Quick Links
Using Adobe Reader
To print these instructions, click your web browser's Print button.
Table of Contents
For printing instructions, see the Printing section. Last updated: August 26, 2011 |
| Note: These instructions
were adapted from the Online Guide for Reader 3.0 for Windows. Instructions and
toolbar buttons for later versions of Reader, and other operating systems, might vary. |
PDF Features
Many documents on the Child Support Internet
site are published in PDF format, which requires the free Adobe Reader
software. If you do not already have Reader on your computer, it is available
free on the
Adobe website,
or click here.
PDF files include these features:
-
Bookmarks - On the left side of PDF files, you'll see a tab labeled "Bookmarks." The Bookmarks tab will display (or hide) the document's "bookmarks." Bookmarks function as a hyperlinked table of contents. If you see bookmarks listed in the left panel, and you click one of them, that section of the document will appear.
-
Expandable Menus - In the Bookmark display, you will see triangles or plus/negative signs next to bookmarks. Click any triangle or plus sign (+) to expand that menu, then click on a menu item to jump to a section, a glossary term or abbreviation, or a different document. If a menu is expanded, click the triangle or negative sign (-) to hide it. See the Using Links and Bookmarks section of this page for more information about bookmarks.
Hyperlinked Cross-References - In many PDF files, cross-references to glossary terms or abbreviations, or to other documents, are hyperlinked. By clicking a blue, underlined link, you can jump directly to that glossary entry or other document.
If you jump to a cross-reference within the same file, click the Go Back button
on the toolbar to return to your original page. If you jump to a different file/chapter, click the Back button on the web browser toolbar to return to the original file. (See the Toolbars page for more information about the and browser toolbars.)
Caution: When you jump to a different file and then click your browser's Back button, it takes you to the top of the original file, not to the page where you originally clicked the link. You'll want to notice the page you are on before jumping to a different chapter, so you can easily return to that page after clicking the Back button.
-
Hyperlinked Tables of Contents and Indexes - In some documents, hyperlinks are not blue and underlined. Instead, you will notice the cursor change to a hand with a pointing finger when you move your mouse over hyperlinked text. For example, some graphics might be linked to another document. If you "mouse over" the graphic, you'll see the cursor change to indicate there's a hyperlink present.
Caution: When using links, you might be taken to the first page of a document, rather than to the exact page or section referenced in the link. Before clicking a link, please notice the page or section number you want to view so you quickly jump to that page from the top of the document. See the "Jump" information in the Hyperlinked Cross-References section above for information about returning to your starting point.
Opening PDF Documents
If properly installed, Reader will start automatically when you click a link to a PDF file and remain open until you exit the program. If an error appears when you click a link to open a PDF file, go to the Trouble-shooting section.
Navigating PDF Documents
When Reader opens in your browser's window, you will be using two software programs within the same window. Use the Reader toolbar when moving from place to place in the PDF file. Click here to see the toolbar with the function of each button identified.
To close a PDF file, use your web browser's toolbar. The Reader toolbar will disappear when you are no longer accessing a PDF file. See the Closing PDFs section of this page for more information.
Using Links and Bookmarks
Linked Tables of Contents
Some documents on our site include a table of contents. The entries in the table of contents are hyperlinks, which allow you to move quickly to specific sections of the document.
| Tip: Add a shortcut to specific PDFs in your browser's Favorites (Internet Explorer) or Bookmarks (Netscape, Firefox) menu so you can return to the document easily. When viewing the document, display the browser's Favorites or Bookmarks menu, and choose Add Bookmark. |
Bookmarks
To go directly to a topic using bookmarks:
- When you open a PDF file, the bookmarks menu should be
visible on the left side of the screen. If not, click the Bookmarks tab
to display bookmarks.
- To go to the destination specified by a bookmark, click the
bookmark text.
- If a plus sign appears to the left of the bookmark,
click the plus sign to show (or the minus sign to hide) lower-level bookmarks.
- To hide the bookmarks again, click the Bookmarks tab.
To adjust the width of the Bookmarks window:
- Move your cursor over the right vertical border of the Bookmarks
window until the cursor changes to a double-headed arrow.
- Click and drag the border to the right to increase the width of the window and to the left to decrease it.
Adjusting Screen Magnification
When you open a PDF file, the print might appear small and out of focus. (To make the print more readable, use the Zoom tool on the Reader toolbar or the Magnification box in the status bar.
