Why Are PDF Documents More Popular Than Word Documents?

Today there will be seldom a time when you will be asked to review a document in a hard copy. With all the big player’s in the IT industry introducing soft formats for global writing needs, letters, papers and typewriter’s seem a thing of the past. Although there are still some old school writers who prefer the loud slap of a type writer key against the paper, most of the world has accepted that being this much of a hipster is costly and slow in productivity.

When people do online graphic design courses, they are also taught about the different formats that they can deliver the final product for usage. Different formats have different advantages. Similarly when talking about documents, two major formats that have been the most popular is the .docx Microsoft word format and the .pdf format, but the question is, which one is better?

Although both the formats are advantageous in their own ways, the more popular one among the scribing masses these days is the .pdf format and here’s why:

PDF Is A Universal Format

PDF format was created in a way that it can be saved from one source with a different operating system and can be opened in a different operating system without having to jump through hoops. A word document if saved in a Mac cannot be opened on a Windows computer. PDFs can be opened anytime anywhere without any problem.

Secure Documents

In today’s world, everything is editable, except a PDF document. PDF documents are so secure, that when an electronic document is presented in a court of law, it is the only format acceptable as evidence as it cannot be altered without leaving and electronic footprint.

Decreased File Size

One of the most important factors of a PDF document is that any file can be converted to PDF format, without the any loss in quality. Another advantage is that multiple documents like spreadsheets, presentations and photos in a single PDF file.

Created Easily

The universality of the format allows any sort of file to be created in a PDF format, whether it is Excel, PowerPoint and of course, Word. To convert the files back, a person will need to have Adobe Acrobat XI installed on their system.

Interactive Documents

A PDF is not just a text based format, you can create documents that have hyperlinks, music, movies and other forms of media which allows presentations to be easily viewed and understood in it. People doing online design courses are also taught to prefer the PDF format when sending files for review to clients.

Free Reading

You can view any PDF document free of charge with the Adobe Reader. Word Documents require a licensed version of Microsoft word to be installed for viewing and editing allowance.

Access On The Go

PDF is friendly with any device. Whether you own a device that runs on iOS, Android or Windows, you will be able to view a document sent to you in the PDF format easily without any problems.

Added Security

PDF documents can be password protected as there is a lot of sensitive information that is portrayed through online documents. Companies that need to send documents to their executives or other companies can password protect them and can rest easy knowing the information is secure.

Easy Navigation

PDF documents when opened, makes sure that the user finds what they are looking for as easily as they can. Quick search is available to find anything and the document can even be organized through a table of contents. The document can be divided into sections that can be linked to the appropriate pages in the file.

Analytics

Recipients of the document have can view who else has access to the information, in case the password is breached, action can be taken immediately.

With all these advantages, it is quite clear why most people around the world would prefer the pdf format over the word document. When people complete their online graphic design courses can learn about different formats and how they can use them to their advantage. Every format is designed for a different purpose, but a PDF format is a friendly format used by everyone to send their data securely and without any loss in the quality of their content.