the layer to the new location.
Delete an empty layer group
❖In the Layers navigation panel, select an empty layer and press Delete.
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.
2Choose 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.
3Choose New Destination from the options menu , and name the destination.
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4Select 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.)
5In the Create Link dialog box, select Custom Link and click Next.
6Click the Appearance tab in the Link Properties dialog box, and set the appearance of the link.
7Click the Actions tab in the Link Properties dialog box, choose Set Layer Visibility, and click Add.
8Close the dialog boxes.
You can test the link by changing the layer settings, selecting the Hand tool, and clicking the link.
Editing layered content
You can select or copy content in a layered PDF document using the Select tool or the Snapshot tool. (In Reader, the
PDF must include usage rights.) In Acrobat, you can edit content using a touchup tool. These tools recognize and select
any content that is visible, regardless of whether the content is on a selected layer.
In Acrobat, 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, 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
“Working with objects” on page 276
Actions and scripting
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.
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Add an action
1Do one of the following:
•Using the Hand tool, right-click the bookmark or page thumbnail, and choose Properties.
•Using the 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 with 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.
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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.
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.
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.
Acrobat Pro is required to use JavaScript with forms and action wizards.
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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Using Geospatial PDFs
About geospatial PDFs
A geospatial PDF contains information that is required to georeference location data. When geospatial data is
imported into a PDF, Acrobat 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, 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.
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.
View the geospatial measuring tools by choosing Tools > Analyze panel.
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.
More Help topics
“Annotations and drawing markup tools overview” on page 129
“Measure the height, width, or area of objects” on page 31
Find map locations
1Open a geospatial PDF and choose Tools > Analyze > 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 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).
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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 > Analyze > 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 > Analyze > Measuring Tool .
2In the Measurement Tool display, select a measurement type: Distance , Area , or Perimeter .
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 > Analyze > 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.
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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 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 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.
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Chapter 12: Searching and indexing
You have lots of control and lots of possibilities for running effective and efficient searches in Adobe® Acrobat®
X
Standard. A search can be broad or narrow, including many different kinds of data and covering multiple Adobe PDFs.
Searching PDFs
Search 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 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.
Find toolbar and Find options
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.
More Help topics
“Show or hide layers” on page 284
“Find and remove hidden content” on page 220
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. Use the Search window to look for words or document properties across multiple PDFs, use advanced
search options, and search PDF indexes.
Display the Find toolbar
❖Open it by choosing Edit > Find (Ctrl/Command+F).
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Find
A. Find field B. Find Previous C. Find Next
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 text in a PDF
The Find toolbar searches the currently open PDF.
1Type the text you want to search for in the text box on the Find toolbar (Edit > Find).
2(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.
3Press Enter.
Acrobat jumps to the first instance of the search term, which appears highlighted.
4Press Enter repeatedly to go to the next instances of the search term. Alternatively use the Find Previous and Find
Next buttons on the Find window.
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.
A B C
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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 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.
Search a PDF Portfolio
In a PDF Portfolio, you can search component PDF files as well as several other file types. 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.
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.
1Open the PDF Portfolio in Acrobat on your desktop (not in a web browser).
2In the Search box on the PDF Portfolio toolbar, type the search text.
3To specify additional search criteria, open the pop-up menu, and specify the options.
The search results show all files where the text was found. For PDF files, expand the list to see the results in context.
Click a search result to go to the location of the text in the PDF. For other types of files, click Open to open and search
the file.
More Help topics
“About PDF Portfolios” on page 83
“Open, edit, and save component files” on page 87
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.
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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.
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.
•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.
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•Boolean Query Uses the Boolean operators that you type with the search words into the What 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:
AND Use 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.
NOT Use 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.
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OR Use 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 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.
In Mac 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.
1Choose Edit > Advanced Search.
2Type the search text, and then click Show More Options, near the bottom of the Search window.
3For Look In, choose Select Index.
4Select 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.
5
Click OK to close the Index Selection dialog box, and then choose Currently Selected Indexes from the Look In menu.
