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PDF-UX: Bookmarks

September 2024 by Peter Wyatt

Many PDF users are familiar with the tree-like navigation aid commonly known as “bookmarks”. Similar to a Table of Contents, bookmarks are usually provided to help users jump directly to any location in a document. However, unlike traditional Table of Contents pages, bookmarks are displayed in a separate navigation pane, allowing their use at any time, while viewing any page.

This feature is typically added by authors to assist readers in navigating the document. It can be configured in each PDF to automatically display when the document opens. As with physical books, end users may also wish to add bookmarks to their documents.

Although bookmarks can provide end users with easy, rapid access to the content they seek, they are sometimes created in less-than-ideal ways that lead to end-user frustration and reflect poorly on the author or publisher.

This PDF-UX article offers an overview of bookmarks and suggests considerations and general best practices for every PDF author, and some thoughts for PDF viewer developers as well.

Liaison with TC 42 brings HDR closer

September 2024 by PDF Association staff
Article, For members only


PDF Association members – especially those working on PDF’s imaging model – can now access TC 42 WG 23 resources directly from pdfa.org.

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August 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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Does your PDF viewer fully support page labels? Does your PDF authoring software? Support for page labels can be a … Read more

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August 2024 by PDF Association staff
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The third PDF Week of 2024 will be hosted by Charles University in the beautiful city of Prague, in the … Read more

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July 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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To avoid confusing and frustrating users, applications can and should be robustly prepared for significant changes to PDF – with … Read more

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July 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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These synthetic files are intended for user experience and human-computer interaction (HCI) specialists to assess the behavior of their current … Read more

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June 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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Peter Wyatt’s latest article focuses on improving the user experience for website visitors needing to access specific content in longer … Read more

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May 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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LOGIN REQUIRED: These synthetic files are intended for user experience and human-computer interaction (HCI) specialists to assess the behavior of … Read more

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May 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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Accurately understanding the kinds of data that can be in a PDF and how it is stored can be very … Read more

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April 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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All ISO publications are written according to a set of rules known as the ISO Directives. In this article, the … Read more

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April 2024 by axes4 GmbH
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Accessibility is vital for ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully participate in society. This article delves into … Read more

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March 2024 by Peter Wyatt
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How meaningful is PDF’s version number? SafeDocs’ research reveals that 20% of extant files contain features that exceed the stated … Read more

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