Creating Accessible PDFs - Part I

Peter Mosinskis

Supervisor of Web Services

CSU Channel Islands

Rev. 2007-10

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Overview

• Review

• Hands-On Exercises

  • MS Word to Tagged PDF

  • Untagged PDF to Tagged PDF

  • Scanned file to Tagged PDF

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Review

Best practices for Word; and

When/why to choose PDF?

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7 Steps to Accessible
Word Documents

1. Add text description to graphics and images

2. Use color correctly

3. Use Styles to add structure

4. Use Tables instead of tabs

5. Let Word create Bullets and Numbering

6. Provide a Table of Contents for long documents

7. Add document metadata

Speaker Notes:

These are seven steps that are covered in the “Creating Accessible Word Documents” presentation. Creating Word documents with these 7 steps in mind will ensure that export of Word into different formats, including PDF and HTML will be more accessible.

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Accessibility Spectrum

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This slide contains a diagram which generalizes the relative accessibility of three file formats: Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF, and HTML. In general, Microsoft Word is the least accessible format. PDF is more accessible, followed by HTML, which is the most accessible format due to its increased compatibility with assistive technology and accessibility standards.

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PDF Pros & Cons

• Pros

  • Reader is free

  • Very accessible when done correctly

  • Similar support of assistive technology as HTML

  • Maintains print layout

• Cons

  • Requires users to install PDF reader on their computer

  • Not easily editable by others

  • Must be generated by a source document (Word, InDesign, etc.)

  • Can’t automate compliance checks

  • Complex documents can only be made accessible with difficulty

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Use PDF Format When…

• It’s important to preserve print formatting

  • Example: a printable form

• Document is being distributed to a wide audience

• Document will be posted on the web

• Document won’t be changing frequently

  • Requires you to constantly re-build your PDF

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Accessibility and Adobe Acrobat

Golden Rule:

Garbage In, Garbage Out

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Garbage In = Garbage Out

• Your PDF will only be as good as the structure & layout of your source document

• Accessible Word document
  = Accessible PDF file made from Word document
  = Accessible web page

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Acrobat & PDF Overview

• Portable Document Format (PDF)

  • Open standard developed by Adobe

• Adobe provides free reader for PDF files (Acrobat Reader)

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Tools You’ll Need

• Acrobat Professional 7.0

  • “Reader” version will not create & check PDF files

  • Earlier “Pro” versions have limited accessibility check & fix tools

• Adobe InDesign CS2 (optional)

  • Recommended for large-scale print-to-PDF workflows, or complex layouts

• Mac OSX PDF Generator (not recommended)

  • Doesn’t generate tagged PDF

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Before You Begin

Some minor, one-time

MS Word configuration

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Check PDF Settings in Word

• Click on “Adobe PDF” menu

• Choose “Change Conversion Settings” option

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Check PDF Settings in Word

• Set Properties as follows:

  • Conversion Settings: select “Standard”

  • Check all checkboxes except “Attach source file to Adobe PDF”

• Click OK to finish

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Steps to PDF

• Create PDF from Word

• Add Tags

• Check and Fix Reading Order

• Add alternative text to images

• Save As Text (Accessible)

• Check & Set Document Metadata & Language

• Save Your Changes

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This slide outlines the general steps in creating an accessible PDF file.

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Exercise 1

Volcanoes

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Creating PDF from MS Word

• Use the PDFMaker plug-in for Office

  • Option 1: “Adobe PDF” menu in Word

    • Choose “Convert to Adobe PDF” option

  • Option 2: “Convert to PDF” icon

    • Go to “View” menu, “Toolbars”, PDFMaker 7.0 to enable

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Creating PDF from MS Word

• Choose where you want to save your PDF

• Type in a file name

• Click “Save” to finish

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Add Tags

• Should already have tags, if not…

  • Go to the “Advanced” menu in Acrobat

  • Choose “Accessibility”

  • Then Choose “Add Tags to Document”

• If option is grayed out, document already has tags!

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Go to Advanced > Accessibility > TouchUp Reading Order…

• Also available on “Advanced Editing” toolbar

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Click “Show Order Panel”

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• “Order” panel shows pages & how what order reading items appear

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Save your changes!

  • There is NO UNDO when repairing reading order

  • There is NO UNDO when making many of the changes we are discussing today

  • When you have something the way you want it, save it!

  • Keep a backup of your original PDF document

    • Or, you can re-generate one from your MS Word source document

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Review ordering of numbered areas

• For minor re-ordering

  • Expand a page in “Order” panel

  • Click on a numbered element

  • Drag a new location in the Order panel

Speaker Notes:

Dragging items from one location to another in the Order panel is a useful way to change the reading order of the content areas of the page. However, you should use the “Save as Text (Accessible)” feature to verify that the reading order is correct, regardless of the changes made in the Order panel.