6Proceed with your search as usual.
Note: Selecting the Match Whole Word Only option when searching indexes significantly reduces the time taken to return
results.
More Help topics
“Search features preferences” on page 297
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.
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Show Document Title In Search Results Displays document titles in search results. If a document does not have a title,
displays the filename. When unselected, 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.
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
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, choose Tools > Document Processing > Manage Embedded Index.
2In the Manage Embedded Index dialog box, click Embed Index.
3Read 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 > Document Processing > Manage Embedded Index.
2Click either Update Index or Remove Index.
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Chapter 13: Multimedia and 3D models
The possibilities for Adobe PDFs extend to the richness of multimedia communication. PDFs can include video clips,
digital audio, interactive content, and 3D models that readers can move, turn, zoom in on, and examine part by part.
Multimedia in PDFs
Play multimedia
You can play the following types of multimedia in PDFs created using Adobe Acrobat® or Adobe Reader® X:
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
.
More Help topics
“Security warnings” on page 195
Multimedia preferences
Two types of PDF files require you to set multimedia preferences:
•PDF files created in Acrobat 8 and earlier
•PDF files created in Acrobat X in which the multimedia files were added by using the legacy placement method
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
Multimedia files within PDFs sometimes need additional resources to play. For example, some files require resources
from the Internet, such as a multimedia player. You can set trust settings to determine whether multimedia content is
allowed to use external resources.
•To set trust settings for playing content created with Acrobat 9, use Trust Manager preferences.
•To set trust settings for playing content created with earlier versions of Acrobat, use Multimedia Trust (Legacy)
preferences.
Both of these settings are available in the Preferences dialog box.
More Help topics
“Allow or block links to the Internet in PDFs” on page 193
“Attachments” on page 194
Multimedia Trust (Legacy)
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.
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 > Content > 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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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.
Interacting with 3D models
Displaying 3D models
In Acrobat, 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.
Selected 3D object
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.
B
C
A
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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
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” on page 303.
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 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” on page 307.
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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 “Comment on 3D designs” on page 314.
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.
Model rendering modes
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. Vertices O. Shaded Vertices
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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Changing the appearance of the 3D model
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.
More Help topics
“Examples of model rendering modes” on page 303
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.
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 “Set 3D views” on page 312.
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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.
Model Tree
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.
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
B
C
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Manipulating parts
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:
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.
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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.
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.
Before and after cross section
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.)
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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.
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.
Measure 3D objects
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.
You can also display comments while taking measurements. These comments (also called measurement markups) are
preserved after the document is closed.
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3D measurement display
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.
4
Right-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 the 3D 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.
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.
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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.
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 Reader, 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.
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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.
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.
2
In 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.
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.
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Set 3D views
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.
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.
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.
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 > Content > 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.
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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.
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.
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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 > Content > 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.
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.
Comment on 3D designs
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 Annotations panel in the Comment pane 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.
When the view of a 3D object is changed, any comment associated with that object disappears (right).
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If you don’t want a comment to be associated with a 3D view, add the comment outside the 3D object area.
More Help topics
“Commenting” on page 129
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.
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 task pane
When you add comments by using the tools on the Comment task pane, a new view is created in the Model Tree called
CommentView.
Note: Adobe Reader users can add comments to a PDF if the document author enables commenting for that PDF.
1Display the Annotations panel from the Comment task pane.
2Select 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.
2Right-click a measurement name and click Convert To Comment.
Display comments for a 3D object
1Do one of the following:
•In the Model Tree, select a view that contains comments.
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•Click Comment > Comments List.
•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.
Run a JavaScript
If a separate JavaScript file is associated with the 3D model PDF, you can activate it.
1Open the PDF in Acrobat.
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.
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Chapter 14: Color management
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.
Color gamuts of various devices and documents
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.
CMYK
RGB
A B
C
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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.
More Help topics
“About color profiles” on page 325
“About rendering intents” on page 330
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.
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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.
•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.
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
Suite, 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.
Color settings for Adobe Creative Suite are synchronized in a central location through Adobe Bridge.
