TechNote (Archived)

Create PDF Files in Mac OS X (Acrobat 5.0-6.0.x)

What's Covered

Using Acrobat 6.0 in Mac OS X Native Mode

Using Acrobat Distiller 5.x in Mac OS X Classic Mode

Using Acrobat 5.05 in Mac OS X Native Mode

Using the PDF Creation Feature of Mac OS X

Because the Adobe PostScript printer driver (AdobePS) doesn't offer native support for Mac OS X, you cannot use Adobe Acrobat Distiller in Mac OS X Native mode. Instead, you can create Adobe PDF files in Mac OS X using any of these options:

--Use Acrobat 6.0 in Mac OS X Native mode to create PDF 1.5 and earlier files

-- Use Acrobat Distiller 5.x in Mac OS X Classic mode to create PDF 1.4 files

-- Use Adobe Acrobat 5.0.5 in Mac OS X Native mode to create PDF 1.4 files

-- Use the PDF creation feature of Mac OS X to create PDF 1.3 files from native Mac OS X applications

Note: In PDF 1.3 files, layers and preview transparency aren't preserved.

Using Acrobat 6.0 in Mac OS X Native Mode

You can create PDF 1.5 and earlier files by using Acrobat 6.0 in Mac OS X v10.2.2 or later Native mode.

To create a PDF file from a single file:

1. Choose File > Create PDF > From File.

2. Select the file you want to convert, and then choose the appropriate file type from the Show pop-up menu.

3. Click Settings if you want to change the conversion settings. (This option isn't available if the file type you selected doesn't support it.)

4. Click OK.

To create a PDF file from multiple files:

1. Choose File > Create PDF > From Multiple Files.

2. Click Browse, select a file to convert, and then click Add.

3. Repeat step 2 for each file you want to add to the PDF file.

4. Arrange the document order by selecting a file and clicking Move Up or Move Down, and then click OK.

5. Choose File > Save As, name the PDF file, and then click OK.

To create a PDF file from a Web page:

1. Choose File > Create PDF > From Web Page.

2. In the URL text box, Type the Web page you want to convert to PDF. Or click Browse to choose an HTML file on the local hard drive.

3. Select the appropriate settings, and then click Create.

To create a PDF file from a scanned document:

1. Choose File > Create PDF > From Scanner.

2. Choose a scanner from the Device pop-up list, select any other appropriate options, and then click Scan.

Using Acrobat Distiller 5.x in Mac OS X Classic Mode

You can create a PostScript file from a native Mac OS X application and then use Acrobat Distiller 5.x in Classic mode to create a PDF 1.4 file. To create a PostScript file, print to file from the source application using a PostScript printer driver, and name the file with a .ps extension. For more information, see the source application's documentation. You can then convert the PostScript file to PDF by using Acrobat Distiller. For instructions, see the Acrobat Help.

Note: If you want to create a PDF file from a Microsoft Office X application, see document 327295, "How to Create a PDF File from Microsoft Office X in Mac OS X v10.x."

Using Acrobat 5.05 in Mac OS X Native Mode

You can start Acrobat 5.0.5 in Mac OS X Native mode, and then use one of the following methods to create a PDF 1.4 file:

To convert a BMP, GIF, HTML, JPEG, PCX, PICT, PNG, TIFF, or text file to PDF:

1. Choose File > Open as Adobe PDF.

2. Select a file, and click Open.

3. Choose File > Save As, and specify a name and location for the PDF file.

4. Click Save.

To convert an HTM or HTML file to PDF:

1. Choose File > Open Web Page.

2. Enter a URL, and click Download.

3. Choose File > Save As, and specify a name and location for the PDF file.

4. Click Save.

Using the PDF Creation Feature of Mac OS X

You can use the PDF creation feature of Mac OS X to create PDF 1.3 files from native Mac OS X applications.

Disclaimer: This information is provided as a courtesy. Adobe Technical Support doesn't support the Mac OS X PDF creation feature.

Note: If you use a native OS X Adobe application, use the PDF creation feature built into that application instead of this method. For example, in Adobe Illustrator 10, choose File > Save As, and choose Adobe PDF from the Format pop-up menu. For more information about creating PDF files from Adobe applications, see the application's Help.

To create a PDF file by using the PDF creation feature in Mac OS X:

1. Open the document you want to convert to PDF in the native Mac OS X application.

2. Choose File > Print, and continues as follows:

3. Choose Save As PDF (Mac OS X v10.2.x), or click Preview and do one of the following (Mac OS X v10.1.x):

-- If Acrobat opens the preview, choose File > Save As, and then choose Adobe PDF Files from the Format pop-up menu.

-- If Preview opens the preview, choose File > Save As PDF.

4. Specify a filename and location, and then click Save.

Additional Information

---

Create PDF files from Microsoft Office X in Mac OS X

Search Support

---