Appropriate uses of PDF
Typically, online content should be provided in a web page. This will ensure the content is responsive, user-friendly, and accessible on any device.
When content is in a PDF, rather than automatically conforming to a customer's device (desktop computer, tablet, mobile phone), a PDF will only appear in a format designed for A4. It's not optimised for mobile, so the customer will need to pinch and zoom to read the content. When content is added to the website, it is automatically optimised and resized for the customer's device.
Other issues with PDFs include:
- treated differently by browsers, apps and devices
- viewing is in isolation from the navigation of their hosting website
- not as easy to update and might have been created by an agency
- harder for search engines to crawl and index
- difficult to measure and analyse in terms of usage
- interruption of the natural reading flow as you wait for the reader to load
There are still some circumstances when a PDF file is needed. In these cases, you must take the time to properly create and tag the file so it meets accessibility requirements.
Service areas are responsible for ensuring that any web content and documents that they provide are correct and up to date, and that these are reviewed on a regular basis.
If you're not sure if a PDF is required log a ticket with digital communications in Halo.
Accessibility webinar
If you would like to know more about making accessible PDFs, view Silktide's PDF accessibility webinar hosted by Oliver Emberton, Silktide's CEO.