WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: More PDF remediation questions (was RE: Use of Headings)

for

From: Karlen Communications
Date: Jul 28, 2010 4:27AM


You can compress layers in desktop publishing applications however Adobe
reader and Acrobat still see the layers which is why I think the problem
exists. The best solution is the same as in Word or PowerPoint documents:
use good design techniques and the tools in the application to put the
structure into the source document.

For the multilayer documents I've worked with there has been no real reason
for 5 or more layers except that the person who was revising the document
didn't quite understand how to get last year's version updated so added this
year's layer of information to cover last year's. Sound familiar?

I have noticed that the fewer the layers the better the document in terms of
tagging and these types of repairs. I don't see this problem as much in two
layer documents but still recommend using the text layer only as Adobe
recommends.

I try to work with clients as they are getting their publishing houses to
work on the documents and provide the techniques for eliminating this but it
is not always possible.

Cheers, Karen