How to download .pdf files

Adrian, you can either save the page in Safari under the File menu>Save As or before clicking the link to the pdf, hold down option and then click the link. That will download it to your downloads folder(default is the desktop).

Grant

Hi Adrian,

This post by Yang might help:

Yang, "preview as default viewer of pdf's in safari" #1, 06:47am Aug 30, 2005 CDT

To prevent Safari auto-opening them after downloading, omit the step about enabling the opening of safe files.

Adrian,
When you see a file link on a page, look in Safari's >> Window menu >> Activity, where there is a list of every file on that page (images, sounds, html, and the pdf, for example). Option + Double click the pdf file, and it should download, rather than open. You can do the same for other files listed, as well.

I mention this in case you prefer not to disable Safari pdf support (via Terminal).

Hello Adrian,
before I installed Tiger, whenever I downloaded a PDF file it opened Automatically within my Adobe PDF program. Now it opens in the browser, same as you mention.
Out of curiosity I decided to see if they would open differently when down loaded from a different browser ( I usually use Safari). I tried using Netscape instead of Safari. When I clicked to down load the PDF file I got a msg box asking me if I would like to preview using Adobe.

I know this is not the solution you wanted, as you are asking how to view them with Safari, but thought it was worth mentioning. I would prefer them to open up as before to.

I am pretty new to using Mac and dare I say that the PC seemed more straight forward.

Helen 🙂

I was having exactly the same problem as Adrian with very similar complications that prevent me right/option clicking the links. iBod's suggestion works perfectly and I am back to downloading all PDFs to my nominated folder and opening them with Acrobat 7 Pro.

By the way, I still select "open safe files" in Safari Preferences, but since I have selected Acrobat Pro as my default for PDF files, that's what I get (and not Preview).

I prefer to download PDF files as well. What seems like new behavior in Safari had me perplexed and annoyed- there's no place to set a preference. The easiest solution is to open to Library/Internet-Plugins and remove PDF Viewer. Trash it. The next time you open Acrobat, it will tell you that the plug-in is missing and ask if you want to replace it. Say no, and you may want to select the box that says "Don't ask again..."

Hi Adrian,

Does holding down the option key and clicking the link work for you?

The pdf files are just links, they aren't really there. So this doesn't work.

Can you please explain how to disable Safari pdf support via Terminal. I don't know what Terminal is.

Thank you.