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When you type the first few letters to search in a PDF, Acrobat provides suggestions for the matching word and its
frequency of occurrence in the document. When you select the word, Acrobat highlights all the matching results in the
PDF.

The Search window offers more options and more kinds of searches than the Find toolbar. When you use the Search
window, object data and image XIF (extended image file format) metadata are also searched. For searches across
multiple PDFs, Acrobat also looks at document properties and XMP metadata, and it searches indexed structure tags
when searching a PDF index. If some of the PDFs you search have attached PDFs, you can include the attachments in
the search.
Note:
PDFs can have multiple layers. If the search results include an occurrence on a hidden layer, selecting that occurrence
displays an alert that asks if you want to make that layer visible.

Access the search features

Where you start your search depends on the type of search you want to run. Use the Find toolbar for a quick search of
the current PDF and to replace text. Use the Search window to look for words or document properties across multiple
PDFs, use advanced search options, and search PDF indexes.

Display the Find toolbar

? Open it by choosing Edit > Find (Ctrl/Command+F).

Find
A Find field B Find Previous C Find Next D Replace With expands to provide text field

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Open the Search window

? Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Advanced Search (Shift+Ctrl/Command+F).
• On the Find toolbar, click the arrow and choose Open Full Acrobat Search.
Search appears as a separate window that you can move, resize, minimize, or arrange partially or completely behind
the PDF window.

Arrange the PDF document window and Search window

? In the Search window, click Arrange Windows .
Acrobat resizes and arranges the two windows side by side so that together they almost fill the entire screen.
Note: Clicking the Arrange Windows button a second time resizes the document window but leaves the Search
window unchanged. If you want to make the Search window larger or smaller, drag the corner or edge, as you would
to resize any window on your operating system.

Find and replace text in PDFs

Find and replace text in a PDF

The Find toolbar searches the currently open PDF. You can selectively replace the search term with alternative text. You
replace text one instance at a time. You cannot make a global change throughout a PDF or across multiple PDFs.
Choose Edit > Find (Ctrl/Command+F).
1 Type the text you want to search for in the text box on the Find toolbar.
2 To replace text, click Replace With to expand the toolbar, then type the replacement text in the Replace With text
box.
3 (Optional) Click the arrow next to the text box and choose one or more of the following:
Whole Words Only Finds only occurrences of the complete word you type in the text box. For example, if you search
for the word stick, the words tick and sticky aren’t found.
Case-Sensitive Finds only occurrences of the words that match the capitalization you type. For example, if you
search for the word Web, the words web and WEB aren’t found.
Include Bookmarks Also searches the text in the Bookmarks panel.

Include Comments Also searches the text of any comments.

4 Click Next.
Acrobat jumps to the first instance of the search term, which appears highlighted.
5 Click Replace to change the highlighted text, or click Next to go to the next instance of the search term. Alternatively,
click Previous to go back to the previous instance of the search term.

Find text in multiple PDFs

The Search window enables you to look for search terms in multiple PDFs. For example, you can search across all PDFs
in a specific location or all files in an open PDF Portfolio. The Replace With option is not availble in the Search
window.

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Note:
If documents are encrypted (have security applied to them), you cannot search them as part of a multiple-document search.
Open those documents first and search them one at a time. However, documents encrypted as Adobe Digital Editions are
an exception and can be searched as part of a multiple-document search.
1 Open Acrobat on your desktop (not in a web browser).
2 Do one of the following.
• In the Find toolbar, type the search text, and then choose Open Full Acrobat Search from the pop-up menu.
• In the Search window, type the search text.
3 In the Search window, select All PDF Documents In. From the pop-up menu directly below this option, choose
Browse For Location.
4 Select the location, either on your computer or on a network, and click OK.
5 To specify additional search criteria, click Show Advanced Options, and specify the options.
6 Click Search.

During a search, you can click a result or use keyboard shortcuts to navigate the results without interrupting the search.
Clicking the Stop button under the search-progress bar cancels further searching and limits the results to the occurrences
already found. It doesn’t close the Search window or delete the Results list. To see more results, run a new search.

Review and save PDF search results

Review search results

After you run a search from the Search window, the results appear in page order, nested under the names of each
searched document. Each item listed includes a few words of context (if applicable) and an icon that indicates the type
of occurrence.

Jump to a specific instance in the search results (single PDFs only)

1 If necessary, expand the search results. Then select an instance in the results to view it in the PDF.
2 To view other instances, click another instance in the results.

Sort instances in the search results

? Select an option from the Sort By menu near the bottom of the Search window. Results can be sorted by Relevance
Ranking, Date Modified, Filename, or Location.

Icons shown with search results

The icon next to an instance of the search results indicates the search area in which the instance appears. Selecting an
icon has the following effect:
Document icon

Makes the document active in the document window. Expand the list to show the individual search results within that
document.

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(General) Search Result icon

In PDFs, jumps to that instance of the search term, usually in the body text of the PDF. The instance of the search term
is highlighted in the document.
Non-PDF Search Result or Metadata icon []

In non-PDF files, opens the file; or if opening of that file type is restricted, opens a message dialog box.
Bookmark icon

Opens the Bookmarks panel and highlights the instances of the search terms.
Comments icon

Opens the Comments panel and highlights the instances of the search terms.
Layer icon

May open a message indicating that the layer is hidden and asking if you want to make it visible.
Attachment icon

Opens a file that is attached to the searched parent PDF and shows the highlighted instances of the search terms.

Save search results

You can save the search results as a PDF or CSV file. For a video, see Saving Search Results in Acrobat.
? Click and choose Save results to PDF or Save results to CSV.

Advanced Search Options

By default, the Search window displays basic search options. Click Show More Options near the bottom of the window
to display additional options. To restore the basic options, click Show Less Options near the bottom of the window.

You can set a preference so that More search options always appear in the Search window. In the Preferences dialog box
under Categories, select Search.
Look In Restricts the search to the current PDF, all of a currently open PDF Portfolio (if applicable), an index, or a
location on your computer. If you choose to search an index, a location, or a PDF Portfolio, additional options appear
under Use These Additional Criteria.
What word or phrase would you like to search for Enter the text or phrase to search for.

Return Results Containing Restricts your search results according to the option you choose:

Match Exact Word Or Phrase Searches for the entire string of characters, including spaces, in the same order in which
they appear in the text box.
Match Any Of The Words Searches for any instances of at least one of the words typed. For example, if you search for
each of, the results include any instances in which one or both of the two words appear: each, of, each of, or of each.
Match All Of The Words Searches for instances that contain all your search words, but not necessarily in the order you
type them. Available only for a search of multiple PDFs or index definition files.
Boolean Query Uses the Boolean operators that you type with the search words into the What Word Or Phrase Would
You Like To Search For box. Available only for searching multiple PDFs or PDF indexes.
Note: You cannot run wildcard searches using asterisks (*) or question marks (?) when searching PDF indexes.

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Use These Additional Criteria (text options) Includes the basic search options plus five additional options:

Proximity Searches for two or more words that are separated by no more than a specified number of words, as set in
the Search preferences. Available only for a search of multiple documents or index definition files, and when Match All
Of The Words is selected.
Stemming Finds words that contain part (the stem) of the specified search word. For example, a search for opening
finds instances of open, opened, opens, and openly. This option applies to single words and phrases when you search the
current PDF, a folder, or an index created with Acrobat 6.0 or later. Wildcard characters (*, ?) aren’t permitted in
stemming searches. Stemming isn’t available if either Whole Words Only or Case-Sensitive is selected.
Include Bookmarks Searches the text of any bookmarks, as viewed in the Bookmarks panel.

Include Comments Searches the text of any comments added to the PDF, as viewed in the Comments panel.

Include Attachments Searches files that are attached to the current PDF or other attached PDFs (up to two levels deep).

Use These Additional Criteria (document properties) Appears only for searches across multiple PDFs or PDF indexes.
You can select multiple property-modifier-value combinations and apply them to searches. This setting does not apply
to non-PDF files inside PDF Portfolios.
Note: You can search by document properties alone by using document property options in combination with a search
for specific text.

Check box Applies the criteria set in the three connected options to the search. (The check box is selected automatically
when you enter information in any of the three options for that set. After you enter options, deselecting the check box
doesn’t clear the entries; they just aren’t applied to the search.)
First menu (property) Indicates the document characteristic to search for. The available options include Date Created,
Date Modified, Author, Title, Subject, Filename, Keywords, Bookmarks, Comments, JPEG Images, XMP Metadata,
and Object Data.
Second menu (modifier) Indicates the level of matching. If the first menu selection is a date, the available options in the
second menu are Is Exactly, Is Before, Is After, Is Not. Otherwise, the available options are Contains and Does Not
Contain.
Third box (value or text) Indicates the information to be matched, which you type in. If the first menu selection is a
date, you can click the arrow to open a calendar that you can navigate to find and select the date you want.

Boolean operators
Commonly used Boolean operators include the following:
AND
Use between two words to find documents that contain both terms, in any order. For example, type paris AND france
to identify documents that contain both paris and france. Searches with AND and no other Boolean operators produce
the same results as selecting the All Of The Wordsoption.

NOT
Use before a search term to exclude any documents that contain that term. For example, type NOT kentucky to find all
documents that don’t contain the word kentucky. Or, type paris NOT kentucky to find all documents that contain the
word paris but not the word kentucky.

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OR
Use to search for all instances of either term. For example, type email OR e-mail to find all documents with occurrences
of either spelling. Searches with OR and no other Boolean operators produce the same results as selecting the Any Of
The Words option.

^ (exclusive OR)
Use to search for all instances that have either term but not both. For example, type cat ^ dog to find all documents with
occurrences of either cat or dog but not both cat and dog.

()
Use parentheses to specify the order of evaluation of terms. For example, type white AND (whale OR ahab) to find all
documents that contain either white and whale or white and ahab. (The query processor performs an OR query on
whale and ahab and then performs an AND query on those results with white.)

To learn more about Boolean queries, syntax, and other Boolean operators that you can use in your searches, refer to
any standard text, website, or other resource with complete Boolean information.

Search index files of cataloged PDFs

A full-text index is created when someone uses Acrobat to define a catalog of PDFs. You can search that index rather
than running a full-text search of each individual PDF in the catalog. An index search produces a results list with links
to the occurrences of the indexed documents.
Note:
To search a PDF index, you must open Acrobat as a stand-alone application, not within your web browser.
In Mac OS, indexes created with some older versions of Acrobat are not compatible with the Acrobat X Search feature.
If you have upgraded recently, update the index before using Acrobat X to search.
Choose Edit > Advanced Search.
1 Type the search text, and then click Show More Options, near the bottom of the Search window.
2 For Look In, choose Select Index.
3 Select an index from the list, or click Add and add an index. Repeat as needed.
Note:
To read file data about a selected index, click Info. To exclude an index from the search, select it and click Remove.
4 Click OK to close the Index Selection dialog box, and then choose Currently Selected Indexes from the Look In
menu.
5 Proceed with your search as usual.
Note:
Selecting the Match Whole Word Only option when searching indexes significantly reduces the time taken to return
results. See Creating PDF indexes.

