If there’s one file format that you’ll use every day, it’s the PDF. Vice magazine even described it as the world’s most important format.
It’s no surprise that you can end up juggling PDFs throughout the day. That might mean sending the correct version to others, or managing the PDFs you create.
There are a few tricks you can use to help keep your PDF files organized. Read on to learn our favorites.
Combine PDF Files
If several files belong to the same project, why not combine them into one file? That makes it easier to keep track of them, rather than using separate folders.
In Adobe Acrobat, browse to the Tools menu. Choose Combine Files. Use the Add Files function to add the files you want to include. Click Combine Files and save the new single PDF.
Reduce PDF File Size
There are two main ways to reduce the file size of a PDF. This helps with computer storage or sending files via email.
- Compress finished files
- Create PDF documents at a lower resolution
You can compress finished files using Preview on a Mac. Open the PDF, then go to File > Export. In the options window, choose the PDF file format, and Reduce File Size under Quartz Filter. Hit save and it will compress the file.
You can also create documents at a lower resolution. If you need to print the document, choose 300dpi. The best resolution for viewing on a screen is 100 dpi. So you can use the screen resolution and reduce the file size.
Use Clear File Names for Version Control
When documents get regular revisions, it can be tough to maintain any level of version control. You don’t want to work from a PDF and find it’s out of date.
So use this simple naming strategy to ensure you’re always using the most recent document.
Label the file with the date but in a reversed format. That’s year-month-day and then the filename.
For example, 2021-09-07-Descriptive title.pdf.
Your computer will file them in chronological order, so the top PDF in the stack is always the most up-to-date version.
Convert PDFs to Word Files
Sometimes you have a PDF you want to edit, but you don’t have the software to do it. Luckily, there’s a way to convert PDFs into Word files without paid software.
Go to Google Drive and access your Settings menu. Look for the section that says ‘Convert uploads’. Check the box. This will convert files to the Google Docs format.
Upload the PDF you want to convert. Open it as a Google Doc, then go to File > Download and choose the Word format.
If you need to convert other formats, such as CSS, JPG, or HTML, don’t worry. You can use pdfcreator c# to generate PDFs from these formats using C#.
Manage Your PDFs With Ease
These helpful tricks will help you keep your PDF files organized. You can also save on file space and make sure you’re always using the most recent version.
Keen to learn more hacks to make your IT run smoothly? Check out our tech articles for more tips and advice.
