The Adobe PDF format is extremely versatile. It's a swiss army knife format that can help you out in a number of tight situations.
But are you still asking just how versatile the PDF is and how that versatility can help you? Let’s show you what the PDF can do.
Here are 7 real-life problems you can solve with just this one format.
Problem #1 – Data Security
I’m worried about data being stolen from my computer or someone reading a file that they shouldn’t. How can the PDF help me?
Well Adobe Acrobat 9 has improved document security built right into it. So you don’t need to worry about the secret company information getting into the wrong hands or the wrong eyes seeing it. It allows you to set a password for everything from opening to changing. You can control whether or not a document can be printed and even permanently remove specific information or meta information. You can even prevent files from copying, editing and commenting (according to the Adobe Acrobat website).
Example Document types:
Invoices
Contracts and agreements
Surveys and questionnaires
HR forms and documents
Strategic planning documents
Design reviews
Pharmaceutical submissions
Government and military intelligence briefs
Problem #2 – Easy Collaboration and Editing
Sometimes I need other people to insert data or help with a document, but I can’t always track what they’ve done or see what it was before their changes.
Since Adobe Acrobat 9 entire teams are now able to collaborate on one document and everyone has a voice. By putting a project toether in PDF format you can slipstream the review and approval processes so that everyone can quickly see the content, comment on and even approve it. To help with all of this you can even highlight changes made between versions so everyone can see EXACTLY what changed in real-time thanks to document view synchronizing.
Here are some example document types:
RFP submittals
Invoicing
Contracts and agreements
Contract change orders
Client presentations
Design milestone reviews
(ads, marketing collateral, product designs)
Strategic plans
Marketing plans
Proposals
Problem #3 – Sharing Information
I’ve got tons of things I need to show other people but I don’t want to have ten different types of files.
The great thing about the PDF is that you don’t have to worry about that. PDFs can have nearly every other type of file embedded within them. You can make slide shows from images or presentation information. You can embed audio files and with Adobe Acrobat 9 you can convert many different file types to PDF. Now you can always be sure that what you want others to see is precisely what they see when they view your work.
With Adobe Presenter, which is included in Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended. It allows you to record a Powerpoint presentation including audio and vidoe and save as a PDF. You can even convert web pages and Flash objects and import them into your PDFs. Most video formats can be converted to FLV giving you full video capabilities in all of your documents, without having to worry about what browser, audio or video player your colleagues might have. With PDF Portfolios you can keep various different documents and media files in their original format and still share them all in one document when needed.
Problem #4 – Very Specific Information
My work or study requires very technical or specific information and I need a document everyone can read.
Adobe Acrobat 9 now allows a wider variety of interaction and file types. For example it allows users to import and interact with geospatial files without any loss of metadata, coordinates and comments or changes. It even allows for measurements to be made. Need to show manufacturing specifications in a 3D format? No problem Adobe Acrobat 9 allows that as well and utilize 2D, vector, and raster files formats. You can even make measurements and create exploded views of the 3D items.
Problem #5 – Forms, Forms and More Forms
My work requires endless piles of forms to be created, changed, filled and filed… I need help!
PDF is the perfect format for forms thanks to the new and improved Forms Wizard in Acrobat 9. You can create forms electronically or from pre-existing paper forms that you can scan in and modify. This can even be used to import documents from Word and spreadsheets from Excel. Acrobat 9 Pro Extended can even automatically recognize form fields for you and convert them to interactive forms fields.
Problem #6 – International, multi-industry
I do business in multiple countries in private and public sectors including education and government.
According to Greg Pisocky, Business Development Manager at Adobe, “There's not a federal agency that does not use PDF. Acrobat software and Adobe PDF are key technologies in some capacity at all branches and levels of government, the military and virtually every agency.”
But you do business outside of America as well, India and Australia are just two other examples of national governments that have embraced the PDF format. Faculty, teachers, administration, staff and students all have access to the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, which means that no matter who you need to reach with your documents you have a fairly good chance that they will be able to use PDF.
Problem #7 – Teaching at all Levels
I teach and need students to be able to use the documents everywhere they go.
The PDF format is universally accessible and students, parents and everyone in between has probably used it at work or school. So there’s little possibility that your students don’t know how to access it. Plus with the fact that nearly every house has at least one computer now there should be no trouble for them to receive the files in email or from the web.
There’s another benefit of the PDF format right there. They’re generally small enough to se sent via email or served on the web. Most browsers have plugins that allow them to view the PDFs which means that most students probably won’t even need to download or install a pieces of software since it is most likely on their computer already. Plus with the amazing versatility of the PDF they can be used for a variety of class types from arts to the sciences to computer-based courses.
What other problems could the PDF help you solve?
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