Resources
PDF resources
Practical explanations for decisions that happen around the tools: how to keep a document readable, when protection helps, and which file format to send.
- 5 ways to reduce PDF file size without ruining qualityA smaller PDF is easier to email and upload, but “make it smaller” is not one operation. A scanned application form, a report exported from Word and a portfolio full of photographs become large for different reasons. Start by identifying what is inside the file, then use the least destructive change that solves the actual problem.
- How to password-protect a PDF—and when it actually helpsA password is useful when a file may be copied, forwarded or left on a device that other people can access. It is not a replacement for choosing the right recipient or removing information they do not need. The protection also depends on which kind of PDF password you set and how you deliver it.
- PDF vs Word: when to use each formatPDF and Word files can contain the same words, pictures and tables, but they are built for different stages of work. Word is a working document: its layout responds to editing, fonts and software. PDF is a delivered document: it aims to preserve what the sender approved. Choosing the format according to the next person’s job prevents avoidable revisions.
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