Setting up PDFs for a presentation

Defining initial view as Full Screen mode

Full Screen mode is a property that you can set for PDFs used for presentations. In Full Screen mode, PDF pages fill the entire screen, and the Acrobat menu bar, toolbar, and window controls are hidden. You can also set other opening views, so that your documents or collections of documents open to a consistent view. In either case, you can add page transitions to enhance the visual effect as the viewer pages through the document.

To control how you navigate a PDF (for example, advancing pages automatically), use the options in the Full Screen panel of the Preferences dialog box. These preferences are specific to a system—not a PDF document—and affect all PDFs that you open on that system. Therefore, if you set up your presentation on a system you control, you can control these preferences.

Normal view and Full Screen view.

Define an initial view

When a user opens your PDF document or PDF Portfolio, they see the initial view of the PDF. You can set the initial view to the magnification level, page, and page layout that you want. If your PDF is a presentation, you can set the initial view to Full Screen mode. In Acrobat Pro you can create Action Wizards to change default settings for multiple documents.

After you define the initial view of the PDF, you can add page transitions to selected pages or the entire document.

Note:

Acrobat supports page transitions and bullet fly-ins from PowerPoint.

Define the initial view

  1. Choose File > Properties.
  2. In the Document Properties dialog box, click Initial View.
  3. Select the options that you want, and then select OK. Save and reopen the file to see the effects.

Define the initial view as Full Screen mode

When setting the initial view of a PDF to Full Screen mode, you must define how the document opens.

  1. Choose File > Properties.
  2. In the Document Properties dialog box, select Initial View.
  3. For best results, do the following:
    • Choose Page Only from the Navigation Tab menu.

    • Choose Single Page from the Page Layout menu.

    • Set Open To Page to the page on which you want to start the presentation.

  4. Select Open In Full Screen Mode to open the document without the menu bar, toolbar, or window controls displayed. Click OK. (You have to save and reopen the file to see the effects.)
    Note:

    Users can exit Full Screen mode by pressing Esc if their preferences are set this way. However, in Full Screen mode, users cannot apply commands and select tools unless they know the keyboard shortcuts. You may want to set up page actions in the document to provide this functionality.

Initial View options for document properties

The Initial View options in the Document Properties are organized into three areas: Layout And Magnification, Window Options, and User Interface Options.

Layout And Magnification

Determines the appearance of the document.

 

Note:

Two conditions can affect page layout and magnification. 1) Someone has already set an individual PDF to a different initial view in File > Properties. 2) You have the option Restore Last View Settings When Reopening Documents selected in Edit > Preferences > Document category.

Navigation Tab

Determines which panels are displayed in the navigation pane.

Page Layout

Determines how document pages are arranged.

Magnification

Sets the zoom level for the document after it's opened. Default uses the magnification set by the user.

Open To Page

Specifies the page that appears when the document opens.

 

Note:

Setting Default for the Magnification and Page Layout options uses the individual users’ settings in the Page Display preferences.

Window Options

Determine how the window adjusts in the screen area when a user opens the document. These options apply to the document window itself in relationship to the screen area of the user’s monitor.

Resize Window To Initial Page

Adjusts the document window to fit snugly around the opening page, according to the options that you selected under Document Options.

Center Window On Screen

Positions the window in the center of the screen area.

Open In Full Screen Mode

Maximizes the document window and displays the document without the menu bar, toolbar, or window controls.

Show File Name

Shows the filename in the title bar of the window.

Show Document Title

Shows the document title in the title bar of the window. The document title is obtained from the Description panel of the Document Properties dialog box.

User Interface Options

Determine which parts of the interface—the menu bar, the toolbars, and the window controls—are hidden.

 

Note:

 If you hide the menu bar and toolbars, users cannot apply commands and select tools unless they know the keyboard shortcuts. You may want to set up page actions that temporarily hide interface controls while the page is in view. (See Add actions with page thumbnails.)

Add page transitions

You can create an interesting effect that occurs each time a page advances by using page transitions.

You can also set page transitions for a group of documents using the Actions wizard in Acrobat Pro.

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Choose Tools > Organize Pages > More > Page Transitions.

    • In the Page Thumbnails panel, select the page thumbnails you want to apply transitions to, and choose Page Transitions from the Options menu .

  2. In the Set Transitions dialog, choose a transition effect from the Transition menu. These transition effects are the same as effects set in the Full Screen preferences.

  3. Choose the direction in which the transition effect occurs. Available options depend on the transition.
  4. Choose the speed of the transition effect.
  5. Select Auto Flip, and enter the number of seconds between automatic page turning. If you do not select this option, the user turns pages using keyboard commands or the mouse.
  6. Select the Page Range that you want to apply transitions to.

    Note:

    If users select Ignore All Transitions in the Full Screen preferences, they do not see the page transitions.

Get help faster and easier

New user?