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Search features preferences

In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Search.
Ignore Asian Character Width Finds both half-width and full-width instances of the Asian language characters in the
search text.
Ignore Diacritics And Accents Finds the search terms with any variation of the alphabetical characters. For example,
typing cafe finds both cafe and café. Likewise, typing café finds both versions. If this option isn’t selected, typing cafe
doesn’t find café, and vice versa.
Always Show More Options in Advanced Search Shows the additional options available in the Search window, in
addition to the basic options.
Show Document Title In Search Results Displays document titles in search results. If a document does not have a title,
displays the filename. When deselected, displays filenames in search results.
Maximum Number Of Documents Returned In Results Limits the search results in the Search PDF window to a specific
number of documents. The default value is 500, but you can enter any number from 1 to 10,000.
Range Of Words For Proximity Searches Limits the search results to those in which the number of words between the
search terms isn’t greater than the number you specify. Accepts a range from 1 to 10,000.
Enable Fast Find Generates a cache of information from any PDF that you search. This cache reduces subsequent
search times for that PDF.
Maximum Cache Size Limits the temporary cache of search information for the Fast Find option to the specified size
in megabytes (from 5 to 100,000). The default setting is 100.
Purge Cache Contents Deletes the Fast Find option’s entire temporary cache of search information.

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Add audio, video, and interactive objects to PDFs

Include audio, video, and interactive 3D objects in your PDF files. Add files directly to your PDF or link to files on the
web.

This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC and Acrobat 2017. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help.

Multimedia and PDFs (Acrobat Pro)

Adding video, sound, and interactive content transforms PDFs into multidimensional communication tools that
increase interest and engagement in your documents.
All multimedia that are H.264 compliant can be played back in Adobe Reader 9 and later. (H.264, also known as
MPEG-4 part 10, is a video compression standard that provides high-quality video without substantially increasing file
size.) Video files of varying formats and filename extensions can be H.264 compliant.
Media files in other formats can be played back in earlier versions of Adobe Reader. However, users must install the
appropriate application (such as QuickTime or Windows Media Player) to play the multimedia.
Another way to add multimedia is by entering a URL that refers to a video file or streaming media. Three types of URLs
can be used: RTMP, HTTP, and HTTPS. On HTTP and HTTPS servers, H.264-compliant MOV and MP4 files are
supported.
Interactive content developed in Flash and produced as SWF files (.swf) can be added to PDFs to provide
complimentary tools for text. Examples of applications developed in Flash include an RSS Reader, calculator, and
online maps.

Add multimedia files to a PDF

Acrobat Pro supports .mp3, .mov, .SWF files, and other files encoded in H.264 (with AAC audio). You can convert other
file types into one of the supported formats by using Adobe Media Encoder. You can also add mp3 audio files to a PDF
for playback on any platform.
Note:
FLV and F4V files are no longer supported in both Acrobat and PDFMaker. You cannot embed FLV and F4V files using
either Acrobat or PDFMaker.
However, if a document has already FLV or F4V files embedded (for example, a PowerPoint presentation or a Word file),
it will still be converted to PDFs.
1 Open the PDF.
2 Choose Tools > Rich Media, and then select the Add Video , the Add Sound , or the Add
SWF tool.

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3 Drag or double-click to select the area on the page where you want the video or sound to appear. The Insert dialog
box opens.
If you double-click the page, Acrobat Pro places the upper-left corner of the video where you clicked. If you drag
an area on the page, the media is placed within the area. The play area of the video is the exact size of the video frame
(if Acrobat Pro is able to read the video clip dimensions).
4 Add a URL in the Name field, or click Browse to find the media file, and then click Open.
For URLs, use the full file address, including the video filename extension, such as .mov or .mp4.
5 Use the advanced options on the Insert dialog box to change the media if needed, and then click OK.
Not all of these options are available for all media types.
Snap To Content Proportions Ensures that the play area retains the height and width ratios of the original video or
interactive content.
Show Advanced Options Opens the dialog for additional settings such as launch settings, playback controls, and
video settings. The options available depends on the format of the media you are inserting.

Advanced multimedia options (Acrobat Pro)

To view advanced multimedia options when you insert video, sound, or interactive content, select Show Advanced
Options in the Insert dialog box.
You can also change these options after multimedia has been added to a PDF. Double-click the multimedia with the
Select Object tool (Tools > Rich Media > Select Object).
Note:
Video and sound quality settings can only be changed when a file is added to a PDF.
SWF tab Displays when you insert SWF files.

Pass Context Menu Click to SWF SWF file developers can select this option to replace the Acrobat Pro context menu
with the context menu of the originating SWF file. When the user right-clicks the SWF file, the available options are
from the originating file.
Launch Settings tab Use these settings to determine how the media is started and stopped, where it is displayed, and
what is displayed when the media isn’t running.
Activation Settings Select options to determine when the media is played and stopped. From the Playback Style menu,
select Play Content In Floating Window to have the video or interactive content run outside the page. Content in a
floating window enables users to read the page and view the video or application at the same time.
Border Width Creates a black border around the video or interactive content. For sound, the border surrounds the
poster image.
Poster Image To use an image that is not part of the file you are adding, select Create Poster From File. Click Browse
to find the image you want to be displayed when the video, sound, or interactive content is not activated.
Resources tab Use this tab to list all files that are required to run a SWF file. When a file is displayed in the list of added
files, you can click it to set the file properties.
Properties When you click a filename in the Resources list, the full filename (including the path) is displayed in the
Name field. You can rename the resources to ensure that scripts run properly.
Controls tab Use to set up which playback controls (skins) are available.

Skin Select the set of playback controls (skin) you want to be displayed on the video.

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Color Click to open the color palette and choose a color for the controls.

Opacity Sets the degree of transparency for the playback controls.

Autohide controls When selected, hides the play controls when the mouse pointer is not over the multimedia.

Video tab Available when you are adding a video.

Preview and Trim Drag the Start and End markers below the slider bar to remove unwanted frames from the clip. This
option is only available when a video clip is first added to a PDF.
Set Poster Image From Current Frame The poster image is displayed when the video isn’t playing. Drag the marker on
the top of the slider bar to the frame you want to use, and then click Set Poster Image From Current Frame.
Chapter Points Use Chapter Points to create markers in a video from which to launch specific actions. For example,
in a training video, chapter points can link to additional information in a file or on the Web.
To create a chapter point, move the slider to the frame you want to use. In Chapter Points, click the plus sign. To add
an action, highlight the chapter point in the list and click Actions.
Note:
Generally, Chapter Point actions can be added only after the multimedia has been created. You can then edit the play area
and add Chapter Point actions.

Insert video into Word and PowerPoint files (Acrobat Pro)

Acrobat Pro adds a feature to Word and PowerPoint that enables you to add video in .mov, .mp3, or.SWF format to a
Word or PowerPoint document.
After adding a video to a Word or PowerPoint document, you can convert the document to PDF and edit the video
properties if needed.
1 In the Word or PowerPoint document, select the position where you want the video to appear.
2 Click the Embed Flash button in the Acrobat ribbon.
3 Click the Browse button, and then locate the video you want to include.
4 Change the video settings as needed:
• For video that is not in SWF format, set a poster image by moving the slider to the desired frame. Then click Set
Poster Image From Current Frame.
• To determine how the playback controls are displayed, select an option from the Skin menu.
• To change the display size of the video, click Resize Video, and then change the width and height. Maintain the
aspect ratio for best display.
5 Click OK to convert the video (if needed), and add it to the document.

Edit the play area (Acrobat Pro)

1 Select Tools > Rich Media > Select Object and click on a multimedia object.
When you move the tool over the play area, handles appear on the borders of the play area, even when the borders
are invisible.
2 Click the play area to select it, and then do any of the following:
• Move the clip by dragging its icon to a new location on the page.
• Delete the clip by selecting it and pressing Delete.

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• Resize the clip by dragging one of the corners of the frame until it is the desired size. Hold down Shift to retain
the correct proportions for video clips.

Adding 3D models to PDFs (Acrobat Pro)

Add 3D models to a PDF page (Acrobat Pro)

You can use the 3D tool to place a 3D file (in U3D 3rd Edition or PRC format) on a PDF page. Acrobat Pro can create
3D PDFs but only from U3D ECMA 1 files.
After you place a 3D file, you can adjust the area or canvas in which the 3D model appears, edit the presentation
properties for the 3D toolbar and content, and create additional views.

Add a 3D model to a page

1 Choose Tools > Rich Media > Add 3D.
2 Drag a rectangle on the page to define the canvas area for the 3D file.
3 In the Insert 3D dialog box, click Browse to select the 3D file, and then click Open. Click OK.
Note:
In the Insert 3D dialog box, check the Show Advanced Options to set initial 3D Properties for the file.

Move, delete, or resize the 3D canvas

1 Choose Tools > Rich Media > Select Object .
Note:
Be careful not to confuse the Select Object tool with the basic Select tool. Use the Select Object tool to adjust a 3D
canvas.
2 Select the 3D canvas and change it as needed:
• To move the canvas, drag it to a new location on the page.
• To delete the canvas (and the 3D model), select it and press Delete.
• To resize the canvas, drag the frame corners. The 3D content stays proportional within the adjusted frame.

3D properties (Acrobat Pro)

View 3D properties by using the Select Object Tool (Tools > Rich Media > Select Object) to double-click within an
activated model.

3D tab
The options on the 3D tab determine how the 3D model is presented. Unlike the settings on the other tabs, 3D settings
do not affect the imported file itself.
The options on the 3D tab are the same as the options on the 3D toolbar except for the following:
Animation Style For models created with animation, this setting determines how the animation runs in Acrobat.

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Add Default Views Allows you to use different model views. An orthographic projection (ortho) effectively removes a
dimension, preserving the size ratio between objects but giving the 3D model a less realistic appearance. Orthographic
projection is especially useful for viewing certain diagrams, such as 3D mathematical functions plotted on a graph. A
perspective projection offers a more realistic scene in which objects in the distance appear smaller than objects of the
same size in the foreground.
Show Toolbar Displays the 3D toolbar along with the image. When this option is not selected, you can right-click the
3D image to view the 3D toolbar.
Open model tree Displays the model tree on the Model Tree pane. The Model Tree has three panes. Each pane displays
a specific type of information or controls.
Script Specifies the JavaScript file that runs if a 3D model is enabled. Click Browse to add a JavaScript file to the PDF.

Launch Settings
Enable When Specifies when the 3D model is activated. When the 3D model is enabled, you can interact with it by
using the 3D navigation tools, for example.
Disable When Determines how the 3D model can be deactivated. When a 3D model is disabled, the 2D preview image
or poster appears in the canvas.
Playback Style Enables you to display the 3D model in a floating window outside the page. If you select Play Content
In Floating Window, you can select the size of the window (in pixels) from the Height and Width menus.
Border Width Select to create a border around the 3D object.

Transparent Background Removes any background color.

Poster Image To replace the default view of the 3D model when it isn’t activated, select a poster image option. Click
Browse to find the image you want.

Resources
Use the Resources tab to add files developed in Flash® to a 3D model for animation, effects, and textures. To bind a Flash
resource, select it from the list of resources, and then select a binding type (Foreground, Background, or Material). To
bind a material, also enter the material name for the part or parts where you want to display the material.
Add Use to add SWF files for animations and backgrounds for the 3D model.

Add Directory Select to add a directory of resource files to the 3D object.

Remove Select a file in the list, and then click Remove to delete it from the file.

Name Displays the name of the file that is selected from the list. You can also rename a resource, which is useful with
scripting. For example, you can replace the name with the one used in a script.
Binding When adding files that are developed in Flash as a resource for a 3D model, binding determines how those
files interact. For example, you can identify a resource to run in the background and one to run in the foreground. After
you add the files to the file list, select one, and in the Binding section, select either Background, Foreground, or
Material.
Material 3D designers can use the Material field to define a material to use in a model. The material name can be
associated with a resource by selecting Material in the Binding section.
FlashVars Flash developers can use the FlashVars field to add ActionScript™ variables for the selected file.

