PDF--to most of the world it stands for that rather tiresome format used for documents downloaded from the web. Slow to load and slower to print, hopelessly unsearchable, and all but impossible to cut and paste from, the Portable Document Format doesn't inspire much affection in the average user. But PDFs done right is another story. Those who know the ins and outs of this format know that it can be much more than electronic paper. Flexible, compact, interactive, and even searchable, PDF is the ideal way to present content across multiple platforms.
PDF Hacks unveils the true promise of Portable Document Format, going way beyond the usual PDF as paged output mechanism. PDF expert Sid Steward draws from his years of analyzing, extending, authoring, and embellishing PDF documents to present 100 clever hacks--tools, tips, quick-and-dirty or not-so-obvious solutions to common problems.
PDF Hacks will show you how to create PDF documents that are far more powerful than simple representations of paper pages. The hacks in the book cover the full range of PDF functionality, from the simple to the more complex, including generating, manipulating, annotating, and consuming PDF information. You'll learn how to manage content in PDF, navigate it, and reuse it as necessary. Far more than another guide to Adobe Acrobat, the book covers a variety of readily available tools for generating, deploying, and editing PDF.
The little-known tips and tricks in this book are ideal for anyone who works with PDF on a regular basis, including web developers, pre-press users, forms creators, and those who generate PDF for distribution. Whether you want to fine-tune and debug your existing PDF documents or explore the full potential the format offers, PDF Hacks will turn you into a PDF power user.
Author(s): Sid Steward
Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 475
PDF Hacks......Page 1
Table of Contents......Page 2
Copyright......Page 6
Credits......Page 7
About the Author......Page 8
Contributors......Page 9
Acknowledgments......Page 11
Preface......Page 12
Why PDF Hacks?......Page 13
How to Use This Book......Page 14
A Note on Software......Page 15
Using Code Examples......Page 16
How This Book Is Organized......Page 17
Conventions Used in This Book......Page 19
How to Contact Us......Page 21
Got a Hack?......Page 22
Chapter 1. Consuming PDF......Page 23
Introduction: Hacks #1-14......Page 24
Hack 1 Read PDFs with the Adobe Reader......Page 25
Hack 2 Read PDFs with Mac OS X's Preview......Page 28
Hack 3 Read PDFs with Ghostscript's GSview......Page 30
Hack 4 Speed Up Acrobat Startup......Page 32
Hack 5 Manage Acrobat Plug-Ins with Profiles on Windows......Page 35
Hack 6 Open PDF Files Your Way on Windows......Page 39
Hack 7 Copy Data from PDF Pages......Page 42
Hack 8 Convert PDF Documents to Word......Page 46
Hack 9 Browse One PDF in Multiple Windows......Page 52
Hack 10 Pace Your Reading or Present a Slideshow in Acrobat or Reader......Page 58
Hack 11 Pace Your Reading or Present a Slideshow in Mac OS X Preview......Page 65
Hack 12 Unpack PDF Attachments �⠀䔀瘀攀渀 圀椀琀栀漀甀琀 䄀挀爀漀戀愀琀)......Page 67
Hack 13 Jump to the Next or Previous Heading......Page 69
Hack 14 Navigate and Manipulate PDF Using Page Thumbnails......Page 71
Chapter 2. Managing a Collection......Page 74
Introduction: Hacks #15-23......Page 75
Hack 15 Bookmark PDF Pages in Reader......Page 76
Hack 16 Create Windows Shortcuts to Online PDF Pages with Acrobat......Page 85
Hack 17 Create Windows Shortcuts to Local PDF Pages......Page 88
Hack 18 Turn PDF Bookmarks into Windows Shortcuts......Page 91
Hack 19 Generate Document Keywords......Page 92
Hack 20 Index and Search Local PDF Collections on Windows......Page 96
Hack 21 Spinning Document Portals......Page 105
Hack 22 Spinning Collection Portals......Page 108
Hack 23 Identify Related PDFs......Page 110
Chapter 3. Authoring and Self-Publishing: Hacking Outside the PDF......Page 115
Introduction: Hacks #24-31......Page 116
Hack 24 Keep Your Source Smart......Page 117
Hack 25 Convey Your Document's Value with Good Design......Page 123
Hack 26 Create Charts and Graphs from Raw Data......Page 130
Hack 27 Become a Publisher......Page 135
Hack 28 Print at Home, at the Office, or at Kinko's......Page 138
Hack 29 Publish POD and E-books......Page 140
Hack 30 Sell Through Amazon......Page 142
Hack 31 Sell Your Book, Sell Yourself......Page 143
Chapter 4. Creating PDF and Other Editions......Page 145
Introduction: Hacks #32-50......Page 146
Hack 32 Create Interactive PDF with Your Word Processor......Page 147
Hack 33 Create a Printable, On-Screen Edition from Word......Page 151
Hack 34 Multipurpose PDF......Page 153
