PDF Frequently Asked Questions
The Office of Research site provides a number of PDF (portable document format)
documents. Adobe Reader is needed to view these documents. To
install this free application, click on the "Adobe Reader" icon
below and follow the instructions on the Adobe site. Your browser requires
a plug-in to view PDF documents which will be installed in Netscape Navigator
and Microsoft Internet Explorer when you install Adobe Reader.
If this FAQ doesn't answer your questions, and you still need assistance,
please contact the Office of Research at x.7245
Why are you using Portable Document
Format (PDF)?
Why are the forms no longer available
as Microsoft Word documents?
I do not have Adobe Reader. Where
can I download it?
Basic tips for using the Office
of Research fill-in forms.
Why am I seeing question marks
where fields ought to be, or why is the information I am entering into some
of the fields disappearing?
Why can't I save the information that
I have entered into the fields on one of the OR forms? I can enter information
into the fields and I can print the forms after entering information, but
I can't save the forms with the information I have entered.
How do I use the forms without a
web browser?
When I try to download a fill-in
form, my computer sounds like something is happening, or my modem lights show
activity, but my screen/web browser goes blank or I get an error message,
and the file never comes through.
Known issues when printing forms
with specific printers
Why are you using Portable Document
Format (PDF)?
The forms used in the Office of Research are in Adobe's Portable Document
Format (PDF) because it has been widely adopted as the standard by which electronic
documents are transmitted, particularly on the Internet. Unlike other formats,
PDF does not depend on the display or printer of the user to determine how
it is viewed; instead, it adapts to the user's particular configuration. Our
forms can be viewed, navigated and printed from any computer running Windows
95/NT/Me/XP, Macintosh, LINUX.
Why are the forms no longer available
as Microsoft Word documents?
The main reason why we have switched over to PDF forms is security. Microsoft
Word templates can be altered and changed, and have no controls for digitally
signing and protecting the data contained in them. Adobe PDF files automatically
(by default) load immediately into the user's web browser, thereby eliminating
the confusion many callers experienced in downloading, saving, unzipping,
and opening the Microsoft Word forms. Additionally, Adobe Acrobat Reader is
free to the world, where not everyone has a program capable of reading Microsoft
Word documents.
I do not have Adobe Reader. Where
can I download it?
The software can also be downloaded by clicking on the icon below.
Basic tips for using the Office of
Research and Graduate Studies fill-in forms:
1. To start entering information, click somewhere on the line in the first
field in the form. Once you have completed that field, hit the TAB key to
move along to the next field, or use your mouse to left-click on the next
field. You can also hit SHIFT-TAB to move back to the previous field. If you
find that when you click on the field you do not see a cursor to begin entering
information, make sure you have the "hand tool" (picture of a hand) selected
along one of the top or left toolbars on your screen.
2. Be sure to review the form and the fields you have entered into it before
printing, and be sure to review what you have printed before closing the form.
Unless you have the full Adobe Acrobat product, and not just the free Reader,
you will not be able to save your forms with the fields you have completed
to review them later.
Why am I seeing question marks
where fields ought to be, or why is the information I am entering into some
of the fields disappearing?
You are using Acrobat Reader version 2.x , 3.x, or 4.x each of which has known
problems with form fields. (2.x does not support the fill-in fields at all;
3.x has only limited fill-in capability, 4.x has some problems redering text)
To download the latest version, v7.0, which is free, click on the icon at
the top of the page.
Why can't I save the information that I have entered
into the fields on one of the OR forms? I can enter information into the fields
and I can print the forms after entering information, but I can't save the
forms with the information I have entered.
Adobe Reader is a free product, with viewing, navigating, and printing capabilities.
However, to make any changes to PDF documents, or to design your own, you
must purchase the complete Adobe Acrobat product. It is available in the Campus
Bookstore.
How do I use the forms without the web browser?
To use a form independent of the web browser, rather clicking on the PDF you
want with your left mouse button (which downloads the form to your browser),
you should, instead, right mouse click and select "Save Link As" (Netscape)
or "Save Target As" (Internet Explorer) from the pop-up menu. This method
allows you to save the file to your hard drive. After you have done this,
simply start Acrobat Reader without the web browser (Start Menu->Programs->Adobe
Reader 7.0, or click on the shortcut on your desktop) and open up the downloaded
file from wherever you saved it.
When I try to download a fill-in form, my computer
sounds like something is happening, or my modem lights show activity, but
my screen/web browser goes blank or I get an error message, and the file never
comes through.
Try these solutions, in this order:
1) Reload and make sure that the entire file is being downloaded
2) Check version of Adobe Reader. If you are using Adobe Reader version 4.0
or earlier, upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader.
3) Open up the fill-in form file independent of the browser. After you select
a form and click on the "review selected files" button, you receive a results
page with a link to download the form(s). Rather than left mouse clicking
to download the form to your browser, right mouse click and select "Save Link
As" (Netscape) or "Save Target As" (Internet Explorer) from the pop up menu.
This will allow you to save the file to your hard drive. Start up Adobe Reader
independent of the browser and open up the downloaded file.
4) Microsoft has additional information for Internet Explorer users in their
online support database.
Set search for "all products" and enter Q177321 in the "My question is" box.
Known issues when printing forms with specific printers:
Canon BJC 4100 - PDF files may not print properly in the printer's photographic
mode. Use the printer's Graphics & Text or Automatic modes instead.
Canon LBP-81V - Use the printer's bitmap mode for best results.
HP DeskJet Printers - If provided, it is recommended to use the printer's
Raster Graphics mode as opposed to the Vector Graphics mode.
HP DeskJet 500C - This printer has an unprintable area near the top of the
page. Be sure to use the shrink-to-fit option in Acrobat Reader's Print dialog
box.
HP LaserJet Printers - For best results it is recommended that you use the
printer driver's TrueType font option to download TrueType fonts as bitmaps
(not outlines). Also selecting 'Print As Image' in the print dialogue box
helps as well.
HP LaserJet 5M - For best results, it is recommended that you use the standard
HP Laserjet 5M printer driver and not the enhanced driver that ships with
the printer.
