|
| Q & A |
| PDF Files |
| Question |
| What are PDF (.pdf) files and how do I view them? How do I print them? |
| Answer |
| "PDF" stands for "portable document format." It is
a product of Adobe® Systems. Documents in this format can be created with any word processor, spreadsheet or other
software program. The file that is created has an extension of .pdf (as opposed to most web pages which end in .htm,
.html, .asp, etc.). This file retains all of the formatting (bold letters, colors, pictures, etc.) that was done in
the original software. Thus a file created with Pagemaker® on an Apple Macintosh® computer can be viewed on
a Windows computer or any other computer and still look like the original file.
 To view and print a PDF file,
you need a software program called Adobe Acrobat Reader®. Adobe makes this program available free of charge.
You can download it from Adobe.com. Acrobat Reader will
work automatically with your browser as a plug-in so you can view and print PDF files.
Problems with viewing pages can occur if an older version of Acrobat is being used, specifically 3.0 or older. Most
of our PDF files view and print with versions 4.0 or 5.0, but we recommend using the latest version available.
Because many of the PDF's on our site have photos or other graphics, file sizes can be large. Not only will this
slow download times, but the file may not show on your screen at all (especially with a dial-up connection). Sometimes,
just clicking on the "refresh" button on your browser will reset the connection and bring the file up.
PRINTING
A common error when trying to print PDF files is using the browser print button or the print selection from the
file menu. This will NOT print the PDF file and usually results in a blank page being printed. Note that when viewing
a PDF file, a 2nd toolbar appears on your computer screen. The toolbar will be directly above the page or document.
Click on the print icon on this toolbar, it is usually the 2nd button on the left, to print the PDF file (see graphic
below - use the icon circled in yellow, do not use the icon or menu option with the red
"x"). |
| EXAMPLE OF HOW TO PRINT PDF FILES |
 |
 |
|
|
|