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Run a JavaScript
If a separate JavaScript file is associated with the 3D model PDF, you can activate it.
1 Open the PDF in Acrobat.
2 Click the 3D model with the Hand tool to enable it, and then right-click the 3D model and choose Run A JavaScript.
3 Find the JavaScript file you want to add, and click Open.

Displaying 3D models in PDFs

In Acrobat, you can view and interact with high-quality 3D content created in professional 3D CAD or 3D modeling
programs and embedded in PDFs. For example, you can hide and show parts of a 3D model, remove a cover to look
inside, and turn parts around as if holding them in your hands.
A 3D model initially appears as a two-dimensional preview image. Clicking the 3D model with the Hand or Select tool
enables (or activates) the model, opens the 3D toolbar, and plays any animation.

Selected 3D object
A Model Tree B 3D toolbar C 3D object

Enable playing of 3D content in PDF

When you open a PDF with 3D content, you see a yellow bar at the top with the message - "3D content has been
disabled. Enable this features if you trust this document."

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Autoplay of 3D content is disabled by default

To enable 3D content in the current document:

Click the Options button and then select an appropriate option:
• Trust this document one time only
• Trust this document always
To enable 3D content permanently:
• Go to Edit > Preferences > 3D & Multimedia and then select the Enable playing 3D content checkbox.
For more information, see Enable 3D content in PDF.

3D toolbar overview
The 3D toolbar appears after you click the 3D model with the Hand tool. This action activates the 3D model and plays
animations that are set to play when the file is enabled. The 3D toolbar always appears in the area above the upper-left
corner of the 3D model and cannot be moved. A small arrow appears to the right of the Rotate tool, which you can click
to either hide or expand the toolbar.
You can use the 3D toolbar to zoom in and out, rotate, and pan across the object. Use the Model Tree to hide or isolate
parts, or make parts transparent.
You manipulate a 3D model by selecting and dragging various 3D navigation tools. When you navigate in 3D, it helps
to think of it as viewing the stationary 3D model from a camera’s perspective. You can rotate, pan (move up, down, or
side-to-side), and zoom in or out.

3D navigation tools
Rotate

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Turns 3D objects around relative to the screen. How the objects move depends on the starting view, where you start
dragging, and the direction in which you drag.
Note:
You can also use the Hand tool to rotate an object. Ensure that Enable 3D Selection For The Hand Tool is selected in the
3D panel of the Preferences dialog box.
Spin

Turns a 3D model in parallel to two fixed axes in the 3D model, the x-axis and the z-axis.
Pan

Moves the model vertically and horizontally only. You can also pan with the Hand tool: Ctrl-drag.
Zoom

Moves you toward, or away from, objects in the scene when you drag vertically. You can also zoom with the Hand tool
by holding down Shift as you drag.
Walk

Pivots horizontally around the scene when you drag horizontally. Moves forward or backward in the scene when you
drag vertically; maintains a constant elevation level, regardless of how you drag. The Walk tool is especially useful for
architectural 3D models. To change the walking speed, change the default display units in the Preferences (3D).
Note:
The Walk tool is available when you select the Preferences setting that consolidates tools or when you right-click the 3D
model and choose Tools > Walk.
Fly

Navigates through a model while maintaining the surface orientation. Right-click and drag inside the 3D window. The
Fly tool moves more slowly the closer you move toward an object. Drag the pointer right or left to turn.
To rotate the camera view, click the left mouse button inside the 3D window and drag to turn the camera view. To return
to the starting camera direction, move the mouse back to the initial click point.
Use the mouse scroll wheel to move rapidly backward and forward along the camera view direction. This functionality
is useful if you get lost within a model or fly into the surface.
Camera properties

Defines the camera angle, alignment, and other properties that define the lens through which a 3D model is viewed.
Camera properties are components of views but are set independently.
3D Measurement Tool

Measures part sizes and distances in the 3D model.

3D toolbar view controls

Default View

Returns to a preset zoom, pan, rotation, and projection mode of the 3D model. Use the Options menu in the View pane
of the Model Tree to set a different view as the default. Or use the Manage Views command on the 3D toolbar Views
menu to set a different view as the default.

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If an object ever moves out of your view, you have, in essence, turned your camera away from the object. Click the Default
View icon on the 3D toolbar to move the object back into view.
Views menu Lists any views defined for the current 3D model.

Toggle Model Tree

Opens and hides the Model Tree.

Play/Pause Animation

Plays or pauses any JavaScript-enabled animation. The Play/Pause Animation pop-up menu opens a slider that you can
drag back and forth to move to different times in the animation sequence.
Use Orthographic/Perspective Projection

Toggles between displaying perspective and orthographic projection of the 3D object.

Model Render Mode menu

Determines how the 3D shape appears. For an illustrated guide, see Examples of model rendering modes.
Enable Extra Lighting menu

Lists the different lighting effects that are available to enhance the illumination of the 3D object. Experiment to get the
visual effects you want.
Background Color

Opens the color picker, which you can use to select a different color for the space surrounding the 3D object.
Toggle Cross Section

Shows and hides cross sections of the object. Click the pop-up menu to open the Cross Section Properties dialog box.
For more information, see Create cross sections.
Add Multimedia/3D Comment

Enables you to add a sticky note to any part of the 3D model. The note stays with the view. See Commenting on 3D
designs in PDFs.

3D preferences
In the 3D & Multimedia panel of the Preferences dialog box, you can determine whether the 3D toolbar and Model
Tree are displayed by default. You can also specify a default renderer and determine whether animations are allowed.
Enable Playing of 3D Content The dynamic nature of 3D provides the potential for it to be subject to security
vulnerabilities. Therefore, the auto-play of 3D content in PDFs is disabled by default. Select this option to enable 3D
content in PDFs.
Preferred Renderer Specifies the rendering engine used to affect both performance and quality, so it’s important to
select the appropriate renderer. Depending on your system, you can change your render engine. If you select a DirectX®
or OpenGL option, all rendering takes place using the graphics chip on the video adapter. If Software is selected,
rendering takes more time, but the performance is often more consistent with the model rendering of the originating
application.
Enable Hardware Rendering For Legacy Video Cards Forces the use of a hardware accelerator for even video adapters
that do not support a pixel shader.

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Enable Double-Sided Rendering Some model parts have two sides. To save time and space, you can deselect this option
to render only the side facing the user. If the user looks inside a part rendered with only one side, the back side would
be invisible.
Preferred 3D PMI Rendering Mode Specifies the PMI mode to use for rendering. You can select one of the following
options:
Use Content Setting—The rendering of the PMI uses the setting of each PMI to decide whether it uses the Z-buffer.
Always Render 3D PMI In Front Of Model—The rendering of the PMI ignores the Z-buffer regardless of the setting
in the file.
Always Render 3D PMI Using Z-buffer—The rendering of the PMI always turns on Z-buffer regardless of the setting
in the file.
Open Model Tree On 3D Activation Determines whether the Model Tree is displayed when the 3D model is activated.
Choose Use Annotation’s Setting to use whichever setting the author used when adding the 3D model to the PDF.
Default Toolbar State Determines whether the 3D toolbar is shown or hidden when a 3D model is activated. Choose
Use Annotation’s Setting to use whichever setting the author used when adding the 3D model to the PDF.
Enable Selection For The Hand Tool Lets the user select and highlight parts of the 3D model using the Hand tool. If this
option is not selected, use the Object Data tool (Tools > Interactive Objects > Select Object) to select the object.
Consolidate Tools On The 3D Toolbar Selecting this option places the manipulation and navigation tools under the
Rotate tool, thereby shortening the 3D toolbar.
Enable View Transitions Some 3D models include animated transitions between views. Deselect this option if you want
to prevent this 3D animation.
Show 3D Orientation Axis Turns on or off an in-scene display of an axis that indicates the current orientation of the 3D
scene.
Optimization Scheme For Low Framerate Specifies what happens to animations of complex models when the framerate
becomes low. None does not compromise the visuals and leaves the framerate low. Bounding Box shows the three-
dimensional planes enclosing the parts instead of the parts themselves, which keeps the framerate high. Drop Objects
does not show some parts of the model, which keeps the framerate high.
Framerate Threshold Sets the minimum framerate, either by dragging the slider or entering a number in the value box.
If the framerate drops below that number of frames per second, the Optimization Scheme For Low Framerate option
goes into effect.

Interacting with 3D models

Change rendering mode, lighting, projection, and background

The model rendering mode determines the surface appearance of the 3D model. The default rendering mode is solid,
but you can also choose another rendering mode. You can also change the lighting of the 3D model as well as the
background.

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Changing the appearance of the 3D model

A Default appearance B Wireframe rendering mode C Colored lighting D Different background color

? Use items on the 3D toolbar to make any of these changes:

• To change the rendering mode, choose an option from the Model Render Mode pop-up menu .
• To view an orthographic projection, click the Use Orthographic Projection button . An orthographic
projection effectively removes a dimension, preserving the size ratio between objects but giving the 3D model a
less realistic appearance. Click the button again to use perspective projection.
• To turn lighting on or off or to change lighting, choose an option from the Enable Extra Lighting pop-up
menu .
• To change the background color, click the arrow next to the Background color swatch and choose a color.
Note:
Model rendering modes, lighting schemes, and background color options are also available by right-clicking the 3D
model, and then clicking Viewing Options. Model rendering modes also appear under the Options menu on the Model
Tree.

Examples of model rendering modes

The model rendering modes include combinations of factors that affect the appearance of the 3D object. The
illustration below shows a simple object rendered in each of the available modes.

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Model rendering modes

A Solid B Transparent Bounding Box C Transparent D Solid Wireframe E Illustration F Solid Outline G Shaded Illustration H Bounding Box
I Transparent Bounding Box Outline J Wireframe K Shaded Wireframe L Transparent Wireframe M Hidden Wireframe N Vertices O Shaded
Vertices

Hide, isolate, and change the appearance of parts

Some 3D models are composed of individual parts. You can use the Model Tree to hide or isolate parts, zoom in to
parts, or make parts transparent. Parts that show in the 3D model appear in the tree with a check mark next to them.

Manipulating parts
A Selected part B Hidden part C Isolated part D Transparent part

1 In the 3D model, use the Hand tool to click the part you want to manipulate. If a preference setting prevents you
from using the Hand tool, select the part in the Model Tree list.
2 From the Options menu in the top pane of the Model Tree, choose any of the following:

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Note:
The items that appear on the Options menu depend on whether the 3D model is composed of just one part or multiple
parts. Many of these options are also available by right-clicking a part in the 3D model.
Model Render Mode Changes the surface appearance of the entire 3D model according to the item you choose from
the submenu: Transparent Bounding Box, Solid, Transparent, Solid Wireframe, and so on.
Show All Parts Displays the entire 3D model.

Fit Visible Displays all visible parts and centers them in the view.

Show Physical Properties Displays the surface area and volume (if available) in the Object Data pane of the Model
Tree.
Display Bounding Box Displays the box that encloses the 3D object or selected parts of the model.

Set Bounding Box Color Changes the color of the bounding box. Choose this option, select a color, and then click
OK.
Hide Displays the model without showing the selected parts. You can also select and deselect check boxes in the top
pane of the Model Tree to hide and show different parts.
Isolate Displays only the selected part, hiding all others.

