Just got this off of TechnoLawyer. Thought some could benefit from these tips....
1. USE THE SNAPSHOT TOOL INSTEAD OF AN EMAIL ATTACHMENT
Do your clients refuse to even open your PDF attachments to your email? Instead of attaching an entire document to your email, use the snapshot tool to cut and paste only the relevant section of the document directly into your email or word processing document.
The snapshot tool is Acrobat's own version of the Windows clipboard. Press the letter "G" to activate it. (If that shortcut doesn't work, make sure that you have selected "single key accelerators to access tools" under the preferences option under the main edit menu). Highlight and mouse click the key area of your PDF. Switch to the body of your email message and use the paste command (Ctrl-v or a right mouse click menu selection). Now your reader can't miss the material in question.
Having trouble explaining the location of a problem on a survey? Illustrate the situation by inserting the key portion of the survey directly into your email or letter.
2. USE THUMBNAIL IMAGES FOR DOCUMENT NAVIGATION
When you send a PDF document to your client, use the "Initial View" feature to help your client navigate through the document. I have sent clients multi-page documents, only to later learn that the client never realized that the document consisted of more than one page. I now send clients a PDF in which the left-hand panel consists of thumbnail images of all of the pages of the document. The client can see any page by clicking the thumbnail image. As many programs use such images, most clients instinctively understand how to navigate through the document.
Here's how to set it up: Press Ctrl-D. Choose the "Initial View" tab. Select "Pages Panel and Page" from the drop down menu. Press the "Apply" button and save the document. When your client opens the document, he'll see both the first page of your document and the pages panel consisting of thumbnail images.
3. USE BOOKMARKS TO FLAG PAGES REQUIRING SIGNATURES
Do you want to direct your client's attention to selected portions of a multi-page document? Go to the paragraph or section in question. Press Ctrl-B (or select "Bookmark" from the right click mouse menu). A "Bookmark" will appear in the left-hand panel. If you double mouse click the bookmark, you can label it anything you like: "Sign this page" or "List of personal property," etc. When you leave the page, your reader can find that same provision by simply clicking the bookmark.
The real trick here is to set the "Initial View" (see previous tip) to "Bookmarks Panel and Page" from the drop down menu. Once set, the document will open with the bookmark panel visible. You can then write on top of the document (I use the text-box for this purpose) "Click bookmarks in left panel" or some similar guide.
4. QUICKEST WAY TO REPLACE SELECTED PAGES IN A PDF
Acrobat gives you many methods to accomplish the same end.
After trying several techniques for replacing one page out of many in a PDF, I have settled upon this technique.
Go to page view in your document by selecting "View" then "Navigation Panel" then "Pages." Right click the thumbnail of the page that you wish to replace from among the images.
Choose "Replace" from the resulting menu. You are then invited to choose another PDF document consisting of the replacement page. When you choose the new document, Acrobat will invite you to replace the old page with the new one. If you accept the selection, the page is replaced.
Even your comments from the old page are transferred to the new one. You can also select and replace multiple pages in much the same way.
5. PLACE COMMENTS DIRECTLY ON A DOCUMENT
Want to send your client your comments after reviewing a contract? Use the Acrobat "sticky note" tool to place your comments directly next to relevant contract provision.
Regardless of the size of your comment, Acrobat will show it on the document as a small yellow icon that will reveal its contents when you roll your mouse over it. Consider putting an instruction at the top of document; "Click yellow balloons to see my comments."
If that's too much work for your client, you can include a "button" (i.e, essentially a user-programmed macro) that will list all of your comments, sorted by page, in the bottom third of the screen when the document is read by your client. If you prefer, you can record your spoken comments directly into the document (select "Tools," "Comment and Markup," "Record Audio Comment") for your client's listening at their convenience.
Your client won't need a separate media player to hear your comments, although you will need a microphone plugged into your computer's sound card to dictate them. I don't use this feature as I don't want to become involved with providing technical support for my clients.
6. ENSURE THAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE PRINTED
You may use Acrobat's editing tools to strike material from a document by drawing a black line through it using Acrobat's line tool (found in the editing functions). I use this feature often, but a client inadvertently pointed out a major shortcoming. The recipient of your document can easily (and inadvertently) restore the stricken material by printing your document without the black lines. Acrobat treats the black line as a comment. If your reader prints the document with the "Document" choice, as opposed to the "Document and Markups" option your black lines will not be printed.
Here's a quick solution. When you have finished creating your document, print it using the Acrobat PDF printer driver to create a new document with a different name. In this new document, unlike the original one, your black lines are no longer comments, but part of the document. The lines can't be removed and will always print with the document. There are other solutions, involving Javascript and advanced menu options, but this tip is easiest to implement.
7. USE THE ORGANIZER FOR DOCUMENTS THAT YOU REGULARLY EMAIL
Use the Acrobat Organizer to create folders of PDF documents. For example, I have a file of materials often requested by clients: bank wiring instructions, driving directions to my office, a basic overview of tax-deferred exchanges, etc. I also store PDF documents that I've downloaded from the Web. Unlike a normal Windows Explorer folder, Organizer folders enable me to see an image of each document in the folder. You can sort the documents on a wide variety of criteria. When you find what you want, you can click an email icon to send out the document.
