Ooops!!! should have read more of my email!! Sorry. Deb B. -----Original Message----- From: duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 11:35 PM To: duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [duxuser] Re: PDF Files What Susan says about "original" files is absolutely true. BUT, and it's a BIG "BUT"..... All too often when we ask for the original file, we are told it was initially prepared in say "Word for Windows", but was then passed to the printers, where not only was it brought into something like Quark Express, but it has undergone changes since having been proofed. The bottom line is that the Word file is way out of date. To add insult to injury, Quark Express (and most professional desktop publishing software) is very expensive, and virtually inaccessible to anyone using a screen reader. George. -----Original Message----- From: duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Susan Jolly Sent: 10 December 2005 04:27 To: duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [duxuser] PDF Files I certainly understand the frustration with PDF files. But one thing to bear in mind is that a PDF file is an output format, just as a printed page is an output format. PDF files were originally designed as an end product, not as source files to be converted into some other format. As Jamal Mazui's article in AccessWorld makes clear, standard PDF files that are "formatted text and graphics" are typically produced from electronic files that have originally been created in other applications such as Microsoft Word. Adobe is to be commended for attempting to devise the many new strategies for making PDF files more accessible that are described in Mazui's article. However, it seems to me that in many cases a better solution for producing braille or some other accessible format would be to start with the original electronic file rather than the generated PDF file. Of course, this approach would require the author be willing and available to supply the original file. There are cases where the author is unwilling to supply the original file in order to protect a copyright or for other reasons. However, my guess is that there are many cases where an author who has made a PDF file available for download from the Internet would have been comfortable also posting the original electronic file had they realized that it might be more useful to some readers. SusanJ * * * * This message is via list duxuser at freelists.org. * To unsubscribe, send a blank message with * unsubscribe * as the subject to <duxuser-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>. You may also * subscribe, unsubscribe, and set vacation mode and other subscription * options by visiting //www.freelists.org. The list archive * is also located there. * Duxbury Systems' web site is http://www.duxburysystems.com * * * * * * * This message is via list duxuser at freelists.org. * To unsubscribe, send a blank message with * unsubscribe * as the subject to <duxuser-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>. You may also * subscribe, unsubscribe, and set vacation mode and other subscription * options by visiting //www.freelists.org. The list archive * is also located there. * Duxbury Systems' web site is http://www.duxburysystems.com * * *