PDF files are computer files with a PDF extension that can be viewed using your web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer) along with a PDF-reader plug-in (e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader). Among others, there are two main reasons why armdrag visitors might want to make a PDF:

(1.) You're running an upcoming youth tournament, and you've created a tournament flyer & entry form using your word processor (e.g. Microsoft Word). You're not sure what format to save it in before you send it to armdrag.

(2.) You're a tournament administrator, and on your computer you have the files to a tournament that you've run. You want to send the brackets and other info to armdrag so that they'll be archived forever and never forgotten, but you don't know how.

The answer? PDF, PDF, PDF! What? Your program doesn't have the option to save as PDF? Guess what? IT DOESN'T MATTER! Anything, I mean ANYTHING, that you can print out from your computer can be made into a PDF using one of several programs.

How is that possible? Because a PDF creation program is really a printer, a virtual printer.  After you install the PDF creator, it will show up as a printer on your computer. The next time you go to print, say, your tournament brackets, you simply choose the PDF printer, which will then create a PDF for you.  You can then email the PDF to armdrag to be posted on the Web.

There are many PDF creators available.  One good FREE one is called PDF ReDirect, which has a rating of 4.5/5 stars on download.com. To download your copy, CLICK HERE.

After you download PDF ReDirect, install it by double-clicking the file and following the instructions on your screen.  It may ask you to reboot, or it may not. After it's installed, you can open up any data file (like a Word document) on your computer. Select File->Print, and you'll see PDF ReDirect in your list of available printers. Select it, and click Print.  You'll then see PDF ReDirect launch and present a screen similar to this:



In the 'Folders' area, navigate to the location that you wish to save the file. (The 'Files' area simply lists any existing PDFs that are on your computer in the selected folder.) Then, in the 'PDF Output Filename' area, type the desired name of your PDF (e.g. brackets.pdf). Click Save, and you're done!

Go find your PDF and open it up to make sure it looks good. If it does, simply email it to info@armdrag.com and ask to have it posted on the Web! Cool!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Why can't I just send in my Word document to armdrag and let them convert it to PDF for me?
A: You can, but if you do it yourself it will save the armdrag staff time.

Q: What other PDF creators are good? I don't mind paying for the best software?
A: I wouldn't waste your money, but in addition to the free version PDF ReDirect, some others are PDF ReDirect Pro, pdfFactory, and Adobe Acrobat Standard and Professional.

Q: Is it better if I FAX my tournament brackets to armdrag, or I create a PDF using my tournament software and PDF ReDirect?
A: It's better to create a PDF using your tournament software and PDF ReDirect because the size of the PDF will be much, much smaller and much more legible than one created from a FAX.  The smaller the file size, the smaller the Web download, and the happier the wrestling fan!

Q: My tournament software has the option to save a website of the tournament results as HTML files. Is that better than making a PDF of the brackets and other info?
A: PDF-style brackets are preferred to HTML-style brackets, mainly because they're easier to print. Also, the HTML files created by tournament software are clunky and undesirable when compared with a single, clean, easy-to-read, and easy-to-print PDF file.

Q: I have complete brackets from tournaments going back many years. How do I convert them to PDFs so that I can send them to armdrag?
A: Without converting them to PDF, you can simply FAX them to armdrag.  Or, if you want to convert them to PDF, you'll need a scanner. Set your scanner up to be used as a photocopier. (If you don't know how to do this, you might consider using Nico Cuppen's Photocopier software, which sends anything you scan directly to your default printer.) As your default printer (in Windows XP go to Start menu->Printers & Faxes), choose PDF ReDirect. This will allow you to convert anything you scan directly into a PDF.