"If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it."
Lyndon Johnson
Adobe PDF Document Format Basics
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What is a PDF file?
Invented by Adobe Systems and perfected over 15 years, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) lets you capture and view information from any application, on any computer system, and share it with anyone around the world. Individuals, businesses, and government agencies everywhere trust and rely on Adobe PDF to communicate their ideas.
A Portable Document Format (PDF) file 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 how it was originally created. 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 and quickly.
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How to Download the Software
Virtually anyone using Windows, Macintosh, DOS, SUN, and UNIX can view and print a PDF file using the free Adobe Reader. It includes a download option offering accessibility for individuals who are visually impaired. If you do not already use Adobe Reader, you will need to download and install the free software by clicking on the Adobe Reader icon on the right of this page.
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How to Use PDF Files
Once Adobe Reader is properly installed, you just need to click on a file link like, for example, filename.pdf and it will open on your computer. On our chapter Web site, PDF files are indicated as “Adobe PDF” or by a PDF icon.
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How to Print PDF Files
When printing Adobe PDF files from your Web browser, click on the printer icon at the left end of the special Adobe Reader toolbar, which appears immediately above the viewing window on your browser.
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How to Save PDF Files
If you wish to save the PDF file after opening it, click on the disk icon at the left end of the special Adobe Reader toolbar, which appears immediately above the viewing window on your browser.
A Save a Copy… window opens with the file’s name, for example, filename.pdf in the "File name" box. You can change the file name if you want, just keep the "Save as type" box as Adobe PDF Files (*.pdf ).
Select a location on your computer and click "Save" to save the file.
