Thursday, April 4, 2013

Creating a PDF Binder for Board Document Packets

Step-by-Step Instructions for Creating a PDF Binder

  1. Organize all files into one Folder
  2. Rename files so that they are aligned with Agenda (e.g. "1.1  Minutes of Previous Meetings.docx" or "4.3 Budget Summary.xlsx"). These file names will be used as titles for the Bookmarks in the output PDF file.
  3. Within Acrobat Pro select File > Combine > Merge files into a single PDF
    1. Drag all files into the resulting window and arrange as necessary.   Remember to always place the Agenda page(s) first in the list.
    2. Next to File Size at the bottom right select the smaller file size suitable for Internet and E-mail
    3. Click the Options button and make certain the following options are selected (use other options as desired).
      1. Always add bookmarks to Adobe PDF
      2. Convert all files to PDF when creating a portfolio
    4. Click the Combine Files button to begin the conversion/creation process.
    5. Wait patiently as this can take a very long time especially if the files are not already in PDF format.
  4. Adjust existing Bookmarks and create additional ones as needed
    1. Show  the Bookmarks by clicking View > Navigation Panels > Bookmarks
    2. Create additional bookmarks by making the Acrobat Pro window as large as possible then scroll until you have the top of the page precisely where you want the bookmark and click Document > Add Bookmark (or Ctrl+B).
    3. Name the Bookmark according to the corresponding Agenda item (e.g. "1.1  Minutes of Previous Meetings" or "4.3 Budget Summary")
    4. Click and drag Bookmarks to place them in order. Remember to always place the Agenda bookmark and corresponding page(s) first in the document. Note that subtopics can be placed "beneath" primary topics by dropping them directly on top of the primary topic bookmark. This automatically creates a roll-up menu that is very eloquent.
    5. Save the document just in case anything goes wrong.
  5. Using the Select tool (a.k.a. the arrow) select each agenda item one by one and create links (a.k.a. buttons) to the bookmarks. Note: Some PDF viewers don't support bookmarks and others don't support links. By using both you will offer the greatest possible compatibility. Additionally, links are a tremendous help to users with touchscreen devices.
    1. Click and drag to select the first agenda item.
    2. Right click (or Ctrl+Click in Mac) and select Create Link
    3. Ensure "Go to a page view" is selected and click the Next button
    4. Click the Bookmark corresponding to the selected agenda item (created previously) which should take you to the correct page.
    5. Click the Set Link button. You will be returned to the Agenda page ready to repeat steps 1-5 until all links have been created.
    6. Save the document just in case anything goes wrong.
  6. Finally reduce the file size in Advanced > PDF Optimizer prior to distributing on the Internet or via Email. The Standard settings (found in the upper left corner of the settings window) should be sufficient for most documents.
  7. Distribute the combined document as needed.