What Is the Difference between HTML And PDF Files?

Newbies to the net often asks me what is the difference between HTML and PDF files. Well, they’re just different type of files.  Pretty much like the difference between a word processor document and a spreadsheet document … kind of.

When you visit a web page on the internet, it is most likely an HTML file. You can recognize it by looking at the address bar in your browser. It will usually end with a .html or .htm extension.

When you create your first web page, you’ll be creating a HTML file. If you’ve never created your own web site, check out our free NVU tutorial. NVU is just a free web page creator software.

It’s a bit difficult to explain what a PDF file is for someone who’s not used to it but here goes. A PDF file is like a photograph or snap shot of a document that you created. Whilst you need a web browser to read an HTML file, you will need an Adobe Reader to read PDF files. The Adobe Reader is free and worth downloading because there are so many PDF files out there today. You can tell if a file is in PDF format by looking at the extension (.pdf).

How are we going so far on the difference between HTML and PDF files?

I guess the best way to see the difference is to look at some examples. To look at these examples, you will need an Adobe Reader. If you don’t have one, now will be a good time to download it.

Now, hop over to http://www.amember.com/p/Main/Manual. See how the aMember Pro manual comes in several formats. Go ahead and click on the HTML version and the PDF version.

See the difference? You’ll notice that the PDF file is like a snapshot of a word document.

When do you use HTML and when PDF?

HTML files are meant for use on the web. So, you use HTML files for your web pages. A PDF file is normally used when you want to provide an easy way for your recipients to download and print out a document. PDF would be great for manuals and e-books.

Why can’t you just provide it as a word document?

The difference is:

A word document is not a snap shot. In fact, a person can easily open
it up in a word processor and make changes to it. You don’t want this.
Why? Well, let’s say you wrote an ebook. If you made it in Word format,
someone could easily open it in a word processor and change, for
example, the auhor name etc and pass it off as his own.

Don’t worry if you don’t quite get it. All you have to do is surf the net and just stay alert. Just remember, as you surf, that the web pages that you visit and see in your browser are all HTML files (well, almost all. There are other file formats but we won’t add to your headache by getting into them here).

You will know that you’ve come across a PDF file, when your browser launches the Adobe Reader to view it. Just take a mental note on when and how others use a PDF file. In time, you’ll get the hang of it.