Re:

>1. What is the optimal size for a single PDF file? We have PDF files on our
>site ranging from 100K to 6-7MB. I imagine a lot of our clients would
access
>these with a modem over a phone line.


Depends upon what they're being used for.  If your clients are accessing
them via modem, I'd use the same guidelines as HTML and graphics files (as
small as possible, try to keep everything under 50K)

>2. Is it possible to edit a PDF file? If so, through what application? I
>know how to create PDF files (using Acrobat Distiller), although I'm by no
means
>an expert.

It is POSSIBLE to do some very limited editing using the Acrobat Exchange
program (good for fixing typos, but not much else).  You're better off
fixing the source document and re-distilling the file.


IMHO, PDF's are really handy in one (and only one) case - when the exact
format of the document must be retained for printing purposes.  We use PDF's
on our site, and most of them are maps that the user can download and print
out at their leisure (see
http://www.estes-express.com/service_areas/terminal.htm to see how I'm using
them).  My only concern with these is that the user can print them out and
that they look exactly the same as if we printed them out from our mapping
software.  If there were some way we could do this with more open format
software, I would ditch this in a second (vector graphics in XML?).

HTH -

Mike Eovino
Webmaster
Estes Express Lines
http://www.estes-express.com

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