About PDF Layers

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About PDF layers

You can view, navigate, and print layered content in PDFs created from applications such as

InDesign, AutoCAD, and Visio.

You can control the display of layers using the default and initial state settings. For example,

you can hide a layer containing a copyright notice whenever a document is displayed on

screen, while ensuring that the layer always prints.

In Acrobat Pro, you can rename, flatten, and merge layers, change the properties of layers,

and add actions to layers. You can also rearrange layers, import layers from image files and

other PDFs, and lock layers to prevent them from being hidden.

Acrobat Pro does not allow you to author layers that change visibility according to the zoom

level. However, you can highlight a portion of a layer that is especially important by creating

a bookmark that magnifies or hides the layer using page actions. You can also add links that

let users click a visible or invisible link to navigate to or zoom in on a layer.

To retain layers when you convert InDesign CS documents to PDF in Acrobat Pro, make

sure that Compatibility is set to Acrobat 6.0 (PDF 1.5) or higher. Additionally, make sure

that Create Acrobat Layers is selected in the Export Adobe PDF dialog box.

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Show or hide layers

Information can be stored on different layers of a PDF. The layers that appear in the PDF are

based on the layers created in the original application. Use the Layers panel to examine

layers and show or hide the content associated with each layer. Items on locked layers cannot

be hidden.

Some layers may be organized into nested groups with a parent layer. Other layers may be in

groups with no parent layer.

Note:A lock icon in the Layers panel indicates that a layer is for information only. Locked layers can be

created from AutoCAD and Visio files.In Acrobat Standard, the visibility of a locked layer cannot be changed.

In Acrobat Pro, use the Layer Properties dialog box to change the visibility of a locked layer.
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Layers panel

A.

Eye icon indicates a displayed layerB.

Locked layer

C.

Hidden layer

1. Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Layers.2. To hide a layer, click the eye icon. To show a hidden layer, click the empty box. (A

layer is visible when the eye icon is present, and hidden when the eye icon is absent.

This setting temporarily overrides the settings in the Layer Properties dialog box.)Note:In a nested layer group, if the parent layer is hidden, the

nested layers are automatically hidden as well. If the parent layer

is visible, nested layers can be made visible or hidden.

3. From the options menu , choose one of the following:List Layers For All Pages

Shows every layer across every page of the document.

List Layers For Visible Pages

Shows layers only on the currently visible pages.

Reset To Initial Visibility

Resets layers to their default state.

Apply Print Overrides


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Displays layers according to the Print settings in the Layer

Properties dialog box (Prints When Visible, Never Prints, Always

Prints).

Apply Export Overrides

Displays layers according to the Export settings in the LayerProperties dialog box (Exports When Visible, Never

Exports, Always Exports).

Apply Layer Overrides

Displays all layers. This option affects all optional content in the

PDF, even layers that are not listed in the Layers panel. All layers

are visible, regardless of the settings in the Layer Properties dialog

box. You cannot change layer visibility using the eye icon until

you deselect this command. When you edit layer properties in

the Layer Propertiesdialog box, changes are not effective until you

choose Reset To Initial Visibility in the options menu. (Changes to

the layer name are the exception; they are effective immediately.)

Note:You cannot save the view of a layered

PDF by using the eye icon in the Layers panel to

show and hide layers. When you save the file, the

visibility of the layers automatically reverts to

the initial visibility state.

To save a different view of a layered PDF

in Acrobat Pro, you must change the default

state of the layers in the Layer Properties dialog

box.To the top

Edit layer properties (Acrobat Pro)

You can combine the default state setting, the visibility setting, and the print setting to

control when a layer is visible and when it prints. If a layer contains a watermark, for

example, you may want the layer to not show on-screen but always to print and always to

export to other applications. In this case you can set the default state to on, the initial

visibility to never visible (the image doesnt show on-screen), and the initial print and initial

export states to always print and always export. The layer need not be listed in the Layers

panel, since all the state changes are handled automatically.

Note:The settings in the Layer Properties dialog box take effect only if Allow Layer State To Be Set By User

Information is selected in the Documents preferences. If it is not selected, Layer Propertiesdialog box settings,

other than Layer Name and Default State, are ignored.

1. Click the Layers button in the navigation pane.2. Select a layer, and choose Layer Properties from the options menu .


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3. In the Layer Properties dialog box, edit the layer name or any ofthe following properties, and then click OK:

Intent

Select View to allow the layer to be turned on or off, or select

Reference to keep the layer on at all times and permit editing ofthe properties. When the Reference Intent option is selected, the

layer appears in italics.

Default State

Defines the initial visibility state of the layer when a document is

first opened or when the initial visibility is reset. The eye icons for

layers are initially shown or hidden based on this value. For

example, if this value is set to off, the eye icon for a layer is

hidden when the document is first opened or when Reset To Initial

Visibility is chosen from the options menu.

Visibility

Defines the on-screen visibility of the PDF layer. You can show a

layer when the document is opened, you can hide a layer when the

document is opened, or you can let the default state determine

whether a layer is shown or hidden when the document is opened.

Print

Determines whether a layer will print.

