PDF Files - Cross-Platform Versatility

A Portable Document Format File (PDF) is a file created using Adobe® Acrobat® or another third-party software package.The great appeal of PDF is its universal acceptance. PDF files can be opened, read and printed on all widely used platforms; they do not require elaborate software to access, nor is it necessary to collect fonts and linked art to send print-ready files to print service providers.

In addition to the flexibility PDF affords, using Adobe® Acrobat® PDF preserves margins and formatting for reliable printing. PDF files are not easily editable and care should be taken during the creation process to ensure expected output. Please let us know if you have any questions about PDF files or their application.

How do I create a PDF file?
You can use Acrobat® to convert an electronic file from virtually any application to the Portable Document Format (PDF). Acrobat® Distiller can be used to convert PostScript, EPS and .prn files to PDF. Also, Acrobat provides direct PDF creation functionality to many applications residing on the same system in which it is installed.

In addition to Adobe's software, their are numerous third-party sofware packages which allow users to output PDF files as easily as they would print a document.

To select Distiller job options:

1. Start the Acrobat Distiller application.

2. Choose a set of job options from the job options pop-up menu. You can choose a predefined set of options (Screen Optimized, Press Optimized, or Print Quality, etc.), or you can choose a set that you have already defined and saved.

3. Select the PostScript file and click OPEN.

4. Select SAVE. Make sure you specify a destination for your file, and make a note of it.