6 Tips for Remote Work with PDFs

In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, “remote work” must be familiar to everyone, and maybe you are experiencing it now. 

For remote employees, whether you are comfortable with working remotely or not, improving work efficiency is always a tricky thing you need to face and deal with. 

As one of the most widely used file formats in work, PDF is something you won't avoid. And here are some tips about working with PDFs, which may become the secret weapon to impress your boss and colleagues faraway.

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Tip 1. Fill in PDF Forms Without Printing

When you are sitting in the office as usual, of course you can use the company's printer freely, print out the form and fill it out, then hand it to colleagues. But now this model does not work, what should you do? If you don't have to control budgets, and buying a printer/scanner is also a trivial matter, the previous model still suits you. But if it is the opposite, you may need to know how to fill in PDF forms on your PC/Mac. In addition to saving money and time, this is also a way to contribute to a better environment.

Tip 2. Sign PDF Anytime, Anywhere

Inserting signatures into PDFs is not a new thing, but because of the remote working mode, bosses and colleagues are scattered in different places, it becomes pretty important to sign at all times and in all places. 

Instead of following the traditional way of using pen to complete the PDF signing process, adding text or image signatures on PDFs can be more quick and accurate. You can choose Preview, online PDF tools or our powerful PDF Reader Pro to achieve this. Click How to sign a PDF to learn more.

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Tip 3. Add Watermarks for Security

Even when the work is being carried out remotely, the steps that should be performed must not be forgotten, such as adding a watermark to your important files to prevent them from being counterfeited. 

You can insert customized watermarks through text or files such as images, and add important information or company logos, to avoid irreversible situations. After all, it is not easy to have a salary in this situation.

Tip 4. Set Passwords and Restrictions

Apart from adding watermarks, setting passwords and restrictions is also a necessary measure to protect private PDF documents. 

Why so important? Because of the pandemic and lockdown, more parents are working at home, and there are also more children taking online classes at home. Thus it is not uncommon for multiple people to use the same computer. At this time, definitely you do not want important file information to be leaked or even be modified. To avoid this from happening, please do not forget to set passwords and restrictions.

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Tip 5. Compress PDFs Before Sharing

Once you have completed the steps above, it is inevitable to share the PDF file at the end. Whether you are using email, communication software or other channels, the file size is of great significance, especially when the channel you use has a file size limit. 

Compressing the PDF makes your file smaller, so the file is sent faster, downloading and opening the file becomes easier for the receiver. In addition, you can also batch compress files, which will greatly improve remote work efficiency.

Tip 6. Make a Flattened PDF Copy

If you still don’t know about “Flatten PDF”, after reading this article - What is Flattened PDF and How to Achieve It? you will better understand its importance and why I recommend this function to all remote workers. Besides, you can create a flattened PDF copy on any of your Mac/iOS/Windows/Android devices, which can be really flexible and convenient.

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As pandemic eases, remote work mode may end or continue, but whether you are working at home or in the office in the future, I hope the tips above will help you in your daily work.

And PDF Reader Pro across all platforms is truly a versatile tool for remote employees. With its full functionality, you can read, annotate, edit, convert, create, OCR, fill forms and sign PDFS. Click the 'Free Download' button to try its features for free, you will get a complete PDF solution.