What is a PDF?

PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It's a way of making sure that everyone who views your document will see your fonts, graphics, and layout just the way you made them — even if they don't have those same elements on their own computer. Send an ad created in QuarkXPress to a Quark-less client and they'll see just what you see on your computer. Adobe calls it "universal" because anyone using the free Acrobat Reader software can read any file as long as it's been saved as a PDF.

Acrobat comes in two flavors: Acrobat Reader, which is a free download that allows you to read PDFs; and Adobe Acrobat, a program that allows you to make and edit PDFs. The following list is noted with AR if it's doable with Acrobat Reader, and AA for Adobe Acrobat features.

1. Send Files for Review

PDFs are a great way to send work in progress. A multi-page newsletter can be sent coast to coast for review even if both parties don't own the same programs. Relevant pages can be printed out, marked up, and faxed back. (AA)

2. Send Files Cross-Platform

Email a Mac user your PC-created document. Or vice versa. The advantage PDFs have over graphics files is that they can have more than one page — instead of sending 32 separate JPGs, one PDF containing the entire 32-page booklet can be sent. (AR) (AA)

3. Zoom in for Greater Detail

One of the beautiful things about PDF is the ability to zoom in for greater detail or to read small text — or to zoom out to get the big picture. Using the tools at the bottom left of the window, you can skip all the way to the first or last page of a document with the double left/right arrows, use the single left/right arrows to move one page at a time in either direction, jump to any page in the middle by entering the number in the page field, or scroll (using scroll bars) and drag through the pages with your mouse. (AR) (AA)

4. Get Forms and Save Time Waiting in Line

With Acrobat Reader you can fill out PDF forms online, or print them out to use later. Social Security and the DMV offer some forms online; this allows you the luxury of waiting in at least one less line while you're getting a new license or changing your name. (AR) (AA)

5. Proof Your Documents

Sending a PDF along with your files to be printed provides a full-color proof of what you want your job to look like. Many commercial printers even print directly from the PDF since the files are so much smaller to process, and they don't need to have your fonts or graphics files since they're embedded in the PDF. (AA)

6. Save Time

Instead of printing and faxing a job (or overnighting it), send the PDF. Not only do you save time and paper, you'll have a record in your email that you can track later if you need to go back to it. (AA)

7. Say it With Color

Because a PDF shows exactly what you create in your document, you're not bound by what your printer or fax machine can handle. You can show color, full-page bleeds, large-format documents (ever try to fax an 11" x 17" ad?), and full-color photos. (AA)

8. Make Notes Right in the Document

Highlight text, leave sticky notes, draw an arrow on your PDF, save it and send it out. You can also click in the middle of a sentence to edit text — and have it show up in the same font as the rest of the paragraph. (AA)

9. Post it to the Web

Post your content — newsletters, magazines, ads, brochures, whatever you've got — online without having to convert it to HTML. You'll save time and effort, and ensure that everyone downloading your file sees it the way you intended. You can also create hyperlinks so that your viewers can jump to other parts of the document, or other parts of your site. (AA)

10. Read Favorite Content on Your PDA

The new version of Acrobat Reader will allow you to read PDF documents on your Palm, Handspring, or other PDA. And since you can zoom in, it doesn't really matter what size the type is because you can control it. (AR) (AA)

Links

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
Create PDFs online (free trial)

Acrobat's web page

Published in 2003