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Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Use Full Screen Mode in Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader (PC & Mac)

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Large chalkboard with text "How to Use Full Screen Mode in Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader"This tutorial explains how to use Full Screen mode in Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader. Full Screen mode shows the PDF without the user interface. Therefore, it is convenient for giving presentations.

First, we are going to turn on Full Screen mode for an open PDF (Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader). Then, we are going to set a PDF to open directly in Full Screen mode starting at a specific page number (Adobe Acrobat only).

Table of Contents:

Watch all the steps shown here in real time!

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The images below are from Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. These steps also apply to Adobe Acrobat 2020 and Adobe Acrobat 2017. In addition, the process is the same for PC and Mac.

How to Turn On Full Screen Mode (Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader)

  1. Select the View menu.
View menu in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 1. View menu
  1. Select Full Screen Mode from the drop-down menu.
Full Screen Mode in the View menu in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 2. Full Screen Mode option
Pro Tip: The keyboard shortcut for Full Screen Mode is Ctrl + L (PC) or Command + L (Mac).

Your PDF should open in Full Screen mode immediately.

You can use your mouse, trackpad, or the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the pages.

Here are some additional keyboard shortcuts:

  • Zoom In: Ctrl + = (PC) Command + = (Mac)
  • Zoom Out: Ctrl + – (PC) Command + – (Mac)
  • Exit: Esc or Ctrl + L (PC) or Command + L (Mac)

How to Set a PDF to Open Directly in Full Screen Mode (Adobe Acrobat Only)

If you are giving a presentation, you may want to open your PDF directly in Full Screen mode.

  1. Select the File menu.
File menu in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 3. File menu
  1. Select Properties from the drop-down menu.
Properties option in the File menu in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 4. Properties option
  1. Select the Initial View tab in the Document Properties dialog box.
Initial View tab in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 5. Initial View tab
  1. (Optional) Enter the page number you want to start with in the Open to page text box. (The default is to open to the first page.)
Open to page text box in the Initial View tab of the Document Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 6. Open to page text box
  1. Select the Open in Full Screen mode option.
Open in Full Screen mode option the Initial View tab in the Document Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 7. Open in Full Screen mode option
  1. Select the OK button.
OK button in the Initial View in the Document Properties dialog box in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 8. OK button
  1. Save and reopen the PDF.
  2. When the PDF reopens, select Remember my choice for this document in the Full Screen alert box.
Remember my choice for this document option in the Full Screen alert box in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 9. Remember my choice for this document option
  1. Select the Yes button.
Yes button in the Full Screen alert box in Adobe Acrobat
Figure 10. Yes button

The PDF will open in Full Screen mode.

When you reopen the PDF later, it should open directly in Full Screen mode without showing the alert box. Therefore, you can give your presentation without the audience seeing the Acrobat interface.

Do you want to give your presentation even more polish? Combine Full Screen mode with automatic scrolling or page transitions.

Related Resources

How to Use the Grid in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac)

How to Convert Web Pages and Websites to PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac)

Updated November 13, 2022