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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.
Basic steps for producing consistent color
1. 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?” on page 318.)
2. 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” on page 327.)
3. 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 profiles” on page 325 and “Install a color profile” on page 328.)
4. 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” on page 321.)
•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” on page 321.)
5. (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 “About soft-proofing colors” on page 323.)
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. For
Acrobat, the Overprint Preview option is automatically applied.
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6. 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 “Printing with color management” on page 324 and “Color-managing documents for online viewing” on
page 322.)
Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications
If you use Adobe Creative Suite, you can use Adobe Bridge to automatically synchronize color settings across
applications. This synchronization ensures that colors look the same in all color-managed Adobe applications.
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 Suite application, choose File > Browse. To open Bridge directly, either choose Adobe
Bridge from the Start menu (Windows) or double-click the Adobe Bridge icon (Mac
OS).
2Choose Edit > Creative Suite 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 then position the pointer over the setting name. 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” on page 321.)
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.
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•Select colors from a color library. Adobe applications come with several standard color libraries, which you can load
using the Swatches panel menu.
•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 Suite 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.
Color-managing imported images
Using a safe CMYK workflow
A safe CMYK workflow ensures that CMYK color numbers are preserved all the way to the final output device, as
opposed to being converted by your color management system. This workflow is beneficial if you want to
incrementally adopt color management practices. For example, you can use CMYK profiles to soft-proof and hard-
proof documents without the possibility of unintended color conversions occurring during final output.
You can override safe CMYK settings when you print a document or save it to Adobe PDF. However, doing so may
cause colors to be reseparated. For example, pure CMYK black objects may be reseparated as rich black. For more
information on color management options for printing and saving PDFs, search in Help.
Preparing imported graphics for color management
Use the following general guidelines to prepare graphics for being color-managed in Adobe applications:
•Embed an ICC-compliant profile when you save the file. The file formats that support embedded profiles are JPEG,
PDF, PSD (Photoshop), AI (Illustrator), INDD (InDesign), Photoshop EPS, Large Document Format, and TIFF.
•If you plan to reuse a color graphic for multiple final output devices or media, such as for print, video, and the web,
prepare the graphic using RGB or Lab colors whenever possible. If you must save in a color model other than RGB
or Lab, keep a copy of the original graphic. RGB and Lab color models represent larger color gamuts than most
output devices can reproduce, retaining as much color information as possible before being translated to a smaller
output color gamut.
More Help topics
“Embed a color profile” on page 328
Color-managing documents for online viewing
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.
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When you color-manage documents that will be 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 working with images that have an embedded color profile other than sRGB, you should convert the image’s
colors to sRGB before you save the image for use on the web. If you want the application to automatically convert the
colors to sRGB when you open the image, select Convert To Working Space as the RGB color management policy.
(Make sure that your RGB working space is set to sRGB.)
More Help topics
“About color working spaces” on page 328
Color-managing PDFs for online viewing
When you export PDFs, you can choose to embed profiles. PDFs with embedded profiles reproduce color consistently
in Acrobat 4.0 or later running 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.
More Help topics
“Printing with color management” on page 324
Color-managing HTML documents for online viewing
Many web browsers do not support color management. Of the browsers that do support color management, not all
instances can be considered color-managed because they may be running on systems where the monitors are not
calibrated. In addition, few web pages contain images with embedded profiles. If you manage a highly controlled
environment, such as the intranet of a design studio, you may be able to achieve some degree of HTML color
management for images by equipping everyone with a browser that supports color management and calibrating all
monitors.
You can approximate how colors will look on uncalibrated monitors by using the sRGB color space. However, because
color reproduction varies among uncalibrated monitors, you still won’t be able to anticipate the true range of potential
display variations.
Proofing colors
About soft-proofing colors
In a traditional publishing workflow, you print a hard proof of your document to preview how its colors will 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 on-screen preview of how your document’s
colors will 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.
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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. In
Acrobat, the Overprint Preview option is automatically applied.
