OSC's Adobe Acrobat FAQ

(Frequently Asked Questions)

What is Adobe Acrobat and why do I need it?

How do I know if I need this software?

How do I get Adobe Acrobat?

Now that I've got it, how do I use it?

Where can I get more help?

I completed an Adobe Acrobat fill-in form, and it appears fine on the screen, but prints with weird characters, missing spaces, overlapping characters, etc.

I completed an Adobe Acrobat fill-in form, and it appears fine on the screen, but prints some of the text upside down or mirrored.

1. What is Adobe Acrobat and why do I need it?

The Adobe Acrobat Reader is a piece of software that allows you to view, navigate through, and print files that are in .pdf format on any operating system. Because of this cross-platform compatibility, many sites, including OSC, are placing their online documents in pdf format.The Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and available to everyone to download.

2. How do I know if I need this software?

If you are uncertain if you already have Acrobat on your machine, there are a couple of easy ways to find out.The easiest way is to click on a link to a .pdf file in your browser. If you can view the file without any problems, you already have the software. If you do not have the software, some type of alert box will pop up. If this happens, cancel the box and download the software.It is possible that you have an early copy of Acrobat that didn't come with the browser plug-ins. If you know you have a copy, but you can't open .pdf files in your browser, either download a newer copy, or save the files on your hard drive and view them through the copy of the software you already have.If you are still uncertain about whether or not you already have the software, ask your system administrator.

3. How do I get Adobe Acrobat?

OSC provides a link to the Adobe site so users can download this software. This is either done through a textual link or by linking an Adobe icon to the site.

OSC uses the [Get Acrobat
Reader] image to link to the Adobe site to allow the software to be downloaded. The [.pdf
file] icon signifies that a file is in .pdf format and will need to be viewed with the Acrobat reader.

Click on the link to Adobe's site. This should open another browser window.
Follow the easy instructions on the page that opens. If you have questions, ask your system administrator.
Once you have downloaded the software, double-click to install it.
Once installed, you may need to restart your web browser before you can view .pdf files in it.

4. Now that I've got it, how do I use it?

If you have the latest version of the software, and you are running Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or later, (in some cases, Netscape 2.0 will work with limited capabilities), when you click on a .pdf file in your browser, it should open automatically.
If this does not happen, save the file to your hard drive, start Acrobat, and then open the file that is on your machine.
Once the file is open, there are a few key functions you should be aware of.
The Acrobat Reader has two toolbars that make it easier to view the different sections of the CAFR. The top toolbar has icons for viewing the first page, the previous page, the next page, and the last page as well as a print icon.
The bottom toolbar (see below), which is above the Windows task bar, has two useful icons. The first icon is used to go to a specific page (e.g., Go To Page __ of 191). The second icon changes the zoom (Magnification: ____ %) and is helpful when you need to enlarge a page.
It is important to note that if you are viewing .pdf files in your browser, there are two sets of navigation buttons. The upper row of arrows belong to your browser. Use them if you want to go back to pages you visited before you opened the .pdf file. The lower set of arrows belong to the Acrobat plug-in. Use these buttons to go back and forth within a .pdf document.

5. Where can I find more help?

For more help with Adobe Acrobat, see the following resources:

Acrobat's built-in help can be accessed by selecting the Help contents from the Help Menu
Technical Support is also available on the Adobe web site.

6. I completed an Adobe Acrobat fill-in form, and it appears fine on the screen, but prints with weird characters, missing spaces, overlapping characters, etc.

This usually an indication that you need to upgrade your version of Acrobat Reader. Another option to try would be updating your printer driver.

7. I completed an Adobe Acrobat fill-in form, and it appears fine on the screen, but prints some of the text upside down or mirrored.

This problem is also usually an indication that you need to update your version of Acrobat Reader and/or your print driver. You can also try clicking the Advanced options on the print dialogue box and checking the "Print as Image" option on the next screen.

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