PDFs

PDF (portable document format) files can be viewed using Adobe Reader - a free application downloadable from the Internet (and installed on the APN Public PCs).

You may wish to create a PDF if you are sending your work to a person or organisation and you do not know if they have eg Microsoft Word installed on their computers.  Instead of needing Microsoft Word to view the file you are sending them they could use Adobe Reader to view it as a PDF.  This also means that most of your formating (margins, fonts, etc) are preserved, that is, they don't get changed and moved around when viewed on another person's computer.

To create a PDF using Microsoft Office, for example Word

• save you work as you normally would

• then, in Word, select File

• Print and from the drop down menu for Printers select CutePDF

• Select OK

• then select the location you wish to save your .pdf file, for example My Documents or your USB Pen drive.

OpenOffice can create .pdf files

• save you OpenOffice work as you normally would

• then, in OpenOffice eg Writer, select File

• Export to PDF

• Export

• Select the location you wish to save your .pdf file

• click Save

PDF files can not be modified using Adobe Reader but you can use the select text tool to copy and paste information from a PDF to an Office document.

See also

Saving Files

Saving files Online