PDF and HTML both are popular document files on website. But sometimes not both of them can meet users’ needs and how to choose the right files is difficult; here is some comparison between PDF and HTML:

1, PDF is good when the file is destined for printing, and the precise printed page layout is important, or when there are images which should be rendered at high resolution on the printed page.

2, PDF is useful for taking fancy newsletters which are designed for the printed page, and making them available online without much hassle.

3, PDF Security is sometimes viewed by producers as a useful feature for sending important document as PDF documents are not an editable source format and the formatting instructions are gone.

4, the aspect ratio (which is usually not 4:3) and size of the pages in a PDF document is a poor match for a computer screen. PDF doesn’t work on all platforms – e.g. handheld browsers. It requires extra software if you want to change the document from PDF to Word or text.

6, PDF information is less accessible than HTML, e.g. for those with vision impairments and larger than a simple HTML version.

7, PDF is designed for printing, not browsing or spreading information. When the user does a copy-and-paste of text, it all ends up in one blob with paragraphs, lists, etc. all mashed together into one unformatted paragraph. Words that contain ligatures (like when “fi” is represented by a single joined printing symbol) will often be garbled. Often the entire selection doesn’t show up in the clipboard. Problems with hyphenation and multiple columns, etc. often crop up.

PDF and HTML are both benefit to users a lot when they are appropriate used. If you have PDF but sometimes the HTML is much better, you can also convert PDF to HTML. Now, with the information above you must know how to choose PDF and HTML in your daily life.