Using PDF Files

What is a PDF?

A PDF is a type of document commonly found on the Internet that can be viewed by both Windows and Macintosh computers. Many of the documents on this website have been converted to PDF (Portable Document Format) files. They can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader – free software from Adobe. (If you haven't got it, you can install it now.)

Hints on using PDFs

Before downloading a file, note its name so you can easily locate it later by using your computer's FIND FILE utility. What happens when you click on a PDF document is determined by the browser you are using – Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

There are two scenarios:

1. When you click on the PDF link your browser will start its own Adobe Acrobat Reader plugin – a small program that lets you view the document within your browser. Some PDF documents are large and may take a few minutes to appear.
   
   
2. Alternatively, a dialog box will appear from which you can choose "Open" or "Save to disk". If you choose "Open" the document will be downloaded to your computer and opened in Acrobat Reader. If you choose "Save to disk", you will be asked to find an appropriate directory to save it into. This is the most common method for earlier versions of these web browsers.

Open a downloaded file by either double clicking its icon or locating it from within Acrobat Reader (FILE > OPEN, locate the file and OPEN).

Acrobat Reader

Free software from http://www.adobe.com.

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