PDF Help Page A Brief Introduction to the Portable Document Format

What is PDF?

The Portable Document Format (PDF), developed by Adobe Systems Inc., is a computer file format designed to publish and distribute electronic documents. PDF is related to the Postscript language, and may be used with text, image, and/or multimedia files. PDF files may be found either on the Internet or on your PC, loaded on a disk or CD-ROM. PDF files may be created and used on most any type of computer -- Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, or OS/2.

Unlike other electronic file formats such as HTML or XML, the Portable Document Format preserves the exact layout, font attributes, and formatting of the document from which it was created, ensuring that the electronic version of a document appears just like the original.

Why do I need to know about PDF?

PDF has become a popular format for producing and delivering electronic files on and off the Web. The South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Taskforce ands its member agencies provide many types of reports in PDF format, including most of  the documents included in the CROGEE Read-ahead. 

How do I get a copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader?

The Adobe Acrobat Reader, needed to open, view and print PDF files, is available for free from the Adobe Web site. There is a version available for most computer platforms, including Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, etc. You will need to download and install the version that is compatible with your own computer system. Complete instructions for downloading, installing and configuring the PDF Reader are available from Adobe.

How do I use PDF files?

To view, navigate and print a PDF file, you must have installed on your computer the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, or one of the other Adobe Acrobat products available commercially (e.g., Acrobat Exchange, Distiller, PDF Writer, Acrobat Catalog, etc.).  Once you have installed and configured the Acrobat Reader on your system, it will automatically launch and run whenever you encounter a PDF file. For assistance in downloading, installing, or setting up Acrobat Reader on your computer system, please refer to your Web browser's documentation or visit the Acrobat help section.

For a list of features available from  the Acrobat Reader, please refer to "Key to Symbols on Acrobat Reader Toolbar".

NOTE: The PDF files created for the CROGEE Read-ahead have been produced to allow users to view and print.  Users will not be able to alter the documents.

Where can I get additional help or information for using PDF's?

The following resources may be helpful to users and creators of PDF documents.

• Adobe Acrobat Web Page

• Acrobat Reader Tutorial

• Internet Publishing with Acrobat

Key to symbols on Acrobat Reader toolbar

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	Print
	Display page
	Display page and bookmarks
	Display page and thumbnails
	Select hand tool to grab page and move it across the window
	Increase/Decrease magnification (Zoom in/Zoom out)
	Select text
	Display previous page/next page in document
	Display previous page/next page viewed
	Advance to beginning/end of document
	Fit page in window: Set zoom to 100%   /  fit current page in window  fit visible width of current page in window
	Find text in document

This document has been digitally reproduced for the CROGEE Read-Ahead on behalf of the Science Coordination Team, South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Taskforce by:
Information Technology Coordinator
Restoration Ecology Branch,
USGS-BRD Florida Caribbean Science Center