A PDF can be much more than just a static document: with Adobe Acrobat you can add buttons, links, drop-down menus, or even form fields to make it more dynamic and useful. This type of interactive PDFs will come in handy for presentations, catalogs, portfolios, and much more.
As you can imagine, there are many ways to create an interactive PDF. Among all the paths you can take, today we are going to suggest one for you to start shaping your ideas in a relatively easy way.
Prepare the content before starting
Before you start creating anything in Acrobat, it is advisable to create the visual part in another program such as, for example, Adobe Illustrator. From here you can create high-quality vector graphics and illustrations that, when exported to PDF, will look sharp on any screen.
Imagine you are creating a catalog. If you want to make it more attractive, you can start with a cover and then add graphics inside. On the other hand, you can also design buttons to integrate them later into your PDF. And of course, don’t forget to gather all the content you might need later (texts, images, etc.)
Why we should use Adobe Illustrator for our PDFs
Adobe Illustrator is an ideal program for designing buttons, icons, and visuals because it works with vector graphics. This means you can adapt your creations to any size and without losing quality. As you can see, it is especially useful if we are creating PDFs, whether to be viewed on screen or for printing.
At Softonic, we have several tutorials that will help you make the most of Adobe Illustrator, whether you are a beginner or already know a bit about the program.
Import your Illustrator creations to Acrobat Pro
If you have set up your entire document in Illustrator, now it’s time to prepare the file for export as a PDF. Before you start, organize your document into well-defined layers (illustrations, texts, etc.), as this will make any type of editing easier later on.
- Don’t forget to check the color mode of the document. If the intention is for it to be displayed on screens, use RGB. If you need to print it, then use CMYK. To change this, you can go to File > Document Color Mode.
- After these checks, click on File > Export > Export As.. and select PDF. You can also save the file as a PDF directly from File > Save As…
Everything described above will help you save any project you have laid out or designed entirely from Illustrator as a PDF. If you have the desktop application of Adobe Acrobat, you can also create a PDF from scratch there.
- Adobe Acrobat is compatible with many types of Adobe files, such as those belonging to Photoshop (.psd), Illustrator (.ai, .eps), or InDesign (.indd, .indb).
- Open Adobe Acrobat and click on the Create tab.
- Drag the file you want to convert to PDF into the program. It will open, and you can save it as a PDF from File > Save As…
- Select where you want to save the future PDF and make sure that Format is set to Adobe PDF Files. Finally, click on Save.
How to add buttons and links
Although you may think otherwise, creating interactive content in Adobe Acrobat is easier than you think. One type of structure that will help make your PDF more enjoyable to consult is to integrate an interactive table of contents.
This allows any user to quickly navigate between sections of a PDF without getting lost. If you want to create one, do the following:
- With the document already open in Adobe Acrobat, go to All Tools > Add search index.
- Click on Manage embedded index and then, on Embed Index.
- To confirm, press OK.
You can include hyperlinks in your documents that lead to other websites, YouTube videos, or any social media. Add them like this:
- Go back to All Tools and click on Edit a PDF.
- Select the text or image you want to add a link to.
- Right-click on the item in question and click on Create Link.
- Select what you want it to do: go to a specific page in the PDF, open a file… when you’re ready, click on Next and follow the instructions on the screen.
To add buttons to your PDF that further facilitate navigation, follow these simple steps:
- When you have the document open in Acrobat, click on Edit and go to the Add content section. Below you will see a long list of options that can be expanded further by selecting More. Look for Button and click on it.
- Select the area of the document where you want to place the button and define its size.
- Finally, right-click on the newly created button. To customize the design and configure what it can do, select All Properties. You will see sections like Appearance, Position, and more. Feel free to change whatever you want.
The era of boring PDFs is over
The combination of Adobe Acrobat and Illustrator can make a simple PDF much more eye-catching and also easier to consult. With Illustrator, we can add a distinctive visual touch while Acrobat makes it more interactive. Feel free to combine both programs to make your documents more interesting.
