More information on working with PDF files

What is PDF?

Portable Document Format (PDF) is the name for a family of document interchange products written by Adobe Systems, Inc. Any document you would normally print, you can now instead turn into PDF, which represents the exact appearance of the printed document. The PDF file can then be viewed by anyone with an Acrobat Reader. Adobe freely distributes Acrobat Reader, the software necessary to view, print, navigate and search PDF files. When properly configured on a workstation, the Adobe Acrobat Reader software can be launched by Netscape whenever a PDF file is encountered. You can find out more about Acrobat and PDF at the Adobe Systems Incorporated Web Site.

As well as representing the printed pages of your document, PDF supports additional navigational aids such as hyperlinks (links to URL addresses), bookmarks (links to jump from page to page) and also links to sound files and video files.

Configuring Netscape to work with Acrobat

Files that have been saved in PDF can only be properly viewed using the Adobe(TM) Acrobat Reader software. You must download the software, then configure your Netscape to automatically launch the Adobe(TM) Acrobat Reader when a PDF file is encountered. This configuration need only be done once, the next time Netscape encounters a PDF file the Reader will open automatically.

Following are instructions for configuring your browser to handle .PDF files. The instructions are written specifically for Netscape, but should be similar for most browsers:

1. Download the appropriate Adobe(TM) Acrobat Reader software for your system.
2. Go to "Options/General Preferences/Helpers" and select "Create New Type".
3. The Mime Type should be "application," Subtype should be "PDF" and the extension should be "PDF".
4. Click "Browse" and direct Netscape to the copy of Acrobat Reader which you downloaded.
5. Select "Launch the Application" to tell your browser to launch Acrobat Reader when it encounters a PDF file.
6. Click "OK". Go under Options and select "Save Options".

Now, whenever a user encounters a PDF file, Acrobat will be launched and the file may be viewed and printed in its original format, including graphics, charts, hyperlinks, etc.

Navigating in a PDF file

To jump to a specific numbered page:

• Click the page number box in the status bar at the bottom of the main window, type the page number, and click "OK".
• Choose "View > Go To Page", type the page number, and click "OK".
• Drag the scroll box in the vertical scroll bar up and down until the rectangle to the left of the scroll bar displays the number of the page to which you want to jump.

To follow a link:

1. Watch the hand tool change from a hand to a pointing finger whenever it encounters a link. In National Library PDF publications the Table of Contents are linked.
2. Click to follow the link. The finger pointer displays a W when moved over a Weblink.

To print:

1. Choose "File > Print".
2. Indicate the page range.
3. Click "OK" (Windows) or "Print" (Macintosh).

To increase magnification:

Select the magnifying glass symbol (zoom tool) located on the toolbar at the top of the screen, it is next to the hand tool. Choose one of the following:

• Click on the document page to double the current magnification.
• Drag the zoom tool to draw a rectangle, called a marquee, around the area you want to magnify.

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