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Since *.pdf files (portable document format files) do not encode specific information of the software application, hardware or operating system used to create or view the documents, they allow to render the documents exactly as their originals and offer high quality reproduction without distortion. In fact, the text and images are preserved as in the printed material.
The *.pdf format can be used to render very simple or short documents, as well as multiple-pages or complex documents – with different fonts, graphics, colours, and images.
PDF is an open standard because applications that read and write PDF files can be developed without paying royalties to the PDF developers, namely Adobe Systems (http://www.adobe.com).
Why is this information important for translators and translation teachers?
It is important for translators to know that PDF files are not designed for being directly edited or translated but only for being printed or read online. In practice it happens very often, that translators are asked by their customers to translated PDF files.
Therefore they should be able to explain that converting PDF files into a format which can be translated using electronic tools is quite complicated and should be avoided if possible. Translators should ask for the original files which were used to create PDF files; PDF files should only be provided as background information material.