6 Awesome Examples of Multimedia PDFs

From cave paintings to paper documents, we’ve communicated ideas with static words and basic images. Yet thanks to the power of the PDF format, this is no longer the case.

Why should you limit your documents to archaic standards when you could have interactive, multimedia versions?

Learn what you can do with the PDF format. With the help of 6 awesome examples of multimedia PDFs and handy links, you can learn how to turn your boring, static documents into multimedia wonders.

1. Multimedia Portfolio

When you need to quickly show off a vast array of what you can accomplish with the PDF, there’s no easier way than in a PDF portfolio. They’re a great way to combine a number of multimedia elements into a single format.

Here’s one creative multimedia portfolio from the Washington Post and Slate Magazine that was recently published on the Adobe Acrobat Users Community (AAUC) gallery. It showcases a profile of current US President, Barack Obama, while on the campaign trail to the White House. This PDF portfolio puts campaigning on a different and more creative level.

Obama Navigation

If you’re a photographer, sound engineer or composer, you can use the AAUC to give your PDF portfolios some exposure and even get some tips on how to get it into top form. It’s a great place to browse tutorials on PDF Portfolios, find general tutorial articles or check into the forums for tips and tricks.

2.Video Elements

Movement attracts the human eye, so why not attract more eyes with videos embedded directly into your PDF files. Here’s a great PDF that puts the embedded video element center stage.

Created by Harry Hermus from dividi projects, this amazing PDF shows Pink Floyd musician David Gilmour’slive performance of “A Great Day For Freedom” embedded right into the PDF.

David Gilmour Logo

Embedding video in PDF files is not as hard you might think. You can even embed YouTube videos by downloading them and converting them to whatever compatible format you desire.

3. 3D Elements

Make that information leap off the page with 3D elements and highlights in your PDFs. With the right tools and some patience, you can even make them interactive.

In addition to a PDF Portfolio gallery, the AAUC also maintains a 3D PDF gallery for the PDF user community. Straight from the AAUC, this  showcase gives you a first hand look at how complex a PDF graphic can get. Learn how to manipulate, rotate and view a 3D graphic right in the PDF file itself.

AUC3D Gallery

For more information on creating a 3D PDF, check out the AAUC where you can find a number of handy 3D resources.

4. Interactive Flash

Flash can be implemented through a variety of ways, though many of them will require another application or tool to help create the Flash items. Adding a Flash movie is just like adding a video (see above). Take a look at these e-brochures from PDFpictures.com. You can find a number of ways to incorporate Flash videos for different projects with different goals.

PDF Pictures logo

The AAUC gives you links to add not only a splash of action to your PDF but some interactivity as well thanks to these handy tips.

5. Audio Elements

Some information is best transferred via sound. So why not hook some audio into your PDF? Find out how to effectively integrate sound with your content in this e-brochure from Uniquely Merit that showcases group vacations to a number of different countries. Cultural music specific to each country plays in the background as you turn through the pages.

eBrochures

Creating an effective atmosphere with music is a quick and simple task and only requires a few steps. Simply click Acrobat> Tools> Advanced Editing or you can attach the file via Acrobat > Document >Attach a file.

You can also do it another way where you’ll be able to add comments to the PDF as you go. This means that even if you’re not present when someone is reading your PDF you can incorporate your thoughts and voice into it. By selecting Acrobat > Tools > Commenting (or Acrobat > Comments > Commenting Tools [version dependent]) you can get access to the tools you need to record and embed your comments where and when you need to.

6. PDF as a website

Another cool use of PDFs is to use them as an entirely interactive and portable website to promote yourself and your products. Take for example dividiprojects, a PDF website geared towards “Delivering sales, marketing and communications information…effectively. They specialize in creating interactive PDFs, e-brochures and presentations.

DividiPDF navigation

With interactive buttons, videos and sound you could be saving yourself time and money by simply forgoing a standard web presence and present your potential clients and business partners with one multimedia experience that they can even view offline if need be.

Discover real world examples of awesome multimedia PDFs by checking out the ebook, Dynamic Media: Music, Video, Animation, and the Web in Adobe PDF. In this book, author Bob Connolly puts together 11 case studies illustrating the nearly limitless potential of rich media in the PDF format.

Dynamic Media Logo

Here’s the summary of the ebook to get a sneak peek.

With these tips and some practice you’ll be making some of the most mundane documents into extraordinary multimedia experiences your readers will love!

How The PDF Can Solve 7 Problems

pdf problem solutionThe Adobe PDF format is extremely versatile. It’s a swiss army knife format that can help you out in a number of tight situations.

