How to make an interactive PDF.
Create interactive PDFs that are easy to use.
Wondering how to create an interactive PDF and not sure where to begin? Create engaging and interactive PDFs easily with the tips in this post.
PDFs are used every day for every kind of business you can imagine. Despite being used so often, creators don’t always make interactive PDFs due to the extra work. Although non-interactive PDFs are still informative, interactive PDFs are worth the effort because they help readers retain more information. Learning how to create engaging, meaningful PDFs can give your readers an informative experience that they won’t forget.
Steps for how to create interactive PDFs.
When creating an interactive PDF, you’ll need to have access to a program that allows you to create interactive elements. Adobe Acrobat is one such program that is commonly used for this purpose.
To create an interactive PDF, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Open your PDF (or create a new one) in Acrobat or a similar tool.
- To add buttons: Edit PDF > Link > Add/Edit Web or Document Link > Menu Button.
- To add links: Edit PDF > Link > Add/Edit Web or Document Link.
- To add a video: Tools > Rich Media > Add Video > Insert Video.
- To add checkboxes: Tools > Prepare Form > Checkbox.
- Add other form fields like signatures by selecting: Tools > Prepare Form.
When you’re ready, preview the final version by choosing Tools > Print Production > Output Preview. Test each element to make sure it works as you intended. Take a few moments to make any last-minute changes before continuing.
How to export your interactive PDF file.
After you’ve created your interactive PDF, you’ll need to export it so that others can view it. To do this, follow these simple steps:
- Go to the File menu and select Export.
- Choose the format you’d like to export to (such as PDF or HTML).
- Follow the prompts to save your file.
What does an interactive PDF mean?
Interactive PDFs are documents that have elements your readers can engage with. These include buttons, links, videos, and more. They’re perfect for presentations or organizing different types of content in a single document. That makes the format a popular choice for teachers and instructional designers.
Why should you create an interactive PDF?
There are many benefits to learning how to create an interactive PDF. For one, it can help engage clients or stakeholders by providing them with a professional document. Additionally, learning how to create an interactive PDF allows you to organize your information better, providing a more logical and structured approach to presenting your content. For example, if you’re conducting a business meeting, an interactive PDF can help you provide a clear and concise overview of your presentation.
What are the benefits of creating an interactive PDF?
The benefits of learning how to make an interactive PDF depend on the purpose of the document. For marketing purposes, an interactive PDF can help you increase engagement with your audience by providing interactive elements, such as links to your website or tutorial videos that encourage viewers to learn more about your products or services.
For sales purposes, an interactive PDF can help you provide a more detailed and personalized approach through links to sign up for emailing lists and contact information like phone numbers and emails for your business.
For educational purposes, an interactive PDF can help you provide students with a more immersive learning experience through lecture videos and engaging charts and visuals.
Finally, for design purposes, an interactive PDF can help you showcase your design skills and provide your clients with a more visually appealing and compelling document.
Interactive PDF example: how elements can be used.
When learning how to make an interactive PDF, there are many elements that you can use to enhance the user experience, such as:
- Links. These can be used to direct readers to additional resources, such as web pages or documents.
- Buttons. These can be used to perform specific actions, such as showing or hiding text or images.
- Videos. These can be used to provide additional information or demonstrate a process.
For instance, if you’re creating an interactive recipe book, you can include a
video that demonstrates how to prepare a certain dish. These elements can
make your PDF more engaging and digestible for your audience.
More resources to work with your PDFs.
After learning to create interactive PDFs that more effectively engage your audience, it can be helpful to learn more about PDF documents to continue leveling up your PDF expertise. Here are some additional resources about working with PDFs:
- Did you know you can create PDF bookmarks? Learn how to add bookmarks to PDF files.
- Need to change your default PDF viewer? Learn how to change your default viewer.
- Unable to add links to a PDF? Learn how to easily add a hyperlink to PDF files.
- Need to add numbers to your PDFs, too? Learn how to add Bates Numbering to your PDFs.
