PDF Introduction
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Six Reasons for creating PDFs
1. Compatibility with any computer.
Just because virtually everyone has Word doesn't mean everyone can see a Word document, and the same goes for Excel and PowerPoint. There are boundaries like PCs vs. Macs, or Windows vs. Linux that often times cause problems when opening Word documents. The beauty of PDFs is that you can open them on any system, even if it was created on a different platform. A PDF created in windows can be viewed on a Mac, and vice versa. Every computer has a PDF reader and if by chance there's a computer without it, you can download it easily and quickly at www.adobe.com.
Sometimes older versions of Word can not open a document created with newer versions of Word. Newer versions may have formatting tools that older versions don't have and it may get confused and refuse to open the doc. PDFs are simply the easiest way to ensure compatibility with every computer out there.
2. Display the results of your work, not your work. When you spend hours working on the perfect proposal, brochure or report, you want it to look exactly as you intended - as the end product of your hard work. You don't want your document to be seen by prospects, clients and customers with table structure lines, picture boxes and text formatting. You also don't want them to be able to see the tracking in your edits. PDFs basically “print” your document into another document - so it looks exactly the way you want it to look.
3. Print the way you intended. This is especially important for outsourcing your printing to Kinkos or CopyCop or any printer that is not your own. Even though Kinkos probably have virtually every program with every file type available on their machines, problems arise. For one, Kinkos may not have the font you are using, or your formatting can go haywire (this is from personal experience with business cards). Don't waste time and money trying to get your doc to print correctly. PDFs ensure that what you see is what you print.
4. The professional way to distribute information on the web. Many companies regard PDF as e-paper, a supplement to physical paper. Create PDFs of your brochures, flyers, ads, business forms, white papers, or manuals. Instead of sending informational sources via snail mail, it can be done electronically faster and easier while reducing costs.
Of course information can also be available on your website, but a PDF doc is something a customer can “hold.” You can't download a whole webpage, but you can download a PDF. A customer can save it, print it, and view it the way you want it. And don't forget to put all your contact information on the PDF. PDFs are like magazines. They sit around on your computer, and old interests can be revived with a click of a PDF brochure or white paper on a computer.
5. A more compact file. In the digital universe, size matters - the smaller the better. Converting Office files into PDF reduces the file to 1/10th the original size. A 250 KB file can go down to 15 KB! This is especially important for emailing. It's simply not proper email etiquette to send a huge file to an unsuspecting recipient. Do them a favor and convert your Office docs into PDF. No one wants to receive a file that fills up their inbox.
6. Docs for private eyes. Send proposals, contracts, and reports confidentially by password protecting your PDF. You can even prohibit a person from editing, copying or printing your PDF.
Questions? Additional information about our services? Feel free to e-mail: info@alacartepr.com