What are pdf files?

Why use pdf files?

How do I open pdf files?

Why is Acrobat Reader free?

How does using Acrobat Reader benefit me?

How do I get Acrobat Reader free?

What is the difference between printing out a pdf document & just printing from the web?

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What are pdf files?
PDF files are made with the program called Acrobat. You can open pdf files with the program called Acrobat Reader. This program is available for free from the Adobe site. After you download Acrobat Reader you will be able to return to this web site and access many of the forms and pages that are available online. PDF is an acronym for Portable Document Format. See "How do I open pdf files?"

Why use pdf files?
PDF files are smaller than most other types of documents. Therefore they load faster. PDF files have the benefit of being read by any computer. If you have a MAC or a PC you will be able to read the PDF files if you have Acrobat Reader. You will not need to worry about your printer settings. For example: If the document was created in Landscape mode, it is automatically printed out in Landscape mode. Without PDF documents it would be harder to share documents on the web because you would have to have the same program a file was made with to be able to open the file.

How do I open pdf files?
First you must have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Then you should be able to double click on any file with the pdf extension and it will automatically open up. Conversely, if you double click on a pdf file & it doesn't open up automatically, that tells you that you do not have Acrobat Reader & you must download the free program off the web. See "How do I get Acrobat Reader Free?"

How do I get Acrobat Reader Free?
You can get your free copy of Acrobat Reader online by clicking the following icon:
Follow the instructions and then return to this web site to download your forms and information you desire. You will be downloading approximately a 5 meg file. Depending on the speed of your Internet access you may have to plan on a long download time, therefore you may want to do this in the evening. After you download, you should be offered a chance to install the program. Downloading does not install the program to your hard drive, it only downloads the setup program to your hard drive. You are expected to know where the downloaded setup program is so after download you can click on it to start the installation process.

If you have trouble with the download, Adobe offers support at http://www.adobe.com/support/readguide.html

Why is Acrobat Reader free?
Acrobat Reader is distributed free by the company Adobe so people who create documents with the program Acrobat can use whatever program they have on their computer and publish it and it can be read by anyone who has Acrobat Reader.

How does using Acrobat Reader benefit me?
PDF files are smaller than most other files. You can open the file up and print it. If a form is a fill able type of PDF file then you will be able to fill in the blanks and print it on your computer. Then you usually mail off the form that you just filled out and mail it. Many web pages beside Region 24, including the US internal revenue use PDF files. It also benefits you because the document you get doesn't have any of the web browser identifications on it, i.e. the URL at the bottom of the page. This is useful if you wanted to download a flyer that you wanted to distribute. Or for example the ASCAP/BMI form that is available on the Region 24 web site.

What is the difference between printing out a pdf document & just printing from the web?
When you print from the web you will most likely not get what you thought you were printing out. Meaning this: 1) Usually most web pages need to be printed in Landscape mode so you can obtain all the information you see on the page. 2) If you print out the page you see on your browser you may end up with more than you bargained for. See "Understanding the size of the page you are browsing" 3) What you see is what you get, when you print out a pdf file.