ADOBE ACROBAT 8.0 – INTRODUCTION

COURSE OUTLINE

Participant Survey

1. Exploring the Goals for the Course

• Providing MCSD staff and others with useful information in pdf format (from files originally created in Publisher, Excel, Word, Access, etc.)
• Providing MCSD staff and others with interactive forms in pdf format (from files originally created in other applications or from scratch in Adobe Designer)
  • Making it easier for the user to enter the data and (sometimes) to submit the data via email or a submit button on a webpage
  • Making it easier for the collector(s) to read the data and (sometimes) easier to receive the data via email and to use the data in Excel or Access

2.  Getting Started in Acrobat

• Understanding the Functions of Acrobat
• Understanding the Differences between Adobe Reader (Free, limited functions) and Adobe Acrobat ($$$ and very complex)
• Installing Acrobat
• Configuring Acrobat
• Changing the Default Application for Opening PDF Files
• Controlling Automatic Updates in Acrobat and Reader

3.  Analyzing Existing PDF Files (Not Interactive Forms)

1. This document was created in Publisher but has been converted to pdf.
   Sections of the text can be selected, copied, and pasted into a Word document.
2. The original document for this file was created in Word and scanned as a pdf document.
   The text cannot be selected and edited; the text is part of an image.
3. The original document was created in Word.  Note comments, bookmarks, and links.
4. This report was originally composed of many files in a variety of formats.  Note bookmarks, links, and page icons.

4.  Creating PDF Files (Not Interactive Forms)

• Creating PDF Files from Existing Documents
• Creating a New PDF Document by Scanning
• Creating PDF Files from Scratch

5.  Analyzing Interactive Forms Created in Acrobat, Word, Excel - (Website forms are not in the scope of this class.)

CREATOR USED	CUSTOMER CAN . . .		COLLECTOR CAN . . .
	Save form with data	Email completed form as attachment	Receive form as attachment via email	Receive data in Excel file via email*
Word	Yes	Yes	Yes	?
Excel	Yes	Yes	Yes	?
Acrobat	No	No	Yes	No
Acrobat	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Acrobat	Yes	No	No	Yes

*With proper scripting, Word and Excel forms can be configured to send data to Excel/Access.  Website forms can be coded to send data to Excel/Access.

6.  Understanding Interactive Forms

• Overview (pps file)
• Understanding the Characteristics of Interactive Forms
• Analyzing Examples of Controls in HTML, DOC, XLS, and PDF Formats
• Understanding Controls

7.  Creating Interactive Forms in Word and Excel

• Creating "Typeable" Lines in Word
• Creating Interactive Forms in Word and Excel

8.  Creating Interactive Forms in Acrobat

• Locating Your Command Icons and Docking Your Toolbars
• Creating Controls:  Textboxes
• Creating Controls:  Radio Buttons, Checkboxes, and Drop-Down Menus
• Creating Controls:  Buttons
• Exercise - Creating an Interactive Form
• Running Form Field Recognition on an Existing File
• Enabling Website Visitors to Save Data in Your PDF Form
• Exercise - Enabling Visitors to Save Data
• Collecting Visitors' Data in Your PDF Form
• Reviewing the Steps in Creating an Interactive Form from a Static Form

9.  Creating Interactive Forms in Designer

• Using a Template
• Starting from Scratch (Activity)
   

Other Class Activities and Files – Follow the instructor's directions to copy the folder named workfiles from the fileserver to your desktop.  Create a folder on the desktop to contain your created files; give it your last name.  You could also locate these two folders in the My Documents folder.

1. PowerPoint files can be presented in several formats, for example, viewed in html, or offered for download in the ppt or pps format.  Rightclick the PowerPoint file countrytech.ppt and convert it to a pdf file.  View it.  Note the way Acrobat handles the slide presentation.
2. Open the two Publisher files, maycal1.pub, maycal2.pub, and combine them into one pdf file named calendar.pdf. 
3. Open the Excel file ftecount96.xls and combine the two worksheets into one pdf file.
4. Open the pdf file mag-h03.pdf.  It needs to be updated.  First, you have to find the place that needs to be updated. Find | sauls.  (Saulsbury is one of the words to be replaced.)  Then use the Text Touch-Up Tool.
5. Access the webpage at http://www.amazon.com and save it in your desktop folder.
6. The instructor will give you a series of files to make interactive or to improve.