HTML versus PDF

Jewel · #1 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 04:37 PM

I am so confused...I might need to just step away and come back..but I would like some advice please.

Right now I am creating pages for different categories of checklists. I am putting the checklist on an html page, along with some content about the items I am listing....but I figured many visitors will want a checklist they can download and use.

So I figured out how to save my checklist to a word document, then publish that as a pdf file which I uploaded to sbi and then I put a link on the page they can click on to get the checklist in pdf format without all the extra narrative I had added.

Now that I have done five of these pages (I have not uploaded them yet but they are done...I am waiting until all the checklists are completed to upload so there are no dead links..I have six or seven more to go) I wonder if it would be better to just put a plain checklist on an html page and link to that page from the narrative page. Is that a simpler idea? Also...I have no idea if the page will print well...so from a printing standpoint should I stick with the PDF file instead?

I am having one of "those days" where I am feeling frustrated, short of knowledge, and wondering if I am too much of an amateur to be doing this and what have I gotten myself into here!!!! Sigh.

(I know that everyone has them and I know I will get over it...bear with me!)

lisa · #2 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 05:44 PM

PDF's are best for longer guides that are suitable for printing. I try to reserve PDF's for longer tutorials or info I know may be passed around (viral marketing). If the pages are relatively short, it may be easier to just use HTML and interlink them. So I think it depends on the goal of these pages.

Jewel · #3 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 09:13 PM

The pages are short...only one page each download. But will they print okay as an html page? A PDF should print fine no matter what but I am concerned about what the html will look like. I guess I can make a dummy page up and try it.

James · #4 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 11:49 PM

Jewel,

Your thinking is usually good, and in this case I think you are right. Trust your feelings. It's one of the golden rules.

As Lisa says, short html pages should ordinarily be ok but the truth is, as you say, you can never know. Your pdf's are for sure. They will always be the same when printed.

It's not that much extra work to do up the pdf files. You will have peace of mind knowing that people will get what you intend.

Jewel · #5 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 08:46 AM

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I will finish the PDFs then.

You are right...it is really easy. I had never done one before and I was surprised how simple it was to save and publish my word doc as a PDF doc!

What happened was I was looking at somebody else's checklist and noticed they did it the html way and then I set myself off wondering if I was doing the right thing..and then my confidence and ideas just started their downward spiral from there!

I will continue on...and hope to have all 12 of these checklist pages up by the end of next week!

lisa · #6 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 09:33 AM

Fabulous. So true about printing. At least with PDF's you know they will print fine.

GrafxStar · #7 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 10:50 AM

I know there are times that while surfing I come across an article or page that has information on it that I do not have to completely digest at the time. If it is a form of some type that I would like to use or study later I will be looking for a PDF file to download. Open Office is so easy to use and save the content of the file as PDF that more webmasters should consider providing PDF files for clients.

Besides, what is stopping you from providing both formats. Put the page up in html and then provide a PDF download as well!

Good Luck

Jewel · #8 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 11:06 AM

Thanks. That is what I did. I had just been trying to figure out what was the best format to use for the download version.

I downloaded from Microsoft an add-on for Word that allows me to save my word files as a PDF file. It made it so easy to save the checklists as PDF files and upload them.

I am pleased to say that they are a real popular download on my site too!

I am on the top of the third page of results for the google search term "printable camping checklists"...could be better...but could be a lot worse too!

WB Sponsors