There are so many things wrong with the PDF as a digital comms format in the year 2021, we’re actually pretty embarrassed for those out there still using it.
But we get it.
Sometimes change is hard.
The first step is recognising that there’s a problem. And PDF is a BIG problem. At least it is for anyone who gives a damn about the impact of their stories, their proposals, their reports or newsletters.
Can you tell us, how many people read your latest PDF? What did they spend the most time reading? Did they share it with anyone? Where did they drop off? Yeah. Didn’t think so.
How much did it cost to design? (we’re not talking about your save-as-PDF word docs here, don't kid yourself). What’s your ROI on that?
Think about the last PDF you received. How did it look on mobile? Or desktop for that matter. Find yourself zooming, pinching, scrolling in all directions?
Did it grab you? Did it inspire you? Did it let you choose your journey?
Doubt it.
It's time to do better.
Join the revolution.
Still not convinced?
01
Congratulations, someone downloaded the global report you spent 5 months creating. Hurray. But they didn't actually read it. Or did they? You don't know, because it's a PDF.
02
Are you ok with giving your readers a shockingly poor mobile experience? Reading a PDF on small devices typically involves pinching and prodding the screen to achieve a legible font size. No thanks.
03
Send a brief to five different agencies and you’ll receive five different documents that are technically all on-brand but by some mysterious feat have very little in common, aesthetically.
04
Design can make or break the success of your communications. But a professionally designed PDF is a costly, time-consuming beast and a weak link in the agility of content strategies. Money well spent? Nah.
05
Once a PDF has been downloaded or printed, you lose all control of it. If you spot a heinous error and upload a new version to your website, the old one is still out there, in circulation, ready to come back and haunt you.