Tech Talk Archives

Acrobat 8

Brian Chau gave us a characteristically enthusiastic talk last month about Acrobat 8. The new reviewing and commenting features in this version of Acrobat seem quite useful to anyone sending out documents for reviews. There are also a host of other improvements.

With Acrobat 8, you can:

• create PDF documents from various sources and optimise them
• combine different kinds of files into a single PDF file
• collect data (using forms)
• collaborate with others and get feedback
• control access to documents and preserve document integrity.

Brian joked about scribbled comments and post-it notes not being the most secure (or effective) way of collating feedback. With Acrobat 8, you can email PDF documents directly from within the software. You can specify deadlines for the review and merge resulting review comments into a single document.

When in it comes to security, you can apply passwords and set permissions. You can also sign documents digitally and, for maximum protection, use 128-bit encryption. You can also permanently remove (or "redact") parts of the document such as text and illustrations. The "search and redact" feature should be very useful if you need to remove information from a large document.

Brian also spoke about moving away from a flat PDF file like the one created by printing to the Adobe PDF printer. It may be suitable for press jobs, but does not take advantage of the richer capabilities of the PDF format. Brian suggested using the Acrobat plug-in to create PDFs suitable for online use. An example of a "rich" PDF would be a CAD drawing converted to PDF format. Even without the native application installed, you will be able to select and turn off layers and look inside the drawing. Similarly, if you had a PDF created from a Microsoft Excel file, you would be able to preview and select individual worksheets. You can also attach files to any PDF file.

Tip: You no longer need the file's native application to create a PDF from the file.

Acrobat's forms feature also seems to have improved. You can now convert a plain printable form into a fillable Acrobat form (something Brian did with a visa application!). If you're creating forms yourself, you can add a Submit button to your form. When the forms are returned, you can collect them into a single PDF package and export collected data into a spreadsheet.

Overall, Brian's talk showed that the PDF format is constantly improving and that its application is widening rapidly. Soon, everyone will want, not only Adobe Reader, but Acrobat itself.

Related links

• Acrobat on the Adobe website
• First Look: Acrobat 8: A detailed overview of the new features from the Acrobat user community.