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Adding multimedia to PDFs

Last updated on Oct. 16, 2024 | Also applies to Adobe Acrobat 2017, Adobe Acrobat 2020

Learn how to add multimedia elements, such as audio, video, and interactive media, to PDF documents.

Before you begin

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Adobe Acrobat

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Multimedia and PDFs (Acrobat Pro)

By incorporating video, sound, and interactive elements, PDFs can be transformed into dynamic communication tools that effectively capture readers' interest and engagement.

Acrobat Reader can play back all H.264 compliant multimedia, which is a video compression standard that offers high-quality video without significantly increasing file size. This includes video files with various formats and filename extensions.

While media files in other formats can be played in earlier versions of Acrobat Reader, users must install the appropriate application, such as QuickTime or Windows Media Player, to enable multimedia playback.

Another option for adding multimedia is to insert a URL pointing to a video file or streaming media. Three types of URLs are compatible: RTMP, HTTP, and HTTPS. HTTP and HTTPS servers support H.264-compliant MOV and MP4 files.

Add multimedia files to a PDF

Acrobat has the ability to play back files that are encoded in H.264 with AAC audio, such as .mp3 and .mov formats. To convert other file types into one of the supported formats, Adobe Media Encoder can be used. In addition, mp3 audio files can be added to PDF documents for playback on any platform.

Note:

FLV and F4V files are no longer supported in both Acrobat and PDFMaker. You cannot embed FLV and F4V files using either Acrobat or PDFMaker.

Open Acrobat and choose the PDF file to which you want to add multimedia files.
From the global bar in the upper-left, select All Tools.
From the All tools pane, select View more > Add rich media.
Then choose either the 3D Media , Video, or Soundtool, depending on the type of multimedia file you want to add.
To add a video or sound to a specific area on a page, you can either drag or double-click the desired location. This action will open the Insert dialog box.

Tip:

If you double-click the page, Acrobat will place the video in the upper-left corner where you clicked. Alternatively, if you drag an area on the page, the media will be placed within that designated area. Acrobat will automatically adjust the play area of the video to match the exact size of the video frame (if it can read the video clip dimensions).
To add a media file, either input the URL in the File field, or select Choose to find the media file, and then select Open.

Note:

When adding URLs, be sure to include the complete file address along with the video filename extension, such as .mov or .mp4.

Use the advanced options on the Insert dialog box to customize the media if needed, and then select OK.

Not all of these options are available for all media types.

Snap to content proportions	Opens the dialog for additional settings such as launch settings, playback controls, and video settings. The options available depends on the format of the media you are inserting.
Show Advanced Options	Ensures that the play area retains the height and width ratios of the original video or interactive content.

Advanced multimedia options (Acrobat Pro)

To view advanced multimedia options when you insert video, sound, or interactive content, select Show Advanced Options in the Insert dialog box.

You can also change these options after multimedia has been added to a PDF. Double-click the multimedia with the Select object tool (All tools > Add rich media > Select object).

Note:

Video and sound quality settings can only be changed when a file is added to a PDF.



Launch Settings tab	Use these settings to determine how the media is started and stopped, where it is displayed, and what is displayed when the media isn’t running.
Activation Settings	Select options to determine when the media is played and stopped. From the Playback Style menu, select Play Content In Floating Window to have the video or interactive content run outside the page. Content in a floating window enables users to read the page and view the video or application at the same time.
Border Width	Creates a black border around the video or interactive content. For sound, the border surrounds the poster image.
Poster Image	To use an image that is not part of the file you are adding, select Create Poster From File. Select Browse to find the image you want to be displayed when the video, sound, or interactive content is not activated.
Properties

Controls tab	Use to set up which playback controls (skins) are available.
Skin	Select the set of playback controls (skin) you want to be displayed on the video.
Color	Select to open the color palette and choose a color for the controls.
Opacity	Sets the degree of transparency for the playback controls.
Autohide Controls	When selected, hides the play controls when the mouse pointer is not over the multimedia.
Video Tab	Available when you are adding a video.
Preview and Trim	Drag the Start and End markers below the slider bar to remove unwanted frames from the clip. This option is only available when a video clip is first added to a PDF.
Set Poster Image From Current Frame	The poster image is displayed when the video isn’t playing. Drag the marker on the top of the slider bar to the frame you want to use, and then select Set Poster Image From Current Frame.
Chapter Points	Use Chapter Points to create markers in a video from which to launch specific actions. For example, in a training video, chapter points can link to additional information in a file or on the Web. To create a chapter point, move the slider to the frame you want to use. In Chapter Points, select the plus sign. To add an action, highlight the chapter point in the list and select Actions.

Note:

Generally, Chapter Point actions can be added only after the multimedia has been created. You can then edit the play area and add Chapter Point actions.

Edit the play area (Acrobat Pro)

To modify the play area, we need to personalize the Quick action toolbar by adding the Select Objecttool to it.

Select the ellipsis from the Quick action toolbar as shown:
In the Customize quick action toolbar, go to Rich Media, and then select the Select Object tool. Then, select Add to Toolbar as shown. Once done, select Save.

Use the Select Object tool from the Quick action toolbar to edit the play area. Follow the steps:

Use the Quick action toolbar to select the Select object tool, and then select a multimedia object.

When you move the tool over the play area, handles appear on the borders of the play area, even when the borders are invisible.
Select the play area to select it, and then do any of the following:
- To relocate the clip, simply drag its icon to a different spot on the page.
- To remove the clip, select it and press Delete.
- If you want to adjust the size of the clip, grab one of the frame's corners and drag it until you reach the desired dimensions. For video clips, you can hold down the Shift key to maintain their aspect ratio.

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