Mobile working with PDF documents improves
Trends in the digital workplace
The modern working world is constantly evolving. This process was also greatly accelerated by the pandemic. At the center of this change is the ever-increasing digitization of a wide variety of work processes.
Changes in the world of work are also changing how we work. The focus is increasingly on flexibility and hybrid working models. Many employees want more freedom (in terms of location and time) and a stronger sense of purpose, while companies are adapting their culture accordingly. Traditional office models such as "9 to 5" are evolving. Work no longer follows a rigid pattern; instead, flexibility is required, combining focused video calls and online meetings with in-person conversations and phone calls. Employees and companies need to adapt to these new ways of working (for example, asynchronous communication vs. synchronous communication). What is changing in concrete terms?
- A large share of employees now prefer to work in hybrid mode (home and office) or fully remote
- New HR landscapes are evolving
- Companies are focusing on cloud-based work
- Many companies also rely on low-code for digital processes
- The ongoing use and development of AI - artificial intelligence is another major driver of change
- New communication formats have become established: video conferencing and online meetings
- Digital forms of work are generally moving to the forefront
That is why one thing will be increasingly important in the future: simple, easy-to-use document workflows (i.e., information should be available anytime, anywhere).
Mobile working with PDF documents
In the business world, PDF is used whenever documents need to be reliably displayed, printed, edited, sent, and archived. Since this can also be done on the move, PDF fits modern work processes very well.
The focus is now on working with mobile apps on smartphones. More and more people read digital documents primarily on mobile devices. However, files with mixed fonts and complex layouts (images, lists, and tables) are often difficult to read on small screens, and navigation can feel slow and rigid.
PDF documents are indispensable in modern work because they preserve the original layout when shared. At the same time, this can be challenging on smartphones, where smaller displays often reduce reading comfort. Reading PDF files on mobile devices has not always been ideal.
Adobe wants to improve the user experience when working on the move
A newer Acrobat Reader feature makes reading and using PDF documents on smartphones easier. With the Liquid Mode reading feature, PDF documents can be adapted to small mobile screens. In Liquid Mode, the PDF content is reflowed for readability while preserving the document structure.
Artificial intelligence is used for this process. Text is arranged in a screen-friendly single column, and images are inserted at suitable positions in the adapted layout. In Acrobat Reader, users can also adjust font style, font size, letter spacing, and line spacing. Images can be tapped to enlarge them, and tables adapt dynamically to available screen width.
Note: Liquid Mode does not always work well with very large PDFs (more than 200 pages), scanned documents, or files with highly complex structures. Also, to use it, you must be signed in to Adobe services.
https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobat/android/en/lmode.html