Introduction & Getting the Program | Viewing & Downloading PDF Files | Navigating a PDF File | Outside Resources

Navigating through a PDF file:
Whether you have clicked on a link that opens a PDF file in Acrobat in your web browser, or if you downloaded a PDF file to your computer, you should know how to view and navigate the file in Acrobat Reader. Acrobat Reader features different tools that allow you to view the file in various ways. You'll notice that in Acrobat Reader, the PDF file looks very much like a standard Word document or a web page. Therefore, you can view the file in ways similar to viewing a text document or web page. The following is a list of important tools included in Adobe Acrobat Reader that will help you in understanding the program and how to view PDF files:

1. Open: Like any other software that you may have encountered, the Open folder icon browses your computer to open up a PDF file.
2. Print: Also self-explanatory, pressing the Print icon lets you print out the PDF document to your printer. This may be useful if you wish to use a PDF document as a handout.
3. Show / Hide Navigation Pane: By clicking on this icon, your view of the document changes between the normal page view and a navigation view that provides small "thumbnail" (preview) images of all of the pages in the document. This way, if there is a page that you want to view in the file that is many pages into the document, you can select a thumbnail image by double clicking on it and be taken to that selected page. Clicking on the Show / Hide Navigation Pane icon again reverts the page view back to normal.
4. Hand Tool: When Adobe Acrobat Reader launches, the default setting for tools is the Hand Tool. This feature allows you to "grab" a part of the PDF file and drag through one individual page of the document. The Hand Tool is different from the normal scroll bar, which scrolls through the entire document.
5. Zoom In Tool: The zoom in tool lets you focus in on one specific area of a PDF file and zoom in on it to enlarge the area. You may find this tool useful if you are having trouble reading the text in a PDF document. To zoom in on an area, select the tool indicated by the magnifying glass icon with a "+" sign in the middle, and click on an area as many times as needed to achieve the desired size. If you want to zoom out of an area, go back to the tool bar, click and hold down on the Zoom icon until you see the magnifying glass icon with a "-" sign inside. Use this to zoom out of an area the same way you use the default Zoom Tool to zoom in.
6. Text Select Tool: For selecting and copying text in a PDF file, you can use the Text Select Tool. If you need to copy text from a PDF file and paste it into another document, then this is the tool you'd use. You can't use any other tool for the operation of copying or selecting text, such as the Hand Tool. Only the Text Select Tool can be used. Keep in mind that text within a PDF file cannot be changed.
7. First Page / Previous Page / Next Page / Last Page: These arrows allow you to navigate through the PDF document without having to use the scroll bar or Hand Tool. The arrows are more or less self explanatory: "First Page" takes you to the very beginning of the PDF file, "Previous Page" navigates through the document backwards, "Next Page" goes forward through the document, and "Last Page" takes you to the end of the document.
8. Actual Size / Fit in Window / Fit Width: These are different modes of viewing a PDF file that adjust to various selections. Actual Size displays the file in its original state at 100% screen size. Fit in Window adjusts to show an entire page in the screen without having to scroll. Fit Width adjusts the width of the document to the entire length of the screen, without having to scroll horizontally.
9. Rotate View 90 CCW / Rotate View 90 CW: If for whatever reason you need to rotate a PDF file clockwise or counterclockwise, this feature allows you to rotate the document as many times as needed to achieve the desired view. This tool may be useful if there is an image on a page that you might want to view differently.
10. Find: This helpful tool searches for words in a PDF document. Rather than scrolling and searching through an entire document to find what you are looking for, the Find tool allows you to input a word (or words) and finds the term based on your specifications. The instance of text found will be highlighted on the page. You can continue searching for more instances of your search term.

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