Introduction

Today, the PDF format is an open standard, maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). You can open and view PDF files in a variety of programs. Some of the more popular alternatives are discussed below.

Reading time: 3 minutes approx.

Dolphin EasyReader Premium

EasyReader App for Windows is provided as part of your SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader package. You can find shortcuts to this App on your desktop and through the Start menu.

If you are reading study material provided as PDF, then upgrading to EasyReader Premium may provide a great solution. EasyReader Premium enables you to import PDFs for reading and includes the ability to add personal bookmarks and text notes to record important sections.

EasyReader Premium is available as a Personal or Educational license. If you have an active SuperNova or Dolphin ScreenReader SMA, then you are entitled to the Personal licence free of charge. 

You can activate your personal licence by doing the following:

1. Open the SuperNova or Dolphin ScreenReader Control Panel.
2. Open the 'Media' menu or 'Media' tab.
3. Open 'Books' and choose 'My Books'. The EasyReader App for Windows will open. If this is your first time running EasyReader, login to the EasyReader App.

If your SuperNova or Dolphin ScreenReader licence has an active SMA, a free subscription to EasyReader Premium is automatically enabled. If you do not have an SMA, you will still be able to enjoy all of the benefits of the free EasyReader App including access to over 40 accessible libraries such as Bookshare, Calibre Audio, and the RNIB Reading Services. 

To learn more, see About EasyReader App (opens in new tab) and About EasyReader Premium (opens in new tab).

Microsoft Word

You can use Word to convert a PDF file to a readable format that you can read within Word. This process is supported by SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader.

To do this:

1. Run Word.
2. Open the 'Open' dialog box (CONTROL + F12)
3. Set the 'Files of type' option to 'PDF'.
4. Locate and open your file. A message appears stating that the file will be converted to an editable Word document.
5. Select the 'OK' button to proceed.

Chrome, Edge, and Firefox web browsers

You can open and view PDF documents in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. This process is supported by SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader. You can read through the documents using the Dolphin Cursor.

The use of a browser is ideal if you only need to occasionally read PDFs as it negates the need to install the dedicated PDF Reader.

You can open a PDF by using the 'Open' dialog box (CONTROL + O) within your browser or by using the 'Open with' options available when using the context menu in File Explorer.

Tip: You can enhance your Chrome experience by installing the Adobe Acrobat extension (opens in new tab). This helps to give the PDF structure, for example, helping to ensure headings are correctly tagged within the browser window. You can install extensions by visiting the Chrome Web Store (opens in new tab), which you can access through the 'Chrome' menu, 'Extensions' submenu (ALT + F, E).