| STOP USING PDF

PDFs are unstable, easily modifiable, spread like wildfire, hurt mobile users and leave you blind to who reads them.

Use Google Drive instead.

Control the visuals

PDFs were initially designed to maintain a consistent appearance across devices. However, with the introduction of various phones, computers, and programs, each utilizing different components for PDF creation and display, this consistency has become a challenge. Complex PDFs are more prone to issues such as missing or discolored text and images, as well as misplaced content. Additionally, vendors have introduced proprietary extensions that are incompatible with other vendors' software.

On the other hand, a view-only document in Drive ensures a consistent display for all users. By locking in the final design, you can be confident that everyone will see the content exactly as intended.

Prevent modification

The second big reason for using PDFs is the belief that they cannot be modified. This is not true, as methods exist to modify protected PDFs, even those protected by a password. Just google "modify protected PDF".

In contrast, documents stored in Drive provide reliable protection against modification. Viewers cannot modify these documents, and you can further restrict editing permissions for editors by locking your version or using Drive's built-in approval process that adds a "seal." When editors break the seal, visible traces are left in the document and logs.

To enhance security, consider reducing editor access to certain documents, such as marking them as "commenter" only. Additionally, when distributing major versions of documents, especially the final version, assign descriptive names to each version.

Systems of records with Google Drive support work like this, too: You add a file to a repository, and the system will become take ownership, reducing everyone else’s access so it cannot be modified anymore.

Control distribution

Imagine your business deliverable as a precious artwork, such as the Mona Lisa, stored securely in Google Drive. Instead of distributing copies, you provide a link to access a virtual showroom, ensuring that viewers only look at the original piece. But they never touch it.

In contrast, PDFs are similar to Monopoly money. When distributed via email or a website, they create a flood of copies, allowing anyone to create and share new copies without your knowledge or control. With every PDF sent, a horse bolts and can never be called back.

With Google Drive, you can permanently (or temporarily) close the exhibition by removing access. You choose to share with everyone or revise your guest list of who gets to see the Mona Lisa. You can even fix the painting, if the need should ever arise. If you want to prevent flash photography, you can disable that “Viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy”. And most importantly, the museum (your company) sets the ground rules who you can share with and can discover what is going on.

Ensure usability

PDFs do not work on mobile - the lack of responsive design is a feature, not a bug. PDFs are leftovers from a world that used to print on paper. A mobile device must display a PDF just as a desktop computer. Your viewers will have to open a downloaded file, side scroll, zoom in and out.

If you ever opened a document with a large canvas (Google Sheet or Excel file in PDF form, Miro boards), a very small one (.txt or Keep), or a document that uses different page orientations, you know that PDFs look unprofessional.

If you distribute a link to a Docs, Sheets, Slides file or even a Word, Excel and PowerPoint file stored on Drive, they will be resized appropriately and still look good. If your document relies on numbered pages (and unless you write “see p. 7”, consider pageless documents), these will be honored. They’ll just look better - no side scrolling, no zooming.

Track engagement

Finally, if you need statistics on who opened your document and when, you won’t get that from PDFs. Especially when it got downloaded once and passed around.

Docs, Sheets and Slides come with an “Activity Dashboard” that displays who viewed it when, and viewer trends over time. If you are using a company account, look under ‘Tools > Activity Dashboard’.

Using PDFs in today's digital landscape is like using a fax machine. It's outdated, insecure, and inflexible - it lost everything it was designed for. Your Mona Lisa deserves better. Say goodbye to PDFs and hello to a more efficient, secure, and collaborative way of working. Thank you for reading!

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