I Use Adobe

I Use Adobe!

Some of the most frequent comments I hear from readers are, "I use Adobe," or "I put it in Adobe," or "I can't get Adobe to work." Generally, most people understand that an Adobe product is being referred to in these statements, since Adobe Acrobat products are among the most popular developed by Adobe Systems. However, Adobe is a software company that develops and distributes many products including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, and many others. So to say you work with Adobe technically means that you work with the company that produces the products. To avoid confusion and be clear in your communication with others, be sure to use the product name as opposed to the company when referring to a particular software program.

Adobe Systems develops a wide range of Acrobat products, and branding those products is of great importance to the company. Prior to Adobe Reader version 6, Adobe officially called the Reader software Acrobat Reader. When it released Acrobat 6, Adobe changed the branding to Adobe Reader. Since that time, Adobe Systems has spent much time and effort trying to get the user community to use the name Adobe Reader when discussing the product.

This book is about Adobe Reader, the free software product developed by Adobe Systems. When I refer to Adobe Reader, or simply Reader, I'm talking about the software product. When I make reference to Adobe, I'm talking about the company that develops the product. And when I talk about Acrobat, I'm really talking about Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Professionalthe two Acrobat products for purchase from Adobe Systems or a software reseller.

To help you in your work and as you read this book, try to become familiar with the product name and remember the distinction between the software application and the developer that distributes it. The pages ahead instruct you on how to use the Adobe Reader software.