Links and attachments in PDFs Part 1

Links and attachments in PDFs Part 1

  1. 1. Select Edit > Link > Add or edit a link.

    The pointer becomes a cross-hair, and any existing links in the document, including invisible links, are temporarily visible.

  2. 2. Drag a rectangle to define the link area.

  3. 3. In the Create Link dialog, choose the options you want for the link appearance.

  4. 4. Select one of the following link actions:

    • Go to a page view: Select Next to set the page number, and view the magnification you want in the current document or another document (such as a file attachment). Then select Set Link.
    • Open a file: Select the destination file. If the file is a PDF, specify how the document should open, such as whether it should open in a new or existing window. Then select OK.
      Note: If the filename is too long to fit in the text box, the middle of the name is truncated.
    • Open a web page: Provide the URL of the destination web page.
    • Custom link: Select Next to open the Link Properties dialog. In the dialog, you can set any action, such as reading an article or running a command, to be associated with the link.

Move or resize a link rectangle

  1. 1. Select Edit > Link > Add or edit a link.

  2. 2. To move a link area, move the pointer over the link rectangle and drag it. 

  3. 3. To resize the link area, drag a corner point.

Note

You can change the properties of several links at once by selecting the Link tool and dragging the rectangle to select them all.

Change the appearance of a link

  1. 1. Choose Edit > Link > Add or edit a link.

  2. 2. Right-click on the link and select Properties.

  3. 3. In the Appearance tab, choose a color, line thickness, and line style for the link.

  4. 4. Select one of the following highlight styles:

    • None: Doesn’t change the appearance of the link.
    • Invert: Changes the link’s color to its opposite.
    • Outline: Changes the link’s outline color to its opposite.
    • Inset: Creates the appearance of an embossed rectangle.

  5. 5. To hide the PDF link, select the Link Type drop-down menu and then select Invisible Rectangle.

  6. 6. To prevent users from changing the link settings, select the Locked checkbox.

  7. 7. To test the link, select the Hand tool and then select the link. You should be able to jump to the specific location for the link.

    Note

    The link properties in the Create Link dialog box apply to all new links you create until you change them.

    To apply the appearance settings of a link to all the links, right-click on the link and select Use Current Appearance As New Default.

Edit a link action

You can modify a link action to perform a different action when a user activates the link.

  1. 1. Select Edit > Link > Add or edit a link.

  2. 2. Right-click on the link and then select Properties.

  3. 3. In the Actions tab, associate a new action with the link and select OK.

Delete a link

  1. 1. Select Edit > Link > Add or edit a link.

  2. 2. Select the rectangle containing the link that you want to delete.

  3. 3. Press the Delete key on your keypad.

Create link to a destination

  1. 1. In the target document (destination), go to hamburger menu (Windows)> View or select View from the upper left (macOS). Then select Show/Hide >Side panels > Destinations.
    If the document includes the destination you want to link to, you can jump to step 5.

  2. 2. Navigate to the location where you want to create a destination, and set the desired view.

  3. 3. In the Destinations panel, select New Destination from the Options menu, and name the destination.

  4. 4. Save the target document.

  5. 5. In the source document, select Edit > Link > Add or edit a link, and drag a rectangle to specify a location for the link.

  6. 6. In the Create Link dialog box, set the link appearance, select Go to a page view, and then select Next.

  7. 7. In the target document, in the Destinations panel, open the destination.

  8. 8. Save the source document.

Manage link destinations

A destination is the end point of a link indicated by text in the Destinations panel. Destinations allow you to set navigation paths across a collection of PDFs. Adobe recommends that you use destinations when linking multiple documents. Unlike direct links to pages, adding or deleting pages within the target document doesn't affect destination links.

  1. 1. Go to hamburger menu (Windows) > View or select View from the upper right (macOS). Then select Show/Hide > Side panels > Destinations.
    It automatically scans all the destinations.

  2. 2. To sort destination names alphabetically, select the Name label. 

  3. 3. To sort destinations by page number, select the Page label.

  4. 4. To navigate to the target location, select Go to Destination from the context menu. 

  5. 5. To delete the destination, select Delete. 

  6. 6. To reset the target of the destination to the page displayed, select Set Destination. 

  7. 7. To assign a new name to the destination, select Rename.

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