Who Uses This Format?
With the growing popularity of the Internet, many industries and individuals are quickly discovering PDF as a valuable tool. Would you like to apply to college? No problem! Simply log on to your University's Web site and odds are it will have an admissions application in PDF format ready to be downloaded. Would you like to know how many people live in the United States? That's easy! Log on to the U.S. Census Bureau's Web site and you will see that all of the statistics are published in PDF format. In fact, all Census Bureau publications released since January 1, 1996, are available in PDF format.

At Prime Resources, we have created a PDF file for each of the catalog pages and data sheets. If you don't have a catalog or you need to send a quick data sheet to a customer, you can download it from Prime's Web site in PDF format and quickly e-mail it to whomever.

How PDFs Can Help You!
Have you ever received an art file from a client and not been able to open it? This can be caused by some of the problems identified above such as cross-platform issues or not having the same program in which the file was created. This is where the power of PDFs can help in our industry. PDFs can be utilized in the process of transmitting artwork from end users to distributors and on to suppliers.

Often, when distributors receive art files from their clients, they are inclined to open and view the artwork. This can be problematic because the distributor may resave the file incorrectly or, inadvertently, corrupt the file. When viewing art from a client, the main rule is to open the file, view it and close it without resaving the artwork. If clients are asked to save their artwork as PDFs, some problems may be reduced.

When an art file such as an EPS is saved in PDF format, it does not change the file in any way. It simply makes the art viewable in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Thus, distributors would not need to carry the burden of purchasing expensive graphics programs to view the artwork that comes through their offices. They could also worry less about negatively affecting the artwork, and the files would transmit quicker through e-mail, saving valuable time for offices that do not have high-speed Internet access.

"But my supplier said he wants an EPS file, not a PDF." Give your supplier a call and ask if he will accept an EPS file saved as a PDF. Odds are he will. Supplier art departments would be able to export the original artwork from the Adobe PDF since most of their art programs, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, are also produced by Adobe.

Keep in mind that this process would ensure the original integrity of the artwork and allow it to be viewed. But there are limitations. Artwork must still meet your suppliers' art requirements. Not all artwork saved as a PDF will be usable art. A PDF created with low-resolution art will result in a low-resolution PDF. It'll look a little fuzzy on screen and won't print clearly. PDFs simply allow you to transmit via e-mail and review documents and artwork more efficiently and with a reduced possibility of corrupting files.

How Do I Get Started?
To view and print PDFs, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. This program is available at no cost from the Adobe Systems' Web site at: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html. Once you complete the download and installation onto your computer, you can view and print any PDF file that anyone sends you or that you download from the Internet.

If you need to turn your own documents into PDF format, you'll need more than just the reader. You need the full version of Adobe Acrobat. The latest version is Adobe Acrobat 5.0, which costs around $200 - $250 and can be obtained online or through your traditional computer retail store. If you already have Adobe Acrobat, you can upgrade to the latest version for less than $100. The full version of Adobe contains several additional features that were not discussed here such as streamlining document review processes, digital signatures and searchable indexes.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a must-have tool for everyone in the promotional products industry. It's free. It's really easy to use. And it's indispensable for reviewing documents and sharing information. Get it and use it now! PPB