How do I set up alternate PDF navigation?

July 31, 2006 9:32 AM

I swear I once saw a PDF with tabbed navigation along the bottom edge of the pages, kind of like what you'd see on an Excel workbook. How do I set up that effect?

I've converted an MS-Word document to PDF with the full verson of Adobe Acrobat, and the only navigation settings I can summon up are either bookmarks (set on table of contents levels) or thumbnails (all pages) which are both displayed along the left edge.

I have access to Acrobat 6 (PC) and Acrobat 7 (Mac). I've ransacked the Acrobat help pages and web tutorials for both, but haven't found anything at all about workbook-style navigation along the bottom edge. Was it a fever dream? Am I hallucinating product functionality yet again? Help me, metafilter: you're my only hope.

posted by mochapickle to computers & internet (1 comment total)

You can easily create navigation buttons in Acrobat, simply by designating any area as clickable with the Button tool and defining the result as going to any page in the document. Create tab graphics, put ‘em where you want on your pages in whatever tool you use to make the pages, then activate the button tool in Acrobat and get busy. Using the button tool should be described in any books/manuals on Acrobat; it is in all the ones I’ve seen.

There’s an excellent video tutorial about Acrobat, including button creation and navigation ideas, duplicating buttons on all or designated pages, etc., at lynda.com; costs $25 to subscribe for a month, during which time you can watch any or all of lynda’s generally very helpful videos online as often as you want.
posted by dpcoffin at 9:51 AM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite]