The release of the new Computable Document Format (CDF) has been reported by some as ringing the death-knell of PDF. In this article, Dan Shea talks about the strengths, obstacles and possibilities for the new "PDF-killer".
PDF files are generally judged on how they appear. The problem is that a well-crafted PDF (basically, one that works) and a horrible PDF (one that doesn't) can look identical onscreen. Mark Stephens from IDRsolutions explains how to spot the difference and why it matters.
Report cards are in after VIGC recently tested PDF viewers for
compatibility with PDF/X (PDF-based standards for printing). Sadly, the most
common grade was "F". Dan Shea sings a few bars in praise of the humble Adobe
Reader, and explains why you might want to save a little extra hard drive space
to use it over its "leaner" competitors.
Hot off the production line, Acrobat X has just been released with a handful of new features and a slick new look. Planet PDF's Rowan Hanna takes a closer look at the changes and speculates about whether Adobe has gone far enough with its redesign.
The recent launch of the iPad, Apple's tablet device, has set the Net buzzing. The release has Appligent Document Solutions CEO Duff Johnson thinking about the future of personal computing and what he calls "the tablet economy" -- a computing ecosystem centered around tablet-based devices. Duff outlines his predictions and offers some guidance for content publishers in this feature article.
Years ago when we used to talk about PDF as being the most prominent document format, we'd always have to add a quick, under-the-breath, "de-facto standard". But when it came to being 100 percent assured that it would be around in years to come, it's always been a case of biting our collective lips and hoping for the best. What we would do if Adobe pulled the plug? Over the past two years, though, it's been nothing but standards, standards, standards when it comes to PDF. In fact, there are so many that it's easy to lose track. In this feature article, Debenu's Karl De Abrew helps to de-mystify the ever-increasing range of PDF-based standards.
When a file is converted to PDF, it loses its meaning. On the surface all the information is there, and to your eyes it looks exactly the same, but underneath that, all the method, structure and intelligence used when designing the original document has been lost.† This forms the heart of the challenge faced when attempting to convert PDF files back to formats like DOC (Microsoft Word), RTF and HTML, and is not dissimilar to those faced when OCRing paper-based documents.
Is PDF really "unfit for human consumption" (as Jakob Nielsen says) or just misunderstood? Actually, PDFs can definitely be Web-friendly if they are handled with care. We'll teach you how to present PDFs on the Web in a way that minimizes usability problems and unpleasant surprises.
Thad McIlroy evaluates the latest version of Acrobat, and he likes what he sees. In his opinion, the Acrobat 9 product family reflects a fully mature product, with the version 9 release marking its "emergence into adulthood". Read the full review for more.
With the release of Acrobat 9, Adobe's focus is all about re-inventing collaboration to enhance efficiency and performance. Some features such as forms have been somewhat improved, others, such as preflight, have been considerably enhanced. Yet if there is one signature feature of this release, it is live collaboration with free web services on Acrobat.com. This review by Filipe Pereira Martins and Anna Kobylinska provides an in-depth look at the new version of Adobe's flagship PDF product.
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