PDF became an ISO standard in 2008, and while the official version can be purchased from the ISO website (and delivered on CD or as a downloadable PDF), Adobe has also published an unofficial version on their website which can be downloaded for free.
According to Inside PDF:
Adobe has an agreement with ISO that it can post the standard for free provided it isn’t the “official” ISO version. So the running headings and footings have been changed and the introductory pages are different, but the technical chapters are identical including page and section numbering. If you need an official version please pay for it at the ISO site. This is one source of income for this important standards organization.
Adobe should be commended for continuing to enable the PDF specification to be downloaded for free by all developers who develop PDF software.
Thanks to Magazinify.com, it's possible to have web articles delivered right to your inbox in PDF form. If that weren't enough, the nice folks at CNET have been nice enough to publish a step-by-step guide about how to set this all up using just a little time and a free Magazinify account.
Despite the numerous benefits, there can be potential issues with the conversion of paper documents into electronic archives. When scanning paper pages into PDF, it's possible to end up with the odd- and even-numbered pages in separate PDF files. It can be very time-consuming to collate them manually, but there is an easier way. Sean Stewart explains.
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