Adobe Reader is definitely one of the most popular reading tools. Perhaps, that’s only the reason why its functionality is so severely underused and underappreciated. Being accustomed to Adobe Reader as a default PDF tool, users just don’t think that the tool has much more to offer.
That, however, could not have been further from the truth. In fact, Adobe Reader has a lot of interesting add-ons, unavailable in other reading services. Those, who want to make their reading as fast and efficient as possible, will definitely find a lot of options to explore.
We dug deep into Adobe Reader’s functionality and compiled the list of essential features that will turn you into a more efficient reader. Some of those are deeply hidden in the menu – chances are, you never suspected that such features exist.
To get access to this functionality, download Adobe Reader to your computer. If you are frequently switching between devices, be sure to copy a Adobe Reader standalone installer to your flash drive – this way, you’ll have access to it on any device.
4 Main Adobe Add-ons For Fast Reading
Feature #1 – Customize page transitions
If you are quickly tired from scrolling, or your mouse controller is not always precise, you can automate the process and let Adobe turn pages over for you. The software supports multiple variations of page transitions – you can set autoscrolling, an automatic page change, or see the book as a presentation – in that case, the pages will switch like slides.
How to activate this feature?
● Find the main menu on the upper panel.
● There is a tab, called ‘Tools’. Hower your mouse over there and find the ‘Pages’ heading right below.
● Choose ‘Page Thumbnails’ and select a particular page turning effect.
Feature #2 – Quickly note interesting quotes with commenting tools
Adobe Reader supports three commenting modes:
● Sticky note annotations;
● Typing text directly on the page – you are technically creating a new text layer;
● Editing formatting – you can highlight and underline words and sentences;
● On-page drawing – use pencils for doodling and brushes for more elaborate artistic expression.
Feature #3 – Turn your PDF into an audiobook
Time is a big obstacle to fast reading. You don’t always have time to simply sit down with the book, cutting yourself out of the reality at least for several hours. In the era of multitasking, audio format is often the most convenient way of consuming information. You can do this while walking, commuting, working out, cooking, pretty much anytime and anywhere.
However, what to do if you couldn’t find a professional audio version of your book? The solution is simple: use PDF-To-Speech Adobe Reader’s tool. The feature reads the text out loud, comments and notifications can be included as well.
How to activate this feature?
Make sure that you have SAPI4 and SAPI5 voices, installed on your device. The feature also requires a Text-To-Speech engine. Certain documents cannot be processed – for instance, if these are scanned book fragments or handwritten file.
Feature #4 – Reflowing a PDF file
Grouping text narrowly on the screen allows you to read faster since the eye does not have to travel that big of a distance to reach words. By reflowing a file, you can display a book in a single column. This allows your eyes to focus on the same section of the screen without having to change their position all the time.
Also, it’s very comfortable for mobile devices and small-screen tablets. You don’t have to scroll the text file horizontally – the text will be easily readable even on a very small screen.
How to activate this feature?
● Go to the main panel and choose ‘View’.
● Select a ‘Zoom’ feature.
● Here you’ll see a ‘Reflow’ button – go ahead and click it.
However, you cannot reflow scanned content that is treated as one big image. Only readable content, recognized by the software as text can be reformatted in one column. Comments, signatures, page number, and footers will not be reflowed either.
2 Adobe Reader Efficiency-Boosting Features
In this list, we collected you some very useful features that don’t have a lot to do with reading but nevertheless, will definitely be useful for work and studies. If we are already taking your time to explore Adobe Reader’s functionality, it would be a loss to go by without these essentials.
Feature #5 – Filling out and saving forms
Adobe Reader includes a default Fill and Sign Tool that identifies the form fields and enables their editing. Adobe Sensei, an intuitive form-editing add-on, creates an intuitive experience, walking you through the process with simple guidelines.
You can fill in long answers, select options from drop-down lists, accept suggestions from autofill and add signatures, type your answers or select options from drop-down lists.
Once you are done, you can either rewrite the initial file or save it as a copy – just so you have an unfilled form version as well.
Feature #6 – Sign forms and documents
From time to time, we all need to sign contracts, official letters, forms, or any other kind of documents. The usual and a much longer way is to print the document, sign it manually, scan this version, and save it as a separate file.
This plan, as you can see, is filled with obstacles. What if you don’t have a scanner or a printer? Well, the solution is simple – just select the Fill & Sign feature form the main menu. You can draw your signature with a built-in pen-like tool or upload a file with a saved image.
Conclusions
As you can see, Adobe Reader is not just a default PDF opener. Actually, it’s a multifunctional reading software with unique add-ons and elaborate settings. Knowing where to find and how to use these tools, you can save a lot of time and hassle. Turning a text version of a book into a podcasts makes you a much more efficient reader while adjusting the page turning settings and reflowing the document increases your reading speed.
Additional business-oriented features, like paper signing or form filling, make a great bonus for those who frequently work with documents. You don’t need to install a PDF editor or use additional signature-adding tools – it’s all available in one program.