In addition to providing the ability to customize your PDF output settings, the free (Windows-based) PrimoPDF provides four predefined configurations based on popular PDF usages –- Screen, Print, eBook, and Prepress. Although providing eBook and Screen options might seem redundant -– after all, output from both types are optimized for viewing on an electronic display — there are some key differences summarized below.
‘eBook’ PDF files
- Creates average-sized PDF files, balancing file size with visual fidelity
- Downsamples images to 150 dpi
- Fonts are fully embedded.
Best for:
- PDFs intended for downloading from the web, in cases where readers will likely save a local copy
- PDFs that are to be viewed on a variety of display devices, including eBook readers
- Situations in which smallest file size is less important than ensuring the document precisely resembles the visual quality of the original file.
‘Screen’ PDF files
- Creates the smallest PDFs, for faster display and reduced storage requirements
- Downsamples images to 72 dpi
- Fonts are not embedded.
Best For:
- PDFs intended for viewing online via the browser, or where the document might be distributed via email
- PDFs that are to be viewed on a computer monitor only
- Situations in which smallest file size is critical, and retaining pixel-perfect visual quality of the original is not required.
Knowing these differences can be helpful when choosing one option over the other, depending on how your output will be used.
Note. If you’re on a platform other than Windows, or don’t want to install PrimoPDF to your desktop, you can convert PDF online free with PrimoOnline.
