Extension of PDF Technology (I)

When the name of Postscript came out, it was opened between the moments. A few years ago, the new media, the Internet, was introduced and the speed of its popularity could not be measured. Now another name called PDF data format has appeared on various occasions, and PDF technology itself is being popularized. This article discusses the areas in which PDF affects and the possibilities for expansion.
Explain the technical content of PDF first. It is an abbreviation of Portable Document Format. Can be translated into a portable file format, introduced by the United States Adobe Systems, in short, that can be shared between different models of the file format. A PDF file is a dedicated viewing software that can display and output all the contents contained in a book, including texts such as illustrations and photos, and layout information.


I. Corporate Intelligence and PDF
In a company, a word processor is always used to compile documents for various kinds of business, not only text, but also illustrations and photographs, which were always output on paper and then distributed.
If relying on electronic data to disseminate, within the same enterprise, between the person preparing the document and the person accepting the document, due to differences in the use of computers and word processors, etc., there is a certain degree of resistance. At this time, PDF is used to distribute documents. , but it is a very effective method.

(1) Distribution of internal documents

Most of the faxes are used to transmit documents to distant locations. However, if you use the Internet to transmit PDF data, the quality of the past is much higher than that of fax. And because it can handle color images, it can be used as a method of transferring files, which is also very effective for promoting paperlessness.

It is good to use paper to distribute the internal notices or publicity reports within the company. However, if you use PDF data, it is more convenient to refer to information that has been available in the past. In addition, most of the publicity reports that are distributed outside the company are specific to the customers of the factory. Therefore, they may be distributed via postal services or the like. However, when using the Internet to send, it is not only for customers but also for general users who can send and provide information.

(2) Document preservation

Relying on electronic data to send and receive files not only reduces the burden of distribution after output by a printer or copier, but also makes data management itself easier. When needed in paper form, simply output the required part from the printer. For a period of time, the idea of ​​storing files electronically and relying on the so-called optical file arrangement system for internalization has created a boom. However, there has recently been an increase in the demand for the conversion of such an optical file scheduling system data into PDF data. The result is that the system originally belongs to the manufacturer's own system, and the disadvantages of data incompatibility have been discovered. With this type of problem, it became apparent that PDF data may become a standard data format that can be popularized in the future.

In addition, in order to manage a file, it is expected that when PDF is applied, data to be managed will appear to be searched. In order to satisfy this desire, processing software such as full-text search of PDF data has already been commercialized.

(3) Sending corporate intelligence to the outside

When many overseas companies send information to the outside of the company, they often introduce the contents of the company on the company's catalog page. In order to introduce more people, they think that using the Internet to introduce the company is very beneficial. However, some parts of the company have already published information using PDF data. Many manufacturers have begun to use the series of products introduced in the factory or introduce new products.

Most companies are always ready to introduce paper media companies. Undoubtedly, high-quality paper media companies will no doubt need to introduce them in the future. However, if you rely on PDF data to make company introductions, even on the Internet, you can guarantee that they will not lower their grades. Proximity to the paper media's high quality delivery. In addition, it is not limited to general companies. Even if it is an official document of a government agency, PDF data can be applied if it is desired to perform general transmission on the Internet.

On the other hand, with the financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies, and securities companies as the core, the company's annual report materials or for the purpose of publicizing the company's situation, the use of PDF data in the means of transmission is increasing.

All these documents need to be distributed to everyone at the general meeting of shareholders. In most cases, the annual report will be distributed to shareholders in the form of one copy per person. It is of course necessary to rely on the paper media to continue to distribute, but if part of the content is used to access the Internet By sending, you can easily do a wide range of disclosure.


Manuals, Catalogs, and PDFs

Compared with publications, brochures, product catalogs and the like are categorized as low-cost data files. They need to be updated at any time in order to adapt to changes in the situation. Digitalization of production projects using DTP or word processors has thus become very advanced. The degree can be said to be in an environment where PDF is easy to apply. Therefore, in the future, not only the use of PDF data for distribution, but also the received data can be matched with a simplified on-demand printing system. Only the printing of updated parts into the revised version will increase.

(1) CD-ROM Manual, Product Catalog

Many of the product catalogs distributed by manufacturers for overseas shipments have already been sent via PDF data. Recently, some manuals attached to calculator software have been converted into PDF data. The fact that the software itself is provided on a CD-ROM is growing, and the manual itself also generates PDF data into the CD-ROM. The software purchaser refers to the manual on the display screen and can output the printed product as needed. As a result, in the future, it may happen that the original bound paper manual will be changed to a paid sale.