Using a soft proof to preview the final output of a document on your monitor
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.
Color-managing documents when printing
Printing with color management
Color management options for printing let you specify how you want Adobe applications to handle the outgoing
image data so the printer will print colors consistent with what you see on your monitor. Your options for printing
color-managed documents depend on the Adobe application you use, as well as the output device you select. In
general, you have the following choices for handling colors during printing:
•Let the printer determine colors.
•Let the application determine colors.
Letting the printer determine colors when printing
In this workflow, the application does no color conversion, but sends all necessary conversion information to the
output device. This method is especially convenient when printing to inkjet photo printers, because each combination
of paper type, printing resolution, and additional printing parameters (such as high-speed printing) requires a
different profile. Most new inkjet photo printers come with fairly accurate profiles built into the driver, so letting the
printer select the right profile saves time and alleviates mistakes. This method is also recommended if you are not
familiar with color management.
If you choose this method, it is very important that you set up printing options and turn on color management in your
printer driver. Search Help for additional instructions.
If you select a PostScript printer, you can take advantage of PostScript color management. PostScript color
management makes it possible to perform color composite output or color separations at the raster image processor
(RIP)—a process called in-RIP separations—so that a program need only specify parameters for separation and let the
device calculate the final color values. PostScript color-managed output workflows require an output device that
supports PostScript color management using PostScript Level 2 version 2017 or later, or PostScript Language Level 3.
Letting the application determine colors when printing
In this workflow, the application does all the color conversion, generating color data specific to one output device. The
application uses the assigned color profiles to convert colors to the output device’s gamut, and sends the resulting
values to the output device. The accuracy of this method depends on the accuracy of the printer profile you select. Use
this workflow when you have custom ICC profiles for each specific printer, ink, and paper combination.
AB C
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If you choose this option, it is very important that you disable color management in your printer driver. Letting the
application and the printer driver simultaneously manage colors during printing results in unpredictable color. Search
Help for additional instructions.
Obtaining custom profiles for desktop printers
If the output profiles that come with your printer don’t produce satisfactory results, you obtain custom profiles in the
following ways:
•Purchase a profile for your type of printer and paper. This is usually the easiest and least expensive method.
•Purchase a profile for your specific printer and paper. This method involves printing a profiling target on your
printer and paper, and providing that target to a company that will create a specific profile. This is more expensive
than purchasing a standard profile, but can provide better results because it compensates for any manufacturing
variations in printers.
•Create your own profile using a scanner-based system. This method involves using profile-creation software and
your own flatbed scanner to scan the profiling target. It can provide excellent results for matte surface papers, but
not glossy papers. (Glossy papers tend to have fluorescent brighteners in them that look different to a scanner than
they do in room light.)
•Create your own profile using a hardware profile-creation tool. This method is expensive but can provide the best
results. A good hardware tool can create an accurate profile even with glossy papers.
•Tweak a profile created using one of the previous methods with profile-editing software. This software can be
complex to use, but it lets you correct problems with a profile or simply adjust a profile to produce results more to
your taste.
More Help topics
“Install a color profile” on page 328
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
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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 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.
Managing color with profiles
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.
More Help topics
“Calibrate and profile your monitor” on page 327
“Letting the printer determine colors when printing” on page 324
“Obtaining custom profiles for desktop printers” on page 325
“About color working spaces” on page 328
A
B
C
D
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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 a half hour. This gives it sufficient time to warm up and
produce more consistent output.
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.
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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.
More Help topics
“Obtaining custom profiles for desktop printers” on page 325
Embed a color profile
You can embed a color profile in an object or an entire PDF. Acrobat attaches the appropriate profile, as specified in
the Convert Colors dialog box, to the selected color space in the PDF. For more information, see the color conversion
topics in Acrobat Help.
Changing the color profile for a document
There are very few situations that require you to change the color profile for a document. This is because your
application automatically assigns the color profile based on the settings you select in the Color Settings dialog box. The
only times you should manually change a color profile are when preparing a document for a different output
destination or correcting a policy behavior that you no longer want implemented in the document. Changing the
profile is recommended for advanced users only.
