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Adobe Acrobat

What is an Adobe Acrobat file?
An Adobe Acrobat file is basically a print-out... but instead of being printed on paper, the document has been printed to a file. An Acrobat file, in turn, can be printed out using a PostScript printer. Most modern printers for home use are PostScript compatible.

What's a PDF file?
A PDF file is an Adobe Acrobat file... people refer to them as "PDF's" because their file extension is .pdf. The PDF extension is an acronym for "Portable Document Format."

Why can't I just view the page as HTML... what's the advantage of a PDF?
Like HTML, Acrobat files can be viewed on just about any computer... Macintosh, Unix, Windows, SGI, Amiga, etc. Unlike HTML, however, a PDF file retains the look and feel of an original document. PDF's are great for official forms that must be printed and signed and/or notarized... because regardless of your computer platform (Mac, Windows, etc.) and regardless of what word processing software you may or may not have (Word, WordPerfect, Appleworks, etc.), anyone who accesses a PDF file will see the file as it was intended to be seen and it will print in a manner reflecting its original formatting.  PDF files can also be set up with form fields so that a form can be filled in using your computer, and then printed using your printer. Acrobat files are also very convenient for archival of large documents you may want to read off-line. A course catalog, for example, can be downloaded and viewed at anytime without having to maintain an Internet Connection. Depending on the size of the file and the nature of its contents, a PDF file may be significantly smaller than its HTML counterpart when a lot of formatting is involved... making on-line retrieval of the document much quicker.
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Ok. I'm convinced, but I don't understand how to view the PDF file. I've downloaded it six times and it's still not working!

1. Make sure you're using the latest version of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download it by clicking here and following the instructions.
2. After you've downloaded the installer program from Adobe, you'll need to install the program so that it can be used by your computer. Double-click on the icon of the installer file you downloaded to begin installation and follow the instructions to complete your installation.
3. You will be asked if you want to install the browser plug-in into your Web browser - select the Web browser (Netscape, IE, etc.) you'd like the plug-in to be installed into and continue your installation.
4. Clicking on the link to the PDF file in your Web browser should now successfully load the PDF file into your Web browser for viewing.

I've installed Acrobat and I've viewed this file before, but now I'm getting a blank page!
This is probably due to low memory in your Web browser. Different Web browsers behave differently on different platforms and different computer platforms manage memory differently. Even if you have a lot of RAM (memory) installed in your computer, your Web browser can sometimes "leak" memory that can't be recovered until the browser is exited (quitting the program). Depending on the Acrobat file you're trying to access, it may require more memory than your browser has available. In lieu of clicking on the link to the PDF, Windows users can right-click (Mac users can control-click) on the link and select the option to save/download the file onto your desktop instead of loading it into your browser window. Double-clicking on the file's icon on your desktop will launch the Acrobat application in lieu of the Acrobat web browser plug-in, and since it uses a different memory partition, it will function normally (no blank pages).