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Old 08-12-2008, 10:08 PM   #1
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PDF Comment and Question

Well, maybe they are both questions. I am using Nitro PDF to convert Word docs to PDF. I hope to hear from anyone using Nitro but even if you are not I also wish you would comment. These two issues are very important to me and I thank you in advance for taking the time to read my message and hopefully respond to it.

I have tried a number of page sizes including what I believe is the exact working page size I picked up from another post. Whenever I convert to PDF it always displays on 2/3 of the page if not less. I finally viewed the PDF document properties on the desktop and it appears to change the page size to 8 1/2 x 11. I gave up and made the Word page size 8 1/2 x 11 and finally saw the print display in the full screen area of the Iliad. I understand when it ends up on the Iliad the PDF is downsized to the viewing area of the reader. I don't have a problem with the time it takes to turn a page. However jumping pages sometimes takes an enormous amount of time but on occasion the same leap across pages can be fast. That was the comment section of my message

Does Nitro or most PDF programs allow for adjusting the page size? I don't see it in Nitro. Not sure why the PDF conversion program doesn't take on the same measurements of the source document during the conversion . It also appears that if I can fix this problem then I have to fix the font size. Many messages about PDF's have spoken about the font type but I don't believe the font size is ever mentioned. Otherwise each page will hold half the number of lines.

My second question has to do with the links or is it bookmarks where one can touch an item with the stylus and jump to the associated page. I can create bookmarks in Word and when the PDF is created I see it in the Adobe Reader in the bookmark window on my desktop. The table of contents in the doc window is static. On the Iliad the bookmarks are lost. Without this feature the PDF files I want to create lose a lot of functionality. I really need some help with this one. I did searches and I don't believe I was able to find the answer. So there is no misunderstanding I want to create the same type of Table of Contents found in the PDF User Manual in the reader. How is this done? Thanks again for taking the time to consider my questions.
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Old 08-12-2008, 10:54 PM   #2
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Isn't it always the case. At least it is for me. I ask a question and then I figure it out. If I open the converted file in Nitro I can then add links to the table of contents. It is a bit tedious and will take forever if the table of contents is long. What doesn't happen is I don't see the symbol for returning to the Table of Contents. Does anyone know how to get this to happen?

I still hope to hear from someone regarding the font size and whether any of the PDF conversion programs are capable of adapting the page size settings of the source document.
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Old 08-13-2008, 11:46 AM   #3
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My 2 cents...

Dear Timezone (original name...),

I am not using Nitro, but I am using Adobe Professionnal 8, nevertheless, I would like to provide you with what I am doing with my Docs documents.
This works very well when the ebook to be converted is all text; when there is pictures and table, like medical and technical documents that can need sometimes a lot of extra editing... (resisizing pictures and tables, displaying these in landscape...). But at the end you are happy to have a document fully iliad compatible that you will read without your stylus...

Here we go:
1. Highlight all the text in the word document
2. Change Font to Palatino Linotype (my preferred one) or Helvetica or Book Antiqua, or Bembo
3. Change the size to size 14
4. From you Page set up (Word 2003) or Page Layout (word 2007), Change the size of the document to iliad size: 4.88 x 5.98; Change also the margins to: Top:0.4", Bottom:0.3", Left:0.1" and Right:0.1".
Sometimes changing the margins can be tricky if the original document have different set up...you will need to apply the ruler to your document to be able to locate the initial margins set up and move them manually closer to the borders, before applying the 0.4x0.3x0.1x0.1

After being done with the document setting, I print it using Adobe 8 Professionnal, that does let you add custom Paper size (mine = Custom iliad: 4.88"x5.98"), By printing to PDF.
1. Begin by selectionning to print PDF
2. Click on Properties
3. Click on Adobe PDF settings
4. Click on Add custom Page size and create you custom Page
You will have to print a pdf document whith that custom size at least one time before Adobe retain that setting. After you are good to go....
5. Close the PDF printer (after your initial set up and print), try to reprint in PDF and you should be able following 1.2.3.4, to selection your custom page size in the drop down window " Adobe Pdf page size"
6. Click OK, and OK ...et VOILA!!! a beautiful document.

This seems like a lot, but when you get used to it, it goes very fast...

I you do not have Adobe pro, no worries, after finishing the setting of the word document, just print it with Adobe pdf printer with regular size (8 1/2
X 11); and you should be able to have the same document after you crop the document close to iliad size: 4.88 x 5.98


As for the table of contents...sorry I can not help you as I am trying to find out myself...

I hope that this will help...

Take good care,

Dabon.
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Old 08-13-2008, 04:57 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timezone View Post
I don't have a problem with the time it takes to turn a page. However jumping pages sometimes takes an enormous amount of time but on occasion the same leap across pages can be fast.
I can't help you with the rest, but the reason jumping pages is slower is because the iLiad will normally pre-load the next page in the PDF while you're reading the current page. That way, when you want to turn a single page it's already in memory and just needs to refresh the screen. When you jump pages, it has to find the page you want and load it first and then refresh the screen, so it's slower.

