Setting up your
Acrobat.comloginExploring the
Acrobat.comservicesGetting started on
Acrobat.com
A crobat.com is an Adobe service and not really part of any application. The service was first introduced along with the release of Acrobat 9, which has a variety of menu commands to access services found on Acrobat.com. In addition, all the Creative Suite 5 applications have menu commands that enable you to get to Acrobat.com for Web conferencing.
Any user of any application can make use of the Acrobat.com services. You don't have to be a user of any particular Adobe software application to use Acrobat.com . You can use these free services to share files, distribute forms, host and participate in Web conferences, and use the Adobe Buzzword service for an online word processor.
Because you don't have to be an Adobe software user to access Acrobat.com, interacting with clients and refining concepts and ad campaigns is much easier for designers using Creative Suite applications.
In this chapter, we cover getting started using Acrobat.com and in Chapters 27, 32, 33, and 34, we talk about specific services you might use with forms, file sharing, review sessions, and Web conferencing. Consider this chapter your gateway to the Acrobat.com service center where you can explore the many options that this service affords.
Regardless of the type of activity you want to use on Acrobat.com, you need to create an Adobe ID. Creating an Adobe ID is merely registering your login name and password with Adobe. No personal information is submitted to Adobe when you create an Adobe ID, and you can use your ID for a number of services, such as purchasing products at the Adobe Store and logging on to special Adobe forums and blogs.
If you don't have an Adobe ID, you can obtain one in several ways. When you log on to Acrobat. com (www.acrobat.com), the welcome screen provides you options for signing up (if you don't have an Adobe ID) or signing in (if you already have an Adobe ID), as shown in Figure 30.1.
Figure 30.1. Open the Acrobat.com Web site at www.acrobat.com, and click Sign Up to create an Adobe ID.
If you don't have an Adobe ID, click the Sign Up button in the upper-right corner of the Acrobat. com home page. The Sign Up pop-up window opens, and you are prompted to supply information for your Adobe ID account, as shown in Figure 30.2.
Fill in the text boxes for e-mail, password, and name; select your country from the pull-down menu; and check the box for agreeing to the terms of the service. When you click Begin, you'll be notified that an e-mail message is sent to your e-mail account. When the message arrives in your e-mail inbox, you'll find a URL link in the message. Click the link, and you've completed your Adobe ID registration.
The next time you log onto Acrobat.com, use your e-mail address for the Adobe ID and type your password, and you can enter your library on Acrobat.com .
You also may create an Adobe ID by choosing Share My Screen in any of the Creative Suite applications or from a number of different menu commands in the File
When you log in with your Adobe ID, you arrive at your personal account on Acrobat.com . Here you find two categorical groups: Actions and Lists & Collections. In the right pane, you find lists of items pertaining to the selection made in one of the two groups on the left, as shown in Figure 30.3. By default the Files item in Lists & Collections is selected, and the list in the right pane displays files in your Acrobat.com library. The services available to you on Acrobat.com include:
Actions: A series of different actions are executed when you click an item in the Actions list. The Actions items include:
New Buzzword Document: Adobe Buzzword is an Adobe Flash-based word processor. You can write documents online, and the files are stored in your
Acrobat.comlibrary. You don't need to be concerned about saving files on a flash drive and copying to a laptop when you're on the road. You can access your Buzzword documents wherever you have an Internet connection. Buzzword documents can be shared, reviewed, and co-authored with otherAcrobat.com/Buzzword users. The documents can be exported in a number of useful file formats including Word, RTF, and text files, and they can be placed directly in InDesign.New Table: If you want to create a spreadsheet type document, you can do so directly on
Acrobat.com, where you can collaborate with others to form a final table document, share, and exchange the files.Upload: Use this option to upload files to your
Acrobat.comlibrary where you can share the files with others and join in collaboration sessions.Import & Edit: Click this option when you want to upload a file and edit it directly from within the
Acrobat.comworkspace. You may want to create an outline in an application such as Microsoft Word, upload the file, and invite others to share editing the document.Note
For more information on Web conferencing, see Chapter 34.
Create PDF: This option enables you to convert up to five native files to PDF. The service is intended for Adobe Reader users who do not have PDF creation opportunities in the free Reader software.
Lists & Collections: This item provides options for organizing files in your
Acrobat.comworkspace. The options include:
Note
For more information on sharing files on Acrobat.com, see Chapter 32.
All Files: Click All Files, and files in your
Acrobat.comlibrary are displayed.Uncategorized Files: When you click this option, all files that are not contained within a collection (similar to a desktop folder) appear in the All Files pane.
My Collections: You can create a new collection that is similar to creating a new folder, label the collection, and drag files in the new collection. This option provides you a means for organizing files in different groups.
New Collection: Click this item and add a label to create a new collection. While viewing Uncategorized Files, you can click and drag a file in the right pane to your new collection.
You can always open your Web browser and navigate to www.acrobat.com to access your Acrobat.com library. If you happen to be working in Acrobat or Adobe Reader, you can choose File
Type your login e-mail address and password, and click Sign In. Your default Web browser launches and takes you to Acrobat.com . If you regularly visit Acrobat.com, you can set up your Acrobat preferences to remember your login information so you don't need to type your Adobe ID and password each time you log on.
To set your preferences in Acrobat for remembering your Adobe ID and password, open the Preferences dialog box by pressing Ctrl/
Figure 30.5. Open the Acrobat preferences, and click Acrobat.com in the left pane to display options for Acrobat.com login in the right pane.
Type your login Adobe ID, and check the Remember Me box. When this box is checked, you can type your password in the Password text box. Click OK, and each time you log onto Acrobat.com, your Adobe ID and password are automatically handled by Acrobat.
From any other CS application, you can access Acrobat.com and Web conferencing by choosing File
Choosing Share My Screen takes you to a ConnectNow meeting room that is part of Acrobat.com . You won't see your library by choosing this menu command.
Logging onto Acrobat.com via your Web browser or by choosing Go to Acrobat.com from the File
After you're logged into Acrobat.com, you have options for browsing files, creating PDFs online, sharing files, analyzing data from collected forms that were distributed, uploading and downloading files, accessing Adobe Buzzword, accessing Acrobat ConnectNow, maintaining a contacts list, and sending e-mails to invite people to view your files.
Note
For information on analyzing form data, see Chapter 27. For information on sharing files, see Chapter 32. For information on conducting review sessions, see Chapter 33. For information on Web conferencing, see Chapter 34.
Acrobat.comis a separate service provided by Adobe systems and doesn't require purchase of any Adobe product. The services onAcrobat.comare free.Before you can log onto
Acrobat.com, you must first create an Adobe ID.Accessing
Acrobat.comcan be accomplished by typingwww.acrobat.comin your Web browser's Location bar or by choosing from a variety of menu commands in Acrobat or Adobe Reader.Accessing Acrobat ConnectNow for Web conferencing can be handled via the File
When you log onto
Acrobat.com, you arrive at your library where you can see files you've uploaded and files sent to you by other users.