Sun PDFs: Title Requirements

PDF files have come a long way since the days of PostScript. Because PDF files are easy to create and are available on any platform, the vast amount of them now demands that they have meaningful titles to be searchable. Follow the steps below before you submit a PDF file to Sun.

What is the "Title" of a PDF?

The PDF file title is contained within the PDF itself, and is the field search engines use to display a search result title.

If the title information is not properly set, a search engine will attempt to create a title based on the filename; so, your document may appear in a list of search results as: Template01, chapter05, Layout, etc.

To check the title of any PDF file, open the file with Acrobat Reader and select File -> Document Properties. Then click the Description tab. The title used by search engines is the same title you see on this tab. (See an example in the illustration on the right.)

Adding "Title" Information to a PDF

You have two options to add a title to your PDF file so that search engines can display it properly:

1. Generate your own PDF: Many of today's wordprocessing and desktop publishing applications provide the ability to create a PDF file (Save As..., Export PDF, etc.). Before you generate the PDF, set the title property first in the source application. Refer to your preferred application's online help for more information (for example, in StarOffice, you can set the title property by selecting File -> Properties and then clicking the Description tab).
2. Modify an existing PDF: If you do not have access to the source file or if your source application, such as a text or image file, does not support document properties, you can modify an existing PDF file. Commercial tools such as Adobe Acrobat or free tools such as A-PDF INFO Changer will allow you to set the necessary title property.

Enter an Appropriate Title

• Be specific enough to accurately reflect the content of the document.
• Have a length of less than 100 characters.
• Include product version numbers, when applicable.
• Do not include trademark (TM) or servicemark (SM) symbols for Sun products and brands.
• Refer to "Sun Microsystems" as "Sun" unless the PDF is a Sun corporate information document.
• Be unique — duplicate PDF titles are not permissible.

Other Properties Fields

There are other properties fields where you can include additional information about your document. Some of these fields are optional, others are not:

• Keywords or Comments: Sun will not accept PDFs that contain vague keywords (i.e., Java, security) or keywords unrelated to the content. If in doubt, leave the keywords field blank.
• Description: Follow these simple rules for this optional field:
• Set a reasonable user expectation about the document.
• Do not use generic boilerplate text. If time is a factor, then leave this field blank.
• Be specific enough to accurately reflect the content of the document.

It is the responsibility of the PDF author to verify all meta data for accuracy prior to submitting or posting on Sun web sites.

NOTE: PDF files that do not have the appropriate document properties set (e.g., pertinent title, description, relevant keywords) will be returned to you for correction – at no expense to Sun. If the problem persists, additional action will be taken.