Isolate Part Displays the geometry, the Product Manufacturing Information (PMI), and all views (including PMI
views) for the isolated part only. Views and information for all other parts are hidden or deselected. Changes occur
in the Model Tree as well. In the Structure pane (top), only the isolated part is selected. The structure of the other
parts is available but deselected. The View pane (middle) lists only the views that have been defined for the isolated
part, including PMI views. If you click a view, you see only the PMI for that view in the document pane. (To view
the PMI for the isolated part, make sure 3D PMI is selected in the Structure pane.) The View pane hides views
related to the assembly or other parts, including custom views created in Acrobat. You can add parts to the view by
selecting them in the Model Tree. You can also use the Hide/Show commands in the options menu of the Model
Tree. To cancel the isolated part, do any of the following:
• Select another part with the Isolate Part command.
• Select the top assembly in the Model Tree.
• Select the Home View button.
Zoom To Part Changes the center focus from the entire 3D model to the selected parts. This setting is especially
useful for rotating a part, allowing the rotation to occur around the center focus of the part rather than around the
entire model.
Part Render Mode Displays all of the rendering modes that are available for the part. The rendering mode changes
the appearance of the 3D model according to the rendering mode you choose.
Transparent Displays a see-through version of the selected part.

Export As XML Creates a separate XML file of either Whole Tree or Current Node of the 3D model.

Export As CSV Creates a separate file in CSV format that contains all of the model data. You can export the data from
the whole Model Tree or a selected node. The file can be opened in any program that supports CSV formatting, such
as Microsoft Excel.
Note:
If the 3D model includes Product Manufacturing Information (PMI), options for showing and hiding the PMI are
available on this menu.

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Model Tree overview

The Model Tree appears in the navigation pane on the left side of the work area. You can also open the Model Tree by
clicking the Toggle Model Tree button on the 3D toolbar. Or, right-click the 3D model and choose Show Model Tree.
Note:
Using the Model Tree requires version 7.0.7 or later of either Acrobat or Adobe Reader. Users with earlier versions can
interact with 3D models but not with the Model Tree.
The Model Tree has three panes, each of which displays a specific type of information or controls.
Structure pane The topmost pane shows the tree structure of the 3D object. For example, a 3D object depicting a car
has separate groups of objects (called nodes) for the chassis, engine, and wheels. In this pane, you can move through the
hierarchy and select, isolate, or hide various parts.
Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) appears as a group of items on the same hierarchical level as its related
object or assembly.
View pane The middle pane lists the views that have been defined for the 3D object. When you change a view, click one
of the listed views to return the 3D model to a saved state. See Setting 3D views in PDFs.
You can also add to and edit views in the View pane. For example, after you isolate and rotate a part, you can save that
particular view, including the camera angle, background, lighting, and other attributes. This feature is not available for
Adobe Reader.
Object Data pane The lower pane displays other information, including properties and metadata, if any, about the
object or part. You cannot edit this information for 3D objects in Acrobat.
Note:
To change the default behavior for the Model Tree, open the Preferences dialog box and under Categories, select 3D and
Multimedia. Then choose an option from the Open Model Tree On 3D Activation menu.
The author of the PDF can set up a 3D model in the conversion settings so that clicking it automatically displays the
Model Tree.

Create cross sections

Displaying a cross section of a 3D model is like cutting it in half and looking inside. Use the Cross Section Controls
dialog box to adjust the alignment, offset, and tilt of the cutting plane.

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Before and after cross section

1 Click the Toggle Cross Section icon on the 3D toolbar to turn on or off the cross section.
2 (Optional) Click the arrow next to the Toggle Cross Section icon, and choose Cross Section Properties, which
opens the Cross Section Properties dialog box. Then do any of the following:
• Change settings under Alignment, Display Settings, and Position And Orientation.
• Click the Save Section View button to save the current cross-sectional view. (The saved view will appear on the
Views menu in the 3D toolbar and in the View pane of the Model Tree with a default name, SectionView[n].)

Cross-section properties
Changes you make here are applied immediately. To see these changes, make sure that the Cross Section Properties
dialog box does not block your view of the active 3D model. The Cross Section Properties dialog box remains on top
if you focus or interact with the underlying PDF. To close it, click the Close button in the upper-right corner.
Enable Cross Section When selected, makes the other options available.

Alignment Determines the axis (x, y, or z) to which the cross-section aligns.

Align To Face Cuts the cross-section on a plane defined by the surface of any face that you then click in the 3D model.
(The dialog box is dimmed until you click the face of a model part.)
Align To 3 Points Cuts the cross-section on a plane defined by any three points that you click the 3D model. (The dialog
box is dimmed until you click three points of a model.)
Show Intersections Indicates where the cutting plane slices the 3D model by adding a colored outline. Click the color
swatch if you want to select a different color.
Show Cutting Plane Displays the two-dimensional field that cuts the 3D model. Click the color swatch to select a
different color, and enter a different percentage to change the opacity of the plane.
Ignore Selected Parts Removes the selected parts from the cross-section view.

Show Transparent Displays parts that are not part of the cross-section.

Cutting Plane Opacity Defines the transparency level of the cutting plane.

Align Camera With Cutting Plane Rotates the 3D model so that it is level with the cutting plane.

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Offset Determines how much of the 3D model is sliced. Drag the slider left or right, or change the percentage.

To understand how each axis divides the 3D model, select an axis and then drag the Offset slider back and forth. Observe
the changes in the embedded 3D model.
Flip Reverses the cross-section. For example, if the top half of the model is cut off, click Flip to display the top half and
cut off the bottom half.
Tilt sliders Determine the angles between the cutting plane and the axes. Drag the sliders left or right, or change the
percentages.
Save Section View Opens the View Properties dialog box in which you can select the display properties to save with
the view. After you select the properties to save, the cross-sectional view is added to the list of views in the 3D toolbar
and the Model Tree. The saved view is given a default name, SectionView[n].
Display properties that you choose not to save revert to the setting of the previous view. For example, if you do not save
the background color, the cross-section view retains the background color of the previously displayed view.

Change camera properties

Camera properties define the precise angle and positioning for a view of an object. Camera properties make up a
camera view, which can be used both between views and between files.
1 On the 3D toolbar, click the Camera Properties icon .
If you don’t see the icon, click the arrow next to the navigation tool on the left side of the 3D toolbar.
2 In the Camera Properties dialog box, click Save As to name a new camera view, or select an existing view from the
menu.
3 Move the Camera Properties dialog box so that you can see the 3D model. Select a camera alignment:
• Select Target to align the camera properties only to the target position.
• Select Camera And Target to align the camera properties to both the camera direction and the target position.
4 Select the type of alignment:
Select Model After you select this option, click a 3D model in the document. The Camera Properties dialog box
shows the current camera position.
• If Target is selected, the new position of the camera target is the center of the selected model.
• If Camera And Target is selected, the position of the camera target is the center of the selected model. The
camera is aligned to the selected model.
Select Face After you select this option, click a face of the 3D model in the document. The Camera Properties
dialog box shows the current camera position.
• If Target is selected, the new position of the camera target is the center of the selected face.
• If Camera And Target is selected, the position of the camera target is the center of the selected face. The camera
is aligned to this face.
Select 3 Points After you select this option, select three points on the same or different models in the document.
The Camera Properties dialog box shows the current camera position.
• If Target is selected, the new position of the camera target is the center of the three selected points.

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• If Camera and Target are selected, the camera target is the center of the three selected points. The camera position
is aligned to the plan composed by the three selected points.
5 In the Position section, select Angle Units to change the X, Y, and Z values to Azimuth, Altitude, and Distance. These
values enable you to manipulate the camera by azimuth (distance) and altitude (X axis), and to zoom using the
distance value.
6 Move the sliders in the Camera and Target positions to the desired location.
7 To change the focal angle of the camera, drag the Field Of View slider to the desired degree.
8 To change the roll angle of the camera, drag the Roll slider to the desired degree.
9 Click Save Camera View to save the settings and add the view to the Model Tree.
The view is added to the Model Tree with the default name of CameraView[n], with [n] being an incremental
number. You can rename the camera view in the Views list.

Measuring 3D objects in PDFs

Use the 3D Measurement Tool to measure 3D models. You can create measurements between combinations of points
or edges of the 3D model. As you move the pointer over the 3D model, specific points and edges are highlighted. The
3D Measurement Tool supports four types of measurements: perpendicular distance between two straight edges,
linear distance between two points, the radius of circular edges, and the angle between two edges (or three points).
You can associate 3D measurements with specific views. If the default view is active when a measurement is added, a
new measurement view is created. This view is added to the view hierarchy in the Model Tree. The measurement is
associated with that view only. The measurement shows up as a child of the view.
You can also display comments while taking measurements. These comments (also called measurement markups) are
preserved after the document is closed.

3D measurement display

Measure 3D objects
1 Click a 3D model in a PDF to enable it.
2 Click the 3D Measurement Tool icon on the 3D toolbar. (If the 3D toolbar view is set for consolidated tools,
select the 3D Measurement tool from the pop-up menu next to the Navigation tool.)
3 Select the options you want in the Snap Enables and Measurement Types areas of the 3D Measurement Tool
palette.
4 Right-click the model background, and change the options as needed. Leave the 3D Measurement Tool palette
open.

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5 Measure the 3D model:

• To measure the distance between two positions on the 3D model, click to set a start point. Then move the pointer
to another location or an edge.
• To measure the circumference of a round shape, move the pointer to the edge of the shape so that a circle appears,
and click once.
• To create and set an annotation on the measurement, right-click the object background and select Change
Markup Label. Type a markup label. Measure the 3D model as described previously. Click to set the end point
for the measurement, and then click a third time to set the location of the measurement and label.
• To save a measurement as a comment, select the Hand tool, right-click the measurement, and click Convert To
Comment.
• To discontinue a measurement, right-click and choose Cancel Measurement.
• To delete a measurement markup, click it with the3D Measurement Tool and press Delete.
Note:
To learn how to rotate, pan, zoom, and snap while you measure, right-click the model and choose 3D Measurement
Navigation Tips.

Snap Enables options in the 3D Measurement Tool palette

3D Snap To Edge Endpoints

Snaps to the entire edge.

3D Snap To Linear Edges

Snaps to a straight-line segment of an edge.

3D Snap To Radial Edges

Snaps to a circumference.
3D Snap To Silhouettes

Snaps to the apparent edge of a part, such as the side of a cylinder.

3D Snap To Planar Faces

Snaps to the geometric plane making up a face of the part.

Measurement Types options in the 3D Measurement Tool palette

3D Point To Point Measurement

Measures the distance between two positions on the 3D model. Click to set a start point, and then click another location
to set an end point or edge.
3D Perpendicular Dimension

Measures the distance between two edges taken at a right angle to the starting edge.
3D Radial Dimension

Measures the radius at the location clicked.

3D Angle Measurement

Measures the angle between two edges.

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Units and markup options

To use the Units and Markup measurement tools, select the 3D Measurement Tool, and then right-click inside the
model.
Define Model Units Select to change the measurement units.

Enable Coordinate Display Displays or hides the coordinates of the mouse pointer location in the Measurement Info
Window.
Change Markup Label Type the text that you want to appear with the measurement, both in the 3D model area and in
the Comments panel. (Not available if Measurement Markup is not selected.)
Disable Measurement Markup Select when you want to take measurements in a model, but not add them to the
document. The measurements are only visible while the current measurement is active. If you start another
measurement or change tools, the markup disappears.
Don’t Snap To 3D Content Disables the ability to snap the insertion point to a likely target. Select this option to improve
performance when you are working with a large model. Return to Snap To 3D Content to ensure precise measurement
in 3D objects.
3D Measurement Navigation Tips Opens a dialog box that lists the keyboard shortcuts for several navigation shorts.
You can use these shortcuts while you are measuring.
Preferences Opens the Measuring (3D) Preferences dialog box.

Hide/Show Measurement Info Window The Measurement Info Window displays the Units And Markup settings for
the model. Select to remove the window from the model window.
Hide/Show Measurement Toolbar Removes/displays the 3D Measurement Tool palette.

