Inserting Voice Links into a PDF

This page explains how to insert links in a PDF so that clicking on them makes the computer say something. The instructions below only work on a Mac, and only if your PDF is generated via $\LaTeX$.

• macOS comes with a shell command say -v Anna, which, when fed with a text string, will be spoken by the Mac in Anna's voice. See the man page for details. The command say -v ? lists all voices available in the system.
• Create a shell script anna.sh that contains the say command, including whatever text you want spoken.
• Download the shell script appify.sh.
• Run appify.sh anna.sh. This produces the Mac app anna.app. Place anna.app in a location where your $\LaTeX$ file can access it.
• In your $\LaTeX$ file, insert \href{run:anna.app}{Anna} and typeset.
• Clicking on Anna in the resulting PDF will make the Mac say aloud in Anna's voice whatever text you placed in anna.sh.
• This doesn't work on all PDF viewers. This works using Skim and TexShop but not Preview.
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