Processing PDF: How to Go from PDF to E-text to Audio

Processing PDF:Processing PDF:How to Go from PDF toHow to Go from PDF to

E-text to AudioE-text to Audio

Gaeir DietrichDirectorHigh Tech Center Training Unitof the California Community CollegesFoothill Community College District

PDF from PublishersPDF from Publishers

Portable document format (PDF)Reads the same on any computerLooks like the bookSmaller than TIFFsContains all the text

– Always check to make sure the book is the right one!

Easy for publishers

Requesting through ATNRequesting through ATN

Access Text Network– Now free for requesting files from

ATN-member publishers– Paid membership to exchange files– www.accesstext.org

Not all publishers– But ATN does have the largest ones

Other Resources at ATNOther Resources at ATN

Accessible Textbook Finder– http://www.accesstext.org/atf.php

Link to Publisher Lookup– http://www.publisherlookup.org/– Will have to contact non-ATN member

publishers directly

Using Publisher PDFsUsing Publisher PDFs

Sometimes students can use files directly

Most often files will need further processing for student use

At the very least, large files need to be broken into chapters

PDF StrengthsPDF Strengths

Good format for large print– Cropping– Fit to page on large pages– Print sections on large pages (tiling)

Adobe Reader has some nice features– Change colors– Reflow– Limited voicing

Easy for most publishers to create

PDF WeaknessesPDF Weaknesses

Not always fully accessible– Screen readers do not always like

them—even when they are text-based– Reading order can be problematic

May be graphics (pictures of text)May have too much security

As an Aside…As an Aside…

When faculty create PDFs…– The PDF always started as something

else…usually a Word file– Try to get the starting document– Security concerns?

Word files can be password protected Button > Prepare > Encrypt

Types of PDF DocumentsTypes of PDF Documents

Text-based– Text can be selected

Graphical– Picture of text (i.e., a graphic)– Text cannot be selected

Use text-select tool to tell the difference

Files may be “locked”

Processing PDFsProcessing PDFs

Adobe Acrobat ProfessionalGood OCR program

– Abbyy FineReader– Nuance OmniPage

IF you are a Kurzweil campus, you will also need Kurzweil

Adobe ToolsAdobe Tools Adobe Reader

– Free– Useful for students who need minimal

accessibility features– http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/

Adobe Acrobat Professional – Essential for alt media specialists– Extract text, create accessible PDFs, enabled

Adobe Reader features– www.uscollegebuy.com Discounted Price

Acrobat ReaderAcrobat Reader

Reads aloud– But does not highlight or track

Enlarges text– Nice reflow feature

Changes text/background colorsText highlighting, sticky notes, and

commentsAccess text-based PDFs

Process with Acrobat ProProcess with Acrobat Pro

CroppingEnlargement for printingTilingCombiningSome text extractionWorks with text-based PDF

Processing Graphical PDFsProcessing Graphical PDFs

Must run optical character recognition (OCR)– Computers cannot read pictures– OCR programs recognize the “characters” in

the picture

How you process the file depends on the end format the student wants!

Various OptionsVarious Options

OmniPage or FineReader– FineReader generally easier to learn– Save to Word or HTML or Text based on

student preference Use virtual printer with Kurzweil

– Create KESI files R&W

– Save as Word

Which One When?Which One When?

Want a Word file?– Best choice is OmniPage or

FineReaderWant a Kurzweil document?

– Use Kurzweil to process the PDF

For students to do themselves?– Whichever program they prefer

Why?Why?

OCR programs are designed to make extraction and editing easy

Document readers (R&W, Kurzweil, etc.) are designed to make reading easy…NOT editing.

NEVER!!!NEVER!!!

Do NOT run OCR with FineReader or OmniPage…save to PDF…and then take into Kurzweil, R&W, etc.

Kurzweil, R&W, WYNN will run their own OCR on the PDF!– Wastes time, adds error to do OCR

twice

OCR ProgramsOCR Programs

Treat PDFs the same as a TIFF– If you OCR scanned documents, use

the same process

Load image fileSelect zonesCreate templates as needed

PDF Bottom LinePDF Bottom Line

Source files vs. end-user files– Source files = for you to create alt

media from– End-user files = alt media formats

PDF– Consider PDFs as source files (files to

process) that sometimes double as end-user files (for certain students with limited access issues)

Resource InfoResource Info

Gaeir [email protected]

www.htctu.net Alt media listservManuals online