You can change the color profile for a document in the following ways:
•Assign a new profile. The color numbers in the document remain the same, but the new profile may dramatically
change the appearance of the colors as displayed on your monitor.
•Remove the profile so that the document is no longer color-managed.
•Convert the colors in the document to the color space of a different profile. The color numbers are shifted in an
effort to preserve the original color appearances.
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 Color Settings dialog box.
A working space profile acts as the source profile for newly created documents that use the associated color model. For
example, if Adobe RGB (1998) is the current RGB working space profile, each new RGB document that you create will
use colors within the Adobe RGB (1998) gamut. Working spaces also determine the appearance of colors in untagged
documents.
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If you open a document embedded with a 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.
More Help topics
“About missing and mismatched color profiles” on page 329
Working space options
Select the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
To view a description of any profile, select the profile and then position the pointer over the profile name. 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, 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 intent instead of a document color space for viewing and
printing. For more information on output intents, see Acrobat Help.
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.
About missing and mismatched color profiles
For a newly created document, the color workflow usually operates seamlessly: 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.
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In either case, the application uses a color management policy to decide how to handle the color data in the document.
If the profile is missing or does not match the working space, the application may display a warning message,
depending on options you set in the Color Settings dialog box. Profile warnings are turned off by default, but you can
turn them on to ensure the appropriate color management of documents on a case-by-case basis. The warning
messages vary between applications, but in general you have the following options:
•(Recommended) Leave the document or imported color data as it is. For example, you can choose to use the
embedded profile (if one exists), leave the document without a color profile (if one doesn’t exist), or preserve the
numbers in pasted color data.
•Adjust the document or imported color data. For example, when opening a document with a missing color profile,
you can choose to assign the current working space profile or a different profile. When opening a document with
a mismatched color profile, you can choose to discard the profile or convert the colors to the current working space.
When importing color data, you can choose to convert the colors to the current working space in order to preserve
their appearance.
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 and then position the pointer over the option
name. 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.
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Chapter 15: Printing
Whether you send a quick draft to an inkjet or laser printer, provide a multicolored document to an outside service
provider, or print a complex technical document with custom page sizes, you can set options in the Print dialog box
to ensure that the finished document appears as intended.
Basic printing tasks
Print a PDF
If the desired printing option is in the Print dialog box, set it there rather than through the printer driver. The
computer you wish to print an Adobe® PDF from must be connected either to a local, shared, or network printer and
be configured to use that printer.
1Make sure that you’ve installed the correct printer driver for your printer.
2To print comments, such as sticky notes, in the Preferences dialog box, choose Commenting and select Print Notes
And Pop-ups.
3Click the Print button , or choose File > Print.
4Choose a printer from the menu at the top of the Print dialog box.
5Click the Page Setup button to choose a paper size, page orientation, and other general printing options. The
options vary with different printers and drivers. See your printer driver documentation for details.
6Set additional printer driver options in your operating system.
7To print comments or forms, select an option from the Comments And Forms pop-up menu.
8Indicate which pages you want to print, and then click OK.
For tips on basic printing tasks, click the Help button in the upper-right corner of the Print dialog box.
Options in the Print dialog box
Most of the options in the Adobe Acrobat Print dialog box are the same for other applications, however there will be
some minor variations that are operating system specific.
Comments And Forms Specifies 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.
Current View/Selected Graphic Prints the page area (including text, comments, and so on) that is visible in the current
view. The option name changes depending on whether you have no pages selected (Current View), a page or pages
selected (Selected Pages), or an area on a page selected using the Snapshot tool (Selected Graphic).
Current Page Prints the page that is visible in the current view.
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Pages Specifies the range of pages to print in the open PDF. Separate numbers in a range by using a hyphen, and
separate multiple pages or ranges by using commas or spaces. If the Use Logical Page Numbers option is selected in
Page Display Preferences, you can enter numbers that match the numbering printed on the pages using roman
numerals or actual page numbers. For example, if the first page of a document is numbered iii, you can enter iii or 1
to print that page. Selecting Odd Pages Only or Even Pages Only affects which pages in a range print. For example, in
a range that includes 2, 7–10 with Even Pages Only selected, only pages 2, 8, and 10 will print.