Export

Determines whether the layer appears in the resulting document

when the PDF file is exported to an application or file format that

supports layers.

Any additional properties that the creator of the

layered PDF has associated with a specific layer

are shown in the box at the bottom of the Layer

Properties dialog box.

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Reorder layers

You can reorder individual layers in the Layers pane. This action is useful if you want to change the order of

layers in the list, or move a layer from one layer group to another.

Note:You cannot reorder locked layers, and you cannot reorder layers in nested layer groups.

1. In the Layers navigation panel, select a layer.2. Position the cursor to the left of the layer name, then hold down the Alt key while

you drag the layer to the new location.

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Add layer navigation
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You can add links and destinations to layers, allowing you to change the view of a document

when the user clicks a bookmark or link.

Note:In general, changes to layer visibility made using the eye icon in the Layers panel are not recorded in

the Navigation toolbar.

Associate layer visibility with bookmarks

1. Set the required layer properties, visibility, and magnification level for the targetPDF layer in the document pane.

2. Click the Bookmarks button, and choose New Bookmark from the optionsmenu .

3. Select the new bookmark, and choose Properties from the options menu .4. In the Bookmark Properties dialog box, click the Actions tab.5. For Select Action, choose Set Layer Visibility, click Add, and then click OK.6. Select the bookmark label in the Bookmarks panel, and name the bookmark.

Associate layer visibility with a link destination1. Set the required layer properties for the destination in the document pane.2. Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Destinations.

The Destinations pane appears in a floating panel. You can add it

to the other panels by dragging it to the navigation pane. If the

panel is collapsed, click the Destinations button to expand it.

3. Choose New Destination from the options menu , and name the destination.4. Select the Link tool , and drag in the document pane to create a link. (Because

content is added to all layers, it doesnt matter that you are apparently creating the

link on the target layer. The link works from any layer.)

5. In the Create Link dialog box, select Custom Link and click Next.6. Click the Appearance tab in the Link Properties dialog box, and set the appearance

of the link.

7. Click the Actions tab in the Link Properties dialog box, choose Set Layer Visibility,and click Add.

8. Close the dialog boxes.You can test the link by changing the layer settings, selecting the

Hand tool, and clicking the link.

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Import layers (Acrobat Pro)

You can import layers from a PDF or image file into a target PDF. Supported image file

formats are BMP, GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, PCX, PNG, and TIFF.

1. Click the Layers button in the navigation pane.2. Choose Import As Layer from the options menu .


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3. In the Import As Layer dialog box, click Browse and locate the file to import. If thesource file is a multipage document, enter the page number you want to import

in Page Number. If the target file is a multipage document, specify the Target Page

Number in the Preview section of the dialog box.

4. Select one of the following import options:Create New Layer

Creates a single, separate layer from the source document. Enter a

name for the new layer.

Add To Group

Specifies the existing layer group in which to add the imported

layer. This option is available only when the target PDF contains

one or more existing layer groups, and when Create New Layer is

selected.

Add To Existing Layer

Adds the content from the source document to an existing layer in

the target document. Select a layer from your target document.

The imported content will have the same layer properties as the

existing layer in the target document. This option is available only

when the target document contains layers.

Copy Layers From Source

Imports the layers from the source document. This option is

available only when the source document contains layers.

5. Adjust the Position and Appearance settings as needed, and then click OK.To the top

Merge or flatten layers (Acrobat Pro)

Merged layers acquire the properties of the layer into which they are merged (the target

layer). Flattening PDF layers hides any content that is not visible when the flattening

operation is executed and consolidates all layers.

Important:You cannot undo either a merging or a flattening operation.

Merge layers

1. Click the Layers button, and select Merge Layers from the options menu .2. In the Layers To Be Merged pane, select one or more layers, and click Add.3. To remove a layer from the center panel, select one or more layers, and click

Remove.

4. In the Target Layer To Merge Into pane, select the layer into which to merge theselected layers.


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Flatten layers

Click the Layers button, and select Flatten Layers from the options menu .

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Editing layered contentYou can select or copy content in a layered PDF document using the Select tool or the

Snapshot tool. (In Reader, the PDF must include usage rights.) In Acrobat, you can edit

content using Edit Text & Images tool. These tools recognize and select any content that is

visible, regardless of whether the content is on a selected layer.

In Acrobat, if the content that you edit or delete is associated with one layer, the content of

the layer reflects the change. If the content that you edit or delete is associated with more

than one layer, the content in all the layers reflects the change. For example, if you want to

change a title and byline that appear on the same line on the first page of a document, and the

title and byline are on two different visible layers, editing the content on one layer changes

the content on both layers.

You can add content, such as review comments, stamps, or form fields, to layered documents

just as you would to any other PDF document. However, the content is not added to a

specific layer, even if that layer is selected when the content is added. Rather, the content is

added to the entire document.

In Acrobat, you can use the Merge Files Into A Single PDF command to combine PDF

documents that contain layers. The layers for each document are grouped under a separate

heading in the Layers panel of the navigation pane. You expand and collapse the group by

clicking the icon in the title bar for the group.

About PDF Layers

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