“Send it as a PDF” or “send me the Word file”? Both formats are everywhere, but they are designed for different jobs. Choosing the right one avoids formatting disasters and back-and-forth emails.
What a PDF is good at
PDF (Portable Document Format) is designed to look identical on every device. Fonts, images and layout are fixed. That makes it the right choice for:
- CVs, invoices, contracts and official letters.
- Documents that will be printed.
- Forms submitted to administrations and universities.
- Anything you don't want casually edited.
What a Word document is good at
DOCX files are designed to be edited. Text reflows, styles can be changed and collaborators can track changes. Use Word for:
- Drafts you are still writing.
- Documents others need to complete or correct.
- Templates you reuse.
Quick comparison
- Appearance: PDF is fixed; Word can change depending on the fonts installed on the reader's computer.
- Editing: Word is easy; PDF needs special tools.
- Security: PDFs can be encrypted with a password and signed.
- File size: similar for text; PDFs of scans are larger.
Converting PDF to Word
When you receive a PDF but need to reuse its text, PDF to Word extracts the text of every page into an editable DOCX. Expect the wording to be preserved but not the exact layout: tables and multi-column designs are simplified. If you only need the words, PDF to Text gives you a clean text file.
If the PDF is a scan, it contains no text at all — only pictures. Run it through Image to Text (OCR) first.
Converting Word to PDF
Word, LibreOffice and Google Docs can all export to PDF directly: use File → Save as / Download → PDF. This keeps the best quality and real, selectable text.