PDF and Doc: Which to Use When?

by Mansoor Ahmad SEO Expert

PDF is an Adobe Acrobat format, and Word is a document format from MS-Word. These are two universally accepted document formats. Each has its strengths and weakness. So which one is right for you? It depends on the specific requirements. Let’s take a look at them and find out which one to use and when.

Use of PDF Format

WYSIWYG Printing of Document

When the requirement is to produce a high-quality printout of the document PDF is used. It offers precise page layout and maintains the high-resolution images that are far better than the DOC. PDF create a- what you see is what you get-file which assures that whatever is there on the screen is exactly what you see in the print. The PDF files are accepted printers of any make whereas the DOC files usually are not. Besides, the print-ready file transfer makes it easy to send a print-ready file to the printer located on the network. There is not much requirement of a network. If you need to make changes to a PDF document, conversion of PDF to editable word document is required. However, you need to convert the DOC back to PDF before taking the print for best results.

Use on the Internet

If you want to publish high-quality documents, e.g. newsletters, catalogues, manuals and the technical papers etc., on the internet PDF format is the most suitable. A PDF file can only be read and printed and not altered, and you can also rest assured that it will display correctly every time.

Business and Legal Usage

PDF is essential for business and legal documents and forms where the need is to maintain the exact appearance. Such documents should retain their integrity and security. With a PDF format, you can secure the document so that no one can change the wording of the application.

Using DOC Format

Reusing the Images

Images that are there in a Word document can be extracted and reused easily. However, it can’t be done with the PDF as the images are embedded in the document.

Word Processing

MS-Word is a word processor which the Adobe Acrobat is not. When it comes to written documents, Word is more suitable for writing the actual composition. It offers the benefits of spell-checking and grammar-checking amongst the other writing tools.

When it comes to editing, Word is the most powerful. You will need PDF to editable word document conversion before editing a PDF file.