Advantages
of Using PDF Files
The Software to View PDF Files is Freeware:
An enormous advantage of PDF files is that they can be retrieved,
viewed and printed with freeware called Adobe Acrobat Reader. It
can be installed on every network PC for free and people outside
your organization can download it for free from the Internet. This
is a major benefit of our system because it allows you to share
documents easily with anyone inside and outside your organization
with no additional expenses.
PDF Files Meet Legal Document Requirements:
For an electronic document to be admissible in a court of law,
it must be created in a file format that cannot be altered without
leaving an electronic footprint. To satisfy this requirement,
the imaging industry has diverged in two different directions:
- PDF File Format: A PDF file is a "read
only" document that cannot be altered without leaving an
electronic footprint, and meets all legal requirements in a
court of law. Furthermore, the PDF format is practical and economical
by allowing the documents to be stored on a company's server.
This eliminates the need for additional hardware (except for
additional hard drive space) and allows for exceptional integration
into any network.
- Contrast the TIFF, JPEG, GIF File Format:
Because these file formats can be easily altered without leaving
an electronic footprint, it is necessary to copy them at the
time of scanning directly to an optical drive. Documents on
an optical drive cannot be removed or changed, making them legal
in a court of law. However, optical drive systems have considerable
expenses attached to them as a result of the need for optical
drive-scanning integration. In addition, optical drives bare
hefty hardware price tags and significant network integration
expenses.
Compression of a PDF File is Substantial:
A typed 81/2x11 letter is approximately 1,000 kilobytes in size
when scanned into the system, but compresses to 28-33 kilobytes
when converted into a PDF document. An electronic document converted
into the PDF format compresses to approximately 25% of its original
size. For example, a 20 kilobyte word processing document is compressed
to under 5 kilobytes. This size reduction allows the PDF document
to open quickly at the workstation and makes it ideal for use on
a network/Internet/intranet.
PDF files are Compatible Across Multiple Platforms:
A PDF format represents a document independently of the hardware,
operating system and application software used to create the original
PDF file. It was designed to create transferable documents that
can be shared across multiple computer platforms. Cross platform
acceptability is another reason PDF the document format of choice
to use over a network, the Internet or an intranet.
PDF Files Provide Document-Level Security:
Document security is paramount to businesses sharing information
over a network, over an intranet or over the Internet. With the
PDF format, organizations are able to put User-Password security
at the document level. This allows emailing of documents between
people or locations without the fear of an unauthorized person
viewing the document. An example of a password protected document
is illustrated by clicking here:
Use the password: disusa
PDF
Security Example ยป
PDF Files will Pass the Test of Time:
The PDF format was originally developed by Adobe for the U.S.
Federal Government to store its legacy files. Today, the U.S.
Federal Government is still the largest user of PDF technology.
In 2000, the U.S. Federal Courts adopted the PDF file as their
electronic document format. Many individuals have encountered
the PDF format when downloading electronic tax forms from the
IRS. This widespread governmental use of the PDF format for archiving
and sharing documentation virtually guarantees that the PDF file
will remain as a long-term format standard.
back
