Alternate Media Workflow Strategies for PDF

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Alternate Media Workflow Strategies for PDF
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Why PDF?

• Portable document format (PDF)
• Reads the same on any computer
• Looks like the book
• Contains all the text
• Smaller than TIFFs
• Easy for publishers

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Types of PDF Documents

• Text-based
• Text can be selected
• Graphical
• Picture of text (i.e., a graphic)
• Text cannot be selected
• Use text-select tool to tell the difference

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PDFs and Publishers

• Fairly easy for publishers
• Usually even small publishers can create a PDF
• Most accurate format
• Will be complete
• But watch out for teachers editions
• Look for format choice on request forms

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Requesting through ATPC

• Use the ATPC request form
• www.atpc.net
• In notes field at bottom, request PDF
• If additional processing is required, send
  syllabus!
• Please note atpcnet.net is old URL new URL is
  atpc.net

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Security Issues

• PDF files can be locked in various ways
• Some files can be read but no text extracted
• Some files cannot be read
• Sometimes OmniPage and/or FineReader can OCR
  locked files
• Sometimes nothing can open the files

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Different Acrobats

• Adobe Reader
• Free
• Useful for students who need minimalaccessibility
  features
• http//www.adobe.com/products/reader/
• Adobe Acrobat Professional
• www.uscollegebuy.com 55
• Useful for alt media specialists
• Extract text, create accessible PDFs, enabled
  Adobe Reader features

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Access with Acrobat Reader

• Reads aloud
• But does not highlight or track
• Enlarges text
• Nice reflow feature
• Changes text/background colors
• Text highlighting, sticky notes, and comments
• Access text-based PDFs

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Adobe Reader Reality Check

• As good as Kurzweil?
• NO
• As good as PDF Aloud?
• NO
• Appropriate as only assistive technology?
• NO
• Nice as a free, widely available option?
• YES

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Process with Acrobat Pro

• Cropping
• Enlargement for printing
• Tiling
• Combining
• Some text extraction
• Works with text-based PDF

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Processing Graphical PDFs

• Must use OCR program
• Use virtual printer with Kurzweil
• Creates KESI files
• Will not work with locked files
• Use OmniPage or FineReader
• Sometimes work with locked files
• OP handles tighter security than FineReader does
• Nothing works on armadillo wrappers

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OCR Programs

• Treat the same as a TIFF
• Load image file
• Zone
• Create templates

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PDF Strengths

• Good format for large print
• Cropping
• Fit to page on large pages
• Print sections on large pages (tiling)
• Adobe Reader has some nice features forfree
• Change colors
• Reflow
• Voicing
• Easy for most publishers to create

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PDF Weaknesses

• Not always fully accessible
• Screen readers do not always like them
• Reading order can be problematic
• May be graphics
• May have too much security

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Summary

• Source files vs. end-user files
• Source files for you to create alt media from
• End-user files alt media formats
• PDF
• Consider PDFs as source files (files to process)
  that sometimes double as end-user files (for
  certain students with limited access issues)