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Working with PDF files

Many pages within the SUU website use the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). The advantage is that anyone with Acrobat Reader can open a document across a broad range of hardware and software, and it will look exactly as intended — with layout, fonts, links, and images intact. This format is also useful for forms, as a user can type in their information then print the form.

If PDF files do not open for you, please make sure you have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. If you do not have it, this is a free download.

Working with documents you may be used to are a little different with this format. Since Acrobat Reader is a helper application that integrates into your web browser, you will have to use the tool bar that appears when a PDF is opened. You will be able to save PDF documents, but you will not be able to alter them unless you have bought a complete version of Adobe Acrobat.

Printing PDF files

If you would like to print a PDF, you just need to click on the Print tool icon on the toolbar.

Copying & Pasting PDF text

Click on the "Text Select Tool" in the tool bar. You should then be able to highlight the desired text.

Once the text is highlighted, click the "Copy Tool". Then go into your word processing software (or wherever it is you planned to use the text). You can press "Ctrl" & "V" or go into the Edit menu and select "Paste" to paste the text into your document
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Zooming

PDF's have the unique feature of being able to zoom in and out. Because of this, the page may look fuzzy or blurry when you open the document because it is resizing itself to fit into your browser. If you have your browser window very small or you have a very large resolution set, Acrobat Reader may compensate and open the PDF at a percentage below 100%, therefore making it harder to read. But that is easy to fix, just use the zoom tool and change it to a percentage that works for you. If you click and hold on the button, it will give the option of choosing between the "Zoom In" tool and the "Zoom Out" tool.

Resizing

You also have the option of resizing the entire document without using the zoom tool. The resizing tools allow you to resize the document to show the document at actual size, fit in the window or fit the width of your browser. Experiment to see what you like best.

Searching PDF files

If you are looking for specific text within a PDF document, you can use the "Find" tool to search for it. All you need to do is type the text you wish to find into the search box it gives you and it will find the match.

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