PDF (Portable Document Format) files can be extremely useful for webmasters. They can be used to allow users to download documents in a format which the webmaster can be reasonably certain is readable on any system and in any browser, and what is more, these documents can be intricately formatted, containing images, unusual fonts and vector graphics, without taking up too much disk space. This means that documents such as forms, lecture notes, and all sorts of other kinds of items can be stored for users to download in such a format that they will be able to see and print them as the author intended. Another benefit of PDFs is that they are easily navigable; users can click links to pages, chapters, titles and so on, and PDF documents can also be searched via the Acrobat Reader toolbar.

PDFs are also a great way of publishing documents which you want to sell, or give away only to certain visitors, online. There has been an explosion in the number of e-books available on the web, both free and paid, and Google even allows users to download some of the books in its archive in PDF format.

PDFs are often misused, however. One of the most frustrating experiences for the web user is when a link is not properly labelled as a link to a PDF document. Clicking the link means that their browser will start to load the document in its Acrobat Reader plugin, and this can take some time and be very irritating if the user wasn’t interested in reading the PDF in the first place! It is therefore very important that if you have links to PDF files on your website, you label them clearly with the fact that they are PDF files, as well as the file size. Ideally you should also offer an up-to-date link for users to download the latest Acrobat Reader plugin for their browser.

You also need to make sure that your PDF documents are fully compatible with all the software you expect your readers to be using. You can streamline your PDF files for public consumption by opening your document in Adobe Acrobat, and selecting Advanced > PDF Optimizer. You can then select Clean Up. Ensure that the correct compatibilities and settings are correctly configured, and click OK. All that is left to be done is to save the document when prompted, and your PDF will be ready to go.

Planet PDF has some excellent tips and tools for PDF authors and developers, as well as information about where to get hold of PDF software and regular news updates.

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