Creating a CD-ROM from the product catalog not only makes it lightweight, but also reproduces content that is difficult to express in printed matter. This is a great advantage for the original purpose of the product catalog. From the standpoint of expressiveness, animations and sounds may be used more often. The current video product catalogue is likely to be transformed into a multimedia product catalog.

In the process of digitizing the above-mentioned product catalog, it is expected that PDF data will be applied. However, there are many color image data in the product catalog. Although PDF data can be compiled, it can be compressed. However, in the existing network environment, it is difficult to send the entire catalogue of products to the Internet. If a new product is announced, the practice of introducing only part of this PDF data on the Internet in real time is reasonable, and the product catalog itself is still recorded as PDF data in the package media such as CD-ROM, once a month or a year. Making 1-2 releases is more realistic and feasible.

(2) Simple and easy editing

In fact, CD-ROMization of manuals and product catalogs using PDF data is increasing. If you directly electronicize a catalogue or manual completed in the form of paper, the application of PDF data is easy to achieve.

According to the digital data such as DTP, the PDF data can be converted and basically data can be saved. In fact, this data is affixed with processing marks, bookmarks, or notes from the table of contents to each page. Although a lot of work has been added, it cannot be said that the transition has been completed. It may be considered that the editing job is more important than the general CD-ROM production. It's much easier.

There are many demands in various industries, most of which belong to the product catalog. Among them, you can see the design drawings obtained with CAD data and effectively use the enlarged display function on the display screen. In terms of the manual, not only the manufacturers are doing it, but also the business manuals of the circulation industry are increasing, and are being promoted to various industries.

Third, advertising, services and PDF

The majority of the current Internet, in a broad sense, believes that it is most used in advertising. Like business advertisements, merchandise advertisements, personal distribution news, and notices from private organizations or company businesses, in short, most of the purpose is to inform a certain situation that can be sent to anyone regardless of area and at a lower cost than ever before. Intelligence media.

(1) Delivery of product catalog

Like the various advertising media of the past, the Internet has become an important advertising medium for ordering merchandise, and it can be assumed that PDFs will be sent after the merchandise category. Because the product catalog has a strong free gift character, how to reduce the cost of delivery costs and production costs is the subject of discussion. If you send high-quality catalogs on the Internet, it is not only efficient, but also has the advantage of eliminating the need to store paper catalogs.

In addition, it is important that the catalogues of automobile manufacturers and home appliance manufacturers need to be sent using high-quality paper media. However, if PDF data can be made available via the Internet, detailed specifications and color photographs can be included. Under the circumstances, the same genre as the paper media catalogue can be used to easily achieve the purpose of distribution.

(2)Distribution of guides' information and express mail

The use of PDF data is not uncommon for sightseeing guides on the Internet and regional presentations of specific venues, and is also commonly used in the notices of civil society and public utilities. For example, on the Internet, you can find web pages that describe the contents of stations along the railway. Details of the maps in the area under the jurisdiction of the station and timetables leading to other routes are provided by PDF data. Full use of the PDF data features, the road map to enlarge the display on the screen, but also to achieve high quality requirements. The content of the timetable can be used as a portable timetable application because of its high quality output.

Distribution of newsletter as one of newspaper service can use PDF data, too. For example, since the use of the Internet to use PDF data to solve the delivery of the Olympic Express, PDF data has been used to send newsletters to newspapers and newspapers. In addition, newsletters that have been used in sports games such as tennis or football, unlike ordinary Internet pages (HTML data), can send newsletters that are generic in newspaper genre.


Fourth, publications and PDF

Just as the meaning of the word "electronic publishing" expresses, it can be said that the publishing that it undertakes today is exactly the representative category in which paper media is expanded into multimedia. Therefore, it is not surprising that future publications will generate PDF data and go into society in the form of CD-ROM or distribution on the Internet. In particular, publications such as professional books and publications on out-of-print editions can be thought of as being advantageous in terms of reduced production costs, elimination of stock keeping, and reductions in delivery costs when sending mails.
Usually, the publications sold in bookstores are electronically intact and appear to be difficult to read on display screens. There are places that are difficult for people to accept. In the case of PDF data, the output is both high quality and easy to use. Therefore, for the publication of professional books and small-sections, as well as off-period prints, out-of-print books, etc., PDF data can be sold on demand with CD-ROM or via the Internet. Is this application method not worth promoting?