The PDF format has numerous benefits, which is why it’s a publishing standard for many organisations across the globe. The format ensures quicker document delivery in a cost-effective and versatile way and allows the receiver to easily view, store, print, share and navigate a document that likely carries vital or even sensitive information.
Here are five ways PDFs help you meet the needs of your most important customers:
1. There’s little or no cost involved
No special program is needed for viewing a PDF. In fact, you can easily download one of the many free PDF readers available!
Despite being free, PDFs are much faster, and the documents are high-quality as well. Due to the format, the documents can be distributed globally without spending money, and they can be printed anywhere, too.
You can send any document, to any customer, at any time!
2. The format is the same across all platforms
PDFs are the same across all devices, since it’s an ISO standard. You won’t experience missing fonts, or formatting issues like you would in a text document.
It’s crucial that business agreements and documents look the same for all people viewing them, particularly when application forms, invoices, tender documents, tax returns and other similar files are involved.
PDFs ensure that the files given to clients can be viewed the same way across multiple platforms without changing the appearance of the document, meaning each customer sees the document the way they were intended to.
3. It’s perfect for record-keeping and archiving
It’s easy to make PDFs searchable, which means it’s also easy to navigate them.
For instance, if a client receives a lengthy business document, they can use the search function to simply enter a keyword to quickly find the content they’re looking for. You can also magnify the document without negatively affecting the quality, which is useful when there are visual aids like charts and graphs involved.
Perhaps the most important option is the PDF/A-1 format, since it’s the only correct format for archiving and storing PDF documents so they will still be accessible for anyone in 10-50, and even 100, years.
4. It’s easy to email and share
Since PDFs are compact in size, they can be easily shared and emailed.
Some PDF software solutions, can even reduce the size of the document drastically without affecting the quality of the document. Consequently, PDFs reduce storage and expensive bandwidth issues, which means that changing word processor documents, spreadsheets and graphics to PDFs can significantly reduce the document size; contributing to real savings in bandwidth and server storage. Another plus is that significant time can be saved when retrieving emails from the server.
5. It’s more secure
Documents like legal contracts and proposals are at high risk of manipulation or falling into the wrong hands, which can lead to grave consequences.
However, with PDF documents, there is a lower risk of tampering involved since PDFs provide both 40-bit and 256-bit encryption along with password restricted viewing, printing and copying. Moreover, by using watermarks, users have the ability to digitally emboss the document with their own, unique brand.
You can also redact sensitive content that you don’t want just anyone to read, meaning you can feel secure when doing business.
Having a strong PDF solution on hand helps you ensure that you are meeting the needs of your customers by providing them with a seamless documentation experience.
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Article originally written by Michiel Van Kasteel at Kofax
