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How to view or print Adobe Acrobat .PDF files for the Macintosh

Many information providers on the Internet are beginning to present documents in PDF (Portable Document Format), which allow users to interchange documents across all platforms and still maintain the same fonts, look, color and print of the original.

In order to view or print out PDF documents, the user is required to have a helper program, such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader. This FREE program can be downloaded from your favorite browser by typing in the location section:

http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html

How to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader

• Select Adobe Reader 5 as the Reader version.
• Select the appropriate Macintosh Operating System platform (Mac 8.6, Mac 9, Mac X, etc) and select English as the language version desired.
• If you want search capabilites in the Acrobat Reader check the appropriate box.
• Type in your name, e-mail address and country in the appropriate fields.
• Click on the Download button.
• Download either as a .hqx or .bin format.
• The file you download will be expanded to a self-extracting archive with an icon name of "Install Acrobat Reader 5". ( If you install the .bin format file, it might be necessary to double click on the file again if you don't see an icon named "Install Acrobat Reader 5").

• If your Web browser isn't configured to automatically launch an application such as StuffIt Expander to expand .hqx or .bin files, you'll need to manually launch StuffIt Expander to expand the downloaded file to produce Reader 5 Installer. If you don't have StuffIt Expander, download a copy from the following location:
  http://www.sfsu.edu/~doit/hd/applications/mdevapp.htm

• Double-click the file Install Acrobat Reader 5.0, (this will cause all current Macintosh applications to quit.) and follow the instructions on your screen.
• When requested, restart your computer.
• Afterwards, you can then delete the .sit.hqx or .bin files.

Netscape Navigator 4.x or later is recommended for viewing PDF files inside a Web browser. However, Netscape Navigator 3 and 2.0 can be used with limitations; e.g., it will not allow you to submit a PDF form, and operations such as printing PDF files from within Netscape Navigator 2.0 can crash your Macintosh.

System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements:

Macintosh computer with 68020 (Macintosh II series) or greater processor (including all Power Macintosh computers)

3.5 MB of RAM (5 MB for Power Macintosh)

Apple System Software version 7.1 or later.

Recommended System Requirements:

8 MB of available RAM

Apple System Software version 7.1.2 or later

12.5 MB of available hard-disk space.

How a web browser will react to a .PDF extension

When a user comes across a file with a .PDF extension and clicks on it, one of three things will happen:

1. A window will pop up, asking you where you want to save the file. Once the file is saved, you can view or print it out using the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

   OR

2. If a newer version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (4.0 or higher) is installed and you have the plug-in for the .pdf files loaded in your browser, the Reader will open right into the browser for you to view or print.

   OR

3. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, when you click on a .pdf file, a bunch of meaningless characters will appear. This is the actual code for the .pdf file. In order to make any sense out of these codes, you must save the file to your computer by choosing File and selecting Save As. Name the document with a .pdf extension. Next you need to download the Reader from Adobe's web page. Once installed, you will be able to view and print out your file.

Setting Netscape to use Adobe Acrobat Reader

• After you have downloaded and installed the Acrobat Reader, launch Netscape.
• From the Netscape menu item, select Options * General Preferences...
• Select the Helpers tab.
• Use the scrollingbar with your mouse to move down until you find application/pdf.
  • If you can't find that name, select New...
  • Type application next to the Mime type box.
  • Type pdf next to the Mime subtypebox.
  • Click OK.

• Highlight the application/pdf Mime Type.
• Click the Browse button and select the location you have installed the Acrobat Reader application and click Open.
• Once done, the icon and name will appear under the Application section. In the Extension box, type in .pdf
• Click Apply Then click OK. Now your browser will be capable of opening a .pdf file when it comes across one on the Internet.

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Last Modified: 18 Feb 2004
doit@sfsu.edu