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What IS a PDF
file?
Downloading a PDF file
What is an Interactive PDF
form?
Saving a PDF file
What IS
a PDF file?
In some places you will see "Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader -- Get reader",
or a reference stating that the information is available as a PDF file.
This means that the information is only available as a Portable Document
Format ("PDF") file.
To view or read these files, you need a particular software
program -- Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe Systems Incorporated designed programs that
creates these pdf files from scanned, word processed and other sources of data. The file,
when opened looks just like the original with all the formatting and art work
intact. To open or read these files you need the software referred to as 'Acrobat
Reader' which was also developed by Adobe Systems. The company provides a version of
the reader software free-of-charge. The belief is that if lots of people have
access to the reader, more companies will buy the software that creates pdf files. Consumers
win one! If you'd like to find out more about Adobe Systems Incorporated and their
software, visit their home site: http://www.adobe.com.
If you would like to download the free reader software, visit the Adobe Reader
download site:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html and follow the
directions. If you are not sure whether you have the program, you can look
in your program list for the Adobe folder, which would indicate that the
software has been loaded, or simply click on a PDF file. If you have the
software, it will open automatically.
Downloading a PDF file.
If you wish to view the data, a file with the filename
extension "pdf" will be downloaded to a location on your computer, simply by
'double-clicking' the file name or the button. (The
term 'filename extension' refers to the last three letters after the period in a filename.) The file
is put into a temporary folder that gets deleted every few days or weeks.
The location of this folder and how often these temporary files are deleted depends on
your internet browser settings.
What is an
Interactive PDF form?
Some PDF forms are interactive. That is, you can enter information
directly on the form while it is on your screen! If you plan on never
using the form again, say to make changes to the information you have entered,
you may simply print the form when you have completed it by pressing the print
icon. A print 'pop-up' screen will appear asking for printing
instructions. If on the other hand, you think you may want to use the form
again, it is best to save the file (see "Saving a
PDF file" for instructions if you are unfamiliar with this task).
How do you know if a PDF file is interactive?
When the PDF file is open and you move your mouse across it, you will generally
see an open hand, facing away from you, as the mouse icon. When the hand changes
to an "I" that indicates you are in an area where data can be entered.
(Your mouse icon generally looks like an arrow in most software, but it appears
as a hand in Adobe Acrobat Reader software.)
If you here a tone when entering data ("BONG" on my computer), it indicates that
you have attempted to enter the wrong type of data – either by entering
alphabetical characters in a number field, or by attempting to enter numbers in
what has been designated a field for alphabetical characters.
Saving a PDF
file.
If you wish to save the PDF file, you cannot
simply press the save icon on the menu bar. You will very likely not be able to
save a copy on the server because it’s someone else’s computer. Instead, you
must save it on your computer’s desktop area, someplace on your hard drive, or
on a floppy disk if you want a copy of the file.
To save the file to your computer:
- Select “Save As…” from the “File” menu across
the top of the screen.
- From the “Save As” pop-up box, next to “Save
in:” box, click on the down arrow symbol and then select either “Desktop”, or
“3˝ Floppy (A:)” (make sure you have a disk in your A: drive)
Once you have saved the file to your computer or a
disk, you can print the form and fax it, or send it as an attachment to an
e-mail. Since you have a copy on your computer, you can always open the file
again and change some of the information!
Author/contact information:
Dr. Lloyd C. Russow, Ph.D.
Philadelphia University
School of Business Administration
School House Lane & Henry Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144-5497
Ph: 215-951-2819
Fx: 215.951.2652
E-mail: RussowL@PhilaU.edu
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