# View Options

Course: [PDF](https://www.devtutorials.ai/learn/pdf) · Section: Viewing PDFs
Source: https://www.devtutorials.ai/learn/pdf/viewing-pdfs/view-options

> Change how pages are shown: zoom, Fit Page and Fit Width, single page and continuous view, full screen, and rotation. Then find your way around a user manual in the Chapter 2 project.

The same PDF page can be hard to read or perfectly comfortable, depending on how it's shown. Tiny print needs zooming in; a wide table needs the full width of the screen; a presentation looks best full screen; and a page printed sideways needs turning. In this lesson, you'll learn every way to change the view: zoom in and out, Fit Page and Fit Width, single page and continuous view, full screen, and rotating pages. At the end, you'll find your way around a whole user manual in the Chapter 2 project.

None of these options change the PDF itself (except saving a rotation, which you'll see below). They only change how **you** see it, so experiment freely.

## Zoom in and zoom out

**Zoom** makes the page bigger or smaller on the screen. The zoom box in the toolbar shows the size as a percentage: **100%** is about the size of the printed page.

Here are all the ways to zoom:

| How | Zoom in | Zoom out |
|---|---|---|
| Toolbar buttons | **Zoom in** (+) | **Zoom out** (−) |
| Keyboard | **Ctrl + Plus** | **Ctrl + Minus** |
| Mouse | **Ctrl + wheel up** | **Ctrl + wheel down** |
| Zoom box | Choose 125%, 150%, 200%, 400% | Choose 75%, 50%, 25%, 10% |

The buttons move in steps (100%, 125%, 150%, 200%, and so on). The zoom box's list jumps straight to a size.

When you zoom in past the window's width, a horizontal scroll bar appears and you have to move the page sideways to read each line. That's tiring for reading, but useful for a close look at a small detail, such as the fine print in a contract or a number in a chart.

On a touch screen or touchpad, **pinch** with two fingers to zoom, just like a photo. In Pan mode (the hand), drag a zoomed-in page around with the mouse instead of using the scroll bars.

## Fit Page and Fit Width

Instead of guessing a percentage, let the viewer work out the right size. Open the **zoom box** list and choose:

| Option | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| **Fit Page** | Shrinks or grows the page so the **whole page** fits in the window | Seeing the layout of a page at a glance; slides; forms |
| **Fit Width** | Makes the page **as wide as the window** | Reading text: the lines are as big as possible without scrolling sideways |
| **Automatic** | Lets the viewer choose a comfortable size | A good default |

The percentage these give depends on your window: Fit Width might be 140% on a big monitor and 60% on a phone. Resize the window and choose the option again, and the number changes.

For reading, use **Fit Width**. For checking how a page looks as a whole, use **Fit Page**. Reach for exact percentages only when you need a closer look at a detail.

## Single page view and continuous view

Zoom controls how big the pages are. A second choice is how they're arranged on screen. PDF apps can lay pages out in two main ways:

| View | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| **Continuous** | Pages sit one under another in a long strip; you scroll smoothly from one into the next | Reading long documents, reports, manuals |
| **Single page** | Only **one page** is on screen; scrolling or the arrow keys flip to the next page, like turning a page | Slides, forms, and documents where each page stands alone |

Many desktop apps also offer **Two page** view (two pages side by side, like an open book), which suits magazines and brochures.

The sandbox always shows **continuous** pages. In other apps, you choose the layout from a menu:

- **Adobe Acrobat Reader**: **View** > **Page Display** > **Single Page View** or **Enable Scrolling** (continuous), and **Two Page View**.
- **Microsoft Edge**: the **Page view** button in the PDF toolbar, with **One page** or **Two pages**, and **Continuous scrolling** on or off.

To get a single-page feel in the sandbox, choose **Fit Page** and move with **Show next page**: each click shows one whole page.

## Full screen view

One more view takes over the whole screen. **Full screen** hides everything except the pages: no browser tabs, no lesson, no taskbar. It's ideal for reading without distractions, or for showing a PDF to a group on a big screen.

- **In the sandbox**: click **Full screen** in the sandbox header. Press **Esc**, or click **Exit full screen**, to leave.
- **Adobe Acrobat Reader**: **View** > **Full Screen Mode** (**Ctrl + L**). Each page fills the screen, and the arrow keys move between pages.
- **Any web browser**: **F11** makes the whole browser full screen.

Your browser shows a short message such as "Press Esc to exit full screen" when you enter full screen. That's normal: it reminds you how to get out.

## Rotate pages

Sometimes a page is stored **sideways**: a wide table printed in landscape, or a page that was scanned the wrong way round. Turning your head isn't the answer: rotate the page.

There are two kinds of rotation:

| Kind | What it changes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| **Rotate the view** | Only how you see it now; the file is unchanged | Acrobat Reader: **View** > **Rotate View** > **Clockwise** (**Ctrl + Shift + Plus**) |
| **Rotate the page** | The page itself, saved into the PDF | Acrobat: **Organize Pages**; the sandbox: **Organize Pages** |

Here is how to rotate a page in the sandbox:

1. Click **Organize Pages**, the third button in the navigation pane. A window shows every page.
2. Hover over the page you want to turn and tick its **checkbox** (top-left of the page).
3. Click **Rotate Right** (clockwise) or **Rotate Left** (anticlockwise) in the window's toolbar. Each click turns the page a quarter-turn.
4. Click **Save**. The window closes and the page appears turned in the viewer.

To turn a page that reads from bottom to top, use **Rotate Right**. If you turn it the wrong way, click again until it's upright, then save.

A few simple habits will help you use these view options well.

## Common mistakes

| Mistake | What happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Zoomed in too far | You scroll sideways for every line | Choose **Fit Width** |
| Fit Page on a text-heavy page | The text is too small to read | Choose **Fit Width** instead |
| Rotating the wrong page | A correct page turns sideways | Select the right page; rotate it back |
| Forgetting to click **Save** in Organize Pages | The rotation disappears | Rotate again and click **Save** |
| Stuck in full screen | The toolbar and tabs are gone | Press **Esc** |

## Exercise

Here is your chance to try every view option yourself.

Click **Open the practice PDF** below to open the **Brightway Barista 300** manual. Then do each task and press **Check**.

## Chapter project

Put Chapter 2 together. You've just bought a Brightway Barista 300, and you want answers to six questions before you make your first coffee. Use the tool each task names.

## What to remember

- **Zoom in/out** with the buttons, **Ctrl + Plus/Minus**, **Ctrl + wheel**, or the zoom box.
- **Fit Width** is best for reading; **Fit Page** shows the whole page.
- **Continuous** view scrolls smoothly; **single page** view shows one page at a time.
- **Full screen** hides everything but the pages; **Esc** leaves it.
- **Rotate** a sideways page with **Organize Pages** > **Rotate Right** > **Save** (or rotate only the view in desktop apps).

That's the end of Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, you'll select, copy, and search the text in PDFs.