Create documents that will retain their original quality when viewed or printed by someone else's computer.
Introduction
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. A PDF can be read by both
PC's and Macs. PDF files retain their formatting so they look and print
exactly as they were created.
Software Requirements
To create a PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat (not just Adobe Reader) installed on your computer.
The instructions in this article are for Adobe Acrobat 7.0, Standard
version. Adobe has also created a Professional version for Acrobat 7.0.
To decide which version is right for your needs and purposes, visit choose the right Adobe product.
501(c) non-profits may apply to receive Adobe Acrobat from Adobe's software donation program.
It is also available for purchase from:
adobe.com $299 for the Standard edition
amazon.com $279 for the Standard edition
PDF's may also be created using Create Adobe PDF Online. Subscribers are allowed to make unlimited PDF files through a monthly or annual fee.
Select a File to Convert
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Open Adobe Acrobat.
Choose File -> Create PDF -> From File, or click the Create PDF button and choose From File. Select your file type from the Files of Type (Windows) or Show (Mac OS) text box, and browse to select the file you want to convert. |
Change the Settings
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Click Settings if you want to edit the default conversion options. Click OK to apply your changes.
The conversion options available depend on the file type. The Settings button is dimmed if no conversion options can be set. |
Create and Save the PDF File
Click Open to convert the selected file to a PDF. After the conversion is complete, the PDF document will be open. Click on File -> Save as to specify where on your computer you would like to save the PDF, and to rename the file if desired.
Other Methods
There are multiple ways to produce PDF files. You may also use the
Print command in most applications to create a PDF document by
"printing" to the Adobe PDF Writer (this printer is installed when you
install Adobe Acrobat and emulates a printer driver.)
The installation of Acrobat also includes the addition of a Create PDF button to the toolbars of Microsoft Office applications.
For example, you can convert an MS Word document to Adobe PDF by simply clicking on the Create PDF button in the Word toolbar.
Another option is to print your document to PostScript and distill
to PDF with Acrobat Distiller. Using Distiller lets you choose how to
handle high-end features (overprint settings, transfer curves, halftone
information, special color spaces.) |
