Which Adobe Acrobat Training Format Is Right for Me?

Adobe Acrobat is an application for reading, editing, and creating PDFs utilized in virtually every professional industry. Anyone who works with many documents or needs to create documents that can be filled out and viewed on any device will benefit from learning Acrobat. When comparing types of Adobe Acrobat training, there are many factors to consider. Everyone learns differently; choosing the proper training is critical to your experience.

Keep reading to find out more about the different formats of Adobe Acrobat training, how they compare to each other, and how to determine which is best for you.

What is Adobe Acrobat?

Adobe Acrobat is the most commonly used application for reading, displaying, and editing documents in Adobe’s portable document format (PDF). The PDF file extension is designed as a universal text and image display system that can display on any machine, regardless of what applications, hardware, or operating system you are using. Adding the extension makes Adobe Acrobat a vital tool for cross-platform collaboration and design processes. It is also essential for securely authorizing, signing, and archiving important documents, including transcripts, tax filings, and other legal documents. 

Adobe is also constantly striving to ensure that Acrobat is more than just a PDF reader. While there is a freeware version of the application to let any user read documents, Acrobat Pro lets users edit, manipulate, and otherwise prepare PDF documents for distribution. Importantly, it also allows users to convert PDFs to word documents, excel spreadsheets, or even jpegs, which is an integral part of optimizing specific professional processes. Between these features and essential quality-of-life benefits, such as combining documents into a single PDF, compressing PDFs, and automated features ensuring documents meet specific critical legal regulations, Adobe Acrobat is one of the most versatile and vital baseline tools available.

Read more about what Adobe Acrobat is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Adobe Acrobat?

Adobe Acrobat is a versatile software program that lets users create and share PDF files that can be read and edited on almost any device. The program is important for both collaborative design work and for documenting and archiving important documents. Using Adobe Acrobat makes remote work more accessible and efficient since Acrobat includes authentication and documentation features that allow users to encrypt, protect, sign, and notarize documents without meeting with a signee in-person. These built-in collaboration features can improve both workflow efficiency and the kinds of work that is practical for a given company or organization.

Adobe Acrobat is also one of the most commonly used tools for archiving and preserving important documents. PDF readers can produce high-quality scans of physical documents and display them on almost any modern device. This ability makes Adobe Acrobat a valuable tool for making rare or sensitive documents more accessible to the public. It also ensures that individuals can easily create and access backup versions of physical documents they want to keep protected. Since Acrobat also has significant privacy and security features, learning Acrobat is an excellent way to ensure that these documents are appropriately protected when you need others to access them.

Training Formats for Adobe Acrobat

Future students looking to learn Acrobat have various training options available. Students can receive professional in-person training, or they can take their courses online. Learners can enroll in these courses as live instruction seminars in private digital classrooms, or asynchronous courses picked up at a student’s convenience. While every student learns differently, there are enough similarities and differences across these courses that students can read about to make an informed decision concerning their chosen training method.

In-Person Adobe Acrobat Training

Many students find in-person training the most familiar and effective way to learn new skills. For these students, in-person Acrobat training options are likely the preferable way to learn Acrobat. These classes place students into a dedicated classroom learning environment with a live instructor who can guide them through their lessons, answer their questions, and provide them with vital feedback. Students in these courses will also have the opportunity to take advantage of onsite training labs and software. Plus, students will be able to learn Acrobat alongside a cohort of like-minded colleagues, providing them with valuable networking opportunities. These courses are the most restricted in terms of availability since students will need to find classes that meet their scheduling needs and are taught at a close enough location to access by commute.

Noble Desktop offers a wide range of Adobe Acrobat classes in-person at their Manhattan campus. These classes are ideal places for students who live in the greater New York City metropolitan area to learn Acrobat from expert instructions, all while taking advantage of Noble’s state-of-the-art computer labs. Students who can’t commute to New York City may want to explore options for other in-person training services, such as those offered by Luminous Works Training in Seattle or Digital Workshop Center in Denver. On top of region-specific training centers, students can also explore the classes provided by CertStaffix, ONLC, and New Horizons. Each has training centers in dozens of cities across the country.

