Acrobat Reader

Read books, magazines, brochures and other documents in digital format

Acrobat Reader is the old name for Adobe Reader, a free software program designed to read files in Portable Document Format (PDF). Originally it was part of Adobe Acrobat, the first software to create PDF files, hence the name Acrobat Reader. Despite the official rename, many people still call it Acrobat Reader rather than Adobe Reader.

PDF files have become a world standard for digital documents.  The format allows you to print to a digital file as easily as you can print to paper, retaining all the formatting, fonts, pictures and everything else on the page. It doesn't matter which word processing or desktop publishing program created the original document, just as it doesn't matter which created the book or magazine you are reading. PDF may be thought of as digital paper in this regard.

Popular uses for Adobe Reader

• Many e-books are available in PDF. Check out Fictionwise for a good selection, including free books. Use Adobe Reader on your smartphone to read them while travelling!
• Print annual reports to PDF and save on printing costs. Staff and investors can save bookshelf space and read them online or at their computers with Adobe Reader.
• PDF is a good format for a paperless filing system. Scan your documents, save them in PDF - even on a networked drive - and access them with Adobe Reader. 
• Scan those boxes of saved recipe pages and print them to PDF. Browse them with Adobe Reader and print out the recipe when you want to try it. No more clutter!
• Print designs and layouts to PDF for emailing to clients. Adobe Reader gives them the exact depiction of how the design or layout should look.