It's also a matter of what content is on the page. Scaling text to fit on the screen is pretty simple, but iRex has mentioned in the past that if a page has images on it which aren't optimized for the iLiad's screen size, then it can sometimes be slow for the internal processor to render them (it has to re-scale the image before it draws the screen). So if you're jumping, some pages will take longer to load than others. Usually if you're turning one page at a time most of the work happens in the background while you're reading the current page, so you don't notice differences in loading/rendering times as much.
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Old 08-13-2008, 11:04 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dabon View Post
After being done with the document setting, I print it using Adobe 8 Professional, that does let you add custom Paper size (mine = Custom iliad: 4.88"x5.98"), By printing to PDF.
1. Begin by selecting to print PDF
2. Click on Properties
3. Click on Adobe PDF settings
4. Click on Add custom Page size and create you custom Page
You will have to print a pdf document with that custom size at least one time before Adobe retain that setting. After you are good to go....
5. Close the PDF printer (after your initial set up and print), try to reprint in PDF and you should be able following 1.2.3.4, to selection your custom page size in the drop down window " Adobe Pdf page size"
6. Click OK, and OK ...et VOILA!!! a beautiful document.
Emailing back and forth with Nitro Tech support I have the links working on the table of contents and now I can get the correct page size. My only problem is when I use the correct page size the print only displays on half the page. When I pick 8 /2 x 11 or even 7.17 x 10.12 which is B5 I get a full page of text. I don't understand why I don't see a full screen of text when I use the correct size.




Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaggy View Post
I can't help you with the rest, but the reason jumping pages is slower is because the iLiad will normally pre-load the next page in the PDF while you're reading the current page. That way, when you want to turn a single page it's already in memory and just needs to refresh the screen. When you jump pages, it has to find the page you want and load it first and then refresh the screen, so it's slower.
From what I have seen I agree. The page turning is easy. Jumping across pages can be slow especially with a graphic. I have a very simple line graphic with some shading and it takes forever to load.
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Old 08-14-2008, 04:03 AM   #6
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Give a look at PDF Creator.
It's free, and it can save you time by defining a custom page size (the iLiad screen).
And save a Word template: you won't redo the same formatting everytime.

If you've got some spare time, you can also give Open Office a try: I can give you two templates (one for full screen iPdf, and one for the iLiad original one), and after that it's just a matter of "save to pdf"...

;-)
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Old 08-14-2008, 09:37 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Format C: View Post
Give a look at PDF Creator.
It's free, and it can save you time by defining a custom page size (the iLiad screen).
And save a Word template: you won't redo the same formatting everytime.

If you've got some spare time, you can also give Open Office a try: I can give you two templates (one for full screen iPdf, and one for the iLiad original one), and after that it's just a matter of "save to pdf"...

;-)
When I first installed PDF Creator I got an error. I will reinstall it again and give it a try. It took forever to figure out some basic info with Nitro but it really is an excellent program and the tech support is also excellent. Now that I have the custom page issue resolved the problem now has to do with only displaying half the page. I am curious to see what happens with PDF Creator. I won't be able to do much until later this evening.

I will stay with Nitro if I am unable to create links with PDF Creator and of course if I still have display issues with PDF Creator.
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Old 08-14-2008, 10:29 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Format C: View Post
Give a look at PDF Creator.
It's free, and it can save you time by defining a custom page size (the iLiad screen).
And save a Word template: you won't redo the same formatting every time.
I reinstalled PDF Creator and it installed cleanly this time. I didn't see a way to create links and it wanted to print to my printer rather than output a PDF. PDF Creator had notes on this issue but I decided to return to Nitro. I want the links. I have spent too many days figuring out how to create links and testing different conditions. Even tonight I did more testing. I now have decided how I am going to proceed. It is time to move on to actually using the reader. Now that is a novel thought. I need to start the work of adding my notes to the iLiad so I can be productive at work. I also want to install the developer package and I know that will take up a ton of time. I will wait a bit before I jump to that project.

For me the page size that works the best is B5 7.17 x 10.12. I know this means it is rendering the page but the speed does not degrade except for graphics. For the PDF's I create I will leave out any graphics. At this time I only had one graphic so no big loss.

I tested other fonts but settled on Book Antiqua. With the last one having a font size of 14 I lose a few lines but maybe also lose the eye strain. For me the last choice is perfect.

Page Size-----------Font--------Font Size-----Lines on screen
4.88 x 5.98----- Book Antiqua------12---------------26
7.17 x 10.12-----Book Antiqua------12---------------43
7.17 x 10.12-----Book Antiqua------14---------------39

If anyone is interested I used for the top margin 0.5 because with the leather cover it shades the top area. The rest I used 0 for margins. Even with Zero there are natural margins except for the bottom where it is right above the icons but not an issue for me.

I just tried 4.88 x 5.98 at a font size of 9 which displays nicely. I ended up with 35 lines.
Now I am back to wondering what to do. With this setup the zero margins are not good.

I have decided on the 7.17 x 10.12. I get a few extra lines without having to reduce the fonts for the other page size. Have other people experimented with how different page sizes affect how the fonts are displayed and then alter the number of lines on the screen? Are my results unique for me? I hope I am not sorry with this decision if I end up with a large PDF. I expect to not have more than 50 pages if that for each of my Documents so I should be ok even if the larger size can eventually have an affect on page turning.

Last edited by timezone; 08-14-2008 at 11:01 PM.
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Old 08-15-2008, 10:05 AM   #9
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Ok, one more thing. I wanted to check out MobiPocket since the file size differences between it and PDF's are enormous. I also discovered it was also very easy to import word and create the TOC with links in MobiPocket. To my surprise Mobi took much longer to load and the page turning was considerably longer than the PDF version. It is too bad because in the long run the MobiPocket conversions might have been more enjoyable and using less storage a big gain. Looks like I will still stay with PDF's because of the time factor for loading and especially the page turning. I just used the standard compression default setting and it also appears the no compression setting does not provide any gain benefits.

Last edited by timezone; 08-15-2008 at 10:25 AM.
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