In business, Portable Document Format (PDF) documents are encountered constantly. The benefit is that they are a great way to share and receive documents on any device. One main problem many people run into is that they think that it’s a read-only format.
Today, we turn this common misconception on its head by providing some tips on how to better manipulate the PDFs you receive.
Rotating Pages
You’ve probably encountered this: you get a PDF and open it only to find that the document is upside down. It might not be a huge issue, but you’d really prefer that it was right-side-up. To fix this, PDF tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro offer options to rotate the document. In the current version of Acrobat, open your PDF, navigate to All Tools > Organize Pages, select the pages you want to rotate, and choose your preferred direction. For a full walkthrough, see Adobe’s official rotate pages documentation.
Some other PDF readers offer a quick button in the toolbar that allows you to rotate each page individually. Regardless of how you choose to get it done, rotating pages just makes reading them simpler.
Signing PDFs
These days, PDFs are routinely sent that need signatures, whether it’s to view the document or because it is a contract of some type. For years, people would print out the document, sign it, and scan it back over to complete this task. Today, there is a solution that lets the recipient avoid the printer altogether.
It’s as simple as downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free tool available for Windows, Mac, and mobile. Once you have it, signing documents is relatively simple. With the PDF open, click on the Fill & Sign button, then Sign, and finally Add Signature. At this point, you’ll have three options:
- Type: You type your name to indicate that you have seen the document, and an electronic signature is rendered (which almost certainly will not resemble your actual signature).
- Draw: Using your mouse as you would a pen, you draw your signature in the space provided.
- Image: You use a scanned image of your actual signature that is then saved for future use.
Make sure your signature is positioned where it needs to be, click Apply, and Save. For step-by-step guidance, see Adobe’s guide to signing PDFs in Acrobat Reader.
These days, many line-of-business applications produce signable PDFs to make contracts move faster.
Password Protection
There are times when you want to control who can (and more aptly who can’t) see a particular PDF. Make sure that any password you set up for PDFs is distributed through secure channels to avoid the document from being breached.
Microsoft Word allows you to turn a file into a PDF by using the “Save As” function. All you have to do is select “PDF” as the file type. Before you click Save, you will be able to find a More options button, which will open another window where Encrypt document with a password can be found under Options. Selecting this gives you the ability to set a password that anyone viewing your PDF after that point will have to provide in order to open it. For full instructions, see Microsoft’s guide to saving files as PDF.
Merging Files
Once you distribute a PDF, it is easy to lose track of all the different versions. PDFs allow you to consolidate versions to keep track of all the information in one place. You can accomplish this with various paid or free software titles. Pass it by your IT department first so it doesn’t cause any problems.
Assuming you choose Adobe Acrobat, this process is exceedingly simple. All you have to do is access the Tools menu and click on Combine Files. Then, after you have used Add Files… to assemble all the PDFs that you need to merge, just click Combine to generate your new PDF, and Save As to store it in the proper place.
Remember to check with your IT department before you download any software that isn’t already rolled out for you.
Put These PDF Skills to Work for Your Business
PDFs are far more flexible than most people realize. Whether you’re straightening a misaligned document, signing a contract without touching a printer, locking down sensitive files with a password, or consolidating scattered versions into one organized file, these skills keep your workday running smoothly. For more great tips on making technology work for your business, subscribe to our blog. Or reach out to our team directly: South Florida at (954) 474-2204 or New York at (516) 536-5006.
