What Is a PDF ? Key Benefits and Features of Using PDF Files

6 main advantages offered by the PDF format

PDF is a format that allows you to read, edit, compress, merge, convert PDF to Excel or convert PDF to PNG, and perform other actions. It is compatible with all existing operating systems: Windows, Linux, and macOS, as well as mobile platforms.

If you need to secure a PDF and prevent changes by other users, you can use the appropriate settings. When using this option, other users will only be able to open the file for reading but will not have editing rights.

In the case that a file contains confidential information, you can protect the PDF with a password. In such a case, users who do not have the password will not be able to open and read the file and therefore, access the information you want to protect from third parties.

Another benefit of PDF is the ability to maintain the static layout of the file. This means that when adding text, tables, or converting JPG to PDF, they will be positioned on the page exactly as planned. The arrangement of elements will remain unchanged regardless of the editor or platform used to open the file. Even if you need to convert PDF to Word or another format, the sequence of content blocks will be preserved.

Share a PDF online on your website, send it by email, or even in messengers. Even if you don't compress the PDF, the file is compact by default, which is optimal for sending and downloading even in conditions of poor internet connection.

Use a PDF solution for any actions: edit a PDF, combine PDF with other formats, convert PDF to Word if needed, compress PDF, and transform the file in any way without excessive effort.

What is PDF?

PDF is a universal file format that ensures the preservation and transmission of documents with their original formatting intact, regardless of the operating system, software, and hardware. That's why it has become so widely used in the business sphere and is the main standard for corporate document exchange.
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Developed by Adobe Systems in 1993, the Portable Document Format opened up the possibility of working simultaneously with text, images, diagrams, tables, graphs, and other elements. In addition, a PDF editor allows you to sign PDFs and use password protection, and the format itself guarantees the correct display of the document on all devices and during printing.

Why use PDF files?

The use of PDF in the business environment is driven by the consistency of formatting: the original appearance of the document is preserved for everyone who receives or prints such files. PDF Maker has gained particular popularity among professionals involved in creating and distributing printed and media productions in electronic or paper format, as PDF tools significantly facilitate their daily work. Offering a unique set of tools, it provides extensive typesetting capabilities. Moreover, a PDF converter allows for easy conversion of PDF to JPG, PNG, PPTX, and other formats. Additionally, a reverse option is provided, allowing for the conversion of JPG to PDF, Word to PDF, PNG to PDF, and other combinations of formats.

Types of PDFs

Original PDF files created in a PDF editor. If such a file is not password-protected or restricted from editing in the settings, a PDF generator allows for easy signing, commenting, and conversion to Excel, JPG, and other formats, as well as searching for specific content elements using keywords and editing the file when needed.

Scanned copies in PDF format are images of pages obtained by photographing or scanning documents. Comments, text additions, or keyword searches cannot be applied to such files.

Editable PDFs created from scanned copies. In this type of document, text can be searched because the document actually consists of two layers: the original and a layer with text recognized using OCR.

PDF Standards

The PDF 2.0 standard, released in 2017 as ISO 32000-2:2020, is an extended version of the previous standard. It includes many new features compared to PDF 1.7, which was released in 2006.

PDF/X is used in the printing and media industry for accurate rendering of all information. It allows for file editing, conversion to formats such as Word and Excel, as well as reverse transformations, for example, from PNG to PDF, JPG to PDF, PPTX to PDF, etc.

The PDF/A standard ensures that your files saved in this format will remain accessible even in the distant future, making it ideal for long-term archiving.

The PDF/UA standard is important for those who use additional devices or software to read information from files. This standard has received positive evaluations from government agencies responsible for ensuring equal access to information for people with special needs.

How to Make a PDF

To create a PDF file, almost any text editor will suffice, and recently, there has even been an option for online conversion of PDF files in web browsers.

Click “Create PDF.” Usually, this function is located on the toolbar. A full list of formats offered by the editor service will appear before you.

Select the desired format and click “Create.”

You can also convert Word to PDF, Excel to PDF, and then work with that file.

How to open a PDF file?

Simply double-click on the document icon. It will open in the default editor that is installed. You can also press the left mouse button on the document icon and drag it to the desired program. Another way is to use the keyboard shortcut combination CTRL+O in the file editor you are using and then select the desired document.

If the file is password-protected, you need to enter the password beforehand, and only then will you be able to view the document's contents.

How to Type on a PDF?

For this, you will need a program like PDF Creator. Open the file in it and find the Markup icon on the toolbar. Click on it and go to the page where you want to add text. Now, you need the "Text" command (also located on the toolbar). A special field will appear on the screen where you should enter the text manually, or you can copy and paste it from another editor. Now move the text field to the desired location on the page, and you're done.