Thoughts and ideas on people and technology.
August 19, 2024
PDFs are everywhere, and pretty much everyone has used one at some point. How did we get here? What even are they? And is there anything we can do to make using them easier?
PDFs are both a type of file and a standard. The Portable Document Format was created by Adobe in the 90s, and became an open standard under the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in 2008. It’s creator’s goals were to create a document format that could be opened on any device, regardless of platform, screen size, etc.
They were mostly successful. PDFs are now one of the best ways to send someone a document without having to worry about them being able to open it. Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, e-readers, and even embedded devices like car infotainment systems and fast food menu screens can display them. Most email systems can open them without you having to download the file first.
Making a PDF is usually a straight-forward process. Most document software (Word, Google Docs, Pages, etc.) have a built-in export feature that will save the current document as a PDF. Or if you’re starting with paper, your scanner will spit out a PDF file. Then you can send that file to whoever you like. This is where you might encounter the most common problem I’ve had to help users with.
PDF files are not designed to be edited. Yes, technically they can be, but it’s a rough process that rarely gives us the results we want. Same with attempting to convert a PDF back into whatever format the file was originally created in. Especially if you’re scanning a paper document. Even the fanciest, most expensive OCR (optical character recognition) software can’t turn a printed document back into an exact replica of the original. If someone sends you a PDF and you want to edit it, ask them to send you the original file instead. If they can’t, or won’t, that’s most likely on purpose.
This is an intentional feature of PDFs. If you want to send a document to someone and you don’t want them to be able to easily edit it (i.e. a contract or an invoice), PDF’s finalized nature makes it an excellent choice. The standard even includes options for encryption and passwords if you really want to limit the receiver’s ability to tamper with a secure document.
Speaking of secure documents, signatures and forms are also features of the PDF standard. This lets us do things like fill out and sign legally binding documents without having to travel to do so in person. Electronic signatures are well established in Canadian law and most other jurisdictions.
Last feature: printing. PDFs are an excellent way to make sure the physical attributes of a document remain unchanged when sent to someone. If a document is meant to be printed on a particular size of paper or in a particular orientation, these things are saved when the PDF is created.
If you want to smooth out your office’s processes that involve PDFs or other digital documents, or if you just need a little help with them, you can find us at scalebright.ca.
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