Measuring preferences
Change the 3D Measuring preferences to determine how 3D data is measured. These options appear in the Measuring
(3D) panel of the Preferences dialog box.
Note:
In Adobe Acrobat Reader, these preferences apply to PDFs that have commenting enabled.
Use Scales And Units From Model (When Present) Displays measurements based on the model units, if present,
generated from the original 3D model. Deselect this option to specify the units of measurements manually. This setting
can be changed in the 3D Measurement Tool palette.
Use Default Display Unit Uses units of measurement that you specify here rather than the measurement units in the 3D
model.
Significant Digits To Display Specifies the maximum number of digits in the measurement number.

3D Measuring Line Color Specifies the color of the line that appears when you click or drag to measure an object.

Measure Feedback Size Sets the text size for the measurement display.

Angular Measurements Shown In Specifies units as either degrees or radians.

Circular Measurements Shown As Designates whether the diameter or radius is measured for circular parts.

Show Circle For Radial Measurements Displays the circumference associated with the radial measurement.

3D Snap Settings Turns on snap and specifies whether points, arcs, edges, silhouette edges, or faces are snapped to.
Sensitivity indicates how close the pointer must be to the item being snapped to. For Snap Hint Color, specify the color
of the snap line that appears when you hold the pointer over the 3D object.

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Setting 3D views in PDFs

The default view of a 3D model lets you quickly revert to a starting point at any time as you interact with the model. A
default view is different from a preview, which determines what the 3D model looks like when it’s not activated. The
list of all available views for the 3D model appears in the Views menu on the 3D toolbar and in the View pane of the
Model Tree.
You can also create additional views of the 3D model in Acrobat that let you quickly navigate the 3D content as you
want (such as top, bottom, left, right, inside, outside, exploded, or assembled). A view can include lighting, camera
position, rendering mode, the Model Tree state, and transparency and cross section settings. Custom views can include
precise camera properties.
You can link views to bookmarks in the Bookmarks panel, or you can use the Go To 3D View action to link views to
buttons and links that you create on the page.

Default view
When you create a PDF from a 3D model or add a 3D file to an existing PDF, Acrobat creates an initial default view.
The default view is generated independently of whether additional default views are created or views exist in the 3D file.
The characteristics of the default view generated are as follows:
• A perspective projection is used.
• The viewpoint is placed away from the object such that all visible nodes fill most of the field view.
• The direction and orientation of the offset is mainly along the negative X-axis, with a relatively small offset along
the negative Y-axis, and a smaller positive Z-axis offset.
• The camera points at the center of the visible nodes, oriented such that the Z-axis is vertical and upwards direction
is positive in the displayed annotation.
Set the background color, render mode and lighting for the default view by checking the Show Advanced Options box
in the Insert 3D dialog, selecting the 3D tab and adjusting the parameters shown.

Create a custom view

1 With the Hand tool, click the 3D model to enable it.
2 Use the Rotate, Pan, and Zoom tools in the 3D toolbar to change the view.
3 In the View Properties dialog box, select the display settings to include in the view.
Properties that are not selected use the settings that were last displayed. For example, if Background Color is not
selected, the background color of the view remains the same as the background that was previously displayed.
The view is listed as NewView in the View pane of the Model Tree. Select it to rename it.

Display a view
? Use these methods to change the view, as appropriate:
• From the 3D toolbar, select the view from the Views pop-up menu.
• In the Model Tree, click the view name.
• Click the Default View icon .

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Change the default view

? In the View pane of the Model Tree, do one of the following:
• Select a view, and then choose Set As Default View from the Options menu.
• Right-click a view, and then choose Set As Default View.
Note:
To create a new view, choose Views > Manage Views from the 3D toolbar or the context menu. In the subsequent Manage
Views dialog that appears, click the New View button.

Change the poster to match the default view

1 Using the Select Object tool (Tools > Rich Media > Select Object,) double-click the 3D model.
2 In the Edit 3D dialog box, click the Launch settings tab.
3 Under the Poster Image area, select Retrieve poster from default view.
4 Click OK, and then save the PDF.

Add a 3D view to a bookmark or link

This process requires a 3D model with one or more defined views, which you can create. You can associate the view
with an existing bookmark or link, or you can create a new one for this purpose.
1 Do one of the following:
• To create a new bookmark, click the New Bookmark button at the top of the Bookmarks panel, and type a
new name for the bookmark. Then, right-click it and choose Properties.
• To create a new link, choose Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit Link, and drag to create a link rectangle
anywhere on the page. Then, under Link Action, in the Create Link dialog box, select Custom Link, and click
Next.
• To link a view to an existing bookmark or link, right-click the bookmark or link, and choose Properties.
2 In the Properties dialog box, click the Actions tab.
3 From the Select Action menu, choose Go To A 3D/Multimedia View, and then click Add.
4 In the Select A 3D View dialog box, select the 3D annotation for the 3D model from the list on the left, and then
select a view option on the right:
Current View Matches the 3D rotation, pan, and zoom characteristics that are active in your document at the time
you create the link or bookmark, whether or not this view is listed on the Model Tree as a defined view.
First View Changes to the view that appears at the top of the list in the Model Tree.

Last View Changes to the view definition that appears at the bottom of the list in the Model Tree.

Previous View Moves up the Model Tree list of defined views, one view at a time.

Next View Moves down the Model Tree list of defined views, one view at a time.

Named View Changes to the defined view that you select from the list appearing below this option.

5 (Optional) To make a bookmark or link also jump to a specific page and page view, choose Go To A Page View on
the Selection Action menu, and click Add. Then use the scroll bars and zoom tools to adjust the page view before
you click the Set Link button. When finished, click Close in the Properties dialog box.

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Delete a 3D view
? Do one of the following:
• On the 3D toolbar, open the Views pop-up menu and choose Manage Views. Select the views you want to
remove, and click Delete View.
• In the View pane of the Model Tree panel, select the views you want to remove. From within the View pane,
either click the Delete button or click the Options button and choose Delete View.

Enable 3D content in PDF

The dynamic nature of 3D provides the potential for it to be subject to security vulnerabilities. Therefore, the autoplay
of 3D content in PDFs is disabled by default.

Enable playing of 3D content in PDF

When you open a PDF with 3D content, you see a yellow bar at the top with the message - "3D content has been
disabled. Enable this features if you trust this document."

Autoplay of 3D content is disabled by default

To enable 3D content in the current document:

Click the Options button and then select an appropriate option:
• Trust this document one time only
• Trust this document always
To enable 3D content permanently:
• Go to Edit > Preferences > 3D & Multimedia and then select the Enable playing 3D content checkbox.

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Enable 3D content for trusted content

3D content has been integrated into the Trust Framework so that it’s possible to display 3D content for trusted content
even when 3D is disabled. The feature works as follows:
• Disable 3D content.
• Trust files, folders, and hosts as privileged locations via Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Privileged
Locations panel.
• When a PDF with 3D content opens:
• If the file/location is present in the Privileged Locations, then the 3D content renders.
If it is not trusted, a Yellow Message Bar appears that says “3D content has been disabled. Enable this features if you
trust this document.” The Options button provides the Trust this document one time only and Trust this document
always options for the current document.

Specific configuration for enterprise IT

Enterprise IT can configure the end-user settings via HKCU\Software\Adobe\Acrobat
Reader\<version>\3D\bEnable3DContent. Enterprise IT can disable and lock 3D rendering so that the user cannot
change the setting via HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\(product name)\(version)\FeatureLockDown\bEnable3D.

Adding multimedia to PDFs

Include audio, video, and interactive 3D objects in your PDF files. Add files directly to your PDF or link to files on the
web.

This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC and Acrobat 2017. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help.

Multimedia and PDFs (Acrobat Pro)

Adding video, sound, and interactive content transforms PDFs into multidimensional communication tools that
increase interest and engagement in your documents.
All multimedia that are H.264 compliant can be played back in Adobe Reader 9 and later. (H.264, also known as
MPEG-4 part 10, is a video compression standard that provides high-quality video without substantially increasing file
size.) Video files of varying formats and filename extensions can be H.264 compliant.
Media files in other formats can be played back in earlier versions of Adobe Reader. However, users must install the
appropriate application (such as QuickTime or Windows Media Player) to play the multimedia.
Another way to add multimedia is by entering a URL that refers to a video file or streaming media. Three types of URLs
can be used: RTMP, HTTP, and HTTPS. On HTTP and HTTPS servers, H.264-compliant MOV and MP4 files are
supported.
Interactive content developed in Flash and produced as SWF files (.swf) can be added to PDFs to provide
complimentary tools for text. Examples of applications developed in Flash include an RSS Reader, calculator, and
online maps.

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Add multimedia files to a PDF

Acrobat Pro supports .mp3, .mov, .SWF files, and other files encoded in H.264 (with AAC audio). You can convert other
file types into one of the supported formats by using Adobe Media Encoder. You can also add mp3 audio files to a PDF
for playback on any platform.
Note:
FLV and F4V files are no longer supported in both Acrobat and PDFMaker. You cannot embed FLV and F4V files using
either Acrobat or PDFMaker.
However, if a document has already FLV or F4V files embedded (for example, a PowerPoint presentation or a Word file),
it will still be converted to PDFs.
1 Open the PDF.
2 Choose Tools > Rich Media, and then select the Add Video , the Add Sound , or the Add
SWF tool.
3 Drag or double-click to select the area on the page where you want the video or sound to appear. The Insert dialog
box opens.
If you double-click the page, Acrobat Pro places the upper-left corner of the video where you clicked. If you drag
an area on the page, the media is placed within the area. The play area of the video is the exact size of the video frame
(if Acrobat Pro is able to read the video clip dimensions).
4 Add a URL in the Name field, or click Browse to find the media file, and then click Open.
For URLs, use the full file address, including the video filename extension, such as .mov or .mp4.
5 Use the advanced options on the Insert dialog box to change the media if needed, and then click OK.
Not all of these options are available for all media types.
Snap To Content Proportions Ensures that the play area retains the height and width ratios of the original video or
interactive content.
Show Advanced Options Opens the dialog for additional settings such as launch settings, playback controls, and
video settings. The options available depends on the format of the media you are inserting.

Advanced multimedia options (Acrobat Pro)

To view advanced multimedia options when you insert video, sound, or interactive content, select Show Advanced
Options in the Insert dialog box.
You can also change these options after multimedia has been added to a PDF. Double-click the multimedia with the
Select Object tool (Tools > Rich Media > Select Object).
Note:
Video and sound quality settings can only be changed when a file is added to a PDF.
SWF tab Displays when you insert SWF files.

Pass Context Menu Click to SWF SWF file developers can select this option to replace the Acrobat Pro context menu
with the context menu of the originating SWF file. When the user right-clicks the SWF file, the available options are
from the originating file.
Launch Settings tab Use these settings to determine how the media is started and stopped, where it is displayed, and
what is displayed when the media isn’t running.

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Activation Settings Select options to determine when the media is played and stopped. From the Playback Style menu,
select Play Content In Floating Window to have the video or interactive content run outside the page. Content in a
floating window enables users to read the page and view the video or application at the same time.
Border Width Creates a black border around the video or interactive content. For sound, the border surrounds the
poster image.
Poster Image To use an image that is not part of the file you are adding, select Create Poster From File. Click Browse
to find the image you want to be displayed when the video, sound, or interactive content is not activated.
Resources tab Use this tab to list all files that are required to run a SWF file. When a file is displayed in the list of added
files, you can click it to set the file properties.
Properties When you click a filename in the Resources list, the full filename (including the path) is displayed in the
Name field. You can rename the resources to ensure that scripts run properly.
Controls tab Use to set up which playback controls (skins) are available.

