APRIL 2006

Acrobat and PDF 2006 Conference on track with diverse educational sessions
Also features special event for Acrobat User Community members
by Kurt Foss, Editor, AcrobatUsers.com

Looking to enhance your Acrobat-related skills and knowledge, but don't know where or to whom to turn for guidance? If you join the flock of users that's migrating in mid-May to Walt Disney World, many of your problems may be solved by the assembled experts in Orlando.

No, not Mickey, Pluto or the Seven Dwarfs — but a different set of no-less-entertaining characters, each in their own right a bona fide expert in one or more of the myriad applications for which Acrobat and PDF are being used today in a broad range of industries and professions. American Graphics Institute (AGI) is hosting its fourth annual Adobe Acrobat and PDF 2006 Conference at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort on May 17-18, with additional pre- and post-event workshops offering specialized, hands-on training on a number of topics and technologies.

According to Christopher Smith, director of content for the conference, the event is “the greatest opportunity to learn about PDF solutions in a single location. We have added and updated our content for developers and IT professionals to provide guidance and solutions for the corporate, government and institutional users who are looking to implement PDF-based solutions. We have in-depth sessions on review and markup, security, JavaScript within Acrobat, and developer tools.”

The opening day's keynote speaker is Rick Brown, Acrobat Group Product Manager for Adobe Systems, who is expected to shed some light on future product development following the company’s recent acquisition of Macromedia. Also, on Thursday morning, Adobe is hosting the first Adobe User Community breakfast for current and prospective members, a chance to learn more about the growing network of local user-group chapters for Acrobat and InDesign that have been forming across the country and in several international locations.

“The amount of PDF brainpower that is in one place during these sessions is a great opportunity for anyone who is engaged with using Acrobat and PDF to understand best practices, share information and learn about new technologies,"  says Smith. "It is great to see the user community developing, and it would be great if members of the local user community would take advantage of this opportunity to come together. I'm looking forward to our group starting here in Boston next week.”

The main conference features more than 25 educational sessions on diverse topics, organized around three tracks, led by Adobe Systems staff and some of the most-respected names of non-Adobe experts on Acrobat and PDF.

“In the graphics track, I'm excited to have Adobe's Dov Isaac's detailing the just announced Adobe PDF Print Engine." "Enfocus has just released a new version of Pitstop, which AGI's Larry Happy will be showing. The Acrobat 3D product should be of interest to the engineering and manufacturing community. I'm also looking forward to a discussion of security and digital rights management that Lori DeFurio will be leading.”

Another area of growing interest being addressed in a main conference session and a day-long, post-conference workshop is the creation and distribution of rich-media PDF documents — highly interactive, with audio and/or video, intended for on-screen viewing rather than printing.

“I think rich-media PDF is becoming more viable with expanding bandwidth, more use of InDesign and increased expectations by users to see rich media experiences online,” he says. “The interest transcends specific markets — every business that wants to create a compelling, engaging experience for their clients and potential clients should be exploring rich-media PDF.”

Topics and sessions on the current program schedule include:

User track: Covers creating, sharing and using PDF files

• Adobe PDF Forms: Adobe Acrobat & Adobe LiveCycle Designer
• Review and markup workflow
• Expanding PDF with Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions
• PDF and MS Office: tools, tips and techniques to increase productivity
• PDF Security: Protecting intellectual property with standard security options
• Advanced PDF Security: Using secured PDF for critical business operations
• Creating the right PDF for your needs
• Adobe Acrobat: Essential tips, features and tools

Graphics & Creative track: Provides the technical details necessary for implementing PDF solutions

• Reliable Print Production with Adobe Acrobat - parts 1 and 2
• Preflight, checking and correcting PDFs
• Version Cue and PDF Document Reviews
• Editing, extracting, enhancing and manipulating PDF content
• Case Study: Adopting PDF for high-volume print production
• Enhancing PDF with multimedia
• Color management and PDF

Technical track: Features solutions for creating and using PDF in a professional print environment

• PDF in Engineering: PDF in Engineering and Manufacturing
• What's inside a PDF?
• Advanced Acrobat tips and techniques
• Acrobat JavaScript tools and techniques
• PDF/A: Archiving with PDF
• PDF Accessibility and Section 508
• XPS: Implications for PDF
• Building dynamic, database-driven forms 

The conference's exhibition area will showcase the wares and solutions of more than a dozen key vendors, covering applications such as  including PDF creation, PDF forms and data management, PDF security, PDF standards validation, PDF editing and more.

Discounted pricing is available via online registration until April 15. 

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