But are you still asking just how versatile the PDF is and how that versatility can help you? Let’s show you what the PDF can do.

Here are 7 real-life problems you can solve with just this one format.

Problem #1 – Data Security

I’m worried about data being stolen from my computer or someone reading a file that they shouldn’t. How can the PDF help me?

Well Adobe Acrobat 9 has improved document security built right into it. So you don’t need to worry about the secret company information getting into the wrong hands or the wrong eyes seeing it. It allows you to set a password for everything from opening to changing. You can control whether or not a document can be printed and even permanently remove specific information or meta information. You can even prevent files from copying, editing and commenting (according to the Adobe Acrobat website).

Example Document types:

  • Invoices
  • Contracts and agreements
  • Surveys and questionnaires
  • HR forms and documents
  • Strategic planning documents
  • Design reviews
  • Pharmaceutical submissions
  • Government and military intelligence briefs

Problem #2 – Easy Collaboration and Editing

Continue reading →

The ABCs Of The PDF: J-L

First off, my apologies. It has been awhile since the last posting in this series, and there is still yet more to uncover and discover. So for this posting, its about the figures behind the PDF world and information behind PDF links and some tips. If you’re stalking up on some backgrounder bits and PDF facts in preparation for the 2007 Conference, then by all means, read on.

John E. Warnock

The name, the man, the father behind the PDF, Dr. John E. Warnock. Along with Charles Geschke, he co-founded Adobe Systems, Inc. in 1982. Before that, he worked as a computer scientist at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in 1978, where he first developed the Post Script language (aka “Interpress” in its early Camelot development), the page description language which would be the building blocks of the PDF.

For the first two years of the company, Warnock served as president of Adobe Systems Inc. and then was CEO until his retirement from that position in 2000. Warnock has led an active career of achievements in computer technology, being highly distinguished in numerous associations and winner of countless awards for his innovation and influence. He is now co-chairman of Adobe with Charles Geshcke.

Also interesting to note is that he has an Adobe typeface named after him—Warnock Pro. Here is a quoted description: “Warnock Pro’s structure is both rational and dynamic, striking a balance between innovation and restraint.” I wonder if the look of the typeface design reflects his personality. . . .

Kurt Foss

As regular day-to-day PDF user, you hardly notice how quickly names can stick in your head—Kurt Foss being one of them. I first came upon Kurt Foss in the beginning of my PDF research, when I read many blogs and searched many articles (I still do). And his were among the top of the research piles.

And doing a bit of research on Foss himself, you’ll find that he has a major presence in the PDF world too. As a long time veteran of the PDF industry, his attraction to the PDF world was a passion for the format, a curiosity about the potential uses and users of the format: “I became increasingly aware of looming technological changes that seemed poised to change the way my profession worked. So I immersed myself in learning about it.” One of his most “notable notables,” in fact, was being one of the first to globally publish newspaper pages in the PDF format, experimenting with how the digital format could work for the printed word.

Foss started out as an Adobe evangelist with the company from 1993-2003 when Acrobat was still in its first version. Since then, he has been web editor of both PDFZone and Planet PDF, and has written articles on issues surrounding the uses of the PDF format. Currently, Foss is the online editor of the Acrobat User Community, a site you may have heard of or been to at one point or another for resources and tips. He has written numerous posts, commenting, reviewing and reporting anything and everything having to do with PDF.

Links

Linking within a PDF file itself is a great way in which to include more background content within your file. Yet, the hypertext link, itself, has a background history of its own, one associated with Vannevar Bush’s influential work ,“As We May Think.”

The paper contained the first rough concept of the computer, called the Memex, an idea which inspired the creation of the actual hypertext as we know it today. The term “hypertext” was first coined by Ted Nelson in 1965, and its invention is usually accredited to him and American scientist, Douglas Engelbart. In 1968, with Engelbart’s historic “Mother of All Demos,” the first hypertext interface was demoed. And by 1980, Tim Berners-Lee, also another famous name, created a hypertext database system, a system created out of a motivation that became the same driving force behind the World Wide Web and the Internet—to meet the demand of automatic information sharing. The implementation of such hypertext link databases in the late 80’s eventually led to the first stages of the World Wide Web.

Of course, needless to say, when you add links within your PDF, you create the same mini-network of information resources and sites. However, behind the convenience of endless information resources, is the frustration of usability. Web usability guru, Jakob Nielsen , has a few words on the use of links and the PDF, which might come in handy in making that PDF user-friendly and informative.

Hope this helps out with that small talk. ‘Till next time!