Because PDF documents are so prevalent, using the search features can be a real time saver. Sometimes the table of contents or index aren’t sufficient to locate a specific item. Whether you use the simple Find, or the Advanced Search option, you can quickly and easily locate what you are looking for in a document. These search options are available in both Adobe Reader and the full Adobe Acrobat.

The Find option will open a small box, like the one shown, where you can enter the word, phrase, or number to “find” and then you can quickly scroll through the document using the previous and next buttons to find each instance matching your search parameters. The word or phrase is highlighted on the page as you scroll through, so you can see it in context.

If you want to be a bit more specific in your search, the Advance Search provides more options to narrow the results. Not only can you search the document you are viewing, you can also open the search up to a whole library of PDF documents in a specified location. In addition to just entering the keyword or phrase, you can also make it case sensitive and include any bookmarks or comments in the document in the search. In this case, the search will return a listing of matching results which you can select from. 

For example, Intersoft Systems  provides our INTERAC user manuals as a library of PDF documents. If you were looking for information regarding producing 1099’s, references could be found in both the Accounts Payable and Payroll manuals. Opening the Payroll manual and using the Find feature, to search for 1099 would allow you to scroll through, quickly finding each instance of “1099” in that manual. Utilizing the Advanced Search option, you could include the entire INTERAC user manual library in the search, returning a list of results including both Payroll and Accounts Payable entries. Clicking on the items in the list will guide you directly to that location in the selected document.  It is quite powerful and easy to use.

Happy Searching & Finding.