PDF Format Features
The PDF format provides different options that you can setup in your PDF creation tool before you export or compile the resulting document. Below is a description of some PDF-related features that you can use.
Page Layout
When you are working on creating a PDF document, you can define the default page layout options which determine how the document should be displayed in Adobe Reader or in another PDF viewer.
- The "Use Outlines" option displays the document and automatically shows the "Bookmarks", so the user can see the document's structure. Alternatively, you can set the "Use Thumbs" option, so the viewer will display thumbnails of all the document's pages, which can also be used for navigation.
- The "Full Screen" option, automatically display the document in full-screen mode, which can be used as a presentation.
Compression
Using this option, you can define which compression mode to use for the PDF file you are creating in order to reduce the file size. It should be pointed that no compression is used by default.
The PDF format supports the following compression modes:
- Flate - using this mode provides better compression rate and the smallest PDF file size. However, please note that this mode is not compatible with all PDF viewer applications (including old version of Adobe Reader and some third party viewers as well). Thus, if you need to create a PDF document that will be distributed to a big number of users, you can consider using another compression mode.
- Run-length - a basic compression mode which is compatible with most PDF viewer applications including old versions of Adobe Reader and third party applications.
Encryption
Encryption capabilities provided by the PDF file format allow you to create and distribute a document with restrictions on specific user actions such as viewing, copying, printing, and modifying of the document content. Since PDF uses a strong encryption algorithm, it prevents a protected file from unlocking without an owner or user password.
In other words, if you protect the PDF document you have created, you can be sure that no one will be able to read it without the password you have set.
Font Embedding
Font embedding possibilities make it possible for a PDF document to display completely the same on another computer or platform. At the same time, to reduce the file size, you should use an optimal font embedding mode and also define a list of fonts which should not be embedded into the PDF file.
For example, when you create a PDF file that uses some standard fonts which probably exist on another computer or device where your PDF file will be viewed, you should consider adding such fonts to an exclusion list.
Your PDF creation tool may support the following font embedding options:
- Use True Type Fonts - this option does not embed any font data of True Type fonts into the PDF file;
- Embed True Type Fonts - this option embeds data of all the fonts that you are using in your PDF document except the fonts that you have implicitly excluded;
- Embed Only Symbol True Type Fonts - this option allows you to embed only symbol fonts like WingDings into the PDF file;
- Embed Only Used True Type Characters - this option makes it possible to embed font data only for the characters which you are actually using in your PDF file. Despite this option provides the smallest file size, it may potentially slow down the PDF creation process, so you can use it only for a final build of your document.
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