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.
Subset Choose All Pages In Range, or choose Odd Pages Only or Even Pages Only to print only those pages within
the specified range.
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.
Page Scaling Reduces, enlarges, or divides pages when printing.
•None Prints the upper left or center of a page (if auto-rotated and centered) 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” on page 335.
•Fit To Printable Area 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.
•Shrink To Printable Area 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” on page 335.
•Tile 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. If this option is selected, you can also specify settings for Tile Scale,
Overlap, Cut Marks, and Labels.
•Tile All Pages Applies tiling to all pages, regardless of size. However, only the pages that are larger than the selected
paper size at the specified scale are mapped to multiple sheets of paper. If this option is selected, you can also specify
settings for Tile Scale, Overlap, Cut Marks, and Labels.
•Multiple Pages Per Sheet Enables N-up printing, where multiple pages print on the same sheet of paper. If this
option is selected, you can also specify settings for Pages Per Sheet, Page Order, Print Page Border, and Auto-Rotate
Pages.
Note: N-up printing 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 N-up printing either in Acrobat or in the printer driver, but
not both.
•Booklet Printing Prints multiple pages on the same sheet of paper in the order required to read correctly when
folded. The printer must support duplex printing (printing on both sides of the sheet). Acrobat automatically enables
duplex printing, if available, for booklet printing.
Pages Per Sheet Prints a predefined number of pages, or a custom number (up to 99), horizontally and vertically
during N-up printing. 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 during N-up printing. 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
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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 Draws the crop box (the page boundary of PDF pages) during N-up printing.
Auto-Rotate And Center 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-Rotate And Center
option overrides the orientation selected in Page Setup.
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 To File (Windows) Creates a device-dependent PostScript file of the 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 the Save As PostScript command. The Save As PostScript
command isn’t available in Adobe Reader®.
Note: You don’t need to have a PostScript printer to create a PostScript file.
Printing Tips If you’re connected to the Internet, this option connects to the Adobe website for information on how
to troubleshoot printing problems.
Advanced Opens one or more panels for setting additional printing options.
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. See “Print a comment summary”
on page 144.
Additional resources
For more information on printing, see these resources:
•Printing tips | Acrobat, Reader: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/332/332720.html
•Forums on printing and prepress: acrobatusers.com/forum/printing-prepress
•Adobe Print Resource Center: www.adobe.com/go/print_resource
More Help topics
“Downloading Asian fonts to a printer” on page 340
“Create print presets” on page 335
Print a portion of a page
1Choose Edit > Take a snapshot.
2Drag around the area you want to print.
Acrobat copies the selected area to the clipboard.
3Choose File > Print, and choose Selected Graphic option.
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Print Layers
Normally, when you print a PDF that contains layers, just the content that is visible on-screen is printed. However, the
creator of a layered PDF can specify that some layered content, such as watermarks or confidential information, must
(or must not) print, regardless of its visibility on-screen. If the document is designed to print differently from how it
currently appears on-screen, 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.
2Choose Apply Print Overrides from the Options menu.
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.
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 on-screen 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, but 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, you must 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. This setting is useful for preserving the scale of page
content in engineering documents, or for ensuring that documents print at a particular point size to be legal.
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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.
For example, if pages 1–2 represent instructions for filling out a form, and pages 3–5 represent the form, you can set
up your print job to print multiple copies of 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.
Other ways to print PDFs
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 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, contact the printer
manufacturer, or click the Properties button in the Print dialog box and look for options that mention two-sided or
duplex printing.
Multipage document (left), pages arranged in booklet layout (center), and pages printed and folded into new booklet (right)
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Print a booklet
1Choose File > Print and select the printer.
2Under Page Handling, choose Booklet Printing from the Page Scaling menu.
3In the Print Range area, specify 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.
