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Re: Accessible "save as pdf" plug ins for Word on OSX

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From: Heather Parker
Date: Jan 6, 2011 4:21PM

We have Macs at home and I will check it out.

We also use the free CutePdf a lot from all the PC computers here at work. It works a lot like the Mac pdf creator. I tried to find settings for the CutePdf, but it works like a printer and the settings are very much like a printer too. Not sure if it is configurable.

I'm really glad that pdfs are being discussed at we are started to load our dissertation proposals to a repository. The first few that we loaded didn't pass everything for accessibility using my Adobe Acrobat Professional. Not knowing exactly how to fix them and being pressed for time, we loaded them "as is" for now. A librarian is in charge of the project and I am just supporting her technically. She is supposed to sort out how to get accessible pdfs to upload. The trainer provided by the repository vendor was really interested in how our pdfs failed, but he didn't know how to fix them either. The company provides a service that will create good pdfs (not sure how accessible) for you, but you can load your own pdfs instead of paying for the service. I think it would be helpful if there was online training someplace that helped people like me with creating good accessible pdfs. A webinar or workshop would be wonderful.

We also used to have help guides in html, pdf and word format. Due to how laborious it was for me to update the help guides pages (someone else authors the guides), we now only use pdfs. I am trying to get the help pages moved over to a site with a content management system that other staff who don't know html can use. The guide pages would be webpages (in html), but depending on the content management system, I can see how this might not be better at all if the format isn't reader friendly.

Heather Parker
Electronic Resource Coordinator
Alliant International University Library
San Diego, CA