Pretty Darned Fantastic

Ask Adobe, the company that invented the Portable Document Format (PDF), why the world needed another computer file format and their answer is simple, yet profound: it “maintains information integrity.”

The company that brought us Photoshop and PageMaker— using a new language called PostScript that describes the way images, including type, are displayed on paper, computer screens or any other surface – has made it possible to transfer such images across time, space and computer platforms.

A Mac user can send a file to a PC user with full confidence that columns will line up, type faces will be retained and that photos and other images will appear just where they are supposed to be and at the right size.

It’s wonderful.
Better, yet, PDF files can be displayed over the internet.

When you post a message using HTML (hypertext markup language), each computer that downloads your file applies its own settings when displaying that message. Often, messages don’t fit, typefaces can’t be matched, images end up misaligned and parts of the message extends off the screen— either vertically or horizontally . . . or both.

Not so with PDF. Users may have to scale documents up or down to match the resolution of their individual monitors, but the integrity of documents is retained.

This is particularly beneficial to those who prefer to print out information they find online. A properly formatted PDF page will fit perfectly on the size sheet of paper it has been designed for. Documents can look just great, including color, multiple type faces and even sophisticated design features for printing front-and-back, booklets, folded documents and more.

The travel industry has caught on to PDF technology and the use of what some call “e-brochures” is growing rapidly. These documents look great on the screen and are also formatted to print out perfect 3-panel brochures.

The e-brochure has three amazing benefits:

1. it saves money— information providers need only create a digital version of each brochure; online visitors can decide to print out one or more copies for their own purposes, using their own paper and ink; and there are no mailing costs


2. it saves time— information seekers get immediate information online and can print a copy in a matter of seconds to use for whatever purposes desired; information providers are out of the distribution loop as downloading PDF files requires no overt action from the sender’s end


3. and it allows easy and inexpensive updating— there need be no more casting of uncalculated hundreds of brochures into the trash as digital updates now replace ink-on-paper; new and updated information can be incorporated at any time and the changes are instantly available to visitors to the web site.

While printing out e-brochures may go against the notion of paperless offices, being able to take an up-to-date document along to meetings or for reference purposes is often helpful. PDF files make it possible to create top-notch documents that, as the name states, are completely portable.

I can carry hundreds of pages of PDF files in my flash storage device, or data stick. This object is smaller than a butane cigarette lighter and mine hangs from my neck. With that data in hand, I can print out (or download) files wherever I go— using other people’s computers and printers.

For more information about PDF, visit Adobe. Ironically, it’s an html file, but the information is clear and there are many links to more detailed sites.