Wednesday, April 28, 2004 from 12:15 PM to 01:15 PM
What is a PDF file?
Short for Portable Document Format, a file format developed by Adobe Systems. PDF captures formatting information from a variety of desktop publishing applications, making it possible to send formatted documents and have them appear on the recipient's monitor or printer as they were intended. In plain language, it is a file that will look the same on the screen and in print, regardless of what kind of computer or printer someone is using and regardless of what software package was originally used to create it.
Although they contain the complete formatting of the original document, including fonts and images, PDF files are highly compressed, allowing complex information to be downloaded efficiently. Files can also include interactive elements such as buttons for forms entry and for triggering sound and Quicktime or AVI movies. PDF files are optimized for the Web by rendering text before graphic images and hypertext links.
When Should I use it?
Because PDF format allows the reliable reproduction of published material on many different platforms (requiring only the use of free reader software), it is a way to conveniently and quickly make course content, including text, tables, and graphics, available to students.
Another reason to use PDF is that some files can be opened only by the application that created them. For example, a CorelDraw graphics file will not open in most computers unless an application which can read it is installed. However, the same information could be made available to anyone in PDF format (see an example below).
When Should I Not use it?
In general, you should avoid using PDFs when you can distribute the same information in HTML format. Many applications, including Microsoft Office, can save HTML files that are pretty close to the original documents in terms of layout and formatting. If the application you are using can save HTML files, you should try that option first. Unless the document being generated has many images, HTML still is the fastest format for distributing information on the Web since browsers do not need a plugin to render HTML documents.
Making files in their application's native format available online is not a good idea, unless you know that all your students have the application needed to open those files. PowerPoint files, for example, should be saved as HTML for easy viewing with an optional link to the PPT file for students who have PowerPoint on their machines.
The examples below are links to a CorelDraw native file and a PDF file generated from the same document. If you do not have CorelDraw on your system, you will be prompted to save the file to disk--and nothing else. You will not be able to view it unless you install a program that can read that format. The other link shows the same file in PDF format, which is much more accessible.
| Original CorelDraw file | CorelDraw file converted to PDF |
How to Download the Reader Software
Virtually anyone - including Windows, DOS, Macintosh, SUN, and UNIX system users - can view and print a PDF file using the free Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) Reader, from the Adobe web site:
Adobe also has information about PDF and the visually challenged at its site.
How to Download the Writer Software
Some time ago, Adobe was the only company selling a PDF creator software, and it was a somewhat expensive solution. However, since the PDF file format specifications were made available to other developers, many third-party PDF creators began to appear. Some of them are even free, like CutePDF--the software we will use in this workshop. Among the free options, CutePDF offers the best quality and has one extra advantage over its competitors: no adware and spyware built-in.
You can download CutePDF from the CSTL Downloads page.
After downloading and installing CutePDF, the next step is to configure it to "embed" all fonts in the PDF files you generate. This way, your files will be displayed correctly even if the person downloading them does not have a certain font type installed. To make CutePDF embed fonts, follow these steps:
- Go to Start | Settings | Control Panel and open the Printers and Faxes window.
- Right-click on CutePDF and select Properties.
- Click on the Advanced tab, then choose Printing Defaults, then click on the Advanced button.
- In True Type Font, choose Download as Softfont.
- Click OK until all the windows are closed. Close the Control Panel.
Now you are ready to start generating PDF files from your applications. Just go to File | Print in any Windows application that supports printing and select the CutePDF "printer" from the list. Click OK and it will ask you for a file name to "print" to.
Useful Links
Online Instructor Suite Download & Manuals Page