PDF Research

Using PDFs for CD-ROM Publishing

By C. Scott Miller

  1. Scanned Paper Documents
  2. Converted Digital Documents
  3. Case Studies

The demand for publishing digital documents on CD-ROMs is growing rapidly. Here are a few criteria that indicate that publishing a CD-ROM would be more appropriate than network server or web distribution for the same documents:

  1. controlled interface and presentation of information
  2. quick distribution of large files to remote users
  3. all-in-one distribution of a mixture of files, installers, and programs
  4. closed cross-document navigation
  5. use on offline (particularly laptop) computers
  6. high resolution printability on a broad variety of output devices
  7. use on multiple computer platforms (WIN, MAC, and UNIX)
  8. distribution and editing security
  9. use of multimedia
  10. use as interactive kiosks

For interactive CD-ROM projects designed for even sophisticated users, interface design is an essential component - and with it, due consideration must be made of the file formats used. Adobe Acrobat's Portable Document Format (PDF) is becoming the preferred designer's format developing a programmable interface and hyperlinking these files together.

Scanned Paper Documents

Many CD-ROM publishers prefer to create or receive imaging files as PDFs for nearly all CD-ROM projects. Why? There are several reasons:

  1. PDFs are available in a wide variety of imaging types (Normal, Image Only, Image+Hidden Text, Text Only). Each has strengths appropriate to specific industries and projects.
  2. PDFs are readable across most computer platforms.
  3. The free and proven Acrobat Reader (with Search) has become a widely recognized and effective browser that will even run directly off of a CD-ROM without the need to install it on a user's computer.
  4. PDFs can be viewed within internet browsers using the free PDFViewer plug-in.
  5. PDFs imaging files retain format, text and style information.
  6. PDFs can be indexed and cataloged for cross document searches.
  7. Acrobat can be used to add validated form fields to PDF imaging documents.
  8. Navigation links and function programming are easy to add to PDFs.

Converted Digital Documents

The publication and design communities are using PDF files as the universal conversion format of choice between various hardware platforms, font sets, and file formats. Virtually any printable file can be converted into compressed PDF files with rich graphic results - they are printable, color consistent, scalable, and embedded with the type faces used in the original.

By standardizing on PDF files for a project, interface design is a snap. Mixing imaging files with converted digital documents is seamless. Not only can the files be indexed and cataloged for cross document searches, but hyperlinks, bookmarks, annotations, forms, and multimedia video and sound files can be added. The resulting CD-ROM can be operated from within the free Reader as a stand-alone application or in full-screen mode for presentations and kiosks.

Case Studies

Below are four sample project that demonstrate the burgeoning use of PDFs for a wide range of corporate CD-ROM projects. Each CD-ROM resulted from a comprehensive evaluation and production process. Each is cross-platform and utilizes PDF files while meeting one or more of the justifying criteriaabove.


Monthly Board of Directors Meetings
Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California

The Board of Directors for the world's largest water utility meet monthly to review and act on up to 40 different action letters, submitted by district employees and consultants. These letters are converted from Word files into PDFs, linked to a standard PDF interface, and provided on CD-ROMs to the Directors for use on their laptop computers. This production workflow insures consistency with printed versions of the documents as well as signature-level security.

Interactive Customer Documentation
DocuPrint Printers
Xerox Corporation

To supplement distribution of printed customer documentation, Xerox wanted an Interactive digital equivalent that could be used by customers and their Customer Service representatives alike. The result is a CD-ROM filled with 49 books worth of PDFs that are updated semiannually. The books are cataloged and hyperlinked with complete Table of Contents and indexes for each book. They are cross-document searchable within the free Acrobat Reader. The CD runs equally well in Macintosh, Windows, and UNIX environments with a one-to-oneconsistency and reprintability with the printed version.

Public Relations Media Kit
Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California

Multimedia CD-ROMs very often have a printed document component that supplements the interactive component. PDFs provide a wonderful capability to make printed documents available for printing and viewing right off of the CD. This is why so many software manufacturers provide Read Me files as PDF documentation files with their installation utilities.

Distributors Documentation Package
Strahan Advertising/
Lamb Weston, Inc.

Advertising agencies are discovering the advantages of prividing marketing materials via CD-ROM to their distributors. In this case, the entire advertising campaign of trade ads and educational materials are provided in the PDF format to supplement the multimedia component of the CD.

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