![]() ![]() ![]() Security through obscurity isn’t a viable solution either, especially if you’re editing sensitive confidential data. Data security breaches are all often in the news, with sensitive data of millions of people unprotected in the wild - taken from businesses and state agencies. You may feel more comfortable using something from a name you recognize in the free-tier sphere, like Canva PDF Editor.Īnd it’s not just developers of free PDFs. Ideally, you’ll want to know where your data is stored, and whether your files are deleted once you finish editing and downloading. This is certainly a concern, and especially with online services. If opting for a free PDF editor or reader, you want to be sure your data is safe - not being poorly stored, sold, or processed without your consent. Sometimes, it’s with asking, is a tool is free, how does the company make its money? Because the answer may be: your personal data. Security is always a topic to keep in mind. Trust issues over confidential documents.All because of a few too many cut corners. What about those other readers which might well have not catered for all possible wrong formatting? Suddenly, your PDF file which should be read by anyone, can’t be. But that’s because they have the resources to do this. The firm is aware of this, lacing Adobe Acrobat Reader with numerous exceptions to make sure most ‘badly formatted’ PDFs can still be opened. ![]() You may not encounter any issues if your document has a simple, basic layout, but the more complex the file, the more likely problems could arise. Although, of course, developers need to abide by these guidelines if they want the PDFs created by their software to be opened by the numerous PDF Readers out there, which version of the Reference are they using, and are the rules or cutting corners here and there? On top of being an open standard since 2008, those references are now much more detailed and unambiguous than they were when Adobe released the first PDF back in 1993. Now here’s something many don’t really think about when trying to edit PDFs: how compatible would the output be? You see, Adobe has regularly published a PDF Reference document, which explains to software developers how to create a product that will output PDF-compatible files. Soda PDF and PDF Candy are two free online PDF editors that fared well when we tested them. And all those handful of seconds waiting for something to happen can add up to a lot of lost time.īut worse than that, what about the quality of the output? Will your document’s media be degraded in order to reduce the overall file size for quicker downloads?Īgain, some services will be better than others about this, and if you’re keen on saving as much money as you can, you’ll need to invest time experimenting with the various tools on offer, and decide which one gives you the fewest compromises for your needs. What’s the upload speed like? What about the download times? How responsive is the interface the bigger the file you’re working with? Although browsers can do wonderful things, they are still not as efficient nor as responsive as using software directly on your computer. This can be seen as incredibly convenient, since there’s no software to download and install, and we all love our web browsers, right?īut this opens up yet another can of worms. You’ll find that there’s an increasing number of services that offer to do everything online, via your browser. Web-based working introduces potential issues.You might have to wait for days for an actual response, and if you’re on a deadline, such a delay is certainly not welcome. In our own experience, we found some services offering forums populated with frustrated users and very little useful solutions, or incredibly badly written instructions that left us more confused. After all, if there was a limited budget to get enough programmers and beta testers to create an enjoyable working experience, chances are asking for help about the ‘finished’ product will be met with limited, or at worst, a lack of response. This can, and does, also happen with paid-for programs, but it’s not the sort of issue you’ll find in the likes of Adobe Acrobat and Kofax PowerPDF.Īnd this frustration would expand onto technical support. We see it too many times in the form of badly (often hastily) designed user interfaces, leading to a confusing and frustrating user experience, as you try to figure out how to do the tasks you were hoping to achieve. And you, as the user, end up paying the price for it. If you’re getting something for free, this could lead to various cost-cutting measures. Poor UI, frustrated users, a fruitless quest for answers. ![]()
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