Using .PDF [Knowledge Base Index]

Online volunteers can help nonprofits convert and upload .PDF files. They also should create a link to the Adobe Acrobat reader on web pages they create featuring .PDF files, so that users can download the free reader if they need it.

These are tools that can help online volunteers working with .PDF files:

• To view Adobe Acrobat PDF files, you need to have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. This is a FREE software. You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.

• Sight-impaired users can download the free Adobe Reader (latest version of Adobe Reader that with accessibility enhancements).

• To create a .PDF file, you can use these resources:
  • The full version of Adobe Acrobat allows you to create a .PDF file. On the Macintosh, go to the "chooser" and choosing the .PDF application, then "printing" the document, which saves the document as .PDF

  • Many software programs, such as later versions Microsoft Word and Aldus PageMaker, allows users to save a document as .PDF as well.

  • For the Mac, there is a very inexpensive shareware program called PrintToPDF available that works very well in converting most files to PDF format. You can find and download it at jwwalker.com.

This information was originally compiled by the Virtual Volunteering Project
at the University of Texas at Austin. Used by permission