KB: Questions and Answers about reading PDF documents in ZoomText 9.0 and 8.1

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KB#: 120
Last updated: March 01 2006

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The information in this article applies to:

• ZoomText 9.0
• ZoomText 8.10 through 8.13
• Adobe Reader 6.01 and 7.0

This article contains answers to frequently asked questions about ZoomText's support reading PDF documents. If the questions and answers you are looking for are not contained in this article, please contact Ai Squared's technical support department at support@aisquared.com.

Which versions of ZoomText support reading PDF documents?

ZoomText 8.10 introduced support for reading PDF documents in Adobe Reader version 6.0.1 and later. Subsequent releases of ZoomText, versions 8.11 through 8.13, and 9.0 provide greatly expanded PDF support. To obtain maximum support for reading PDF documents, Ai Squared's recommends upgrading to ZoomText 9.0.  If you wish to continue using ZoomText 8.1, you should update to the ZoomText 8.13 or later, using one of the following update methods:

• Automatic Updating   With ZoomText's auto-update feature enabled (in the Program Preferences dialog), ZoomText automatically detects, downloads and installs the 8.1x update. Note: You must be connected to the Internet when starting ZoomText.
• Check for Updates   Launches the ZoomText update wizard, which acquires available updates via the Internet. In the Windows Start menu, select Programs > ZoomText 8.1 > Check for Updates.
• Manual download and install   You can download the 8.1x update installer from Ai Squared's web site: www.aisquared.com/support/more/updates. When the download is complete, double-click on the file to begin the installation.

Which PDF viewers can ZoomText read from?

ZoomText 9.0 and 8.13 can read PDF documents opened in Adobe Reader 6.0.1 and later, inculding the Adobe Reader 7.0. Other PDF viewers, including Adobe Acrobat (Standard and Professional), are not currently supported.

How do I get Adobe Reader 6.0.1 or later?

Adobe Reader 6.0.1 is included on ZoomText 8.10 product and trial CDs (located in the \Support folder). Adobe Reader 7.0 is also available for download from the Adobe website.

To download Acrobat Reader 7.0 from Adobe’s website:

1. Go to: http://www.adobe.com/reader.
2. Follow steps 1 and 2 to begin downloading Acrobat Reader. In step 2, check the option to "Download the full version of Acrobat Reader".
3. Click the 'download' button.

In which Windows operating systems does ZoomText support reading PDF documents?

ZoomText 9.0 and 8.1 support reading PDF documents (in Adobe Reader) in Windows, XP, ME, and NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 6 or later). ZoomText 8.12.2 and later support reading PDF documents (in Adobe Reader) in Windows, XP, ME, and NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 6 or later). and 98.

Can ZoomText read PDF documents opened within my web browser?

Yes, ZoomText 9.0 and 8.11 through 8.13 can read PDF documents opened within your browser (using the Adobe Reader plug-in).  In ZoomText 8.10, PDF documents must be opened in a standalone instance of Adobe Reader, as opposed to an instance running within a browser.

To configure Adobe Reader to open in standalone mode:

1. Start Adobe Reader.
2. In the Edit menu, select Preferences.
3. In the left pane of the Preferences dialog, select Internet.
4. In the right-pane, uncheck "Show PDF in browser".
5. Click OK.

With the "Show PDF in browser" setting disabled, whenever you click on a web page link to a PDF document, the document will download and open in a standalone instance of Adobe Reader.

In Adobe Reader, what is the difference between a “page wise” and a “document wise” rendered document? How does this effect ZoomText?

When Adobe Reader displays a “page wise” rendered document, only text and formatting information for the current page is available to ZoomText. When Adobe Reader displays a “document wise” rendered document, text and formatting information for the entire document is available to ZoomText.

Note: When Adobe Reader is configured for "page wise" rendering, if a form field within the document - such as an edit field or checkbox - has focus before starting AppReader or DocReader, after reading the current page, ZoomText will say "End of Document" and will not automatically proceed to the next page.

How do I know if a PDF document is rendered “page wise” or “document wise”?

1. Start Adobe Reader.
2. In the Edit menu, select Preferences.
3. In the left pane, select ‘Reading'.
4. At the bottom of the window under Screen Reader Options, notice the check box labeled ‘Deliver data in pages when document exceeds “10” pages'.
   When this check box is checked, documents are rendered page wise.
   When this check box is not checked, documents are rendered document wise.
5. Click OK and restart Adobe Reader.

Are there any Adobe Reader settings I should use to obtain better reading results?

Yes. If you are running Adobe Reader 7.0 or later, you can use the Adobe Reader "Accessibility Setup Assistant" to obtain better reading results when using ZoomText's AppReader and DocReader. For instructions on using Accessibility Setup Assistant, see the following Ai Squared KB article:

Using the Adobe Reader 7.0 Accessibility Setup Assistant