Some files on this website are available in PDF format.
PDF is an acronym for 'Portable Document format' which was created by Adobe. It allows you to view and print a file exactly as the author designed it. It preserves the look and feel of the original document.
You need to have a copy of Acrobat Reader on your computer to download these files. The reader is available free of charge at Adobe.
To download a Acrobat Reader, click the following link which will open in a new window: www.adobe.co.uk/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Follow the instructions on the Adobe Page to download the appropriate reader for your computer.
Access Adobe
If you have a visual impairment and use a screen reader there are useful online tools available on the Access Adobe website. These will convert PDF documents into a web page (HTML) or text.
Problems downloading PDFs
Some internet users have problems downloading PDFs. When these occur people usually complain of a PDF document freezing when loaded, loading incomplete information or loading blank pages.
Here is a suggestion which may help:
- Windows users: Right click the link to the pdf document. (Mac users click and hold on the PDF link.)
- From the pop up menu select Save Target As (note: some browsers may have 'save link as...' or 'save file as...').
A small window will open. You will see a prompt to select the location on your computer where you want to save the file. - Select a location and click save or ok. The PDF will be downloaded and saved on your computer.
- Once the file is saved you can open it using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Copies of Acrobat Reader are available free from www.adobe.co.uk/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Problems opening PDFs with Internet Explorer
This is a recognised problem between Internet Explorer 5 (IE) and Acrobat Reader 4.0. To resolve it, follow these steps:
- Open Acrobat Reader.
- Under the file menu, select Preferences - General.
- Under "options," uncheck the "Web Browser Integration" box.
- Click OK.
You can also overcome the problem with IE 5 and Acrobat Reader 4 by upgrading your IE browser and Acrobat Reader software.