Further, sometimes moving content areas within the Order panel will cause the text/content area to disappear from the visual display. It is not clear why this occurs within Acrobat. If this occurs, do not save your changes, re-open your PDF file, and try dragging items in the order panel in a different direction. For example, instead of dragging a numbered area UP the tree in the Order panel, try moving the item DOWN the tree to change the reading order.

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• For major repairs, choose “Clear Page Structure” button in TouchUp Reading Order

  • Then you will have to re-define the reading order of the entire page

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Open TouchUp Reading Order

  • Use the crosshairs to draw box around objects

    • Make sure to make the box bigger than you think

  • Only text boxes highlighted in blue rectangles will be converted

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Selecting New Areas

  • Use the crosshairs to draw box around objects

    • Make sure to make the box bigger than you think

    • Only text boxes highlighted in blue rectangles will be converted

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Choose appropriate content type button

  • “Heading” for headings

  • “Text” for paragraphs

  • “Figure” for images/graphics

  • “Background” for decorative or non-essential images/graphics

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Redefining content types

  • Click on the number to select the reading area

  • Choose a different content type from the toolbar

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Breaking up reading areas

  • Use the crosshair to select text within a reading area

  • Choose a different content type from the TouchUp Reading Order dialog

  • Content is now broken up in two sections

  • Re-order as necessary

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Check and Fix Reading Order

• Deleting reading areas

  • In the “Order” panel, select the reading area

  • Press “Delete” on keyboard

  • Will be removed from reading order

  • WILL NOT remove text visually from document

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Add Alternative Text to Image

• Select the reading area for a “Figure”

  • Or, select an object and mark it as a Figure

• Right-click on the Figure and choose “Edit Alternative Text…”

• Type in your text description

• Click OK

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Save as Text (Accessible)

• Go to File menu, choose “Save As…”

• Set “Save as type” to “Text (Accessible)”

• Shows you how a screen reader will read it

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Set Document Metadata

• Go to File menu > Document Properties…

• Select the “Description” tab

• Fill in Title and Author Field

  • Be sure and include “CSUCI > “ at the beginning of the title, to improve web searchability

• Click OK to finish

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Set Document Language

• Go to File menu > Document Properties…

• Select the “Advanced” tab

• Set Language to “English (US)”

• Click OK to finish

• Save your changes!

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Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Practice Exercises:

Text Boxes, Untagged PDF, and 3 Column

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Scanning to PDF

Similar process with a few extra steps

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Scanning Process Outline

• Scan document

• Run OCR

• Fix Reading Order

• Change reading order using “Order” tab

• Save as Text Accessible to check

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Exercise

IT Confidential

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Step 1. Scan your document

• Scanning hard copies to convert to PDF

  • Scan at 600 dpi whenever possible

• Many copiers on campus will scan direct to PDF & email

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Step 2. Run OCR

• Go to Document menu

• Choose “Recognize Text Using OCR”

• Choose “Start…”

• Then, click “Edit” button

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Step 2. Run OCR (cont)

• Confirm OCR Settings

  • OCR Language: English (US)

  • PDF Output Style: Formatted Text & Graphics

  • Downsample Images: Lowest (600 dpi)

• Click OK twice to begin OCR.

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Step 2. Run OCR (cont)

• Document > Recognize Text Using OCR > check “Find All OCR Suspects”

• Document > Recognize Text Using OCR > select “Find First OCR Suspect”

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Step 2. Run OCR (cont)

• Confirm text correctness

  • Change text as needed in “Suspect” box

  • Click “Accept and Find” to continue

  • Close when finished

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Step 3. Add Tags

• Advanced > Accessibility > Add Tags to Document

• Then open TouchUp Reading Order tool

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Step 4. Fix Reading Order

• Clear Page Structure first

• Re-select reading areas

  • Use WIDE selection areas to reselect

  • Selections may be as wide as the page!

• Change reading order using “Order” tab

• Save as Text Accessible to check

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Exercise

Chancellor’s Office Letter
(as time permits)

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Notes

• Simpler documents =
  faster path to accessibility

• ABBYY Fine Reader

  • Handy tool for large-scale document scanning & reading order repair

  • Better OCR capabilities

• Word-to-PDF conversion

  • Images marked as “Table” in TouchUp Reading Order although image read correctly by screen reader

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PDF Resources

• Adobe Accessibility Resources

• Accessible PDF tutorials

  • HTCTU:

  • WebAIM:

  • Ohio State Web Accessibility Center:

  • AccessELearning:

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More Workshops
This Semester!

• PDFs II (PDF Forms)

• Creating Accessible PowerPoint

• Web Content Management with Collage

• Web Accessibility I & II

• HTML I

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Questions

Contact the Help Desk

805-437-8552

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