There are a lot of document formats that exist in this modern age. People also use them in their studies or their professions. Word and PDF are some of them. They are also among the most commonly used document formats. People use them for various functions, such as storing data, giving out information, and much more.

3 Situations When It’s Best to Use PDF Over Word

However, there are instances when it is best to use Word document format and when it is more appropriate to use a PDF file. This is one reason why Word-to-PDF conversion exists. When you need a PDF file but you have a Word document instead, you can convert it to your desired format and then use it for whatever purpose you need the document. This article will discuss some situations when using a PDF file is much better or preferable than using a Word document. 

Printing Files

One of the most primary reasons for converting Word to PDF is that the latter has some properties that make it great for printing compared to the former. For one, PDF files are difficult or almost impossible to alter. This may seem a disadvantage if you have some things to remove or edit in your document. But in printing, it is an advantage. This is because the format and content of a PDF file never change. And this is regardless of whether you open the file on a mobile device or a computer. This advantage may not seem much for some people. But when you consider that Word documents suddenly change or alter when opened on a different device or even word processing software, PDF files are much better for printing, unlike Word.

Furthermore, most professional printers also accept PDF files for printing. But this is not the case with Word documents. It is also easier to produce high-quality documents for printing with PDF. This is because it could preserve the format of the document. It could also create a file with high-resolution images and a precise layout. People also find it easier to print PDF files compared to Word documents. And this is because it is easier to send PDF files to any printer anywhere in the world. And since we have discussed file transfer, we will move on to the next situation where it is best to use a PDF file over a Word document. 

File Sharing

Aside from printing, PDF files are also great for file sharing and transfer compared to Word. If you’d notice, most websites will allow users to download files in PDF format. Some also offer Word format, but many still prefer using PDF for file sharing, whether through a website or a social media post. This is again because PDF files are difficult to edit or alter. Therefore, if you share a PDF file from a mobile device to a computer or vice versa, the document’s layout would remain the same. On the other hand, some unwanted changes would occur if you transfer a Word document from a computer to a mobile device or vice versa and open the file. 

PDF files can also store metrics such as font style, color, and other information about their layout within the document itself. With that, the look of the PDF file would remain the same regardless of where you open the file or the software you used to open it. As for Word documents, the format and layout of the document would depend on the available font, color, and other metrics on your word processing software. So if you open a Word document written in a font that is not available in your software, you would encounter some problems using them.

Archiving and Online Content

In the digital age, people can now easily store documents in a safe location for later use. It is also now more convenient to share files across various platforms for a wider reach. Gone are the days when you had to print your documents and then store them in some cabinet for the file to collect dust until it gets used again. Regarding PDF files, because PDF files are compact and can store information more efficiently, people can use this document format more easily for archiving and storing files. PDF files are also easier to find and therefore easier to search and categorize when you need them.

PDF files could also retain high-quality documents such as newsletters, brochures, spreadsheets, and other vital documents and enable these files to be available on the Internet and social media. Since they are so good at preserving every piece of information, PDF files would almost look the same as in print, making them great for posting documents on websites and social media. 

Takeaway

There are scenarios when it is best to use PDF over Word due to PDF’s properties. That does not mean Word documents are useless. After all, Word documents are still great for making and editing documents. It is just that no document format is perfect. And people cannot use every file format on almost every occasion as all of them will have some limitations. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a quick, easy, and secure way to convert Word documents to PDF files, then you should try using PDFBear. With this website, you can use PDFBear to convert your Word documents to PDF files in just a few steps.