Top 10 Reasons to Use PDF Instead of Word, Excel or PowerPoint

by Shawn Mike Web designer

Back in the day, businesses did not have a common medium which prevented them from sharing and receiving files. Even if they were able to receive or share files, the lack of a common file viewer changed the original file in ways not intended by the author.

Since the inception of PDF by Adobe, sharing and receiving documents is not a hassle anymore. This is because PDF transfers the electronic document in its original format.

Because PDF is such a great tool, we have enlisted top ten reasons why you need to make a switch from Word, Excel, and PPT to PDF format. So without further ado, let us discuss them in details.

1. Universal Compatibility

Many apps, software programs, and OS provide extensive support when it comes to PDF format. Majority of modern browsers are equipped with codes that make it easy to open and view a PDF file. The same goes for recent operating systems. As the majority of them come with pre-installed apps, this makes it easy to view PDF files with ease. Because of this, a single PDF file can appear consistent across Microsoft, Linux, and Mac.

If you do not have any pre-installed app to view PDF files, you can download PDF readers. You can install Softonic for Windows and PDF Expert for Mac.

2. Ease of Creation

The top reason for the immense popularity of PDF is because of the easiness with which the documents are created. Also, there are tons of various apps which enable users to view files in the PDF format. At the same time, these apps allow users to modify, share and transfer the PDF document to anyone.

Moreover, documents created through Word, Excel or PowerPoint can be easily converted to PDF. Simply use any online Excel to PDF converter or any other Microsoft file converter to get your files into a universal format. Such converters bring the ease of creation to the PDF format in the truest sense!

3. Password Protection

If you deal with sensitive information on a daily basis, PDF format is the best option since you can protect the file through a password. With the password in place, only individuals with secret code will be able to view the file.

Once password-protected, you can easily transfer or share the file on unsecured messaging apps. What makes it even more trusted is the fact that legal professionals use it for court documentation. According to LegalScan, a court document is only valid if it is made in a format that leaves an electronic footprint when modified. This is exactly what PDF format does!

PDF format provides a sense of security to industries dealing with material that requires a security clearance. If you do not know how to password-protect your documents.

4. Reduced File Size

Many emails and file sharing platforms come with a file size limit. This means that the individuals may not be able to share their documents if the size exceeds the said limit. But with PDF format you will not face this issue.

PDF format allows individuals to lower the file quality, thus decreasing the file size. This is quite beneficial for students and working professionals who have to share presentations or reports with other individuals. Also, in the case of multiple files, you can merge them without compromising the quality.

5. Version Independence

Since PDF format is universally compatible, you do not need to worry about sharing files with someone who has installed a different version of any file reading software. PDF documents have consistent quality and maintain the originally intended version throughout the sharing process.

Also, you can merge multiple PDFdocuments into one file without worrying about the version numbers or other additional properties.

6. Versatility

Versatility makes PDF an extremely practical format. The functionality of PDF goes beyond just creating documents and editing them. With a PDF format in place, you can use it for vectors, graphs, images, annual reports, assignments, spreadsheet, presentations, etc.

Overall, PDF is a user-friendly format that accepts any kind of content, be it text or charts.

7. Detailed Feedback

The PDF files support annotations. With the help of this feature, you can easily get feedback from your colleagues or peers. Although people will be able to view or provide feedback to your documents, they will not be able to bring changes in the original file. The liberty of deleting or editing content belongs to the original author only.

8. Online Protection

PDF is great when it comes to sharing your high-quality documents such as newsletters, technical papers, manuals, and catalogs, etc. on the internet. With the help of this format, online visitors will only be able to read your files without copying or altering the original content.

Moreover, you can include a table of content, intra-document hyperlinks, and bookmarks in your PDF so that it behaves like a proper webpage.

9. Printer-Friendly

When your goal is to get a high-quality printing job in which sharp images and accurate page layout are the keys, then PDF should be your main choice. PDF format ensures that what you see on the computer is what you get in your print.

Almost all of the professional printers accept PDF file. Moreover, it is easy to transfer a print-ready PDF file to a different department or even to a different country with little to no efforts.

10. Professionalism

The advantages that come with using a PDF format automatically makes it a professional tool of the current age. From resumes to invoices to legal papers, all the professional departments follow the PDF format.

Part of the PDF format popularity among professional sector comes from the fact that it follows a certain ISO standard. PDF has a known standard for storing and exchanging archived documentation between industries. Due to its professionalism, PDF is slowly becoming an international standard for electronic file flow system.

Final Thoughts

If you have the right tool, you can just about conquer anything so when it comes to creating documents, PDF is the tool you need. For creating text files, people have always searched for a hassle-free process which is why people prefer PDF over any other tool. Moreover, due to its advantages, both the private and government sectors have come to rely on it for all their documentation needs.

All in all, PDF is easily the most universal, versatile and feature-rich format in use today. So, combine your document creation skills with the most efficient format to be more productive and organized.