Add Accessibility to your PDF files with Acrobat 7
Applies to: Word 2007, Acrobat 7
If you've ever struggled with the 'reflow' challenges of a PDF file formatted for print output (e.g., the inability to rewrap line endings within a browser, PDF or eBook device), here's a great tip for use within Acrobat 7:
- Open the print-formatted file in Acrobat 7.
- Along the top menu bar, choose Advanced | Accessibility | Add Tags to Document. Execute this command.
- Save the resulting PDF.
Provided the PDF was digitally-produced* and has text layer traits, it should now possess Accessibility. This not only permits the file to reflow in various viewing devices, but also enables copy/paste capabilities. To see the benefits, try this:
- Open the file you've added Accessibility.
- Edit | Copy File to Clipboard.
- Paste it into a Word document.
You should now see wrapped paragraphs, reasonably accurate fonts/font sizes and—if applicable—table structures, as well!
*Digitally-produced PDF files are those generated to PDF from a desktop application, vs. PDFs produced from paper.