To increase magnification:
Choose one of the following:
- Select the Zoom tool
and click the document page to double the current magnification.
- Select the Zoom tool
and drag to draw a rectangle, called a marquee, around the area you want to
magnify.
- Click the Magnification box
in the status bar at the bottom of the Reader window. Choose a
magnification level and click OK.
If the type appears blurry when you zoom in, click the Reader button in your system tray located at the bottom of your screen. An empty Reader screen will appear, allowing you to access the menus. Under the File menu, choose Preferences then General. Deselect Smooth Text and Monochrome Images, and click OK.
Tip:
If only part of the document is visible after you zoom in, use the Hand
tool 
to move the page around on the screen. |
To decrease magnification:
Choose one of the following:
- If viewing a PDF document in a web browser window, use
the Zoom Out tool
to decrease magnification.
- Select the Zoom tool
while holding down Ctrl, and click at the center of the
area you want to reduce.
- Select the Zoom tool
while holding down Ctrl. Drag the tool to draw a rectangle,
called a marquee, around the area you want to reduce.
- Click the Magnification box
in the status bar at the bottom of the Reader window. Choose a
magnification level and click OK.
Fit Options
You can also change screen magnification using the Actual Size, Fit Page, and Fit Width toolbar buttons. The Fit options do not change as you page through a document unless you change the zoom level.
- The Actual Size button
sets the document to 100%.
- The Fit Page button
scales the page to fit within the main window.
- The Fit Width button
scales the page to fit the width of the main window.
When you select any of the Fit options, the magnification level resulting from the selection is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the Reader window.
Choosing a Page Layout
Reader has three page-layout options: Single Page, Continuous, and Continuous-Facing Pages. Continuous and Continuous-Facing Pages facilitate page scrolling so you can see the bottom of one page and the top of another.
- Single Page layout displays
one page in the document window at a time.
- Continuous layout arranges the
pages in a continuous vertical column. This is the better choice for
scrolling through the document files.
- Continuous-Facing Pages layout arranges the pages to appear side by side. This configuration accommodates two-page spread display and multiple-page viewing in the viewer window. If the total page count of a document is more than two pages, the first page is displayed on the right to ensure proper display of two-page spreads. To see two-page spreads most efficiently in this page layout, choose Fit Width under the View menu.
To set a page layout:
- Click the Page Size box
in the status bar at the bottom of the Reader window, and choose one
of the page layouts from the menu.
Paging Through a Document
Reader provides a number of ways to page through a document. Remember to use the Reader toolbar (not your browser's toolbar) when moving within the PDF documents.
To go to any page:
- Click the Page Number box
in the status bar at the bottom of the Reader window. Depending on
your version of Reader, either: 1) change the page number in the Page
Number box, or 2) enter the page you want to view in the Go To
Page dialog box. Then, press enter.
To go to the next page:
Choose one of the following:
- Click the Next Page button
in the toolbar.
- Press the Right Arrow or Down Arrow on the keyboard.
To return to the previous page:
Choose one of the following:
- Click the Previous Page button
in the toolbar.
- Press the Left Arrow or Up Arrow on the keyboard.
To go to the first page:
Choose one of the following:
- Click the First Page button
in the toolbar.
- Press the Home key on the keyboard.
To go to the last page:
Choose one of the following:
- Click the Last Page button
in the toolbar.
- Press the End key on the keyboard.
Retracing Your Steps
The Go Back button retraces your viewing path through a document or series of documents. You can go back up to 64 views. Go Back will reopen closed documents if necessary.
To retrace your viewing path:
Choose one of the following:
- Click the Go Back button
to return to the previous page, document, or magnification level.
- Click the Go Forward button
to reverse direction and return, one view at a time, to the view where you
first used Go Back.
Searching
The Find tool allows you to search for part of a word, a complete word, or a phrase in the active document.
To find a word or phrase:
- Click the Find tool.
- Choose any combination of the following options, or none of
them:
- Match Whole Word Only specifies
ignoring words that are contained within the text you enter. For
example, the word stick would not be highlighted if you chose the
word sticky to find.
- Match Case specifies
finding only those words that contain exactly the same capitalization as
you enter in the Find dialog box.
- Find Backwards specifies
starting from the current page and searching backwards through the file.
Find Backwards is helpful if you want to find a term you passed earlier
in the document.
