What is PDF and why do I need Adobe Reader?

PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is just another way of saving a file (such as a Word document or an Excel Spreadsheet). If you are familiar with Word or Excel, you know that those files end in ".doc" and ".xls" (that is, you see the file name with a period and the letter d, o, c or x, l, s after it). If you are used to using your computer to download pictures from your digital camera, then you are probably accustomed to see .jpg at the end of the file name.

So, PDF is just another type of file format. A PDF is almost a "perfect picture" copy of the document/graphic that has been saved. This is what makes it the ideal format for creating "share" files of graphics, forms, and other documents that are initially created in specialized computer design programs.

A PDF file can be opened by any one, on any computer, through the use of Adobe Reader. This is a software that is offered by Adobe Acrobat, and is free to download from the Adobe website. Most computers already have Adobe Reader software as part of the Microsoft operating system (such as Windows XP). However, if you don't have it, or have an older version of it, you can easily download the latest version from Adobe. The easy-to-follow directions for downloading Adobe Reader are given below.

Once you have Adobe Reader, you can open any PDF file. When you click on the file to open it (either by clicking once or double-clicking, depending on how you have your computer options set up), Adobe Reader will automatically open. As soon as Adobe Reader is open, the file you selected will open. From this screen, you will be able to print the file or save it to your computer (on the toolbar, select File, then Save; select where you want to save the file, and change the File Name if desired).

You can easily determine if your computer already has Adobe Reader by clicking on the this link for a Sample PDF which will open in a new window. If this file opened (showing the logo for Jan K., The Proofer), then your computer already has Adobe Acrobat.

If the Sample PDF file did not open, then you will need to go to the Adobe website to download the free Adobe Reader software. Go to: Adobe Reader web site to download a free copy of Adobe Reader

Click on the button that says "Get Adobe Reader" and follow the online instructions for downloading Adobe Reader.

Please be aware that Adobe Reader doesn't allow you to do much more than save and print the file. The newer versions do have some tools for inserting comments into the text, but these tools have very limited usefulness (and are essentially used by people who are working with text-based PDFs files). Many of our pdf printables are also set for print only with editing features have been inabilities.

If your computer system is more than two years old, you might have Adobe Reader 5.0 or earlier (5.0 is the "version" of the software). Adobe 6.0 and later versions have more user-friendly on-screen icons and functions, so if you have an older version, you might want to upgrade to the newer version. Simply click on the link to Adobe shown above and download the newer version. Most newer web browser now come with adobe reader file opening intergraded into the browser. 

Jan K., The Proofer is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. Visit Jan's Portal for more information about Jan's free crafts, recipes, tutorials, other resource sites, and free content articles, as well as Jan’s business services.