Skin Select the set of playback controls (skin) you want to be displayed on the video.

Color Click to open the color palette and choose a color for the controls.

Opacity Sets the degree of transparency for the playback controls.

Autohide controls When selected, hides the play controls when the mouse pointer is not over the multimedia.

Video tab Available when you are adding a video.

Preview and Trim Drag the Start and End markers below the slider bar to remove unwanted frames from the clip. This
option is only available when a video clip is first added to a PDF.
Set Poster Image From Current Frame The poster image is displayed when the video isn’t playing. Drag the marker on
the top of the slider bar to the frame you want to use, and then click Set Poster Image From Current Frame.
Chapter Points Use Chapter Points to create markers in a video from which to launch specific actions. For example,
in a training video, chapter points can link to additional information in a file or on the Web.
To create a chapter point, move the slider to the frame you want to use. In Chapter Points, click the plus sign. To add
an action, highlight the chapter point in the list and click Actions.
Note:
Generally, Chapter Point actions can be added only after the multimedia has been created. You can then edit the play area
and add Chapter Point actions.

Insert video into Word and PowerPoint files (Acrobat Pro)

Acrobat Pro adds a feature to Word and PowerPoint that enables you to add video in .mov, .mp3, or.SWF format to a
Word or PowerPoint document.
After adding a video to a Word or PowerPoint document, you can convert the document to PDF and edit the video
properties if needed.
1 In the Word or PowerPoint document, select the position where you want the video to appear.
2 Click the Embed Flash button in the Acrobat ribbon.
3 Click the Browse button, and then locate the video you want to include.

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4 Change the video settings as needed:

• For video that is not in SWF format, set a poster image by moving the slider to the desired frame. Then click Set
Poster Image From Current Frame.
• To determine how the playback controls are displayed, select an option from the Skin menu.
• To change the display size of the video, click Resize Video, and then change the width and height. Maintain the
aspect ratio for best display.
5 Click OK to convert the video (if needed), and add it to the document.

Edit the play area (Acrobat Pro)

1 Select Tools > Rich Media > Select Object and click on a multimedia object.
When you move the tool over the play area, handles appear on the borders of the play area, even when the borders
are invisible.
2 Click the play area to select it, and then do any of the following:
• Move the clip by dragging its icon to a new location on the page.
• Delete the clip by selecting it and pressing Delete.
• Resize the clip by dragging one of the corners of the frame until it is the desired size. Hold down Shift to retain
the correct proportions for video clips.

Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs

Comments added to a 3D object are associated with specific views that are defined when the comments are added. If
the view is changed—for example, if the 3D object is rotated or moved—the comments are no longer visible.
You have three ways to add comments to a 3D object:
• Using the 3D Comment Tool on the 3D toolbar to add comments to specific parts of a 3D model.
• Using the annotation tools available in the secondary toolbar of the Comment tool to add a variety of comment
types to a 3D view.
• Converting a 3D measurement into a comment.
Note:
Adding comments to 3D model views requires version 7.0.7 or later of Acrobat or Reader.

When the view of a 3D object is changed, any comment associated with that object disappears (right).

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If you don’t want a comment to be associated with a 3D view, add the comment outside the 3D object area.

Add a 3D Comment to an object

Comments created by using the 3D Comment Tool are like measurements in that they are associated with a specific
part of the 3D geometry. When you add 3D comments to the default view of a model, a new view, called 3D Comment
View is created. 3D comments added to other views are listed as components of that view in the Model Tree. You can
edit and remove 3D comments the same way to edit and remove measurements.
1 Click the Add 3D Comment tool on the 3D toolbar.
Note:
The 3D toolbar appears when you hover the cursor over the 3D model. If the Add 3D Comment tool is not visible in the
toolbar, then right-click the 3D model and choose Tools > Add 3D Comments. You can also expand the default 3D
toolbar by right clicking the 3D model and choosing Tools > Expand 3D Tools.
2 Select a part of the model you want to add a 3D comment to.
3 In the Enter Comment String dialog box, type your comment.

Add comments from the Comment toolset

When you add comments by using the tools on the Comment toolset, a new view is created in the Model Tree called
CommentView.
Note:
Adobe Reader users can add comments to a PDF if the document author enables commenting for that PDF.
1 Choose Tools > Comment.
The Comment toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2 In the secondary toolbar, select a commenting tool, and then click inside the 3D object area.
3 Click inside the 3D object area to create a comment. A new view definition is also created in the Model Tree with a
default name such as “CommentView1.”
4 To add more comments, do one of the following:
• To create an additional comment in a view, make sure that the commenting view you want is selected in the
Model Tree. Then click inside the 3D object area.
• To create an additional comment in a new commenting view, make sure that no commenting view is selected in
the Model Tree. Then click inside the 3D object area.
Note:
If you delete one of these automatically generated commenting views, the associated comments are still available. You can
view and select them in the Comments panel or in the Model Tree, where they are listed under the views. Selecting a
comment switches the 3D model to the same viewing configuration it had when the comment was added.

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Convert 3D measurements to comments

Individual measurements can be converted to comments, so that they can be reviewed and annotated like other types
of comments.
1 In the View pane of the Model Tree, right-click the plus sign next to the measurement view to display the list of
individual measurements.
Note:
The measurement view is available only when you have added measurements by using the 3D Measurement Tool .
2 Right-click a measurement name and click Convert To Comment.

Convert measurements into comments

Display comments for a 3D object

1 Do one of the following:
• In the Model Tree, select a view that contains comments.
• Choose Tools > Comment, the comments are displayed in the comment list in the right pane.
• In the View pane of the Model Tree, click Options and choose List Comments.

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Enable the List Comments option from the View pane of the Model Tree

2 Double-click a comment to open its comment window.

3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 to see other comments associated with other views.
When you select a comment, the 3D model appears in the same view it was in when the comment was added.

Playing video, audio, and multimedia formats in PDFs

Play multimedia in PDFs

Using the Hand tool or the Select tool, click the play area of the video or sound file. When the pointer is positioned over
the play area, it changes to the play mode icon .

Supported video, audio, and interactive formats

You can play the following types of multimedia in PDFs created using Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader or
earlier:
Interactive multimedia Includes SWF files.

Video Includes MOV, M4V, 3GP, and 3G2 video files that use H.264 compression. It also includes FLV, F4V, MP3, and
MP4 files. You must have H.264 codecs installed on your computer to play files that use H.264 compression.
Audio Includes audio files, such as MP3 and MP4

You can play these files on a page or activate them from a link, bookmark, form field, or page action. Each multimedia
file includes a play area from which the media can be activated. The play area typically appears on the PDF page as an
image or a rectangle, but can also be invisible.
Acrobat and Reader also let you play legacy multimedia files created using an earlier version of Acrobat. These include
QuickTime, MPEG, ASF, RAM, and Windows® Media files. However, Acrobat and Reader X do not provide a way to
create legacy multimedia files.

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To help protect your computer from viruses, Acrobat asks you if you want to play multimedia files from unverified sources.
You can change this default behavior in the Multimedia Trust preferences.
? Using the Hand tool or the Select tool, click the play area of the video or sound file. When the pointer is positioned
over the play area, it changes to the play mode icon .

Multimedia preferences (legacy)

Two types of PDF files require you to set multimedia preferences:
• PDF files created in Acrobat 8 and earlier.
• PDF files containing multimedia content that needs a plug-in or external player to play, rather than the built-in
media player.
These files require you to identify an additional media player with which to run the multimedia.
Open the Preferences dialog box, and then select Multimedia (Legacy) from the left side of the dialog box.
Player Options Choose the format in which you want to run legacy media content: QuickTime, Flash, Windows
Media, or Windows built-in player.
Accessibility Options Specify if you want special features (if available) to appear when media plays, such as subtitles
and dubbed audio. Specify the preferred language for the media, in case multiple languages are available.

Multimedia Trust preferences (legacy)

Acrobat and Reader play most multimedia files, such as audio or video, using the built-in media player. (For the
supported file types, see Supported video, audio, and interactive formats.) Multimedia content that requires additional
resources to play, such as an external player or plug-in, is considered “legacy” multimedia content. You can control the
use of external players or plug-ins in the Multimedia Trust (Legacy) preferences.

Multimedia Trust (Legacy)

(Acrobat and Reader 10.1.1 or earlier) In Multimedia Trust preferences, you can specify whether to play embedded
multimedia files in trusted or non trusted PDF documents. A trusted document is a document that you or an author
you trust has approved. By setting your permissions to play multimedia only in trusted documents, you can prevent
programs, macros, and viruses from potentially damaging your computer.
The list of trusted documents and authors is stored internally and can’t be viewed. If you add a certified document to
the list, both the document and the certificate of the author are added to the list of trusted documents. All documents
that this author certified are trusted. (Trusted documents also include PDFs from authors in your list of trusted
identities.)
In the Preferences dialog box, select Multimedia Trust (Legacy) from the Categories.
(Acrobat and Reader 10.1.1 or earlier) Display Permissions For Choose to set permissions for either trusted documents
or other (non trusted) documents.
Allow Multimedia Operations Select this option to allow media clips to be played. When selected, you can change the
permission settings for a particular player and enable options that determine the appearance of the media during
playback.
Change Permission For Selected Multimedia Player To Select the player from the list, and then choose one of the
following options from the menu:
Always Allows the player to be used without prompting.

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Never Prevents the player from being used.

Prompt Asks the user whether the player can be used. If you select this option and allow the player to play the media
in a particular document, that document becomes trusted.
Allow Playback Options Three playback options enable you to control how the video is displayed.

Allow Playback In A Floating Window With No Title Bars Select this option to run the video without a title bar. The
result is that no title or close buttons are displayed.
Allow Document To Set Title Text In A Floating Playback Window Select this option to display a title bar when the video
plays back in a floating window. To edit the text in the title bar, double-click the video with the Select Object Tool (Tools
> Interactive Objects > Select Object). Select Edit Rendition, and then on the Playback Location tab, select Show Title
Bar. Add the title bar text in the Title text field.
Allow Playback In Full-Screen Window This option automatically plays the video in full screen mode when it is played
back. Full screen display can conflict with end-user security settings.
(Acrobat and Reader 10.1.1 or earlier) Clear Your List Of Trusted Documents Deletes the current list of trusted
documents and authors. Use this option to prevent media from playing in documents that were previously trusted
documents or created by trusted authors. This option is available only when a PDF that contains multimedia is open.

Add comments to videos (Acrobat Pro)

When you view a video, you can add comments to individual frames. Each comment is attached to a specific frame, so
that when you view the comments, they appear in the context in which they were made.
1 With the video open (in a PDF file), open the Comment list pane.
Note:
To open the Comment list pane, choose Tools > Comment. The annotations and drawing markup tools are displayed in
the secondary toolbar and comments are displayed in the right-hand pane.
2 Start the video and click Pause where you want to add a comment.
3 Select the commenting tool you want to use from the secondary toolbar, and then click the video frame to add the
comment.
4 Click Play to continue the video.
The comments display in the Comments list.

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Chapter 15: Color management

Keeping colors consistent

About color management in Adobe applications

Adobe color management helps you maintain the appearance of colors as you bring images in from external sources,
edit documents and transfer them between Adobe applications, and output your finished compositions. This system is
based on conventions developed by the International Color Consortium, a group responsible for standardizing profile
formats and procedures so that consistent and accurate color can be achieved throughout a workflow.
By default, color management is turned on in color-managed Adobe applications. If you purchased the Adobe Creative
Cloud, color settings are synchronized across applications to provide consistent display for RGB and CMYK colors.
This means that colors look the same no matter which application you view them in.

