Since the launch of Acrobat 9, we have seen more and more interesting examples of PDF Portfolios surfacing. And today Adobe launched eight new and updated layouts that provide Acrobat 9 Pro or Pro Extended users even more options to tailor the look and feel of their PDF Portfolios. More after the break…

These layouts offer increased customization options and additional methods for easily navigating files in a PDF Portfolio. On the Adobe.com downloads center, you can find these PDF Portfolio layouts and installation instructions for both Windows and Macintosh platforms. They are available in all Acrobat 9 language versions.

The new layouts were developed after conversations with Acrobat customers who expressed the additional value of further personalizing particular aspects of PDF Portfolios. Customers wanted the flexibility to optimize a PDF Portfolio depending on the specific file content and the purpose for creating it. This included customization of the description lengths and thumbnail sizes. They also mentioned that it was often very helpful to easily see when a particular file was last modified.

Some of the layouts are brand new while a few are enhanced versions of those available by default with Acrobat 9 Pro or Pro Extended.

The new layouts include:

Grid with Size Options

Users found the Basic Grid layout in Acrobat 9 very useful because they could easily see an overview of the PDF Portfolio contents on one screen and have quick access to the files. However, they wanted more control over how many files to display and how long the file descriptions were. In this new layout, there are grid size options and a compact card style that provides a higher density of files in a single view.

Grid with File Preview and

List with File Preview

In Acrobat 8 PDF Packages, users can view a compact list of the files and a file preview at the same time. Users liked the ability to show recipients key files in a portfolio with minimal navigation and mouse clicks required. These two new layouts better optimize this use case for Acrobat 9 and Reader 9.

Grid with Sidebar and

Sliding Row with Sidebar

Users wanted an intuitive way to navigate organized folders in a PDF Portfolio that was always available. These new layouts offer a sidebar navigation that quickly gives users a sense of what was contained in the portfolio and allows them to navigate to folders with little effort. Users felt that a sidebar navigation layout was flexible and could be used for many purposes.

The updated layouts include:

Revolve

Users liked the Revolve layout for its ability to engage recipients by bringing one file into focus at a time. This layout was especially useful for presentation of persuasive information such as marketing collateral or sales pitches. The updated Revolve layout now offers new options for narrow and wide file display and longer text.

Sliding Row

The Sliding Row layout displays several files and folders in a row. Users liked this layout for its visual appeal and clear organization. This new version now provides options for different size thumbnails or text descriptions lengths.

On an Image

Users considered the On an Image layout a novel concept and liked the ability to use a range of image backgrounds, which made it suitable for different purposes. The layout helped accurately communicate specific aspects of an image or a complex diagram. However, they voiced the need to customize the file markers. This was important to draw attention to the files and folders and to make sure the markers were clearly visible regardless what background image was chosen. With this new layout, there are new marker style options and better zoom control.

Sound interesting? Go ahead and download these PDF Portfolio layouts and give them a test drive. And for those who are feeling creative, submit your PDF Portfolio examples to the Acrobat 9 PDF Portfolio contest and be considered for a prize or display in the PDF Gallery.

Amy Wang, Acrobat Product Manager