Hack 35 Create an HTML Edition from Your Word Processor......Page 155
Hack 36 Create a Handheld Edition from Your HTML......Page 158
Hack 37 Convert Documents from Tools You Don't Own to PDF......Page 162
Hack 38 Acrobat Distiller and Its Profiles......Page 164
Hack 39 Print to PDF with Ghostscript and RedMon on Windows......Page 167
Hack 40 Save As PDF with Mac OS X......Page 176
Hack 41 Maximize PDF Portability......Page 178
Hack 42 Configure Distiller and Ghostscript for Your Purpose......Page 181
Hack 43 Embed and Subset Fonts to Your Advantage......Page 185
Hack 44 Share a PDF Network Printer with Samba......Page 191
Hack 45 Print to Image and Other Rasterizing Options......Page 194
Hack 46 Print to SVG......Page 198
Hack 47 Print Over the Internet......Page 202
Hack 48 Create a PDF Album of Your Digital Pictures......Page 205
Hack 49 Print to Fax on Windows......Page 208
Hack 50 Convert Incoming Faxes to PDF on Linux......Page 210
Chapter 5. Manipulating PDF Files......Page 212
Introduction: Hacks #51-73......Page 214
Hack 51 Split and Merge PDF Documents �⠀䔀瘀攀渀 圀椀琀栀漀甀琀 䄀挀爀漀戀愀琀)......Page 215
Hack 52 Encrypt and Decrypt PDF �⠀䔀瘀攀渀 圀椀琀栀漀甀琀 䄀挀爀漀戀愀琀)......Page 220
Hack 53 Add PDF Encryption Actions to Windows Context Menus......Page 227
Hack 54 Add Attachments to Your PDF �⠀䔀瘀攀渀 圀椀琀栀漀甀琀 䄀挀爀漀戀愀琀)......Page 229
Hack 55 Easily Attach Your Document's Tables......Page 232
Hack 56 Add PDF Attachment Actions to Windows Context Menus......Page 237
Hack 57 Create a Traditional Index Section from Keywords......Page 239
Hack 58 Rasterize Intricate Artwork with Illustrator or Photoshop......Page 243
Hack 59 Crop Pages for Clarity......Page 246
Hack 60 Refry Before Posting Documents Online......Page 250
Hack 61 Copy Features from One PDF to Another......Page 253
Hack 62 Polish Your PDF Edition......Page 254
Hack 63 Add and Maintain PDF Bookmarks......Page 257
Hack 64 Get and Set PDF Metadata......Page 260
Hack 65 Add a Web-Style Navigation Bar to PDF Pages......Page 264
Hack 66 Copy-Protect Your PDF......Page 267
Hack 67 Support Online PDF Reading......Page 269
Hack 68 Force PDF Download Rather than Online Reading......Page 271
Hack 69 Hyperlink HTML to PDF Pages......Page 276
Hack 70 Create an HTML Table of Contents from PDF Bookmarks......Page 278
Hack 71 PDF Web Skins......Page 281
Hack 72 Share PDF Comments Online �⠀䔀瘀攀渀 圀椀琀栀漀甀琀 䄀挀爀漀戀愀琀)......Page 285
Hack 73 Tally Topic Popularity......Page 287
Chapter 6. Dynamic PDF......Page 289
Introduction: Hacks #74-92......Page 290
Hack 74 Collect Data with Online PDF Forms......Page 291
Hack 75 Serve Filled-Out PDF Forms......Page 298
Hack 76 Drive PDF Forms with Your Data......Page 302
Hack 77 PDF Form-Filling Sessions......Page 312
Hack 78 Permanently Merge a PDF Form and its Data......Page 317
Hack 79 Tool Up with pdftk......Page 323
Hack 80 Decipher and Navigate PDF at the Text Level......Page 326
Hack 81 Edit PDF Code Freely......Page 329
Hack 82 Integrate pdftk with gVim for Seamless PDF Editing......Page 331
Hack 83 Modify PDF Hyperlinks at Serve-Time......Page 335
Hack 84 Tailor PDF Text at Serve-Time......Page 346
Hack 85 Use HTML to Create PDF......Page 358
Hack 86 Use Perl to Create PDF......Page 360
Hack 87 Use PHP to Create PDF......Page 364
Hack 88 Use Java to Create PDF......Page 368
Hack 89 Assemble Pages and Serve PDF......Page 370
Hack 90 Superimpose PDF Pages......Page 377
Hack 91 Generate PDF Documents from XML and CSS......Page 383
Hack 92 Create PDF with XSL-FO and FOP......Page 386
Chapter 7. Scripting and Programming Acrobat......Page 393
Introduction: Hacks #93-100......Page 394
Hack 93 Modify or Convert Batches of Documents......Page 395
Hack 94 Script Acrobat Using Visual Basic on Windows......Page 401
Hack 95 Script Acrobat Using Perl on Windows......Page 408
Hack 96 Customize Acrobat Using JavaScript......Page 414
Hack 97 Tool Up for Acrobat Plug-In Development......Page 417
Hack 98 Explore the Acrobat SDK Documentation and Examples......Page 422
Hack 99 Use Acrobat Plug-Ins to Extend PDF......Page 425
Hack 100 PostScript and PDF Games......Page 427
Colophon......Page 430
Index......Page 431
index_SYMBOL......Page 432
index_A......Page 433
index_B......Page 437
index_C......Page 438
index_D......Page 440
index_E......Page 442
index_F......Page 443
index_G......Page 445
index_H......Page 447
index_I......Page 448
index_J......Page 450
index_K......Page 451
index_L......Page 452
index_M......Page 453
index_N......Page 455
index_O......Page 456
index_P......Page 457
index_R......Page 464
index_S......Page 465
index_T......Page 467
index_U......Page 469
index_V......Page 470
index_W......Page 471
index_X......Page 473
index_Y......Page 474
index_Z......Page 475
