PDF Help Center

What is PDF? 

PDF is short for "Portable Document Format." Documents in PDF format can be viewed, navigated and printed from any computer using Acrobat Reader software, which is available free from Adobe Systems, Inc.

Why use PDF format?

PDF has become the standard for sharing documents with graphics and or complex formatting (like publications). In addition, PDF is supported by all popular operating systems and is compatible with nearly all contemporary printers. Documents in PDF format are reproduced precisely as they were originally composed, including fonts, formatting, and graphics.

If you are having PDF problems...

Make sure you have a current copy of Acrobat Reader installed.
To install a copy of Acrobat Reader on your system please Download Acrobat Reader®

If you are having problems viewing or accessing HEALTH documents in PDF format, using Internet Explorer (versions 5.0 or greater), Netscape Navigator (versions 4.0 or greater) or AOL and Acrobat Reader (versions 4.0 and greater), here are 2 options that should help you to be able to view / access these documents.

Option 1:

1. Return to the page with the link to the PDF document.
2. Right-click on the link for the file that interests you.
3. Highlight the "Save Target as" (Internet Explorer) or "Save Link as" (Netscape Navigator) option and save the PDF file to your hard drive.
4. Open Acrobat Reader independently of your browser, locate and open the file you just downloaded.

Option 2:

When I click on a PDF form I get a blank page and/or an error message. What can I do?

Enabling the Browser to Use Acrobat as a Helper Application

Certain versions of Netscape, Internet Explorer and AOL do not properly display embedded PDF files, even if Acrobat Reader is installed. Instead they display a blank screen, an error message or a blank screen with a small document image in the upper left corner.

Examples of some of the error messages:

"File does not begin with '%PDF-'"
"Error reading xref entry."

To get around this Adobe recommends configuring Acrobat as a helper, not a plug-in, here's how you do it:

To configure Acrobat or Acrobat Reader as a helper application:

1. Exit from Netscape, Internet Explorer and/or AOL.
   
2. Start Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.
   
3. Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Acrobat 5.x or Acrobat Reader 5.x)
   or
   choose File > Preferences > General (Acrobat 4.x or Acrobat Reader 4.x).
   
4. In the Options section, deselect Display PDF in Browser (Acrobat 5.x or Acrobat Reader 5.x)
   or
   deselect Web Browser Integration (Acrobat 4.x or Acrobat Reader 4.x).
   
5. Click OK, and then exit from Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.
   
6. Restart Netscape, Internet Explorer or AOL.

Note: The next time you select a link to a PDF file in Internet Explorer and AOL, a dialog box will prompt you to specify what to do with the file. If you select "Open this file from its current location," Internet Explorer and AOL open the PDF file in Acrobat 4.0 or later or Acrobat Reader 4.0 or later as a helper application. If you select "Save this file to disk," Internet Explorer saves the PDF file to your hard disk, from where you can open it later.

For more information about the general preferences in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader, refer to Adobe Acrobat's help file.