Adobe Acrobat 4.0 Tutorial
an ornery beast, but you can learn to tame it

What is Adobe Acrobat good for?

Once you have this information in the format with which you are most comfortable we will begin:

  1. Opening A PDF File
    1. When you open a PDF file from the web by clicking on it, you're opening it in Adobe Reader. Reader does have some editing tools, but Acrobat is more extensive.
    2. To open the Practice Form for this tutorial, simply click on the link here. You'll be opening it in Reader. To open it in Acrobat, you'll need to resave it and then open it in Acrobat.
      1. To save the file, click on the disk icon in the horizontal toolbar. You will not be able to save it through the File pulldown menu, only by clicking on the disk icon.
      2. Save the file by selecting the location to save it to and giving it a name ending with .pdf.
    3. Open Adobe Acrobat.
    4. Open your saved file, or any other PDF file, by clicking on the folder icon in the horizontal toolbar or by selecting Open from the File pulldown menu. Right now, open the file you just saved, the Practice Form.

  2. Editing Existing Text
    The first thing you'll notice about this form is that the text header is incorrect. This type of error is, thankfully, simple to fix.
    1. Select the TouchUp Text Tool from the bottom of the vertical toolbar.
    2. Click on the entire header.
    3. Select the '1'.
    4. Type '0' so that the header reads 'Adobe Acrobat 4.0 Test Form'.
    5. Voila!

  3. Adding Your Own Text
    Now we'll fill in the blank spaces on the form.
    1. Select the 'T+' tool by going to the vertical toolbar and clicking on the fifth item down, an icon which looks like a lined piece of paper and is called 'Notes Tool'. Holding down the mouse button, you will see five options: Notes Tool, Text Annotation Tool, Audio Annotation Tool, Stamp Tool and File Annotation Tool. Select the Text Annotation Tool by moving the arrow over it. You will know it is selected when the T+ (rather than the notepaper) appears in the vertical toolbar.
    2. When you move the arrow over the page it looks like a box with a cursor in it. Use this to draw a box approximately where you want the text to go, in this case just above the line next to 'Date'.
    3. Type your text in that box.
      1. If it doesn't end up where you want it, select the Hand Tool from the vertical toolbar, click on your text box, and move it.
      2. If the box you drew was too small you can resize it using either the Hand Tool or the Text Annotation Tool.
      3. Notice that to edit text you must double click on the text with the Text Annotation Tool.
    4. Practice using these tools by typing an answer to the question above the first box on the Practice Form.
      Use the Text Annotation Tool to fill in blanks on forms, to add text and to make notes in margins. The type looks blue in Acrobat, but it prints black.

  4. Importing Text From Elsewhere
    It's time to learn how to import text from elsewhere. For the purposes of this exercise, we'll import a paragraph from your favorite news source.
    1. Go ahead and access a site.
    2. Highlight and copy some text.
    3. Use the Text Annotation Tool as discussed above. When you've drawn a box, paste your copied text. Resize and move the text box as needed.
    4. Easy, no?

  5. Creating A Hyperlink
    1. In the space provided, please insert the URL for the text you just imported using the Text Annotation Tools.
    2. Select the Link Tool from the vertical toolbar. It looks like a two links in a chain.
    3. Draw a box around the item you want to hyperlink.
    4. A link dialog box will appear as soon as you let go of the mouse button.
      1. Select the appearance characteristics you desire.
      2. In the 'Action' pulldown menu select 'World Wide Web Link'.
      3. Click on 'Edit URL' and enter your URL as directed.
      4. Click on 'OK' and on 'Set Link'.
    5. To open your link select the Hand Tool and click on the URL.
    6. Pretty cool.

  6. Adding A Note
    Use notes to comment on the text or post reminders to yourself or others.
    1. Click on the Notes Tool that you bypassed when you were looking for the Text Annotation Tool.
    2. Click on the bottom of the screen, wherever you want your note to be.
    3. Close your note by clicking on the upper left corner. Reopen it by double clicking on the note icon on the page.

  7. Other Things Which Are Good To Know How To Do
    1. Saving Documents as PDF
      1. When you're ready to save the document you're working on as a PDF, either to send it to someone else to work on or to post it on the web, go to Print in the File pulldown menu.
      2. Select Acrobat PDFWriter from the Properties box.
      3. Select all of the options you want (pages to print, etc.).
      4. Click on Okay. Type the file name - remember the PDF ending. Make sure you have the right save destination selected.
      5. Done.
    2. Linking to PDF Files
      1. Just like other kinds of links.
      2. In Dreamweaver, type the name of the file (e.g. adobe.pdf) in the link box or use the folder icon next to the link box to select the file.
      3. If you're writing your own code, type the file name in your 'a href' tag (e.g. <a href="adobe.pdf">
      4. Very simple.

Acrobat Tutorials:
There are very few Acrobat tutorials available. Most tutorials are for Reader. These may be somewhat helpful but will not include all Acrobat tools.