Embedding a PDF in a website?

[MacBoobsPro]

I am trying to find a simple way of putting our printed publication on the web. At the moment I have to individually recreate each page then upload it via dreamweaver.

Is it possible to create a PDF from the printed version and upload the one file so it displays within the browser (without relying on Acrobat) and also have 'hotspots' in the PDF so the adverts within the publication can be linked to their respective websites?

I know very little about HTML and websites so be gentle. As always any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Stampyhead]

Sounds like Flash would be your best bet. You can open a PDF file in Illustrator and export it in .swf format. Then open the .swf file from within Flash and set your hotspot links from there.

 

[DoFoT9]

ohhh.. if i had my university backups from last year i would be able to tell you the direct code!! we had a group project, it was pretty hard to embed (but simple if you get what i mean). ill get it 2morrow when i get back home if thats not too late.

 

[design-is]

Check out issuu - looks very promising / interesting!

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

Check out issuu - looks very promising / interesting!

Except for the fact it uploads a copy into a repository on its server and it takes two downloads to do it. What developers want is that exact interface but local control, with no dependency on third party file management. It's also in beta, FYI, so user beware. It uses Flash and is visually stunning, so if anyone is aware of a standalone version - I'm interested.

-jim

 

[angelwatt]

Personally I'm against needlessly placing PDFs on sites. Users find them very annoying and many will leave rather than deal with it. [gets off soap box] You may want to give Flash Paper a look.

 

[design-is]

@Jim - I've been looking for a stand alone one myself but other than finding companies which 'build it for you' or downloading a shoddily built template for flash, I've so far had no luck. issuu seems the best option bar learning flash yourself.

I know very little about HTML and websites so be gentle.

Not sure we're looking at it from a developer point of view - so local set-up could be tricky anyway.

@MacBoobsPro, InDesign CS4 also offers the ability to create fully featured flash magazines, which could also suite your purpose.



@angelwatt - I agree, for site content. However, sometimes manuals and supporting documents for products are expected by the consumer. Myself, I often loose instructions for things and look them up online. Being able to open them and see if they have the info I want before I bother to download and open acrobat and maybe print would be a bonus.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

I agree about PDFs being annoying on websites but at the moment embedding a PDF in the site will save myself huge amounts of time every week.

At the moment we print on average two publications per week that get distributed around the country. We also have a complimentary website that at the moment needs to be updated every time a new publication is released and the current layout/design of the site means I have to recreate the printed version in dreamweaver and then upload the site.

If I could just PDF the printed publication then upload the PDF so its 'viewable' on the site (not just a download) I dont have to do two lots of work for the same publication.

EDIT: The publication is done in Quark so no InDesign goodness for me either. At least I'm working on a MacPro. Also no Windows so no FlashPaper thingy either although it does look like pretty much what I require... bugger!

 

[design-is]

Also - found this discussion on the Design and Graphics forum - might be useful.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

ohhh.. if i had my university backups from last year i would be able to tell you the direct code!! we had a group project, it was pretty hard to embed (but simple if you get what i mean). ill get it 2morrow when i get back home if thats not too late.

Please do... you may need to explain it a little bit though.

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

@angelwatt - I agree, for site content. However, sometimes manuals and supporting documents for products are expected by the consumer. Myself, I often loose instructions for things and look them up online. Being able to open them and see if they have the info I want before I bother to download and open acrobat and maybe print would be a bonus.

Thank you, that's what I was getting at. It's actually MISSION CRITICAL to a lot of businesses since their branding is tied right into the PDF's. The problem has always been how to view it, i.e. like Google docs does. The viewer should be inline, option to download, zoom and page turn ability and search. Then the fact that it's even a PDF at all doesn't matter. This is all part of web 2.0, just waiting for a top quality open source Flash that doesn't require a third party file server and allows the developer to customize options and a skin.

Man, I just asked for alot. heh.

-jim

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Thank you, that's what I was getting at. It's actually MISSION CRITICAL to a lot of businesses since their branding is tied right into the PDF's. The problem has always been how to view it, i.e. like Google docs does. The viewer should be inline, option to download, zoom and page turn ability and search. Then the fact that it's even a PDF at all doesn't matter. This is all part of web 2.0, just waiting for a top quality open source Flash that doesn't require a third party file server and allows the developer to customize options and a skin.

Man, I just asked for alot. heh.

-jim

Tis exactly what I need though.

I am having a meeting with a web developer friend of mine later this week so I will see what he has to say about it and what options he thinks I may have. I have a feeling I will end up slightly refining the 'Amend PSD > Save for Web > Dreamweaver > Transmit' workflow I have going.

I think I will be able to cut out the 'PSD > Saveforweb' bit by exporting the quark pages then dropping them directly into a Dreamweaver template then uploading. Not elegant but the least arsing about.

 

[DoFoT9]

Please do... you may need to explain it a little bit though.

just logged into my computer and got the backups, wow its simpler then what i remembered!!!

here is exactly what i had.. (important part in bold)

<embed src="document.pdf" />
If you cant see a document on this page click <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html">here</a> to get adobe acrobat reader or right click <a href="document.pdf">here</a> and select "save target as" to download the file.

 

[decksnap]

If Acrobat allows users to view the PDF in the browser, why does it matter if you 'rely' on it or not? Is it ok to rely on Preview to view them in the browser? I only ask because most people can view PDFs in their browsers these days, and adding links to a PDF in acrobat takes five seconds.

Not that I enjoy viewing PDFs online, but for simplicity's sake, seems like the way to go.

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

I agree with decksnap, entirely. I'll even add that the free reader is extremely common on PC's and the PDF Download Helper is just as common on Firefox for Mac, it's not much of a support issue anymore.

@DoFoT9:

Please note the embed tag is not officially supported in either HTML4 or XHTML1 specs - although it still is widely supported in most browsers. It's true purpose is to embed a plugin using the pluginspage or pluginurl attributes for the resource element like you set in the src attribute. Even though it works, it might not in future browser versions, so this is not considered a "best practice". It's more like "Use it, but don't rely on it". Interestingly it is part of HTML5 spec, but that's not been adopted yet as a standard so, again, don't rely on it.

FYI - knowledge is power.

-jim

 

[MacBoobsPro]

If Acrobat allows users to view the PDF in the browser, why does it matter if you 'rely' on it or not? Is it ok to rely on Preview to view them in the browser? I only ask because most people can view PDFs in their browsers these days, and adding links to a PDF in acrobat takes five seconds.

Not that I enjoy viewing PDFs online, but for simplicity's sake, seems like the way to go.

We need the PDF to display in the browser and not be downloaded by default. If the PDF is downloaded then we are unable to say the adverts will appear on the website. Forcing it to appear in the browser (with Acrobat or not) means we can say it is 'on the website'. It's all about sales and stuff I'm just a print designer being tasked with updating a mammoth website.

As I'm the one to be updating it in the future I am trying to find ways to make the process much simpler for me while making the site more user friendly.

 

[angelwatt]

Thinking about your intentions here, it sounds similar to when I was trying to stop hot linking of PDF files, which apparently doesn't work directly. I did manage an alternative approach and you can find the details over in this thread. Post 10 has the code involved. The code helped make sure that the person accessing the PDF is doing so from my web site, otherwise they are sent to my web site where they are one click away from the PDF. That may meet your needs to get people to see the ads on your site before accessing the files.