About Adobe Acrobat Software
Adobe Acrobat software provides a number of capabilities that improve access for disabled users.
In particular, it:
- Creates tagged Adobe PDF files when converting Microsoft Office files to Adobe PDF, making it easier for people who use screen reader software to navigate a document in the proper reading order.
- Converts new and existing PDF files to tagged Adobe PDF files with the optional MakeAccessible plug-in.
- Includes tools to help troubleshoot and optimize Adobe PDF files for accessibility, including the accessibility checker, the Tags palette, and more.
- Supports the Microsoft® Active Accessibility (MSAA) Application Programming Interface (API) for the Windows platform for integration with assistive technology products, including screen readers from vendors such as GW Micro and Freedom Scientific.
- Provides usability enhancements, including enhanced keyboard shortcuts, support for high-contrast viewing, and the ability to zoom in and reflow text on the screen.
Adobe Acrobat Capture, meanwhile, is a powerful, flexible tool that lets you convert paper-based
documents into accessible Adobe PDF files. This software:
- Retains the exact look and feel of the original document while embedding a layer of searchable, accessible text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
- Lets you review and fix suspect text quickly and easily with the QuickFix tool.
- Eliminates random text by letting you pre-select areas of the page to treat as text or graphics.
- Adds hyperlinks and bookmarks automatically so users can easily navigate tables of contents, indexes, and more.
- Creates tagged Adobe PDF files when converting paper documents through use of the optional Tag Adobe PDF agent.
Designing Document Templates for eBooks
When creating an Adobe PDF eBook, you can start with an existing document or create an
entirely new document. Many publishers have archived content from which to produce eBooks,
including source, PostScript®, and PDF documents. If you’re starting with an existing source
document or from scratch, you should design a document template that makes it easy to view
your eBook in Acrobat eBook Reader. The guide that you’re reading now is a good example of a
document designed specifically to be viewed online. When designing a document template in
your authoring application, follow the guidelines in this chapter to determine page size, page
margins, text format, and use of color.
