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Thread: Acrobat links
Number of posts in this thread: 5 (In chronological order)
From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 12:15PM
Subject: Acrobat links
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This situation comes up frequently for us and I'm wondering if anyone has a
good solution.
This is a multi-chapter document made up of several independent PDFs (tagged
and accessible). The 1st PDF in the series contains the Table of Contents
for the entire series.
When the user clicks the link in the Table of Contents, it opens the correct
PDF. That part is fine.
However, I'd like to take the user directly to the subhead within that PDF,
such as Heading 2 on page 9 in chapter 15.
Acrobat's linking tool only lets me open the PDF but won't let me set a
specific location or destination in that document.
Does anyone have a solution or recommendation?
FYI, this particular series of documents is in Word, totals more 1,000
pages, and will be posted on an agency's internal and external websites.
It's a fairly typical government reference manual.
-Bevi Chagnon
PubCom.com - Trainers, Consultants, Designers, and Developers.
Print, Web, Acrobat, XML, eBooks, and U.S. Federal Section 508
Accessibility.
508 Workshop: www.workshop.pubcom.com
US Federal Training: www.gpo.gov/customers/theinstitute.htm
From: Duff Johnson
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 12:29PM
Subject: Re: Acrobat links
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Bevi,
> This situation comes up frequently for us and I'm wondering if anyone has a
> good solution.
>
> When the user clicks the link in the Table of Contents, it opens the correct
> PDF. That part is fine.
>
> However, I'd like to take the user directly to the subhead within that PDF,
> such as Heading 2 on page 9 in chapter 15.
Not yet. It's coming with PDF 2.0, presently under development with hope-to-publish in 2015.
> Acrobat's linking tool only lets me open the PDF but won't let me set a
> specific location or destination in that document.
You can target a page with a link today, but you can't (with present-day PDF) target a heading with a link.
More's the pity. And, yet another reason why we need PDF 2.0!
Duff Johnson
p +1.617.283.4226
e = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
w http://duff-johnson.com
From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 12:37PM
Subject: Re: Acrobat links
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Thanks Duff!
Do you happen to know if point-specific bookmarks/links in Word will be
retained when exported to PDF? That's another related "feature" we need.
- Bevi Chagnon
PubCom.com - Trainers, Consultants, Designers, and Developers.
From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 1:39PM
Subject: Re: Acrobat links
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Kurtis wrote: " My first thought was: why does it have to be PDF? "
There are many reasons why PDF is preferred by government agencies,
corporations, and other entities. Here are a few:
1. It sort of locks the document from being changed (yes, I know there are
ways to get inside, but I'm talking about average users not hackers). For
regulations, legislation, procedures, manuals, archival documents, etc.,
this feature is essential for large organizations.
2. Although this is webAIM and we're concerned about accessibility, the
overwhelming majority of users of documents like this are fully sighted
(estimate is over 90% and probably close to 100%). Visual presentation is
critical for them to comprehend and use the document. More than 100 years'
worth of studies are available that prove sighted people do indeed judge
books by the appearance of the book's cover. The advertising industry spends
billions every year testing ways to visually present a product and its
advertising so that consumers will buy the product.
3. PDF can create a snapshot of critical documents like this that can be
archived. For governments, they are required to maintain an electronic paper
trail or history of regulations, procedures, etc. for reference in the
future. Corporations also want this feature from time to time.
4. One single PDF can be made of a whole collection of documents that makes
it very convenient for storage and reference. IT manages only one file.
Users access only one file yet have all the pieces they need.
HTML and native Word files don't provide these features and benefits either
quick enough, cheaply enough, or at all.
Kurtis wrote: " My second was: maybe PDF Open Parameters[1]? "
Can't control the landing on the exact page or text location, only opens the
PDF document itself.
-Bevi Chagnon
PubCom.com - Trainers, Consultants, Designers, and Developers.
Print, Web, Acrobat, XML, eBooks, and U.S. Federal Section 508
Accessibility.
508 Workshop: www.workshop.pubcom.com
US Federal Training: www.gpo.gov/customers/theinstitute.htm
From: Duff Johnson
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 2:28PM
Subject: Re: Acrobat links
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> Do you happen to know if point-specific bookmarks/links in Word will be
> retained when exported to PDF? That's another related "feature" we need.
You will need to contact your vendor for answers to a question like that. But, don't hold your breath. The standard's publication is still a ways off.
Duff.
(full disclosure, I'm the Project Co-Leader of ISO 32000, a.k.a PDF 2.0.)