What is a PDF manual and how do I used it?

If you like to go paperless in your warehouse workshop and prefer to use a PDF manual (it could be a PDF forklift manual or other document) instead if a paper based version then here’s a series of questions answered. They should help you open and read a PDF manual when it is available, like it is on our website.

What is a PDF?

PDF is short for portable document format and it is a file format invented by Adobe which can display pages of a book, magazine or publication on a screen with almost perfect reproduction of the printed page.

How do I view a PDF manual?

If your forklift manual is offered as a PDF then it can be read or displayed on almost any modern computer, laptop or mobile device. That includes tablets and smartphones. Phones and tablets from Apple (iOs) and powered by Android (LG, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, etc) all have PDF viewer software built in, so all you have to do is click the PDF file to open and read it.

Where can I find PDF forklift manuals

Our site lists a variety of places to buy or download PDF forklift manuals for free.

Advantages of PDF manuals

There are many advantages to PDF forklift manuals.

• Technical manuals tend to be extensive and full of graphics and technical information so one of the key advantages to using a PDF forklift manual is that is is highly searchable.
• PDF manuals also often contain small type so you can use the PDF reader software to magnify small fonts or type.
• PDF documents are no paper so they are not damaged over time or don;t tear, although be careful with your mobile device in the workshop and be sure to use it with a protective case.
• The can be copied to different devices and a master copy can be kept on a server.

How do I know a computer file is in PDF format?

On Windows computers of typically also on Mac computers a PDF file has the name extension .pdf so it will be named something like this:

hyster-workshop-manual.pdf

In some cases, a computer or mobile device will automatically recognize a data file as a PDF file and will display it using an PDF icon which looks like this:

This PDF symbol is also often displayed on a PDF file’s icon:

On a mobile phone you will either see a preview of the first page or the Adobe PDF symbol above.

What do I do if my computer or device won’t open a PDF manual?

Usually there are one of two technical issues going on when the PDF file that contains your manual won’t open on your computer or device:

1. It could be that the PDF file is corrupt. To test this scenario, you can try to open the PDF manual on another device or computer.
2. Your device or computer is older and you need a PDF reader or PDF reader app for your device to open it. If this is the case open your web browser on the device or computer that you are using to open the PDF file and then visit this this: http://adobe.com/reader – Adobe will detect your device and offer you the correct software for free that you will be prompted to install and use to open the file.

Do I need different versions of a PDF file for each type of device?

No, the nice thing about PDF files is they can be universally read by any modern computer, laptop, tablet or mobile device. The PDF does not have to be specific to the device. So you can move the same PDF file from device to device.

Are there different kinds of PDF files?

While all PDf files can be read by any device, there are different versions. Some PDF files are designed to be as small as possible, however the are not optimized for high resolution printing. Some PDF files are saved for high resolution output on a printing press or for a digital printer.

I have seen electronic versions of PDF forklift manuals for sale on eBay or in some other online site. Are they automatically in PDF format?

Not necessarily. If a publication vendor is offering an electronic version of a forklift manual it may come as an RTF file or DOC or DOCX file which are all formats that can be read by Microsoft Word. However, that would be unusual. There are also eBook file formats a such as MOBI and EPUB, which formatted for ebook readers. These are not PDF files. They are designed to be read on an ebook reader such as a Nook, A Kindle or other eReader device. If in doubt ask the vendor if they supply

If forklift manual comes on a USB key or USB drive is it in PDF format?

No, not necessarily. A USB drive is sometimes referred to as a “thumb drive” or “USB key”. It is simple a device that can contain any digital file that can be transferred to a computer. USB thumbdrives require USB port so they generally will not connect directly to a mobile device. You will need to transfer the data from a USB drive through a computer – desktop or laptop.

How do I put a PDF file on my mobile device?

There are a few ways to do this.

• You can use the software that came with the device to transfer it. For example, the program iTunes from Apple can transfer files from a Mac or Windows computer to an iPhone or iPad.
• You can also save a PDF file to  Google Drive (this is a free data storage service from Google) and then log on to Google Drive using an app. Google makes apps for all well known mobile devices. The app is accessible for free from the device’s app store. If the file is not too big, you can also email it to yourself as a file attachment. Then open the email on your device and tap on the attached PDF file to read it.

Do you have other questions about how to use a PDF manual?

Ask us any question you may have about your PDF manual. We would be happy the answer to to this page and respond via email. Send a message to us at [email protected].