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This page:
The pages look funny
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files
A password is requested to view a Word document (Internet Explorer)
Saving files to disk

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The pages look funny

This site makes use of "Cascading Style Sheets" (CSS) to format the pages. This keeps file sizes smaller so pages load quickly and allows the pages to be read in a wide variety of devices, including screen-readers used by the visually impaired. However, devices that do not conform to the W3C standards may format the pages strangely.

Internet Explorer version 5 and above for Windows, Netscape Navigator 6 and above, and browsers such as Opera should display these pages as intended. Earlier versions of IE for Windows and Netscape and IE for Mac display some pages with less-than-ideal formatting.

We test our pages in a range of browsers, old and new, to make sure that content is legible. So, whatever browser you use, you should see all the information - although may not look as pretty in certain browsers.

More About StandardsOpens in a new window

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Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files

A number of documents on this site are Adobe Acrobat PDF files. These documents are more strictly formatted but not as flexible and often not as small as regular web pages. They are better suited for documents that will be printed rather than read on the screen. We also use them where it is important to retain the original format of the document.

In order to view PDF files most systems require the Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is available free from Adobe's site:

Download Adobe Acrobat ReaderOpens in a new window

Acrobat Viewing Options

Viewing PDFs in the browser
This is the most common configuation and we have designed our site with this in mind. PDF files on this site are set to open in a new window to avoid losing your place if you accidentally close the window.

If the new window is blank and you get a file download dialog box or another program opens to display the PDF, this means your system is configured to view PDFs outside the browser. If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can set your system to display PDFs in the browser as follows:

  • In Acrobat Reader choose Edit > Preferences > Internet (Windows) or [application] > Preferences > Internet (Macintosh)
  • Check "Display PDF In Browser", and then click OK and close Acrobat Reader.

Many Macintosh systems are set by default view PDFs outside the browser. You may download Adobe Acrobat Reader and follow the instructions above. There are also other plug-ins available for Macintosh browsers to allow viewing PDFs in the browser. Try a Google search for: Macintosh PDF browser.

Viewing PDF outside the browser
If you have problems viewing PDFs in the browser you may want to try viewing PDFs directly in Acrobat Reader.

  • In Acrobat Reader choose Edit > Preferences > Internet (Windows) or [application] > Preferences > Internet (Macintosh)
  • Uncheck "Display PDF In Browser", and then click OK and close Acrobat Reader.

NOTE: PDF files on this site are set to open in a new window to avoid losing your place if you accidentally close the window. If you display PDF outside the browser the new window will still open, but it will be blank.

Problems viewing Acrobat files

PDF page in new window is blank. You get a download dialog box or the PDF displays in another program
This will happen if your system is set to view PDFs outside the browser. See Viewing Options above for more information.

PDF will not open/download
Some possible solutions include:

Printing PDF files
To print an PDF file from your browser:

  • Scroll to the end of the document to ensure that it has all downloaded to your machine
  • Click on the Print button in the Acrobat toolbar. Do not use the browser's print button.

If PDF files do not print correctly, there are a couple of things to try:

  • Save the file to disk as described above rather than trying to print from within the browser.
  • People using Windows may need to change the settings on the printer driver.
    • Choose 'Properties' or 'Options' in the print dialog.
    • Look for options that allow you to set fonts to download as bitmap fonts and use raster graphics rather than vector graphics.

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A password is requested to view a Word document (Internet Explorer)

There is a bug in Internet Explorer that will sometimes cause a login box requesting a password to appear when you click on a link to a Word document. This may also happen if when you click the Back button after viewing a Word document.

  • You should be able to click the "Cancel" button on the logon box and still access the files.
  • Or -- and this may be easier -- you can follow the instructions below for saving the file to disk.

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Saving Files to Disk

If you are having trouble viewing a file such as a Word or PDF file in your browser, or you would like to have a copy to look at later, you can save the file to your hard disk.

PDF and Word files on this site open in a new window to avoid losing your place if you accidentally close the window. At the bottom of the window is a "Save File to Disk" link. Click the link and follow the instructions for your operating system.

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