PDF, or portable document format, is a big hit file format for many businesses, students, and people in general in the growing popularity of using PDF. Unlike other file types, you can lock and unlock any PDF. It also means that you can set a password or remove it. Locking a PDF file ensures protecting the file and is mainly used if there’s a need to limit access to the file for confidentiality purposes.
Growing Popularity of Using PDF Overview
It also gained popularity because it is flexible and universal. If you are editing a Microsoft Word file and transfer it to a different device, chances are there will be changes in the formatting. The difference in the formatting carries the possibility of compromising the input itself with the growing popularity of using PDF. Whereas if you save the file as a PDF, the format will remain the same. It gives you a guarantee that your document is presented the way you want it to be.
The increasing fame of PDF started in 2009. Google Trends shows that as compared to Excel, there’s tremendous growth in PDF’s search term. Let’s go back to how PDF came to be.
History of “Portable Document Format”
The ability to unlock PDF is a fairly new development in the history of creating documents on computers. Before, people used to encounter challenges in sending a document without changes to the original form. Depending on the device and program, the format such as font and colors changes when a document is sent to another user.
To avoid this problem, documents are shared by printing a hard copy with the growing popularity of using PDF. But having papers around the office becomes a hassle, particularly for employees who handle documents daily. As a resolution, John Warnock innovated PDF that paved the way for a paperless transaction for computer users in the 1990s. Warnock is also a co-founder of Adobe.
The first version of PDF came in 1993 with limited features and colors at that time. However, it was not a hit then because there’s no free version of PDF, and paying for it used to be costly. Soon after, the free version of PDF was launched with additional enhancements.
Why is a PDF Format Popular?
Apart from the fact that PDF is universal and versatile, here are the other reasons why PDF is popular:
Converting Any File to PDF is Possible
Microsoft Excel, Word file, you name it. You can convert all file types into PDF, making it a user-friendly file with the growing popularity of using PDF. If you are editing a Word file on one device and find yourself needing to transfer it to another device, simply save your file to PDF. When you open the PDF to another device, you can continue working on your Word file by converting the PDF back to MS Word.
Accessible to Mobile Phones
Another reason why many tech-savvy have such attraction to PDF is because of its accessibility to mobile phones. There are other file types that you cannot open using your mobile, while file types require an application or file reader.
Opening a PDF file on your mobile is possible with Adobe Reader, usually installed on mobile phones. This is why you need to convert files to PDF if you transfer your document to your phone. Otherwise, you might not be able to access it, or it might change in format once you move to mobile. Aside from mobile phones, PDF also works fine with tablets.
Password-Protect Ensures Secure Files
You should be extra cautious if you are sending or transferring a highly sensitive file. An advanced feature of PDF is password-protect, enabling users to lock the file with the growing popularity of using PDF. Other file types don’t have this level of security.
Protecting your file with a password gives you peace of mind by sending files without the fear of an unauthorized user accessing these files. If you often handle confidential files, PDF is a reliable file you can use.
PDF in the Digital World
The historical growth trend of PDF assures consistent demand in the digital era. As businesses and organizations adapt to the virtual world, PDF continues to be a reliable file for online transactions.
For online business contracts and other important transactions involving signatures, PDF has a digital signature feature that is secure with the growing popularity of using PDF. In the digital world, where cybercrimes are rampant, you can lock a PDF file to prevent revisions of the document you signed.
Locking a PDF file is a way to password-protect a document. When you put a password in a PDF, it inhibits unauthorized users or hackers from viewing and accessing your file. This is one great feature of a PDF because many file types do not have the password-protect ability.
Conclusion
PDFs are, without a doubt, one of the most well-known files used by many. With the enhancements of PDF, its growth is less likely to fade away.
Employees, students, people in business, and individuals from all walks of life can benefit from PDF in many ways. Overall, its security features and versatility make it a powerful and reliable means of documentation.