Live Online Adobe Acrobat Training

Many students find in-person training the most familiar and effective way to learn new skills. For these students, in-person Acrobat training options are likely the preferable way to learn Acrobat. These classes immerse students into a dedicated classroom learning environment with a live instructor who can guide them through their lessons, answer their questions, and provide them with vital feedback. Students in these courses will also have the opportunity to take advantage of onsite training labs and software. Plus, students will be able to learn Acrobat alongside a cohort of like-minded colleagues, providing them with valuable networking opportunities. These courses are the most restricted in terms of availability since students will need to find classes that meet their scheduling needs and are taught at a close enough location to access by commute.

Noble Desktop offers a wide range of Adobe Acrobat classes in-person at their Manhattan campus. These classes are ideal places for students who live in the greater New York City metropolitan area to learn Acrobat from expert instructions, all while taking advantage of Noble’s state-of-the-art computer labs. Students who can’t commute to New York City may want to explore options for other in-person training services, such as those offered by Luminous Works Training in Seattle or Digital Workshop Center in Denver. On top of region-specific training centers, students can also explore the classes provided by CertStaffix, ONLC, and New Horizons. Each has training centers in dozens of cities across the country.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

Students who want to learn the basic features of Adobe Acrobat but cannot enroll in a full training seminar may consider taking advantage of free training programs. These training programs are excellent for students who feel they need to get a basic grasp of working with PDF applications but aren’t sure they need to learn the more advanced elements of the program. These courses tend to be cursory overviews of the features and functions of programs like Acrobat; for many professionals, that is all they will need.

Noble Desktop offers several free Adobe courses, including an Introduction to Adobe Creative Cloud video seminar. In this class, students will learn the basics of Adobe Acrobat and various programs that collectively make up the Adobe Creative Cloud. This course is designed with prospective designers in mind. However, its overview of the functionalities of Acrobat will assist students who otherwise aren’t interested in learning tools like Photoshop. This course eases trainees into more professional training programs, so it is also a worthwhile resource for students who intend to learn Acrobat to complement other Adobe Creative Cloud skills.

Students may also explore more options for free Adobe Acrobat courses through service providers such as Udemy or Coursera. These training courses will vary from broad overviews of the Adobe catalog to narrow video tutorials covering the basics of Acrobat as a standalone program. Learners may also consult the free tutorial options available directly from Adobe.

Read about more free Adobe Acrobat videos and online tutorials.

On-Demand Classes

Prospective students interested in learning Acrobat at their own pace or who don’t want to wait for a training seminar to become available may wish to enroll in an on-demand Acrobat course. These self-paced classes give trainees a collection of course material, often pre-recorded video lectures, and allow them to review and practice those materials when it is most convenient for them. The individualized pacing makes these classes ideal for students who want to spread their Acrobat training over a few days when it is most convenient. These courses are also a helpful way to accelerate your Acrobat training since students can purchase an on-demand course and avoid waiting for a live training seminar to be scheduled in a student’s window of availability.

Comparison of Adobe Acrobat Training Formats

Individuals needing Adobe Acrobat training have various options available. They can enroll in in-person or online training programs, and students can gather the information through live instruction or asynchronous classes. Each method has its benefits and drawbacks, yet each course has a few consistent advantages and disadvantages. Knowing these differences can help students make more informed decisions when trying to find the best course for them.

Many students find that live training courses are the ideal way to learn a new skill because they benefit from the presence of an experienced instructor. These courses let students work directly with experienced Acrobat professionals who can guide them through the more challenging aspects of learning the application. These courses tend to be the most restrictive in terms of when and where they are offered, so students may have to wait to find a course available in their area, and they tend to be more expensive than other options.

In-person training will give students the advantage of learning from experienced instructors in a dedicated classroom space where they can work face-to-face with their teachers. Students can take advantage of a training center’s hardware and software in these classes. The drawback is that these classes are only offered in specific training locations, so students will be limited to only the places they can access. Students can take online classes from anywhere, but they will need to get access to the necessary software in another way.

