Adobe PDF (Portable Document files)

Many of our reports and graphics placed on our Web site are created in Portable Document Format (PDF). PDF is used because this format maintains the original look and feel of large documents, and allows us to place more publications on the web in a quick and efficient manner. Further, PDF products are independent of platforms, applications, and distribution media.

How to obtain a PDF Reader

Versions of Acrobat Reader exist for all major computer platforms, including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Macintosh, Sun, UNIX and several other operating systems. To download the reader, you'll need a computer and a Web browser (such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer) connected to the Internet. If you are using a modem to connect to the Internet, it may take you extra time to complete the download. Please follow the instructions on the Adobe Acrobat download page to install the Acrobat Reader.

Following are the System Requirements for Acrobat Reader 4.0:

Windows System Requirements
* i486™ or Pentium®-based personal computer (Pentium recommended)
* Microsoft® Windows® 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT® 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or later
* 16 MB of RAM for Acrobat on Windows 95 or 98, 24 MB of RAM for Acrobat on Windows NT 4.0 (32 MB recommended)
* 32 MB of RAM for the Paper Capture Plug-in (64 MB recommended)
* 75 MB of available hard-disk space (50 MB additional for Asian fonts recommended)
Macintosh System Requirements
* Apple Power Macintosh or compatible computer
* MacOS software version 7.1.2 or later
* 4.5 MB of available RAM (6.5 MB recommended)
* 8 MB of available hard-disk space

Download the Adobe Acrobat Reader software now! This reader is free of charge.

Having problems with PDF Files?

Should you experience PDF files appearing as a blank window within Internet Explorer after downloading and are using Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 or earlier, please upgrade to version 5.0 or later.

If this does not resolve the issue please follow the following steps:

Use the "Save Target As" or "Save Link As" option to download the PDF file directly to your hard drive and bypass the Acrobat Reader plug-in.

1. Using the right-side mouse button click on the file (click on the title link) you are interested in.(CTRL+click for Mac)

2. Select the "save target as" option in Internet Explorer, or "save link as" in Netscape.

3. Save as type should be "Adobe Acrobat Document" or "all files."

4. Make sure you name the file (or accept the name supplied).

5. Know the location of where you are saving it.

6. Hit save.

7. Use the Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file after downloading.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, and have downloaded the Acrobat Reader (above) you may also want to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader OCX Update. If you're having trouble, visit the Adobe Acrobat Reader help site for more information.

Once you've downloaded and installed the Acrobat Reader, you'll be able to view PDF files simply by clicking on the link to the PDF file in your browser. Either the browser will handle the PDF file, or it will bring up another program for viewing the PDF file. Either way, a special window will appear that contains buttons that work only for PDF files. Use these buttons to navigate through the file.

If you want to print the PDF file, you must use the print button located within the Adobe Acrobat viewer (usually this is just above the document on the left side). Use of the browser print button or the browser's "File, Print" command will not result in a correct printout.

Adobe Systems, Inc. is producing various products designed to make PDF documents accessible to persons using screen reading software. Their accessibility Web pages describe their efforts. They also have a free downloadable accessibility plug-in called, Adobe Access, for use with Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT. This plug-in helps to overcome some of the problems of reading pdf documents with screen readers.

Useful Links

The links below provide some useful downloads which can greatly minimize problems users encounter when viewing our site:

Internet Explorer	Download the latest version of this popular browser to access the latest features on our site and the rest of the Web.
Netscape Navigator	Download the latest version of this popular browser to access the latest features on our site and the rest of the Web.
Adobe Acrobat Reader	You will need to download this popular reader in order to view the various PDF files on our site.
Adobe Acrobat Reader - OCX Update	If you browse with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0x, you will need to download this plug-in to view and download PDF files one page at a time.
Adobe Acrobat Reader - Help Page	This is the place to go for all your PDF problems related to printing, viewing, and downloading.
Adobe Acrobat Access	This is a link to a special Adobe site that talks about how to make PDF documents accessible for people with visual disabilities
Microsoft Word Viewer	The Microsoft Word Viewer 97/2000 allows users to share Word documents even if one user does not have Word installed on their machine. With the Microsoft Word Viewer 97/2000, Microsoft Word users can share documents with those who do not have Word and users without Word can open and view Word documents. This viewer allows users to view and print documents created in the Word native file format, even if they do not have Word. Users are allowed to zoom, outline, or view page layout, headers/footers, footnotes, and annotations. As such it enables you to view any Word documents posted on our site.
Microsoft Excel Viewer	Analogous to the Word viewer, this free viewer download is for users who don't have Excel currently installed on their machines; it allows them to open and view Excel 2000 spreadsheet files. By downlaoading Microsoft Excel 2000 Viewer 97 you can view any Excel tables posted on our site. Microsoft Excel Viewer is a small, freely distributable program that lets users view and print Excel for Windows (versions 2.0 and greater) and Excel for the Macintosh (versions 2.2a and greater) spreadsheet files. This viewer gives users the flexibility to view page layout, copy and control cell sizes, and access the zoom and AutoFilter features. This viewer also supports OLE DocObject as well as the ability to view any Excel file.
Microsoft Powerpoint Viewer	This is the Powerpoint equivalent of the Word and Excel viewers. It enables you to view any Powerpoint presentations posted on our site. With this release, the Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 97 now also supports PowerPoint 2000 files. The viewer enables you to view and print presentations, but you cannot edit them in the PowerPoint Viewer. The PowerPoint Viewer 97 supports PowerPoint 2000 files as well as those files created with previous versions of PowerPoint. The PowerPoint Viewer supports all PowerPoint 97 and PowerPoint 95 features. You can use it to view files created in both PowerPoint for Windows and PowerPoint for the Macintosh. Your PowerPoint 2000 presentation may not look exactly the same as it does when viewed in PowerPoint 2000 because some of the PowerPoint 2000 features, such as picture bullets, automatic numbering, and animated GIF pictures are not supported by the Viewer. This download is for Windows 95, 98, and 2000 and Windows NT operating systems only.