Adobe 22001438 Accessibility Guide - Page 24

ADOBE ACROBAT 7.0 17 Section 4: Creating tagged Adobe PDF documents from word-processing and desktop publishing applications Note: If you plan to combine source files from multiple authoring applications into one PDF document, to combine multiple PDF documents into one, or to insert new pages into a PDF document, you may need to start with untagged PDF documents and then tag the final PDF document once everything is consolidated. See "Section 6: Creating a single tagged Adobe PDF document from multiple documents" on page 32 for guidelines. Creating tagged Adobe PDF documents from Microsoft Office 2000 or later Microsoft Office 2000 or later applications have many features that can help you optimize files for accessibility before converting them to Adobe PDF. This section provides tips for using Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to prepare a source file to become an accessible PDF document. For specific instructions on how to use the features that are mentioned in this section, consult Microsoft Office Online Help. Tips for improving the Adobe PDF tagging and document structure in Microsoft Office documents • Always use paragraph styles, such as Heading 1, Heading 2, and Body Text, when formatting text. Acrobat PDFMaker and Acrobat 7.0 can read paragraph styles to identify structural elements during tagging. • Use bullets and numbering to create lists and outlines. These convert well to tags. • If the layout has two or more columns, use Word's Columns feature (Format > Columns) to lay out the columns. Don't use tabs or the Table feature to simulate multicolumn text. Columns translate cleanly to a tagged Adobe PDF document, while tabs and tables often require manual repair work with the TouchUp Reading Order tool or the tag tree in Acrobat Professional. • (Windows only) Create live hyperlinks and cross-references, and give them text descriptions (alternate text) whenever you can. Acrobat PDFMaker can convert links and cross-references to accessible links in the PDF document. • Choose sharp color contrast for all elements of Microsoft Office documents. Sharp color contrast is easier for people with vision impairments to read. While the user can adjust color contrast in Adobe Reader, you'll have more control in the authoring application to make the contrast as clear as possible in the design. Tips for making artwork accessible • If you create drawings that comprise several smaller components, group the individual components into one illus- tration. This enables Acrobat PDFMaker or Acrobat 7.0 to create one tag for the entire graphic, which simplifies the tagging, reading order, and creation of alternate text for the graphic in the Adobe PDF document. • (Windows only) Add alternate text to graphics before using Acrobat PDFMaker to convert the file to PDF (use the Web tab of the Format Picture dialog box). Tips for making tables accessible • Create tables by using the Table feature (Table > Insert > Table) of Microsoft Office applications, rather than by using the Tab key or spacebar to position text on a page. Using the Table feature enables Acrobat PDFMaker and Acrobat 7.0 to correctly recognize and tag the content as a table. • Use tables to display data or associated items of information, not to create or format columns. • Whenever possible, do not create excessively deep rows in a table, and do not allow deep rows to break across pages. If you place a large piece of content in one cell and the cell is allowed to break across pages, the second page is often difficult to interpret because of blank cells to the right or left of it. Break large amounts of text into multiple rows as necessary. To keep a row from breaking across pages in Word, turn off the Allow Row To Break Across Pages option for that row.