8. SEND WEB PAGES INSTEAD OF URLS
Use Acrobat to capture Web pages. This is a separate function from printing a Web page using the PDF driver. When the page is captured, all of the links on the page remain active. When you click a link in the PDF, the selected page will open in your browser. You can send clients Web pages of interest instead of Web addresses (i.e, URLs). Send a brief note explaining that the PDF Web page has all of the functions of the original Web page.
Home or opening pages from a large Web site are often a good choice. I often send clients the first page from my local town government's Web site. My client can then choose the item of interest on the page, click the link, and find what they are seeking. You can capture the Web page by choosing "Create PDF -- From Web Page" from the menu bar. You'll need to enter the URL of the page that you want to convert to a PDF, but you can cut and paste the URL from your browser.
9. WANT TO HIGHLIGHT PORTIONS OF A GRAPHIC IMAGE?
Here's a tip that I found in materials on the very useful AcroLaw blog run by Rick Borstein, the business development manager for Acrobat in the legal market <http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/>. Acrobat has a number of tools for highlighting portions of a page. These tools work very well with a text-based document, but can be a poor fit for many graphics. Try highlighting a small but irregularly shaped area on a survey for an illustration of the difficulties.
You can convert the Acrobat pencil tool to an industrial strength highlighter that functions just like the familiar yellow one on your desk. Select the pencil tool under the commenting tools. Draw a line. Right click the line and select properties. Within the properties, change the color to yellow, the opacity to 50%, and the line thickness as you wish. Select "Make these properties default." You can now use the pencil tool to draw yellow highlighting anywhere on any document.
10. CONVERT ONLINE PDF DOCUMENTS TO FORMS
Do you find forms on the Web? If a form is not already in portable document format, save it in Acrobat (or print it to the PDF driver). You now have a choice of ways to insert information into the form. Acrobat offers the Typewriter tool, which is pretty much what it sounds like. Activate the tool by selecting it from the tools menu. Place your cursor anywhere and start typing. If you anticipate using the form in the future, however, there is a more elegant solution.
In Acrobat Professional, you can run the "Form Recognition Tool" to create fields (i.e., areas to insert your
information) in your document. Choose "Run Form Field Recognition" from the "Forms" menu. If your form is not recognized by Acrobat as text, you will need to run Acrobat's OCR function before using the recognition tool.
After field recognition, save the document. Whenever you open it, your fields will be correctly placed for completing your form.
1. USE THE SNAPSHOT TOOL INSTEAD OF AN EMAIL ATTACHMENT
Do your clients refuse to even open your PDF attachments to your email? Instead of attaching an entire document to your email, use the snapshot tool to cut and paste only the relevant section of the document directly into your email or word processing document.
The snapshot tool is Acrobat's own version of the Windows clipboard. Press the letter "G" to activate it. (If that shortcut doesn't work, make sure that you have selected "single key accelerators to access tools" under the preferences option under the main edit menu). Highlight and mouse click the key area of your PDF. Switch to the body of your email message and use the paste command (Ctrl-v or a right mouse click menu selection). Now your reader can't miss the material in question.
Having trouble explaining the location of a problem on a survey? Illustrate the situation by inserting the key portion of the survey directly into your email or letter.
2. USE THUMBNAIL IMAGES FOR DOCUMENT NAVIGATION
When you send a PDF document to your client, use the "Initial View" feature to help your client navigate through the document. I have sent clients multi-page documents, only to later learn that the client never realized that the document consisted of more than one page. I now send clients a PDF in which the left-hand panel consists of thumbnail images of all of the pages of the document. The client can see any page by clicking the thumbnail image. As many programs use such images, most clients instinctively understand how to navigate through the document.
Here's how to set it up: Press Ctrl-D. Choose the "Initial View" tab. Select "Pages Panel and Page" from the drop down menu. Press the "Apply" button and save the document. When your client opens the document, he'll see both the first page of your document and the pages panel consisting of thumbnail images.
3. USE BOOKMARKS TO FLAG PAGES REQUIRING SIGNATURES
Do you want to direct your client's attention to selected portions of a multi-page document? Go to the paragraph or section in question. Press Ctrl-B (or select "Bookmark" from the right click mouse menu). A "Bookmark" will appear in the left-hand panel. If you double mouse click the bookmark, you can label it anything you like: "Sign this page" or "List of personal property," etc. When you leave the page, your reader can find that same provision by simply clicking the bookmark.
The real trick here is to set the "Initial View" (see previous tip) to "Bookmarks Panel and Page" from the drop down menu. Once set, the document will open with the bookmark panel visible. You can then write on top of the document (I use the text-box for this purpose) "Click bookmarks in left panel" or some similar guide.
4. QUICKEST WAY TO REPLACE SELECTED PAGES IN A PDF
Acrobat gives you many methods to accomplish the same end.
After trying several techniques for replacing one page out of many in a PDF, I have settled upon this technique.
