Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0764540475, Paperback)

The PDF format has become a staple of our electronic lives, whether it’s an application for a new driver’s license, a software manual, or a family newsletter. The latest PC and Mac operating systems, as well as the current Web browsers, make it simple to view PDFs, but it’s Adobe Acrobat 6 Standard and Pro that allow users to harness the extensive capabilities of this format. And, because there’s so much one can do with a PDF beyond a mere text document, Adobe Acrobat 6 PDF Bible, the newest entry in the excellent Bible series, is an essential reference for learning and utilizing those capabilities.

Version 6 has many thrilling new features including audio reading, the ability to add headers and footers and multimedia, drag and drop PDF creation, easy, non-Javascript ways to change watermarks and backgrounds, and much more. This Bible tackles all of these features, plus all of the capabilities carried over from Acrobat 5.

The book begins by familiarizing the reader with the new user interface. Topics covered include converting documents to PDF from within Acrobat or other authoring applications and using Distiller; editing PDFs; working with interactivity; publishing PDFs on the Web; converting PowerPoint and Keynote presentations to PDF; managing an eBooks collection; and much more. Screenshots are from Windows, but Mac users won’t be confused since there’s little difference between platforms. The majority of the sections apply to both the Standard and the Pro applications, however a few chapters focus on features only available with the Pro edition: creating forms within PDFs and extended prepress control.

These Bibles are written and laid out in a way that helps readers can find answers fast. The index is huge, making this a must-have reference. And here’s an even better reason to get this book: the companion CD contains the entire Bible in PDF form allowing readers to search with their keyboards. The CD also includes source files for certain chapters, bonus material on making forms, and a sample video from the author’s TotalTraining.com series. --Angelynn Grant