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Adobe Acrobat Professional: A Basic Helpsheet

Electronic Text Center
Alderman Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22904
434.924.3230

Note: This help sheet is for use with Adobe Acrobat Professional version 6.0.

Adobe Acrobat Professional is a software package that allows the user not only to read but also to create documents in the PDF format from a variety of sources. These directions will be written for the user who wishes to create a PDF from a scanned image.


Adobe Acrobat Professional offers two ways to begin creating PDFs from a scanned image:

  • Click on the icon labeled "Create PDF" and select the "From Scanner" option.
  • Open the "File" window on the taskbar at the top of the screen and select the "Create PDF" option.


Next, a window will pop up presenting you with a list of options.

  • Select whether you wish to scan a single or double-sided document.
  • Specify if this is a new document or one to be added to an already extant PDF.
  • The final option on this preparatory window deals with the compression of the file and the PDF's compatibility with previous versions of Adobe Acrobat. It is usually best to keep these options on the default settings.

Finally, click on the "Scan" button to enter the scanner software and begin scanning the source material for your PDF. (For the purpose of these instructions, it is assumed the user is using an Epson scanner and thus the EPSON Scan software.) After the scanner software has opened you will need to:

  • Select "24 Bit Color" for a color document or "8 Bit Grayscale" for a black and white document. An image created in "24 Bit Color" will be somewhat better in quality than one created in 8 bit grayscale so you may wish to select the former even if the image is in black and white.
  • Hit the "Preview" button on the lower right corner of the window so that you can check to make sure the image will meet your specifications.
  • If the preview image is satisfactory, hit the "Scan" button to start the final scanning process.


If you selected the double-sided option, a window will now open asking if the next scan is to be the back of the current page or the front of the next page. Select the appropriate option or hit "Done" if the final page has been scanned.

Once you have completed scanning, you will be able to view the actual PDFs that you have created.


You may save your files to the computer, but be aware that they will only be saved until the computer's next reboot (a 24-hour period maximum). You can also save files to your home directory or send it to yourself via email. There is no publicly accessible printer in the Etext Center at this time.


If you encounter trouble at any point in this process, note that there is a help window located on the right side of the screen. Do not hesitate to ask an Etext staff member for assistance if the help screen does not answer any questions you might have.