•To 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.
4Choose 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 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.
Compare Right binding with Right (Tall).
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.
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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” on page 87.
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.)
More Help topics
“About PDF Portfolios” on page 83
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 print.
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.
More Help topics
“About bookmarks” on page 260
“Add tagged bookmarks” on page 263
Printing custom sizes
Print an oversized document
Although you can create a PDF file as large as 15,000,000 inches (38,100,000 cm) in either direction, most desktop
printers cannot print such large pages. To print an oversized document on your desktop printer, you can print each
page in pieces, called tiles, and then trim and assemble those pieces.
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You can also increase the scale of a standard-sized document and print it on multiple pages.
1Choose File > Print.
2From the Page Scaling menu, choose Tile All Pages if all pages of the document are oversized. If some of the pages
are standard-sized, choose Tile Large Pages.
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.
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.
Scale a document for printing
To print an oversized PDF on paper that has smaller dimensions, you can scale the document’s width and height to fit.
1Choose File > Print.
2From the Page Scaling menu, choose Fit To Printable Area or Shrink To Printable Area.
Note: If you don’t see a Page Scaling menu, click the arrow next to the Printer menu to expose more controls in the Print
dialog box.
For more information about scaling documents for printing, see the “Page scaling” section of “Printing tips” document
on the Adobe website.
Advanced print settings
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 on-screen 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.
Set advanced print options
The Advanced Print Setup dialog box is available for PostScript and non-PostScript printers.
1In the Print dialog box, click Advanced.
To learn more about an option, select it. A description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
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2Set options for PostScript printers, and then click OK.
Note: Acrobat sets the PostScript level automatically, based on the selected printer.
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 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.
Language 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.
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.
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.
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.
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Chapter 16: Keyboard shortcuts
This section lists common shortcuts for moving around a document.
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
Snapshot tool G G
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
Temporarily select Zoom In tool Ctrl+spacebar Spacebar+Command
Select Object tool R R
Object Data tool O O
Article tool A A
Crop tool C C
Link tool L L
Edit Document Text tool (formerly
TouchUp Text)
T T
Measuring tool B B
JavaScript Debugger Ctrl+J Command+J
Insert Blank Pages tool Shift+Ctrl+Q Shift+Command+Q
Insert Files Ctrl+Shift+I
Delete pages Ctrl+Shift+D
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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.
Keys for navigating a PDF
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
Arrow tool D D
Cycle through drawing markup tools:
Arrow, Line, Rectangle, Oval, Polygon
Line, Polygon, Pencil Tool, Eraser Tool
Shift+D (Windows only) Shift+D
Text Box tool X X
Attach file as comment J J
Cycle through attach tools: Attach File,
Record Audio Comment
Shift+J Shift+J
Move focus to comment Tab Tab
Move focus to next comment Shift+Tab Shift+Tab
Open pop-up note for comment that has
focus
Enter Return
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
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Keys for working with PDF Portfolios
These keys are available in the files list of the Details pane.
Scroll (when Hand tool is selected) Spacebar Spacebar
Zoom in Ctrl+equal sign Command+equal sign
Zoom out Ctrl+hyphen Command+hyphen
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/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
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Keys for navigating task panes
Keys for general navigating
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
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 the menu and move the focus to
the first menu option when focus is on a
command with a sub-menu or sub-menu
element with a flyout
Spacebar or Enter Spacebar or Enter
Move the focus back to the parent
command button with a sub-menu or
sub-menu element with a flyout
Esc Esc
Run the command in focus Spacebar or Enter Spacebar or Enter
Open Pages panel and navigate to
command buttons
Alt+V+T+P. Press F6 bring focus to
panel. Use arrow keys to navigate
within panel.
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
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Keys for working with navigation panels
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
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
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
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Keys for navigating the Help window
Keys for accessibility
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
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
Quick Check tool Shift+Ctrl+6 Shift+Command+6
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
Result Windows/UNIX Action Mac OS Action
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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
Result Windows Action Mac OS Action

Navigation menu