Color settings for Adobe Creative Cloud are synchronized in a central location through Adobe Bridge.

If you decide to change the default settings, easy-to-use presets let you configure Adobe color management to match
common output conditions. You can also customize color settings to meet the demands of your particular color
workflow.
Keep in mind that the kinds of images you work with and your output requirements influence how you use color
management. For example, there are different color-consistency issues for an RGB photo printing workflow, a CMYK
commercial printing workflow, a mixed RGB/CMYK digital printing workflow, and an Internet publishing workflow.

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Basic steps for producing consistent color

Consult with your production partners (if you have any) to ensure that all aspects of your color management
workflow integrate seamlessly with theirs.
Discuss how the color workflow will be integrated with your workgroups and service providers, how software and
hardware will be configured for integration into the color management system, and at what level color management
will be implemented. (See Do you need color management?.)
Calibrate and profile your monitor.
A monitor profile is the first profile you should create. Seeing accurate color is essential if you are making creative
decisions involving the color you specify in your document. (See Calibrate and profile your monitor.)
Add color profiles to your system for any input and output devices you plan to use, such as scanners and printers.
The color management system uses profiles to know how a device produces color and what the actual colors in a
document are. Device profiles are often installed when a device is added to your system. You can also use third-party
software and hardware to create more accurate profiles for specific devices and conditions. If your document will be
commercially printed, contact your service provider to determine the profile for the printing device or press condition.
(See About color profilesand Install a color profile.)
Set up color management in Adobe applications.
The default color settings are sufficient for most users. However, you can change the color settings by doing one of the
following:
• If you use multiple Adobe applications, use Adobe® Bridge to choose a standard color management configuration
and synchronize color settings across applications before working with documents. (See Synchronize color settings
across Adobe applications.)
• If you use only one Adobe application, or if you want to customize advanced color management options, you can
change color settings for a specific application. (See Set up color management.)
(Optional) Preview colors using a soft proof.
After you create a document, you can use a soft proof to preview how colors will look when printed or viewed on a
specific device. (See Proofing colors.)
Note:
A soft proof alone doesn’t let you preview how overprinting will look when printed on an offset press. If you work with
documents that contain overprinting, turn on Overprint Preview to accurately preview overprints in a soft proof.
Use color management when printing and saving files.
Keeping the appearance of colors consistent across all of the devices in your workflow is the goal of color management.
Leave color management options enabled when printing documents, saving files, and preparing files for online
viewing. (See Color-managing PDFs for printing (Acrobat Pro)and Color-managing documents for online viewing.)

Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications

If you use Adobe Creative Cloud, you can use Adobe Bridge CC to automatically synchronize color settings across
applications. This synchronization ensures that colors look the same in all color-managed Adobe applications.

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If color settings are not synchronized, a warning message appears at the top of the Color Settings dialog box in each
application. Adobe recommends that you synchronize color settings before you work with new or existing documents.
1 Open Bridge.
To open Bridge from a Creative Cloud application, choose File > Browse In Bridge. To open Bridge directly, either
choose Adobe Bridge CC from the Start menu (Windows) or double-click the Adobe Bridge CC icon (Mac OS).
2 Choose Edit > Color Settings.
3 Select a color setting from the list, and click Apply.
If none of the default settings meet your requirements, select Show Expanded List Of Color Setting Files to view
additional settings. To install a custom settings file, such as a file you received from a print service provider, click
Show Saved Color Settings Files.

Set up color management

1 Select the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
2 Select a color setting from the Settings menu, and click OK.
The setting you select determines which color working spaces are used by the application, what happens when you
open and import files with embedded profiles, and how the color management system converts colors. To view a
description of a setting, select the setting and the description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
Note:
Acrobat color settings are a subset of those used in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
In certain situations, such as if your service provider supplies you with a custom output profile, you may need to
customize specific options in the Color Settings dialog box. However, customizing is recommended for advanced
users only.
Note:
If you work with more than one Adobe application, it is highly recommended that you synchronize your color settings
across applications. (See Synchronize color settings across Adobe applications.)

Managing process and spot colors

When color management is on, any color you apply or create within a color-managed Adobe application automatically
uses a color profile that corresponds to the document. If you switch color modes, the color management system uses
the appropriate profiles to translate the color to the new color model you choose.
Keep in mind the following guidelines for working with process and spot colors:
• Choose a CMYK working space that matches your CMYK output conditions to ensure that you can accurately
define and view process colors.
• Use Lab values (the default) to display predefined spot colors (such as colors from the TOYO, PANTONE, DIC, and
HKS libraries) and convert these colors to process colors. Using Lab values provides the greatest accuracy and
guarantees the consistent display of colors across Creative Cloud applications.
Note:
Color-managing spot colors provides a close approximation of a spot color on your proofing device and monitor. However,
it is difficult to exactly reproduce a spot color on a monitor or proofing device because many spot color inks exist outside
the gamuts of many of those devices.

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Color settings

About color working spaces

A working space is an intermediate color space used to define and edit color in Adobe applications. Each color model
has a working space profile associated with it. You can choose working space profiles in the Settings menu of the Color
Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
If an object has an embedded color profile that doesn’t match the working space profile, the application uses a color
management policy to determine how to handle the color data. In most cases, the default policy is to preserve the
embedded profile.

Working space options

Select the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.

To view a description of any profile, select the profile. The description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
RGB Determines the RGB color space of the application. In general, it’s best to choose Adobe RGB or sRGB, rather
than the profile for a specific device (such as a monitor profile).
sRGB is recommended when you prepare images for the web or mobile devices, because it defines the color space of
the standard monitor used to view images on the web. sRGB is also a good choice when you work with images from
consumer-level digital cameras, because most of these cameras use sRGB as their default color space.
Adobe RGB is recommended when you prepare documents for print, because Adobe RGB’s gamut includes some
printable colors (cyans and blues in particular) that can’t be defined using sRGB. Adobe RGB is also a good choice
when working with images from professional-level digital cameras, because most of these cameras use Adobe RGB as
their default color space.
CMYK Determines the CMYK color space of the application. All CMYK working spaces are device-dependent,
meaning that they are based on actual ink and paper combinations. The CMYK working spaces Adobe supplies are
based on standard commercial print conditions.
Grayscale Determines the grayscale color space of the application.

Note:
You can use the color space in an embedded output color space for viewing and printing. For more information on output
intents, see Color conversion and ink management (Acrobat Pro).
Adobe applications ship with a standard set of working space profiles that have been recommended and tested by
Adobe for most color management workflows. By default, only these profiles appear in the working space menus.

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About missing and mismatched color profiles

Unless specified otherwise, the document uses the working space profile associated with its color mode for creating and
editing colors. However, some existing documents may not use the working space profile that you have specified, and
some existing documents may not be color-managed. It is common to encounter the following exceptions to your
color-managed workflow:
• You might open a document or import color data (for example, by copying and pasting or dragging and dropping)
from a document that is not tagged with a profile. This is often the case when you open a document created in an
application that either does not support color management or has color management turned off.
• You might open a document or import color data from a document that is tagged with a profile different from the
current working space. This may be the case when you open a document that was created using different color
management settings, or scanned and tagged with a scanner profile.
In either case, the application uses a color management policy to decide how to handle the color data in the document.

Color conversion options

Color conversion options let you control how the application handles the colors in a document as it moves from one
color space to another. Changing these options is recommended only if you are knowledgeable about color
management and very confident about the changes you make. To display conversion options, select the Color
Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
Engine Specifies the Color Management Module (CMM) used to map the gamut of one color space to the gamut of
another. For most users, the default Adobe (ACE) engine fulfills all conversion needs.

To view a description of an engine or intent option, select the option. The description appears at the bottom of the dialog
box.
Use Black Point Compensation Ensures that the shadow detail in the image is preserved by simulating the full dynamic
range of the output device. Select this option if you plan to use black point compensation when printing (which is
recommended in most situations).

About rendering intents

A rendering intent determines how a color management system handles color conversion from one color space to
another. Different rendering intents use different rules to determine how the source colors are adjusted; for example,
colors that fall inside the destination gamut may remain unchanged, or they may be adjusted to preserve the original
range of visual relationships when translated to a smaller destination gamut. The result of choosing a rendering intent
depends on the graphical content of documents and on the profiles used to specify color spaces. Some profiles produce
identical results for different rendering intents.

In general, it is best to use the default rendering intent for the selected color setting, which has been tested by Adobe to meet
industry standards. For example, if you choose a color setting for North America or Europe, the default rendering intent is
Relative Colorimetric.. If you choose a color setting for Japan, the default rendering intent is Perceptual.

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You can select a rendering intent when you set color conversion options for the color management system, soft-proof
colors, and print artwork:
Perceptual Aims to preserve the visual relationship between colors so it’s perceived as natural to the human eye, even
though the color values themselves may change. This intent is suitable for photographic images with lots of out-of-
gamut colors. This is the standard rendering intent for the Japanese printing industry.
Saturation Tries to produce vivid colors in an image at the expense of color accuracy. This rendering intent is suitable
for business graphics like graphs or charts, where bright saturated colors are more important than the exact relationship
between colors.
Relative Colorimetric Compares the extreme highlight of the source color space to that of the destination color space
and shifts all colors accordingly. Out-of-gamut colors are shifted to the closest reproducible color in the destination
color space. Relative Colorimetric preserves more of the original colors in an image than Perceptual. This is the
standard rendering intent for printing in North America and Europe.
Absolute Colorimetric Leaves colors that fall inside the destination gamut unchanged. Out-of-gamut colors are clipped.
No scaling of colors to destination white point is performed. This intent aims to maintain color accuracy at the expense
of preserving relationships between colors and is suitable for proofing to simulate the output of a particular device. This
intent is particularly useful for previewing how paper color affects printed colors.

Color-managing documents

Color-managing documents for online viewing

Color management for online viewing is very different from color management for printed media. With printed media,
you have far more control over the appearance of the final document. With online media, your document will appear
on a wide range of possibly uncalibrated monitors and video display systems, significantly limiting your control over
color consistency.
When you color-manage documents that are viewed exclusively on the web, Adobe recommends that you use the sRGB
color space. sRGB is the default working space for most Adobe color settings, but you can verify that sRGB is selected
in the Color Management preferences. With the working space set to sRGB, any RGB graphics you create will use sRGB
as the color space.
When you export PDFs, you can choose to embed profiles. PDFs with embedded profiles reproduce color consistently
under a properly configured color management system. Keep in mind that embedding color profiles increases the size
of PDFs. RGB profiles are usually small (around 3 KB); however, CMYK profiles can range from 0.5 to 2 MB.

Proofing colors
In a traditional publishing workflow, you print a hard proof of your document to preview how its colors look when
reproduced on a specific output device. In a color-managed workflow, you can use the precision of color profiles to soft-
proof your document directly on the monitor. You can display an onscreen preview of how your document’s colors look
when reproduced on a particular output device.
Keep in mind that the reliability of the soft proof depends upon the quality of your monitor, the profiles of your monitor
and output devices, and the ambient lighting conditions of your work environment.
Note:

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A soft proof alone doesn’t let you preview how overprinting looks when printed on an offset press. If you work with
documents that contain overprinting, turn on Overprint Preview to accurately preview overprints in a soft proof.

Using a soft proof to preview the final output of a document on your monitor
A Document is created in its working color space. B Document’s color values are translated to color space of chosen proof profile (usually the
output device’s profile). C Monitor displays proof profile’s interpretation of document’s color values.

