[WEB4LIB] PDF versus HTML

[Jennifer Heise]

Dear John,

The practical question is: how much space do you have, and how much time 
and effort do you expect your users to go to in order to use these 
documents?

If the format of the documents is very important (say, a scholarly paper 
or complex annual report in which formatting and layout are important), 
PDF is the way to go. If you have a large collection of documents that 
require uploading quickly, and you have a very large amount of space 
available to you, and are primarily targetting people who have cable 
modem or better connections, then PDF can be helpful.

If speed and ease of use, as well as file space issues, are of primary 
importants, HTML is the way to go. HTML does not require any plugins in 
the browser, it takes up 1-10% of the space that PDFs do, and it is a 
lot easier to change and correct. Also, links can be easily inserted in 
the document.  In order to replace/change/fix a PDF copy of the 
document, you will need to fix the original and re-generate the PDF.

-- Jenne Heise

>Hi,
>
>We have a number of print documents which we wish to make available on
>the web. My boss is very keen on saving these documents as PDF files and
>making them available on the web in this format.
>
>I think it would be better to convert the documents to HTML but am
>finding it difficult to marshal my arguments. Many newspapers eschew PDF
>in favor of HTML; they must have their reasons. Newspapers are
>essentially a print medium and it would seem that PDF is tailor made for
>putting print media on the web.
>
>When should PDF be used and when should HTML be used?
>
>Regards
>John 
>
>John Fitzgibbon
>
>Galway Public Library
>Island House
>Cathedral Square
>Galway
>Ireland
>
>p: 00 353 91 562471
>f: 00 353 91 565039
>w: http://www.galwaylibrary.ie 
>
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-- 
/   Jennifer Heise, Helpdesk/Librarian, Email: jahb at lehigh.edu
\ \ Lehigh Library & Technology Services, Phone: (610) 758-3072
  / Fairchild-Martindale Library, 8A Packer Ave, Bethlehem PA 18015   

"Comment is free, but facts are on expenses." -- Tom Stoppard