Adobe InDesign CS4
21
WHAT IS A PDF?
Portable Document Format (PDF)
files are an excellent way to share page files with
others without the common hassles of matching applications, fonts, large file sizes, and
cross platform compatibility (Mac to PC). A PDF file contains all of the elements required
to view and print a document that matches the original design in all respects (type style
and size, images, color, layout, etc.)
PDFs can be viewed and printed without access to the original application that created it.
Viewing and printing is done from Adobe Acrobat Reader, software that can be copied
and freely distributed.
Another feature of PDF files is their compact nature. These files are compressed in
multiple ways to render a document that is just a fraction of the size of the original
document. This makes them very handy for transportation and storage. This feature
enables PDF files to be efficiently attached to e-mail messages. Unlike their originating
documents, PDF files are not fully editable, without specialized software. This can be an
advantage when sharing files that you don’t want changed in any way.
NOTE:
InDesign differs from most programs in the way it creates PDFs.
CREATING A PDF
When you are ready to create the PDF file take the following actions:
1. Save your document.
2. Go to
File > Export > Adobe PDF
.
3. A dialogue box will appear asking you to save (
Fig. 27
); this time, you will be
……….
saving the PDF file, not the original document. Name the new file (without
……….
deleting the .pdf file extension.) Adjust the PDF specifications accordingly (such
……….
as what pages you want to compress), and hit
Export
(
Fig. 28
). By default,
……….
Adobe Reader will open showing you what your PDF looks like. This is how the
……….
document will appear on any computer on which you open the PDF.
NOTE:
If you plan to send your PDF document through e-mail or upload it to the
Internet, do not use capital letters or special characters in your document.
(Example: tim_and_anns_design.pdf not Tim & Ann’s Design.pdf.)
Fig. 27 Save your file to desired location
Fig. 28 Complete the Export process