The following information is from

1. What does PDF stand for?
   
   PDF stands for Portable Document Format.
   
   
   
2. What is PDF?
   
   PDF is a unique type of cross platform file format developed by Adobe.
   
   
   
3. Why should PDF be important to me?

   PDF is Cross Platform, Navigational, Ultra-Printable, Ultra-Viewable, and Smaller than other conventional document formats.
   
   Cross Platform: a cross-platform file format that represents documents independent of the software, hardware, and the operating system used to create the file. In simple words, you can read a PDF document in Windows 98 that was created on a Macintosh that you downloaded from a Web site running UNIX.
   
   Navigational: objects built into the PDF file format allow users and creators to expand the usefulness of a publication. Such items include: Internal and external links, bookmarks, thumbnails of each page, article threads, form fields, buttons for navigation, notes to annotate information, views to allow a user to magnify or reduce a page to fit within the user's computer screen.
   
   Ultra-Printable: PDF files are based on the PostScript language imaging model. This enables sharp, color-precise printing on almost all printers.
   
   Ultra-Viewable: On screen PDF files have a precise color match regardless of the monitor used. PDF files allow the user to magnify documents up to 800% without the loss of clarity in text or graphics.
   
   Smaller: PDF files can be optimized to reduce their file sizes. PDF files for example can be 1/5 of the size of their HTML counterpart.
   
   

4. What strengths do PDF files have on the internet?

   PDF files have many of the same characteristics as HTML documents.

   PDF files can be viewed within Netscape and Internet Explorer windows. These files can then be saved for off-line use or printed.

   PDF files can be byte served over the web to faster access larger amount of information. This process is similar to the process of streaming of video files so you don't have to download the full file before you can use/view it. After grabbing the first part of data, page-on-demand continues to download the rest of the file. What this means is that a user could after reading the first page jump immediately to the seventh page without having to wait! It's be like visiting a website's home page and your browser would store the rest of the entire site so you could jump to the products page without having to wait for it to load.

   A combination of HTML and PDF format enables the publisher to serve content to their users in its most useful format based on the demands of content versus technology.

   PDF files need no translation, compression, or filtering on most popular webservers.

   Full-text search capabilities are available for PDF files.

   PDF takes document security to the next level. Creators of PDF files can prevent the copying of text, graphics, making changes, and printing a document.

   Developers can create their own software to read, create, or modify PDF files without special permission or licensing.

   Documents created in generally any program that can print, can create a PDF document.

   PDF files seal the gap that many developers find when they become frustrated creating content for the web. "I want it to look just like this! Why can't it look just like as if I make it in Word, Pagemaker, or (add program name here)? I know how to do it there!" All this without being a HTML, Java, CGI guru.
   
   

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About Acrobat Reader
Adobe Acrobat Reader lets you open and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files. PDF files can be created from almost any software application. Adobe developed the PDF file format so that you can view and print a file exactly as the author designed it, without needing to have the same application used to create the file. Using PDF files offers many advantages that include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Acrobat Reader is available for Windows 3.1, Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98, Mac OS, UNIX, DOS, and OS/2. In Windows and Mac OS, it is available in eight languages: U.S. English, U.K. English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish.

- PDF files are compressed to produce smaller filesizes, which reduces file transfer time and required storage space.

- PDF files can link to text, graphic, sound, and movie files.

- PDF files can be indexed so that you can easily search their contents.

- PDF files can be duplicated and distributed at a lower cost than paper-based documents.

Obtaining Acrobat Reader
You can obtain a free copy of Acrobat Reader from any of the following locations:

Adobe's Web Site

- www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html

- www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/alternate.html

Adobe's FTP Site

- ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/acrobatreader/

PDFzone's Web Site

- www.pdfzone.com

Because Acrobat Reader is freely distributable, it may be available at other locations (e.g., local BBS sites). However, Adobe does not maintain a list of those locations.

You can also obtain Acrobat Reader on CD-ROM from Adobe Customer Services for a small shipping fee. To order the Acrobat Reader CD-ROM from within the United States or Canada, call Adobe Customer Services at 800-642-3623. To order from outside the United States or Canada, contact your local Adobe distributor.

Acrobat Reader is not available on disk. However, the Acrobat Reader CD-ROM includes disk-based installers that you can copy and distribute.

Using Acrobat Reader
After installing Acrobat Reader, double-click a PDF file to automatically start Acrobat Reader and view the file. Or you can start Acrobat Reader first, then choose File > Open to open and view a PDF file.

Support Options
If you encounter problems while downloading or installing Acrobat Reader from one of Adobe's online services, see Related Records.

To check the status of an order placed with Adobe Customer Services, call 800-833-6687.

For support installing or configuring Acrobat Reader, do one or more of the following:

- Visit Adobe's Web site at www.adobe.com