Go to page view in your document by selecting "View" then "Navigation Panel" then "Pages." Right click the thumbnail of the page that you wish to replace from among the images.
Choose "Replace" from the resulting menu. You are then invited to choose another PDF document consisting of the replacement page. When you choose the new document, Acrobat will invite you to replace the old page with the new one. If you accept the selection, the page is replaced.
Even your comments from the old page are transferred to the new one. You can also select and replace multiple pages in much the same way.
5. PLACE COMMENTS DIRECTLY ON A DOCUMENT
Want to send your client your comments after reviewing a contract? Use the Acrobat "sticky note" tool to place your comments directly next to relevant contract provision.
Regardless of the size of your comment, Acrobat will show it on the document as a small yellow icon that will reveal its contents when you roll your mouse over it. Consider putting an instruction at the top of document; "Click yellow balloons to see my comments."
If that's too much work for your client, you can include a "button" (i.e, essentially a user-programmed macro) that will list all of your comments, sorted by page, in the bottom third of the screen when the document is read by your client. If you prefer, you can record your spoken comments directly into the document (select "Tools," "Comment and Markup," "Record Audio Comment") for your client's listening at their convenience.
Your client won't need a separate media player to hear your comments, although you will need a microphone plugged into your computer's sound card to dictate them. I don't use this feature as I don't want to become involved with providing technical support for my clients.
6. ENSURE THAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE PRINTED
You may use Acrobat's editing tools to strike material from a document by drawing a black line through it using Acrobat's line tool (found in the editing functions). I use this feature often, but a client inadvertently pointed out a major shortcoming. The recipient of your document can easily (and inadvertently) restore the stricken material by printing your document without the black lines. Acrobat treats the black line as a comment. If your reader prints the document with the "Document" choice, as opposed to the "Document and Markups" option your black lines will not be printed.
Here's a quick solution. When you have finished creating your document, print it using the Acrobat PDF printer driver to create a new document with a different name. In this new document, unlike the original one, your black lines are no longer comments, but part of the document. The lines can't be removed and will always print with the document. There are other solutions, involving Javascript and advanced menu options, but this tip is easiest to implement.
7. USE THE ORGANIZER FOR DOCUMENTS THAT YOU REGULARLY EMAIL
Use the Acrobat Organizer to create folders of PDF documents. For example, I have a file of materials often requested by clients: bank wiring instructions, driving directions to my office, a basic overview of tax-deferred exchanges, etc. I also store PDF documents that I've downloaded from the Web. Unlike a normal Windows Explorer folder, Organizer folders enable me to see an image of each document in the folder. You can sort the documents on a wide variety of criteria. When you find what you want, you can click an email icon to send out the document.
8. SEND WEB PAGES INSTEAD OF URLS
Use Acrobat to capture Web pages. This is a separate function from printing a Web page using the PDF driver. When the page is captured, all of the links on the page remain active. When you click a link in the PDF, the selected page will open in your browser. You can send clients Web pages of interest instead of Web addresses (i.e, URLs). Send a brief note explaining that the PDF Web page has all of the functions of the original Web page.
Home or opening pages from a large Web site are often a good choice. I often send clients the first page from my local town government's Web site. My client can then choose the item of interest on the page, click the link, and find what they are seeking. You can capture the Web page by choosing "Create PDF -- From Web Page" from the menu bar. You'll need to enter the URL of the page that you want to convert to a PDF, but you can cut and paste the URL from your browser.
9. WANT TO HIGHLIGHT PORTIONS OF A GRAPHIC IMAGE?
Here's a tip that I found in materials on the very useful AcroLaw blog run by Rick Borstein, the business development manager for Acrobat in the legal market <http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/>. Acrobat has a number of tools for highlighting portions of a page. These tools work very well with a text-based document, but can be a poor fit for many graphics. Try highlighting a small but irregularly shaped area on a survey for an illustration of the difficulties.
You can convert the Acrobat pencil tool to an industrial strength highlighter that functions just like the familiar yellow one on your desk. Select the pencil tool under the commenting tools. Draw a line. Right click the line and select properties. Within the properties, change the color to yellow, the opacity to 50%, and the line thickness as you wish. Select "Make these properties default." You can now use the pencil tool to draw yellow highlighting anywhere on any document.
10. CONVERT ONLINE PDF DOCUMENTS TO FORMS
Do you find forms on the Web? If a form is not already in portable document format, save it in Acrobat (or print it to the PDF driver). You now have a choice of ways to insert information into the form. Acrobat offers the Typewriter tool, which is pretty much what it sounds like. Activate the tool by selecting it from the tools menu. Place your cursor anywhere and start typing. If you anticipate using the form in the future, however, there is a more elegant solution.
In Acrobat Professional, you can run the "Form Recognition Tool" to create fields (i.e., areas to insert your
information) in your document. Choose "Run Form Field Recognition" from the "Forms" menu. If your form is not recognized by Acrobat as text, you will need to run Acrobat's OCR function before using the recognition tool.
After field recognition, save the document. Whenever you open it, your fields will be correctly placed for completing your form.
