PDF Power – part 2

This is a continuation from the previous post, and includes an exciting conclusion to the “unofficial guide to everything that you need to know about PDFs… For Dummies… Cliff Notes… abridged edition 1.0! ”

Chapter 5: How do I create my own PDF?

• Option 1 – Adobe Acrobat is the standard application used for creating and manipulating PDF files. It offers a wealth of powerful features (see chapter 6).
• Option 2 – Mac computers natively offer the ability to export to PDF from most of their applications, including iWork (Mac’s version of MS Office).
• Option 3 – OpenOffice.org’s suite of free office productivity applications provide the ability to export to PDF. For more on OpenOffice, check this post.
• Option 4 – There are a number of free or inexpensive PDF creator tools available on the Internet. A few of the most popular are PrimoPDF and CutePDF writer.
• Option 5 – Contact the CTL, and we can help you do the conversion in our lab!

Chapter 6: What else can PDFs do?

To unleash the full power of PDFs, you must use the Acrobat application. The PDF format offers a number of useful and interesting features, including:

• Create forms that can be filled-in online then printed or emailed to a specified address.
• Add multimedia items such as video, sound, and even Flash animations.
• Add click-able links to web pages.
• Collaborators can apply comments and responses to any part of a PDF.
• Here are some really cool examples of student portfolios created with Acrobat.
• And finally, Adobe’s website offers some interesting videos and white papers about the many applications of the PDF in Education!

Chapter 7: Conclusion.

The PDF is a useful tool for educators and students. Everyone’s doing it,  so don’t be left out! Contact us to learn more!