Adobe Acrobat 4.0 Classroom in a Book (The Classroom in a Book Series) (Paperback)

~ Adobe Creative Team (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you'd like to learn in depth how to use Adobe Acrobat--and you prefer plenty of hands-on guidance--you'll enjoy this installment in the well-regarded "Classroom in a Book" series. It shows both Windows and Macintosh users how to go from beginner to qualified PDF (portable document file) publisher without needless hassle. You work along with the step-by-step projects and come to a thorough understanding of Acrobat's various features. Each lesson ends with review questions and answers, and a few also have suggestions for exploring the subject further, on your own.

The book starts with an interactive tour of the Acrobat interface, which shows you how to convert, navigate, edit, annotate, and distribute portable documents. It provides a strong introduction to Acrobat's uses, including specifics on the program's tools, palettes, and navigational elements. One of the tasks has you creating an online version of a book using custom bookmarks. Later you're taught how to include interactivity, in addition to a searchable library and catalog. Multimedia rounds out the book, showing you how the specifics of sound and movies work to enhance a software tutorial. --Kathleen Caster

Product Description

Adobe Acrobat X Classroom in a Book teaches users to master Acrobat X.0 in short, focused lessons that explore all of Adobe Acrobat's tools and techniques. By following along with the cross-platform CD and the book's lessons, readers get hands-on experience mastering the most powerful graphics application available. The illustrations and text guide the reader through results they can see on the screen, teaching techniques that can be immediately put to use. All of Acrobat X.0's exciting new features, such as enhanced web performance, expanded functionality through plug-ins, and enhanced print publishing capabilities are fully explored in the award-winning Classroom in a Book format.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Adobe Press (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568304765
• ISBN-13: 978-1568304762
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,573,790 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As good as all other "classroom in a book" manuals, May 23, 2000

By	+++ (OR, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) 4.0 Classroom in a Book (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Adobe PDF is a very common file format, largely due to the PDF's ability to faithfully maintain the formatting of a document while offering smaller file sizes, searchable text, printability, and integration with the most popular web browsers. The availability of a PDF viewer, Adobe Acrobat Reader, for free download has played a decisive role in popularity of this file standard. I purchased Adobe Acrobat primarily to be able to create PDF files from Word documents and the like. Although Acrobat comes with a detailed manual available through the "help" menu, it took me almost a year before I actually decided to learn what one can do in Acrobat besides creating PDF files. I decided to start with the "Classroom in a book" manual since I already had positive experience with this series. Indeed, I was not disappointed. First, I discovered many advanced capabilities of Acrobat, which can make PDF format more convenient than any other format; secondly, it was a pleasure to work with the book. If you never used the Adobe "Classroom in a book" series before, the following comments may be useful:

a) the book does not contain anything that is not included in Acrobat Help; In fact, it even contains less information as it periodically referres the readers to one or another chapter of the online manual. The only purpose of this book is to help you to get a "hands-on" practical experience with the program using the example files from the enclosed CD.

b) this book is for the beginners. Acrobat is generally not as sophisticated as many other Adobe products, and this book does not even attempt to go into much detail. If you know nothing about Acrobat, you will find it helpful.

c) Unlike many computer books, this one is very carefully written and edited. The guidelines are very easy to follow both for Windows and Mac users. In this sense, it is an excellent and a very accurate tutorial.

d) most likely you will use this book only once. Later on you would rather refer to Acrobat Help than to the book since the latter one is more complete. Getting this book from the library may be an option to consider.

72 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Leave the classroom to the professionals, July 24, 2000

By A Customer

I am a designer who does a lot of multi-tasking (are there any who don't?). I keep many books close at hand when I work to use as references for specific problems that may arise. I find that most of the books I own are very orderly and, therefore, an efficient use of my time.

This book, and the other "Classroom in a Book" series components, on the other hand, are completely disordered. You can never be sure where a given topic may pop up within this casual, stream-of-consciousness style. And don't expect the index to be of any assistance either; it seems to have extracted only what was of particular interest to some periodic user who would rather just do their work in MS Word.

Do yourself a favor and leave this one on the shelf. In its place pick up the "PDF Bible". Don't be intimidated by its vastness; instead, be welcomed by its ordered presentation and functional index. Other than the owners manual, The "Bible" series has proven to be an excellent primary source for me.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Beginners Guide to Adobe Acrobat 4.0, March 16, 2001

By	A Howald "felix7" (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) 4.0 Classroom in a Book (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

This is a great book for beginners to get the basics on what this product's capabilities. I never realized that Adobe Acrobat can do so many things! If you need to learn this product quickly, this is the book to get. As you advanced in your abilities with this product, then other books would be more beneficial.