On-demand classes lack an asynchronous instructor, but they give students added flexibility by letting them work on their lessons whenever it is most convenient for their schedule. Some students will need this added flexibility since these are the best way to learn Acrobat without committing to a consistently scheduled class. These courses are also ideal for students who want to learn the basics of Acrobat immediately since students who enroll in these courses won’t have to wait for them to be offered since they are always available. Since these classes lack live instructors, students will have to take the initiative to address any challenges in their lessons. Also, these courses can sometimes be slightly out-of-date, even if reputable training centers offer them.

Is it Possible to Teach Yourself Adobe Acrobat?

Students may be asking if it is possible to learn Adobe Acrobat independently. The answer will largely depend on what degree of expertise they want to achieve and what version of the program they want to learn. Students who hope to gain a basic familiarity with the features and functions of Acrobat Reader, the freeware version of the application, can be confident that they will be able to learn the program with only free tutorials and resources. However, it may take them significantly longer than if they enrolled in a professional training program.

For more advanced skills, particularly those associated with the paid versions of the program, self-teaching will be much harder. It is still possible for dedicated students to do this. Still, they may find that the difficulties involved and the added time it will take aren’t worth the savings, particularly if they need to learn these skills for professional reasons. Plus, since the various Acrobat programs are updating fairly regularly, self-teaching learners will need to take extra steps to ensure that they don’t learn out-of-date information, which will further complicate their training.

How to Decide the Best Way to Learn Adobe Acrobat

Students interested in learning Adobe Acrobat may be surprised at the numerous options available. Since the program is accessible and used in many different contexts, there are many different options for learning how to use it. While students’ learning needs vary, most experts agree that students should find programs based on their desired proficiency levels. Experts also recommend that potential students consider whether they need Acrobat training as part of a standalone program or a more comprehensive career-skills training education.

Students who want to learn the basic features of Adobe Acrobat to perform their specific job tasks more effectively should consider taking advantage of free online resources. Free training is beneficial for students imagining themselves primarily using the freeware version of the program. Acrobat’s more advanced features are not essential in all situations.

Students who want to learn the intricacies and advanced features of Acrobat Pro will want to enroll in a training bootcamp or advanced on-demand class. These courses, such as Noble’s Adobe Acrobat Training course, will provide students with detailed lessons and hands-on projects working with all of the essential features of the application. These courses are ideal for students who expect to use Acrobat in their professional careers regularly or want to learn Acrobat to supplement their existing career skills.

Students who want to find a new career will need significantly more than Adobe Acrobat training, which is why many career-focused training programs, like any of Noble’s certificate-granting career classes, teach Acrobat alongside other vital career skills. These classes will vary significantly in content since they each aim to teach the skills leveraged in different careers. Still, these are the best ways to open the door to new career opportunities in fields such as graphic design or data analysis.

Learn Adobe Acrobat with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Individuals hoping to learn Adobe Acrobat will have a few options available. Noble Desktop offers private and group Adobe Acrobat training in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus and online in live digital classrooms. These courses allow students to learn advanced Acrobat skills with the assistance of live instructors. Enrollees will work with hands-on examples that mirror the kinds of real-world applications for which they will employ Acrobat, and can ask questions and receive direct feedback from their instructors. Enrollees attending these courses will benefit from small class sizes, even online. Anyone who takes a course through Noble can retake that course within a calendar year, giving individuals s even more opportunities to master Adobe Acrobat.

Those wanting to learn Adobe Acrobat can enroll in Noble’s Adobe Acrobat Training course. This course is beginner-friendly and designed to get students comfortable with the key functionalities of Acrobat that they require in their day-to-day lives. This course will get new students up to speed by teaching them how to edit, merge, combine, arrange, share, and protect PDF files using Acrobat. This class is a great way to learn the ins and outs of Adobe Acrobat quickly. In this course, students will learn everything they need to know about storing, annotating, and working with PDF files. 

Another advantage to learning Adobe Acrobat is that it is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of tools and is therefore both heavily integrated with those applications and is one of the best ways to display designs on any device. Creative professionals, in particular, will want to learn Adobe Acrobat as part of their training in other Adobe Creative programs. Students learning skills like Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign will want to ensure they know how to improve their workflow efficiency using Acrobat.