When we think of innovations in the business world, many things come to our minds. Computers, smartphones, tablets and all the other gadgets which can make our lives and our work a little bit easier. One of the bigger innovations that people don’t think of straight away is the PDF. The PDF has created a silent revolution in the way office work and work in other areas are done. PDFs have allowed people to manage their documents efficiently while at the same time, making them more secure. Being able to work with PDFs is not only a plus now but a virtual necessity. But what exactly is a PDF?
What’s a PDF File?
Table of Contents
The answer to that question is simply: The PDF or portable document format is an image file where data can be written. That by itself does not tell the whole story. PDFs are versatile types of documentation because they can be used in many different ways compared to other documentation methods. PDFs can be converted, merged, split, compressed, and arranged in a myriad of ways.
It is important to note that it is an image file and not a text file. This means that it needs a special program or application to be able to be edited, called PDF editors. Many of them can be found online for free. These PDF editors can help you edit and manage PDFs. No matter if you are a student or business professional or anyone in between, there will be some way PDFs can be useful to what you are doing.
There are multiple ways to use PDFs. The most common way to use PDFs is with a PDF editor as a means of inputting data. Using a PDF editor to input information onto a fillable PDF saves a lot of time and energy, but it is not the only way someone can use a PDF. Many PDF editors offer a merge PDF option which allows the user to merge two or more documents. This comes in handy for students and researchers who are compiling long reports and need to be able to put several documents together.
Also, another use of PDFs is their size. PDFs can be rather large since they are image files, but you can compress a PDF to make it more manageable and easier to send to others. PDFs can be used to make exams for teachers, reports for business people, contracts for lawyers, and almost any other use you can think of.
How can you edit a PDF File?
To edit a PDF file, the first thing you need is a PDF editor or PDF annotation software. With this, you can upload your PDF and edit it using the features PDF editors often have. Not all PDF editors have the same tools and utilities though. When you are looking for a PDF editor, make sure to check out what they offer, as well as the cost. You can use the editor to input information, remove pages, delete text, insert images, or anything else to alter the document within the bounds of the application. Different PDF editors offer different things, but they all generally let you edit and add text onto the PDF.
There are a lot of great PDF editors, and they come with great tools that help you create or edit the document you need; however, there is one PDF editor that takes things a step further. Lumin PDF is a PDF editor that offers a special tool as a key part of its structure. That tool is the ability to work directly from Google Drive. This can be your own personal account or an account with your business via a G-Suite account.
The way it works is that you can use Lumin PDF to open the Google Drive storage and select a PDF (or another document if you wish to convert it) and from there you can work with it as you would any other PDF file. When you are finished, this file can be saved into Google Drive for later use or use by others. When working for a business, especially as part of a research team, it is not uncommon for multiple people to be working on the same document. This makes Lumin PDF a great option as a tool to edit PDFs.
Using Google Docs
As with Lumin PDF, there are ways to edit a PDF with Google and Google Drive. If you are using Google Docs as part of your work, then you can edit PDFs there as well. You can simply access your Google Drive and select the document you wish to edit. But there are some issues with using Google Docs as a means to edit PDFs. Google Docs is built as a text editor rather than an image editor as most online PDF editors are so it can’t do all the same things some other editors can. Still, it can be a solid choice for those working with a Google account.
Apps or Programs to Edit PDF Files
There are many different PDF editors and programs that can assist you in editing PDFs. One of them has already been mentioned. Lumin PDF is a premier PDF editing service, but there are more to choose from. One of the most popular, albeit expensive is Adobe Acrobat, which has been around a long time. In addition to this, there are less expensive options such as PDFescape and ilovepdf. Both are great and are largely free services that can be used to work with PDFs. There are far more than the ones mentioned here, and when researching which one is best for you, always check to see what they offer to know if it suits what you or your business needs.
No matter which career we pursue, there will always be a time when we need to work with documents, and that means being able to edit a PDF. This can be either filling out a PDF or making a fillable PDF form. Having the ability to manage your documents through PDF editors, will not only help you stay up to speed at the office but will give you an advantage going forward.
