Scrapbook-Elements provides our monthly newsletter, as well as the majority of our tutorials, in PDF format. The newsletters are not provided as web pages on the website but are sent out through a mailing list only. The reasons for this are two-fold. First, most of these files are rather large in size because of the inclusion of many graphics. Secondly, printing from a PDF allows you to keep a copy of either the tutorials or newsletters for future reference. Web pages do not print consistently computer to computer or printer to printer but a pdf file will always print as it was designed.

Most browsers are set to automatically try to open PDF files by default. This often will cause you to not be able to load a pdf file because this is actually not the job for which a browser is meant. Adobe Acrobat Reader is the program of choice for reading pdf files as this is its native program. Please be sure to download the most recent copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Now to the task of telling your browser that you want to open PDF files in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• If you are using Internet Explorer, go to "Tools/Internet Options/Programs/Manage Add-Ons". Click on the line that says: "Adobe PDF", and then under that box you will see a "Settings" box. Click on "Disable", then click 'OK". From this point on, when you click on a "PDF" your computer will load the Adobe Reader rather than the plug-in of the browser.
   

• If you are using Firefox or Netscape, the "Plug-in" option is found under "Tools/Options/Downloads". Again, look for the line or lines that say "Adobe ...." (there may be several), but with these browsers, simply click on the check mark to the right of each item to remove it. Now Adobe PDF type files will be downloaded to your computer so that Adobe Reader can open them directly.
   

• The alternative if the browser does not have those options is to turn off the plug-in within Adobe Acrobat Reader itself. This is done through the "Edit/Preferences/Internet". Uncheck "Display PDF in browser". From that point on you would right-click any PDF link, and use the "Save As" option to save the file to your computer, and then open it from there.

Be patient as it will take a little bit of time to open the newsletter or tutorials. The file must first be downloaded as well as the program will be opened before you will be able to see the newsletter show up on your screen.

This should resolve any issues regarding reading PDF files on your computer. If you upgrade your browser, you may again have to reset the Adobe plugins options to redirect pdf files to Adobe Acrobat Reader.