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Re: AxesPDF tool

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From: Philip Kiff
Date: Apr 20, 2019 1:32PM

Ha! Yes, I have to agree that figuring out how to use AxesPDF is a high
learning curve. I learned to use it largely through trial and error. But
I also found some hints from the AxesPDF QuickFix section of their Help
Centre:
https://support.axes4.com/hc/en-us/categories/200116848-axesPDF-QuickFix

I have found the company to be reasonably responsive when I use the
"Submit a request" feature on their support site for registered users,
so you might try getting support that way instead of via email?

I think that their main development team probably works in German and
materials are probably prepared in German first and then later
translated into English. In some cases, they may not translate materials
into English at all. I can read German more or less, and at one point I
was sent a draft of a part of a user guide in German for their AxesPDF
for Word plugin which I found helpful. I think they now have a draft of
a user guide for the AxesPDF for Word plugin in English. But I haven't
seen a user guide for the AxesPDF QuickFix tool - for that I think they
just have the Help Centre website above?

When I was learning how to use it, I started simply by using the Checker
tab and running the checker to find errors. Then I would search up
individual errors on their website to see how to resolve them. Their
website is organized in a way that allows you to search for solutions to
many of the checker errors here:
https://support.axes4.com/hc/en-us/sections/200327928-Fixing-PDF-UA-problems

Following this approach I eventually learned how to use most of the
features of the software. Though after two years, there are still a few
features that I don't quick know what they do, or how exactly they are
supposed to work (!). So they definitely could do with some better
documentation.

I was also thinking about making some tutorials for using axesPDF in
conjunction with some tips on how to remediate PDFs generally. But I've
not gotten around to it.

There's one conceptual tip that I've not seen highlighted but that I
think might help folks understand where QuickFix might fit in an
efficient PDF remediation workflow. Using AxesPDF QuickFix actually
involves going back and forth between AxesPDF QuickFix and Acrobat
Professional DC. To edit tag names and properties and to do bulk tag
editing, I use AxesPDF QuickFix. But if you need to insert new tags or
move tags into a different order, then you have to go back to Acrobat
Pro to do that. So I always start out with Acrobat Pro and I do the main
tagging and the ordering of tags. From there it is a process of going
back and forth from AxesPDF QuickFix to Acrobat Pro based on which tool
does the thing I need fastest. Whenever you need to insert new tags or
move tags into a different order,  you have to use Acrobat Pro.

Phil.

Philip Kiff
D4K Communications


On 2019-04-20 14:27, Karlen Communications wrote:
> I have axesPDF but there are no tutorials in English. I found some in
> Finnish but they are for the axesPDF add-in for Word and basically just tell
> you how to make Word documents accessible.
>
> I've been trying to figure out how to use axesPDF and so far have had no
> luck. I do have a visual disability but am not relying on adaptive
> technology for the user interface.
>
> I've heard it is a good tool, but with no tutorials available, I found it a
> high learning curve, even with what I know about accessible PDF.
>
> I was going to write tutorials on how to use it but my e-mails to axesPDF
> asking for help in understanding the user interface have gone unanswered for
> about a year now and their support pages are scarce in terms of usable
> information.
>
> If anyone has tutorials on how to use axesPDF, please let me know. I hate
> having tools I should be able to use but can't.
>
> Cheers, Karen
>
>