- Match Whole Word Only specifies
ignoring words that are contained within the text you enter. For
example, the word stick would not be highlighted if you chose the
word sticky to find.
- In the Find What text box, enter the word
or phrase to be found and click Find. When the program finds the text, the
Find dialog box closes and the page containing the text is displayed with
the text highlighted.
It is not necessary to include hyphens in the Find What text box. The Find tool will locate hyphenated text regardless of the use of hyphens in the text box.
- Click the Find Again tool
to find the next occurrence of the word or phrase.
You will be prompted to loop around to the beginning of the document if you start the process on any page other than the first page.
| Note: If the Find tool does not appear on your Reader toolbar, you have an older version of Reader and need to download and install the latest version. Check the Adobe web site for upgrades. |
Printing
You may print as many pages of online documents as necessary.
To print a document:
- Open the document you want to print.
- Click the Print button
located on the far left side of the toolbar. Do not use the
web browser's Print button.
- The Print dialog box will appear and
display the total number of pages in the document. Select All Pages,
Current Page, or Pages (to choose a range
of pages). If you choose Pages, indicate the page numbers you want to print
in the From and To text boxes.
To print double-sided pages, select Even and Odd Pages in the Print field at the bottom of the Print dialog box. Then, click the Properties button in the upper right corner. In the Properties box, select the Print Both Sides option and then click OK. This will return you to the Print dialog box. (Your printer may have different options in the Properties box. If so, see your information technology staff.)
Note: If you have not printed double-sided pages before, you might want to print two or four test pages before attempting to print an entire chapter. If you select the Print Both Sides options and your pages do not print double-sided, your printer might not be set up to print on both sides of a page. Refer to your printer's user manual for instructions.
Caution: Reader prints the entire document by default. Be aware of the number of pages you are requesting when you print an online document file. If you accidentally request a lengthy document to print, see the instructions below for canceling a print job. - Click OK.
Click Cancel in the Reader dialog box which appears when you request a print job. If the dialog box has closed, double-click the printer icon on the right side of the Windows system tray located at the bottom of the screen. Select your document in the box which appears. Choose Cancel Printing under the Document menu.
Closing a PDF
You cannot close an online PDF file as you usually close computer files. Instead, you exit a document by going to another file or web page.
The inability to close files can cause a "Maximum Number of Files Open" error. See the Trouble-shooting section below for some solutions to this problem.
To exit an online PDF document
Click your browser's Back button until you see a web page. Or, select any web page under the Favorites (Internet Explorer) or Bookmarks (Netscape) menu of your web browser. Or click the Home icon to go to the home page you specified in your browser. The Reader toolbar will disappear when you have exited the PDF and returned to a web page.
| Caution: Do not choose Close under your web browser's File menu or click the X in the upper right corner of the browser to close a PDF file. These actions will close the browser, not the file. |
Closing Reader
When you exit your web browser, Reader remains open until you close it. Likewise, exiting Reader will not close your web browser. Each program must be closed separately.
To close Reader:
- Make Reader the active program. To do so, click
Reader in the Windows system tray located at the bottom of the
screen. Or, hold down the Alt key while pressing the Tab key until Reader is visible in the display box.
- Choose Exit under the File menu or click the X in the upper right corner of the screen.
Troubleshooting and Help
Blank Page Appears When You Try to Open a File
Problem
After clicking a link to open a chapter or book file, all you see is a blank screen, and the browser has stopped retrieving data.
Solution
You might not have the most current version of Adobe Reader on your computer. If you have Adobe Reader 4.0 or lower, you need to upgrade the (free) software from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html.
"Find" Tool Missing from Adobe Reader Toolbar
Problem
The Find tool button does not appear on your Adobe Reader toolbar.
Solution
You have version 3.0 or earlier of Adobe Reader and need to download and install version 5.0 or later. Visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html for upgrades to the free Reader software.
If the instructions on this page did not answer your questions about Reader, try these resources:
Reader Online Guide
The Reader Online Guide is included as part of the Reader software. To view the Online Guide, open a PDF file and click Reader in your Windows system tray located at the bottom of the screen. An empty Reader screen will appear, allowing you to access the menus. Under the Help menu, select Reader Online Guide.
Adobe Customer Support
Adobe provides solutions to common Reader problems at its Adobe Reader Support site, including troubleshooting information for downloading and installing the software.
Updated August 26, 2011
Child Support Home | Parents & Guardians Information | Topic List