Using Adobe Acrobat to Create PDF Documents

Written and Last Modified January 11, 2002

Platform
This module can be done on either the Mac or the PC, but some steps will vary as noted below.

What is a PDF?
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. Adobe Acrobat allows you to convert any document, no matter what application it was created in, and no matter what computer platform you use, into a PDF. This is a compact, standard digital file format that acurately captures and preserves the look of your original document, including its fonts, colors, images, and formatting. You can use PDF files for print documents, as email attachments, over networks or posted on Web sites, such as the readings for this class. Anyone with the free downloaded plug-in, Acrobat Reader, can read these documents.

Purpose of this Assignment
This assignment introduces you to two ways of creating PDF documents. As discussed above, PDF format allows easy exchangability between people with diverse computer hardware and software. It allows your documents to stay true to your original design and layout. You will learn how to:


NOTE: Since there are almost 30 people in class, and you all will be wanting to use the different scanners this week, you should probably reserve (as discussed in the Scanning Project Instructions)whichever computers you need. Try to do all of your scanning at one time so that the scanners are more available to your classmates.

THIS ASSIGNMENT HAS TWO PARTS, BOTH OF WHICH NEED TO BE COMPLETED FOR FULL CREDIT

Part 1

  1. Find a short (no more than 5 or 6 pages), printed document that interests you to scan in. For the purposes of this assignment, this could be a magazine or newsletter article, a paper that you have written, or some other material that you have created.
  2. On a Mac, use the Machine that is attached to the scanner (Jones) and be sure that the scanner is plugged in and on. If the scanner is not on, turn it on and restart the computer.
  3. On a PC, use Cather.
  4. On a Mac, a Pre-scan will run automatically and show you what your image will look like. Use the cursor to drag a dotted-line marque around the part of the document you want to scan. Crop out anything you don't want or need because it will just add to the file size.



    On a PC, click "Preview" and your image will show up in the window on the right.

  5. Once you have the marque outline as you want it, you must next determine which settings and resolutions are appropriate for your document. I've used the settings below on a Mac because I don't want to include color (which increases file size) and because I want to create this document for easy printing and readability, I've used a DPI of 72. I'll leave the choice up to you.


    On the PC, I've used the settings below for the same reasons as above:



  6. Once you are satisified with your choices, click "Scan."
  7. When the scan is finished, a window like the one below will pop-up:

  8. Click "Next" and the next page in your document will automatically be appended to the back of your current document.
  9. When you are finished scanning all the pages of your document, click "Done" and you will be taken to your document as it will appear. You can flip through the pages to verify that it looks the way you want it to. You can also test out some of the features of Acrobat if you feel like it.
  10. Save your document as "pdfscan.pdf" in your home directory and in your TurnIn folder on the Groups drive.
  11. If you want to add additional pages to your document go back to File>Import>Scan. When the "Acrobat Scan Plug-in" window pops up, be sure that "Append to Current Document" is selected under "Destination" and then click scan.
  12. Be sure to save your final document before quitting the program.

Part 2
Creating a PDF from an Existing Electronic Document
You can use any machine in the lab, Mac or PC, for this part of the module.

  1. Open Microsoft Word.
  2. Open an existing document, paper, or project you have already created in the Word Application (use your Wendell Berry document if you don't have anything else.
  3. On a Mac, use the rainbow apple to open the Chooser. Click once on the "Acrobat PDFWriter" icon. With the icon highlighted, close the window and return to your document in Word.



  4. In the print window that pops up, be sure the the "Page Range" button is selecting "All" and click "OK". A second screen will pop up asking you to provide additional information about your document. Fill in what you want and click "OK". This does not acutally print your document, but instead makes a copy of it in PDF format. Your new document will be saved in the same location as the original.



  5. On a PC, Word may have an icon in the toolbar like the one below: If so, click on this will automatically create a PDF and prompt you for a name and saving location.


  6. On a PC, if the PDF icon is not visible in word go to File>Print and select "Acrobat PDF Writer" under "Printer Name". Click "OK" and then print again.

  7. Place a copy of your document in both your home directory and the appropriate folder in the Groups Drive. Name your document "pdfwriter.pdf" To make a copy of your document on a Mac, click once to highlight the file and the click command + D.