PDF usability and best practices?

[Sharon Foster]

The odd computer that can't print PDFs--can it display them? Is it
displaying them in the same PDF viewer/application as the other 9 computers
do? Does this happen with any PDF, or just some?

Sharon
----------
Sharon M. Foster
Information Wrangler




On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 9:57 AM, Doug Mckay <doug at lindalelibrary.org> wrote:

> PDF related but off topic.
>
> Our library has 10 public computers using Win7.
> We replaced our previous copier/printer a while back.
>
> The problem as I understand it is that all but one computer cannot print
> PDFs.
>
> It time consuming to switch patrons around and or use staff level machines
> to print PDFs.
>
> Could this be:
> 1) A problem with the new printer copier?
> 2) A problem with the PDF files themselves?
> 3) Could the OS be partially responsible?
> Thank You
> Doug McKay
> Lindale Library in Lindale, Texas
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 7:58 AM, Bob Rasmussen <ras at anzio.com> wrote:
>
>> This is a partial answer, based on what I know of PDFs' internal
>> structures.
>>
>> A key consideration is whether the PDF is "linearized". If it is, then the
>> browser does not need to download the entire PDF before some of it (the
>> first page) can be viewed.
>>
>> Other factors to consider:
>>
>> * Overall file size (as mentioned by someone else)
>> * Number and type of embedded fonts
>> * Whether it's "searchable". When pages of text are scanned, each is an
>> image. When it has had OCR done on it, it becomes searchable (and could
>> also be read aloud by screen reader software).
>>
>> On Thu, 15 Mar 2012, Wilhelmina Randtke wrote:
>>
>> > I am looking for recommendations or guidelines on best practices for
>> > displaying PDFs on the internet.
>> >
>> > What I don't want:  I am not looking for ADA compliance.  I am able to
>> find
>> > that.
>> >
>> > What I do want:  I am looking for anything about ability to access the
>> > document - so:
>> >   -  How large a file size is acceptable?  (I anticipate U.S. visitors
>> to
>> > the project this is for.)
>> >   -  How long in pages a document can be before it becomes overwhelming
>> to
>> > a reader?
>> >   -  Any size constraints imposed by different PDF viewing devices and
>> > connection speeds?
>> >   -  Ways to represent a really long document - like a novel - and
>> > represent it in meaningful ways in PDF format, without doing a single
>> giant
>> > PDF (and without becoming married to technology other than PDF-A and
>> html)?
>> >
>> > Any pointers to guidelines or best practices on displaying voluminous
>> PDFs
>> > would be appreciated.
>> >
>> > -Wilhelmina Randtke
>> >
>> > ============================
>> >
>> > To unsubscribe: http://bit.ly/web4lib
>> >
>> > Web4Lib Web Site: http://web4lib.org/
>> >
>> > 2012-03-15
>> >
>>
>> Regards,
>> ....Bob Rasmussen,   President,   Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>>
>> personal e-mail: ras at anzio.com
>>  company e-mail: rsi at anzio.com
>>          voice: (US) 503-624-0360 (9:00-6:00 Pacific Time)
>>            fax: (US) 503-624-0760
>>            web: http://www.anzio.com
>>  street address: Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>>                 10240 SW Nimbus, Suite L9
>>                 Portland, OR  97223  USA
>>
>> ============================
>>
>> To unsubscribe: http://bit.ly/web4lib
>>
>> Web4Lib Web Site: http://web4lib.org/
>>
>> 2012-03-16
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Doug McKay
> ILL / Cataloger
> Lindale Library
> Lindale, TX 75771-1570
> (903) 882-1900
>
> ============================
>
> To unsubscribe: http://bit.ly/web4lib
>
> Web4Lib Web Site: http://web4lib.org/
>
> 2012-03-16
>
>

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2012-03-16
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