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5 PDF File Formats You Should Know

by Meelika Kivi

What do we know about PDF file formats and what benefits do they offer?
With the constant transition to the digital age, more and more people today rely on electronic documents. When discussing document file formats, PDF tops the list. In 1993, Adobe released the first PDF file format. Since then, many other variations of this well-known format have appeared, each with its own application. You are about to learn about them in this article.

PDF file formats

Table of Contents

PDF itself is an ISO standard (ISO 32000). On top of it, the ISO organization has defined several specialized PDF standards, and these are the five you are most likely to meet. There are also PDF standards from other organizations, but we will not cover them in this article.

What is ISO?

ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, is a federation of national standards bodies that publishes International Standards, including the standards for the Portable Document Format (PDF). ISO writes the standards; it does not certify products or files itself. Each standard is developed through a consensus process in a technical committee. In other words, the PDF standard for your document depends on how you intend to store, share and use it.

5 Different PDF File Formats

1. PDF/A is a specialized subset of the PDF format designed specifically for long-term archiving.
To ensure documents remain readable and visually consistent even after many years, PDF/A follows much stricter standards than regular PDF files. Its primary purpose is to preserve information reliably over time—for example, letters generated through a mail merge in Word.

Because a PDF/A file embeds everything it needs (fonts, color profiles, images) and rules out external dependencies, any conforming viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, can display it as originally intended years later.

PDF/A file format
construction professionals

2. PDF/E – PDF/E has been in use since 2008. PDF/E satisfies the different demands of both interactive and passive readers. Architects, engineers, construction professionals, and product development teams most often use this standard because it helps rotate and stack 3D objects on the screen. In addition, the inclusion of 3D engineering model data is a strength of PDF/E because many 3D data are somehow related to design workflows. 

3. The PDF/X standard was developed at the request of the graphics and printing industries to facilitate document sharing. It is a standard that aims to avoid the problems that can occur when exchanging documents needed for seamless graphic production, i.e., professional printing.

professional printing
PDF File Formats You Should Know

4. PDF/VT (ISO 16612-2:2010) builds on PDF/X-4 and adds two things for variable data printing: encapsulated groups of graphic objects, so repeated content is processed once, and document part metadata that lets a press select and sort records. VT is short for “variable and transactional”. So you can use this format to print everything from credit card bills and bank statements to postcards and personalized catalogs, from college application materials to Christmas greetings and photo albums. And also from labels to tickets and from checks to ID cards.

5. PDF/UA (ISO 14289, short for Universal Accessibility) helps people with disabilities access documents. When you open PDF/UA files with the appropriate software, you can open and read them with screen readers, screen magnifiers, joysticks, and other technologies to help visually impaired people access the content.

The UA standard

PDF file formats from ISO – Comparison

Format typePurpose of developmentUsers Advantages
PDF/AFor long-term file storage.Clerks,
Archivists,
Record managers,
Compliance managers		Provides accurate reproduction of documents and ensures that archive files can be opened even after a long period of time.
PDF/ETo address key issues in the areas of large format drawings and multimedia.Civil engineers,
Architects,
Interior designers,
Construction specialists		Supports design and manufacturing specifications and also supports interactive multimedia, animation and stack 3D objects on the screen.
PDF/XTo ensure that documents are ready to print by correctly applying fonts, images or color profiles.Print professionals,
Graphic designers,
Creative workers		Guarantees that the file will work when sent for professional printing (embedded fonts, no RGB colors, etc.).
PDF/VTFor variable data printing (VDP). From desktop printing to digital production machines.Marketing campaigns,
Financial departments		Maintains color profiles, layers, and transparency in documents and can customize data, making it useful for printing bank statements, invoices, and personalized marketing material.
PDF/UATo improve and ease readability for the visually impaired.People with disabilitiesThis standard is compatible with assistive technologies that help users read and navigate.
By defining the structure of a document using tags, assistive technology can determine the structure and reproduce the content accordingly.

Benefits of using PDF file formats

  • Universal: The PDF format is platform-independent, which means you can open and view a PDF file on any operating system, including Mac, Windows, Linux, and Solaris.
    They are universally compatible, meaning anyone can open and view a PDF file regardless of whether Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed on their computer. The PDF format is also great for creating print-ready business documents.
  • Compresses well: PDF compresses text, vector art and images, and most tools let you downsample the images to produce a lighter file. That helps when you need to email a document or upload it to a website.
  • Secure and protect your data: PDF files are a secure way to send information that may contain personal or sensitive data.
    PDF files can also be password protected, ensuring that only those with the correct password can view the contents of the file. This adds an extra layer of security to your data In addition, PDF files can be signed with an electronic signature, allowing you to verify the authenticity of the document and its sender.
  • Accessibility to a wide audience: PDF files are accessible because they can be opened and read by anyone, no matter what software is installed on their computer or what computer or device they own, including phones and tablets. You can also translate PDFs into other languages, making them accessible to a wide audience.
  • Great for sharing: PDF files are great for sharing because they look the same on every device, are easy to attach to an email, and need no special software to open. PDFs are also common in business and among professionals and are easy to create. You can send a PDF file to anyone, and they can view it without any problems.
  • Predictable output: Because a PDF fixes margins, fonts and page orientation at export time, every recipient sees the page exactly as it was designed. That is what gives a merged letter or invoice its consistent, professional look.

Conclusion

In general, each PDF format has its own advantages, including the ability to embed multimedia content, security features, and cross-platform compatibility. In addition, they can be viewed on a variety of devices, making them ideal for sharing and distribution. If you are looking for a way to make your documents more accessible, convenient, and universally compatible, consider PDFs and their varieties. Knowing and understanding each type of PDF format will make your professional work much easier, as well as improve its quality and take it to the next level.

If you want to understand more about each PDF format, check out our other blog articles:

What is PDF/X?

What is PDF/VT?

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