As a developer or part of an engineering team, you have probably dealt with the need to convert and share files as part of your applications; and while there are many different formats out there, you've most likely needed to convert Microsoft Word docs and PDFs.

Here’s why it's a good idea to convert word documents into PDFs before sharing:

The most important advantage of converting Word documents to PDF is consistent formatting. Word documents can look different on different devices and operating systems due to differences in fonts, margins, etc. This inconsistency can cause confusion and misinterpretation of the document's content, which can be detrimental, especially when working on projects that require accuracy and precision.

Additionally, when Word documents are opened on different devices or software, the layout and design can be altered, which can impact readability. Converting the document to PDF can ensure that the layout and design are preserved, regardless of the device or software used to view it. This can help ensure that the document's content is easy to read and understand, regardless of the recipient's device or software.

Another advantage of converting Word documents to PDF is protection against unauthorized editing and malware. PDFs can be password-protected to prevent unauthorized editing, which can be important if the document contains sensitive or confidential information. While Word documents can also be password-protected, PDFs are more widely supported and can be opened on almost any device without requiring specialized software. This added layer of protection can help ensure that the document's content remains secure and confidential.

For fully secure file sharing you can also use Secure File Archives. Read more on that here.

PDFs are more compatible with a wider range of software and devices than Word documents. This is especially important if the recipient does not have Microsoft Office installed or is using a different operating system. In contrast, Word documents require the recipient to have the same or compatible software to open and edit the document. PDFs can be opened and viewed using a wide range of software, including web browsers, which makes them more accessible and easier to share.

PDFs are generally smaller in file size than Word documents, which can be important when sharing large files over the internet. This makes PDFs faster to upload and download, and can save on storage space. This is especially important when working with multiple documents, as it can be challenging to manage large files on different devices.

There are several tools available to convert Word documents to PDFs. ApyHub Utility APIs are a quick and easy-to-use option. ApyHub's File Conversion API allows developers to convert any file format, including Word documents to PDF, presentations to PDF with just a few lines of code. With ApyHub, developers can streamline the file conversion process and focus on the more important aspects of their products. Some other file conversion utilities that are interesting to developers are listed here.