Creating PDF files

What is a PDF file?

It is file containing a document in "portable document format" which is essentially program in a language owned by Adobe. Adobe provides a reader for PDF files free of charge. Software for creating a PDF file from some other format is not given away free of charge

How are .PDF files created from other formats?

Usually they are created on computers that have installed Adobe Acrobat, which is commercial software that can be purchased by students at a reduced price. Acrobat (not to be confused with the free Acrobat Reader) allows the user to create and manipulate PDF files. Econ 360 students are not expected to purchase Acrobat for HW #3, but if you think that you would want to have Acrobat for other reasons, then you can purchase it from the Bookstore.

How can I create a PDF file without purchasing Acrobat?

Acrobat is installed on many of the machines in Dunning 350. Take your .DOC file to Dunning 350. From the "Start" menu select "Printers" and see of "Acrobat PDFWriter" is installed on the machine. If so, you can create a PDF file on that machine very easily.

How does one create a PDF file from a Microsoft Word .DOC file on a computer with Acrobat installed?

Open your .DOC file in Microsoft Word. Then "Print" the document and in the Print menu select as the printer the "Acrobat PDFWriter." The Acrobat writer acts like a printer, so instead of printing to paper you print to a PDF file. When you print you will be prompted for a file name to print to. You can print to a file on a diskette or a file on the computer.

Do I have set or check anything about the set up of the PDFWriter?

Yes, to make sure that your PDF file is truly portable, you should ensure that the the "embed all fonts" options is selected before you print to the PDF file. TO do this, when you get to the print menu in Word, click on the "Properties" button and then the "font embedding" tab. On this menu make sure that the "Embed all fonts" box is checked, then click "OK".

Once I have created a PDF file for hw3, how do I "post" the assignment?

Use "WS_ftp" to send the file to your qlink account just as you did for HWs #1 and #2. Use the "binary" transfer option.

What if Dunning 350 is closed when I am ready to post my assignment?

Then you should post your assignment as a DOC file at the cost of 1 mark. Trouble with creating a PDF file is no excuse for not posting a .DOC file on time.

How will my files be marked?

I will first try to access ~<qlink_id>econ360/hw3.pdf. If I don't find it, I will try to access ~<qlink_id>econ360/hw3.doc.