PDFs are everywhere. Contracts, invoices, reports, resumes - anything that needs to look the same no matter where it's opened ends up as a PDF. After dealing with thousands of these files over the years, I've picked up a few things about what works and what doesn't.
Why Everyone Uses PDF
I know you probably already know this, but PDF became the go-to format for a reason:
- Your document looks identical on Windows, Mac, Linux, phones - everywhere
- Fonts don't suddenly switch because the recipient doesn't have them installed
- You can open them in any browser now - no special software needed
- Password protection and restrictions actually work
- What you see on screen is what gets printed
Getting Things Into PDF
Images to PDF
This comes up a lot. You've scanned some receipts, photographed a whiteboard, or need to send multiple images as one file.
What works well:
- Scanned documents that need to look like real papers
- Photo collections you want to share as a single file
- Receipts and invoices for expense reports
- Screenshots for documentation
Plain Text to PDF
Sometimes you just have a text file and need it to look more professional:
- Meeting notes that need to be shared formally
- Log files or code that you're documenting
- Quick documents where formatting doesn't matter much
HTML to PDF
Useful for saving web pages or generating reports:
- Saving articles before they disappear behind paywalls
- Creating printable versions of online content
- Generating reports from web-based dashboards
Getting Text Out of PDFs
PDF to Text
You've probably been there - you need to edit something in a PDF but all you can do is stare at it.
Common scenarios:
- Copying text from a PDF where copy-paste is disabled
- Extracting data for analysis or processing
- Making old scanned documents searchable
- Pulling content into a document you're writing
Things I've Learned the Hard Way
Keep File Sizes Under Control
Nothing kills a PDF workflow like a 50MB file that chokes everyone's email:
- Compress images before dropping them into the PDF - don't use 4000x3000 photos for a web document
- 72 DPI is fine for screens, 300 DPI for print - using print resolution for email attachments is overkill
- Strip out metadata you don't need
- Embedding every font ever can bloat file size - only embed what's actually used
Make PDFs Accessible
This matters more than most people think:
- Use actual headings, not just big bold text that looks like headings
- Add descriptions to images for people using screen readers
- Make sure there's enough contrast between text and background
- Links should say what they do, not just "click here"
- Long documents need bookmarks - nobody wants to scroll through 50 pages
Name Your Files Like a Human
Future you will thank present you:
Names that make sense:
- 2025-01-invoice-acme-corp.pdf
- Q4-2024-financial-report.pdf
- employee-handbook-v2.1.pdf
Names that will haunt you:
- document1.pdf
- untitled.pdf
- new-file-final-FINAL-v3.pdf (we've all done this)
Think About Security
- Sensitive documents need password protection - it's easy to set up
- You can restrict editing and printing if needed
- Before sharing, check what metadata is embedded - sometimes author names and file paths leak through
- For really confidential stuff, consider encryption
Mistakes I See All the Time
- Scanned pages with no OCR: You've got a PDF, but you can't search or copy any text - it's just pictures of text. Run OCR on it.
- Massive files via email: Your 30MB PDF isn't going anywhere. Compress it first.
- Fonts that display as boxes: Embed your fonts or convert text to outlines.
- Blurry images: If it's for print, use higher resolution. If it's for screen, 72-150 DPI is usually fine.
- No navigation in long documents: Add a table of contents with links. Your readers will appreciate it.
Different PDFs for Different Purposes
Work Stuff
- Invoices - these need to look professional and be easy to print
- Contracts - usually need to support digital signatures
- Reports - should have bookmarks and be searchable
- Proposals - often include images, so watch the file size
School/University
- Papers and theses - formatting consistency is crucial here
- Lecture slides - make sure they're readable without the original software
- Assignments - check your professor's requirements before submitting
Personal Use
- Resumes - PDF keeps your formatting intact across different systems
- Photo books - can combine images into a nice shareable package
- Forms you've filled out - keeps a record that can't easily be modified
Related Tools
- PDF Converter - For all your PDF conversion needs
- Document Converter - DOCX, HTML, Markdown and more
- Image Converter - Prep images before adding them to PDFs
- More Guides - Other file format articles
Final Thoughts
PDF isn't going anywhere. It's been the reliable choice for document sharing for decades, and that's not changing anytime soon. Most of the time it just works - but when it doesn't, it's usually one of the issues I mentioned above. Check your file sizes, make sure fonts are embedded, and give your files sensible names. That'll solve 90% of PDF problems before they start.