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Re: Table of Conents structure in PDF

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From: Bevi Chagnon
Date: May 13, 2012 11:21AM

Everything Karen said is on target.
In fact, when TOCs and styles are correctly used in Word, FrameMaker, and
InDesign, you usually get excellent accessibility results in the PDF.
But this requires training in how to correctly setup TOCs in these
applications and most document designers don't know how to use these tools
at all.
- Bevi

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Bevi Chagnon | <EMAIL REMOVED>
PubCom - Trainers, consultants, designers, and developers
Print, Web, Acrobat, XML, eBooks, and Federal Section 508
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-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Karen Mardahl
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2012 12:47 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Table of Conents structure in PDF

I want to add on to Ted Page's comment. Often, TOC problems are due to poor
writing and poor use of styles. I've seen entire paragraphs end up in the
TOC because someone didn't clean up their styles. I've also seen nightmares
in the PDF because the TOC was handmade. The authoring tools I know
(InDesign, Word, FrameMaker) have automated TOC generators. When these - and
styles - are used correctly, you minimize the problems in the final PDF.

Multi-line entries in a TOC are a mess in many ways. This means the author
has to rewrite the TOC and that is a benefit in many ways. We skim a TOC to
look for info on how to do this and that. That info should be presented in a
short phrase that can fit into one line with plenty of room to spare.

I hope this can help clear up your problems, too.

regards, Karen Mardahl
http://mardahl.dk

On Fri, May 11, 2012 at 9:10 PM, Carr, Robert G. < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> Hello again-
>
> We have been working to get our testing procedures for PDF's wrapped
> up, and one of the things that seems to be the most tricky to pin down
> is a Table of Contents. How should a Table of Contents be tagged in
> Acrobat's tag tree? We have not noticed much of a difference in some
> of the different markup approaches when we test. Is there a
> structurally and functionally "right" way to mark up a Table of
> Contents in Acrobat? Is the way that Word typically converts them to
> PDF acceptable, or is there more cleanup to do after that conversion has
occurred?
>
> Thanks a lot,
>
> Rob Carr
> <EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>
> > > list messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
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