The popularity of PDF documents, when referencing Google trends, has grown steadily since 2004. That steady rise in popularity can be attributed to a lot of things, chiefly though, PDFs are popular because they’re both reliable and accessible.
Still, saying that PDFs are reliable and accessible doesn’t do the document’s benefits justice.
Millions of people use PDFs regularly. Those people are passionate about the technology for several niche reasons, all of which have paved the way for users to make the most of the digital era.
In celebration of PDFs and all they do for us, below, our team breaks down the primary benefits people enjoy when using this document type. If you’re curious to know why PDF usage is so common in 2021, keep reading!
1. PDF Readers Are Readily Available
When you get sent a Word document (.DOCX), how easy is it to read the said document? Believe it or not, not as easy as you might imagine.
Consider a person in a third-world country that has an entry-level Android tablet. That device wouldn’t come with a tool to natively open a .DOCX file.
Now, consider the PDF. PDF readers are provided for free by Adobe and propriety PDF technology is built into every major web browser on the planet. Therein lies why PDFs have helped define the digital age, availability.
PDFs are quickly becoming an equalizing means of sharing information that the world can’t get enough of.
2. PDFs Exist in a Fixed Format
We’ve seen time and again businesses circulate flyers via .DOCX file formats only to have someone open the document on their small-screened device and lose key formatting details. That’s because, for better or for worse, .DOCX files and other popular file types are variable. They change based on where you’re viewing them.
PDFs, on the other hand, exist in a fixed state. That means that no matter where you’re viewing your document, you’re going to get the same experience.
3. Growing Editing Capabilities
Having a document in a fixed format is great… Unless of course, you need to edit that document. The good news is that PDFs are making strides on that front, further cementing their value in the digital era.
If you have a PDF, the latest version of Adobe Acrobat DC can make robust changes to the file so your “fixed file format” doesn’t have to stay that way if you don’t want it to.
4. Security
PDF documents offer a bevy of security options. That makes them a favorite file format among those passing sensitive digital information.
When you compare PDF security options to options given to you by programs like Word, it’s a no-contest in favor of PDFs.
5. Features Are Expanding
Love what PDFs can do today? Just wait and see what they can do tomorrow.
Every year new features like the ability to generate PDF from C# are being added to the PDF file format. Many of these features are freely accessible and make the documents even more compelling.
PDFs and the Digital Era Go Together Like Yin and Yang
You can’t discuss the digital era without talking about how PDFs have had an impact on it. We’re hopeful that our quick write-up on PDF files has hit that point home.
If you’d like more context on PDF files, the use of PDF documents, or other fun topics, explore more content on our blog.
