Welcome > PDF Editing > Viewing documents > About viewing options

About viewing options

To view PDF documents, you can hide ribbon controls to optimize the working area.

Double-click the currently selected tab to hide it; double-click it again to restore the tab.

Click a tab and drag it to move it to a floating position. Click and drag the tab again (not the title bar) to re-dock it in the ribbon area.

Select File > Info > Edit Properties > Initial View to customize the appearance of the document and the program window whenever the document is opened in future. See Document Properties for details.

Note If you receive a PDF that displays no ribbon or tabs, press F9 to bring them into view.

About full screen view

Full Screen icon Controls are hidden in Full Screen view, which is usually used for presentations. The pointer remains active, so you can click links or open notes. Use keyboard shortcuts for commands such as magnification, print, search and more.

  • Select ViewPage ViewFull Screen, press Ctrl+L, or click the Full Screen Mode button in the View bar to switch to Full Screen.

  • Use the small toolbar controls on the bottom right to move to the next or previous page (or use Page Down and Page Up).

  • Use Ctrl + End and Ctrl + Home to move to the first and last page in the document.

  • Use the last tool in the small toolbar to exit Full Screen display. Alternatively, press Ctrl + L or Escape.

Note Set preferences under File > Options > General > Full Screen.

Grid display

Use grids to refine the page layout.

Select Edit > Tools > Alignment to access alignment and grid options.

  • View Grid: Show grids on your document page, or press Ctrl + U.

  • Snap to Grid: Select and move objects so they align with the nearest grid lines, or press Shift + Ctrl + U.

Tip Define grid properties in General Preferences under File > Options > General > Full Screen.

To hide grids or turn off grid snapping, select View Grid or Snap to Grid in the list, or click Ctrl + U or Shift + Ctrl + U again.