Adobe Acrobat Professional 6
The new Adobe Acrobat Professional version 6 adds a number of new features, yet is easier to use than previous versions. Adobe has managed to hide some of the complexity of creating PDF files behind a redesigned interface that is easy to navigate and use. The only trade off is in speed. Opening and performing certain operations can seem more sluggish than in earlier versions, especially on older computers.
The ability to create PDF/X1-a and PDF/X-3 files and the ability to preflight PDF files are two important upgrades for designers. You can preflight files according to preset profiles or custom profiles that contain your own rules and conditions. The profiles can be set to alert you of potential problems, such as images below a certain resolution or non-embedded fonts within the file.
Acrobat 6 is also easier to use from within other programs, such as Microsoft Office. Acrobat adds a toolbar and menu commands into Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, so you can turn a document into a PDF with just one click. You can also create PDFs from within Windows Explorer just by right-clicking a file and choosing the Convert to PDF option from the pop-up menu.
Although version 5 already lets you add comments to your PDFs, Adobe has enhanced Acrobat’s document review and commenting features considerably. With version 6, the comments list is now easier to use and can be exported directly into Word.
These new features coupled with other improvements to forms creation and general usability mean there’s no reason for Acrobat users not to upgrade.