Soft-proof colors (Acrobat Pro)

1 Choose Tools > Print Production. The Print Production tools are displayed in the right-hand pane.
2 In the right-pane, click Output Preview.
3 Choose the color profile of a specific output device from the Simulation Profile menu.
4 Choose any additional soft-proof options:
Simulate Black Ink Simulates the dark gray you really get instead of a solid black on many printers, according to the
proof profile. Not all profiles support this option.
Simulate Paper Color Simulates the dingy white of real paper, according to the proof profile. Not all profiles support
this option.

Color-managing PDFs for printing (Acrobat Pro)

When you create Adobe PDFs for commercial printing, you can specify how color information is represented. The
easiest way to do this is using a PDF/X standard. For more information about PDF/X and how to create PDFs, search
Help.
In general, you have the following choices for handling colors when creating PDFs:
• (PDF/X-3) Does not convert colors. Use this method when creating a document that is printed or displayed on
various or unknown devices. When you select a PDF/X-3 standard, color profiles are automatically embedded in
the PDF.
• (PDF/X-1a) Converts all colors to the destination CMYK color space. Use this method if you want to create a press-
ready file that does not require any further color conversions. When you select a PDF/X-1a standard, no profiles are
embedded in the PDF.
Note:
All spot color information is preserved during color conversion; only the process color equivalents convert to the designated
color space.

Working with color profiles

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About color profiles

Precise, consistent color management requires accurate ICC-compliant profiles of all of your color devices. For
example, without an accurate scanner profile, a perfectly scanned image may appear incorrect in another program,
simply due to any difference between the scanner and the program displaying the image. This misleading
representation may cause you to make unnecessary, time-wasting, and potentially damaging “corrections” to an already
satisfactory image. With an accurate profile, a program importing the image can correct for any device differences and
display a scan’s actual colors.
A color management system uses the following kinds of profiles:
Monitor profiles Describe how the monitor is currently reproducing color. This is the first profile you should create
because viewing color accurately on your monitor allows for critical color decisions in the design process. If what you
see on your monitor is not representative of the actual colors in your document, you will not be able to maintain color
consistency.
Input device profiles Describe what colors an input device is capable of capturing or scanning. If your digital camera
offers a choice of profiles, Adobe recommends that you select Adobe RGB. Otherwise, use sRGB (which is the default
for most cameras). Advanced users may also consider using different profiles for different light sources. For scanner
profiles, some photographers create separate profiles for each type or brand of film scanned on a scanner.
Output device profiles Describe the color space of output devices like desktop printers or a printing press. The color
management system uses output device profiles to properly map the colors in a document to the colors within the
gamut of an output device’s color space. The output profile should also take into consideration specific printing
conditions, such as the type of paper and ink. For example, glossy paper is capable of displaying a different range of
colors than matte paper.
Most printer drivers come with built-in color profiles. It’s a good idea to try these profiles before you invest in custom
profiles.
Document profiles (Not applicable to PDFs) Define the specific RGB or CMYK color space of a document. By
assigning, or tagging, a document with a profile, the application provides a definition of actual color appearances in the
document. For example, R=127, G=12, B=107 is just a set of numbers that different devices will display differently. But
when tagged with the Adobe RGB color space, these numbers specify an actual color or wavelength of light—in this
case, a specific color of purple.
When color management is on, Adobe applications automatically assign new documents a profile based on Working
Space options in the Color Settings dialog box. Documents without assigned profiles are known as untagged and
contain only raw color numbers. When working with untagged documents, Adobe applications use the current
working space profile to display and edit colors.

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Managing color with profiles

A Profiles describe the color spaces of the input device and the document. B Using the profiles’ descriptions, the color management system
identifies the document’s actual colors. C The monitor’s profile tells the color management system how to translate the document’s numeric values
to the monitor’s color space. D Using the output device’s profile, the color management system translates the document’s numeric values to the
color values of the output device so the correct appearance of colors is printed.

About monitor calibration and characterization

Profiling software can both calibrate and characterize your monitor. Calibrating your monitor brings it into compliance
with a predefined standard—for example, adjusting your monitor so that it displays color using the graphics arts
standard white point color temperature of 5000° K (Kelvin). Characterizing your monitor simply creates a profile that
describes how the monitor is currently reproducing color.
Monitor calibration involves adjusting the following video settings:
Brightness and contrast The overall level and range, respectively, of display intensity. These parameters work just as
they do on a television. A monitor calibration utility helps you set an optimum brightness and contrast range for
calibration.
Gamma The brightness of the midtone values. The values produced by a monitor from black to white are nonlinear—
if you graph the values, they form a curve, not a straight line. Gamma defines the value of that curve halfway between
black and white.
Phosphors The substances that CRT monitors use to emit light. Different phosphors have different color
characteristics.
White point The color and intensity of the brightest white the monitor can reproduce.

Calibrate and profile your monitor

When you calibrate your monitor, you are adjusting it so it conforms to a known specification. Once your monitor is
calibrated, the profiling utility lets you save a color profile. The profile describes the color behavior of the monitor—
what colors can or cannot be displayed on the monitor and how the numeric color values in an image must be converted
so that colors are displayed accurately.
1 Make sure your monitor has been turned on for at least half an hour. This gives it sufficient time to warm up and
produce more consistent output.

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2 Make sure your monitor is displaying thousands of colors or more. Ideally, make sure it is displaying millions of
colors or 24-bit or higher.
3 Remove colorful background patterns on your monitor desktop and set your desktop to display neutral grays. Busy
patterns or bright colors surrounding a document interfere with accurate color perception.
4 Do one of the following to calibrate and profile your monitor:
• In Windows, install and use a monitor calibration utility.
• In Mac OS, use the Calibrate utility, located on the System Preferences/Displays/Color tab.
• For the best results, use third-party software and measuring devices. In general, using a measuring device such
as a colorimeter along with software can create more accurate profiles because an instrument can measure the
colors displayed on a monitor far more accurately than the human eye.
Note:
Monitor performance changes and declines over time; recalibrate and profile your monitor every month or so. If you
find it difficult or impossible to calibrate your monitor to a standard, it may be too old and faded.
Most profiling software automatically assigns the new profile as the default monitor profile. For instructions on how to
manually assign the monitor profile, refer to the Help system for your operating system.

Install a color profile

Color profiles are often installed when a device is added to your system. The accuracy of these profiles (often called
generic profiles or canned profiles) varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. You can also obtain device profiles from
your service provider, download profiles from the web, or create custom profiles using professional profiling equipment.
• In Windows, right-click a profile and select Install Profile. Alternatively, copy the profiles into the
WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\color folder.
• In Mac OS, copy profiles into the /Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder or the
/Users/[username]/Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder.
After installing color profiles, be sure to restart Adobe applications.

Embed a color profile

You can embed a color profile in an object. Acrobat attaches the appropriate profile, as specified in the Convert Colors
dialog box, to the selected objects in the PDF. For more information, see Color conversion and ink management
(Acrobat Pro).

Convert colors to another profile (Acrobat Pro)

You convert colors in a PDF using the Convert Colors tool available in Print Production. For more information, see
Color conversion and ink management (Acrobat Pro).
• About color working spaces

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Understanding color management

A color management system reconciles color differences among devices so that you can be reasonably certain of the
colors your system ultimately produces. Viewing color accurately allows you to make sound color decisions throughout
your workflow, from digital capture through final output. Color management also allows you to create output based on
ISO, SWOP, and Japan Color print production standards.

Why colors sometimes don’t match

No device in a publishing system is capable of reproducing the full range of colors viewable to the human eye. Each
device operates within a specific color space that can produce a certain range, or gamut, of colors.
A color model determines the relationship between values, and the color space defines the absolute meaning of those
values as colors. Some color models (such as CIE L*a*b) have a fixed color space because they relate directly to the way
humans perceive color. These models are described as being device-independent. Other color models (RGB, HSL, HSB,
CMYK, and so forth) can have many different color spaces. Because these models vary with each associated color space
or device, they are described as being device-dependent.
Because of these varying color spaces, colors can shift in appearance as you transfer documents between different
devices. Color variations can result from differences in image sources; the way software applications define color; print
media (newsprint paper reproduces a smaller gamut than magazine-quality paper); and other natural variations, such
as manufacturing differences in monitors or monitor age.

Color gamuts of various devices and documents

A Lab color space B Documents (working space) C Devices

What is a color management system?

Color-matching problems result from various devices and software using different color spaces. One solution is to have
a system that interprets and translates color accurately between devices. A color management system (CMS) compares
the color space in which a color was created to the color space in which the same color will be output, and makes the
necessary adjustments to represent the color as consistently as possible among different devices.

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A color management system translates colors with the help of color profiles. A profile is a mathematical description of
a device’s color space. For example, a scanner profile tells a color management system how your scanner “sees” colors.
Adobe color management uses ICC profiles, a format defined by the International Color Consortium (ICC) as a
cross-platform standard.
Because no single color-translation method is ideal for all types of graphics, a color management system provides a
choice of rendering intents, or translation methods, so that you can apply a method appropriate to a particular graphics
element. For example, a color translation method that preserves correct relationships among colors in a wildlife
photograph may alter the colors in a logo containing flat tints of color.
Note:
Don’t confuse color management with color correction. A color management system won’t correct an image that was saved
with tonal or color balance problems. It provides an environment where you can evaluate images reliably in the context of
your final output.

Do you need color management?

Without a color management system, your color specifications are device-dependent. You might not need color
management if your production process is tightly controlled for one medium only. For example, you or your print
service provider can tailor CMYK images and specify color values for a known, specific set of printing conditions.
The value of color management increases when you have more variables in your production process. Color
management is recommended if you anticipate reusing color graphics for print and online media, using various kinds
of devices within a single medium (such as different printing presses), or if you manage multiple workstations.
You will benefit from a color management system if you need to accomplish any of the following:
• Get predictable and consistent color output on multiple output devices including color separations, your desktop
printer, and your monitor. Color management is especially useful for adjusting color for devices with a relatively
limited gamut, such as a four-color process printing press.
• Accurately soft-proof (preview) a color document on your monitor by making it simulate a specific output device.
(Soft-proofing is subject to the limitations of monitor display, and other factors such as room lighting conditions.)
• Accurately evaluate and consistently incorporate color graphics from many different sources if they also use color
management, and even in some cases if they don’t.
• Send color documents to different output devices and media without having to manually adjust colors in documents
or original graphics. This is valuable when creating images that will eventually be used both in print and online.
• Print color correctly to an unknown color output device; for example, you could store a document online for
consistently reproducible on-demand color printing anywhere in the world.

Creating a viewing environment for color management

Your work environment influences how you see color on your monitor and on printed output. For best results, control
the colors and light in your work environment by doing the following:
• View your documents in an environment that provides a consistent light level and color temperature. For example,
the color characteristics of sunlight change throughout the day and alter the way colors appear on your screen, so
keep shades closed or work in a windowless room. To eliminate the blue-green cast from fluorescent lighting, you
can install D50 (5000° Kelvin) lighting. You can also view printed documents using a D50 lightbox.

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• View your document in a room with neutral-colored walls and ceiling. A room’s color can affect the perception of
both monitor color and printed color. The best color for a viewing room is neutral gray. Also, the color of your
clothing reflecting off the glass of your monitor may affect the appearance of colors on-screen.
• Remove colorful background patterns on your monitor desktop. Busy or bright patterns surrounding a document
interfere with accurate color perception. Set your desktop to display neutral grays only.
• View document proofs in the real-world conditions under which your audience will see the final piece. For example,
you might want to see how a housewares catalog looks under the incandescent light bulbs used in homes, or view
an office furniture catalog under the fluorescent lighting used in offices. However, always make final color
judgements under the lighting conditions specified by the legal requirements for contract proofs in your country.

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