Adobe Acrobat® Reader is the software required to view the Portable Document Format (PDF) files that are available on the AmSECT Perfusion Channels© World Wide Web site. PDF was chosen by the AmSECT Internet Committee because it retains the original formatting of documents that are posted on Perfusion Channels©. This is preferred for any scientific document that includes charts, graphs, and tables. It is also the fastest and most efficient way to bring information to the web site.

America Online users will need to configure the web browser to recognize PDF files. This is accomplished by performing the following steps:

  1. Download the free Adobe Acrobat® Reader software from Adobe here. Install the software and restart the computer.

  2. Sign on to AOL; with the AOL web browser open, click on a link for a PDF file.

  3. You will now see a message that says "You have selected a document with a content type of application.pdf. No helper application is defined for that type. Would you like to set up an application to present this type of document?". Choose Yes.

  4. You will now be presented with a screen that allows you to browse the hard drive to find the name of the executable file that will start Adobe Acrobat® Reader. If you installed Adobe Acrobat® Reader into the default directory during installation, it should be located in the following location:

    • Windows 3.x - C:\acrobat3\read16\acrord16.exe
    • Windows 95 - C:\acrobat3\reader\AcroRd32.exe

  5. When you have highlighted the filename, choose OK and the Adobe Acrobat® Reader should automatically start and display the PDF document.

  6. When you have finished reading the PDF document, close Acrobat by choosing the menu items File and Exit if you want to close Adobe Acrobat®. If you plan to view other documents during your current session, choose the menu items File and Close and then minimize Acrobat® so that the web browser will return. Click the Back button on the web browser to return to the previous screen.

If the message in Step #3 did not appear or if the previous procedure did not work, then try the following steps:

  1. Download the free Adobe Acrobat® Reader software from Adobe here. Install the software and restart the computer. Sign on to AOL.

  2. From the AOL web browser, choose the following menu items: Members, Preferences, WWW, and Helper Applications.

  3. In the Description field, type PDF Files

  4. In the Content Type and Sub Type field, type application/pdf

  5. In the File Extensions field, type pdf

  6. In the Application Name field, choose the box labeled Browse... and follow step # 4 in the previous procedure. Choose OK until you are returned to the AOL web browser. Now click on a link for a PDF file and Adobe Acrobat® Reader should initiate.

  7. Follow step #6 in the previous procedure when you're done reading the PDF document.

Users of other online services and Internet Service Providers should be able to view and print PDF files from within their browser, i.e., Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, after they have installed the Adobe Acrobat® Reader software to their computer. Just click on the link for the PDF file that you want to view and the Adobe Acrobat® Reader should automatically integrate with the browser, i.e., you will be able to view the PDF files in your World Wide Web browser. If this does not happen, make sure that you are using the current version of Adobe Acrobat® Reader (version 3.0) and the current version of Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

For optimal viewing of PDF files in the Adobe Acrobat® Reader software, the following tips should be followed:

  • With the Adobe Acrobat® Reader software open, click on the menu items File, Preferences, and then General. Next, click the arrow next to the menu item entitled Default Magnification and choose the setting named Fit Visible. Choose OK. Now, whenever you open PDF files, the document will appear as large as possible in the available screen space. If some text or graphics are still too small to read clearly, you will need to use the zoom tool to enlarge the screen.

  • On the Adobe Acrobat® Reader toolbar, there is a button that resembles a magnifying glass with a + in the circle. Click on this button to enable the zoom tool (click it again to disable the zoom tool). When you move the mouse pointer anywhere on the document, the pointer will look like the magnifying glass icon. Click anywhere on the document to enlarge the size. This will enable you to read the document better. If the picture becomes too big, there is another way to control the zoom tool.

    On the bottom of the screen to the left will appear three buttons that identify the number of pages, the current magnification, and the size of the page. The middle button indicates the current magnification and is identified by the magnifying glass icon (without the + in the circle). Click this button once. A "pop-up menu" will appear labeled Zoom To with one item called Magnification. Click the arrow to specify a preset magnification that you would like to change to or you can type in a value. Click OK for the new resolution to take effect. To undo this change, repeat the previous steps.

    Note: An alternative to using the magnification button previously listed is to choose the menu items View and Zoom To.