Creating mobile-friendly PDF documents that are actually readable

Your audiences are increasingly reading your reports and PDF documents on mobile devices. You should want them to be as readable and accessible as possible on smartphones as they are on devices with larger screens. I've posted a number of publications on my site recently that are not at all mobile-friendly. Don't make that mistake. So here are some tips to keep in mind to ensure that the people you want to read your documents can and will.

Let's start with the authority, Adobe.

In their article How to create a mobile-friendly PDF Adobe provides a step-by-step guide using:

• Google Docs
• Google Photos
• Online tools like Adobe Acrobat online services

I've been seeing a lot of PDF documents with 2 columns. They're a pain to read on my phone. Adobe has things to say about that:

"Reading a PDF on a small phone screen can be tricky, especially if it’s not formatted as a PDF for mobile. A mobile-friendly PDF should display clearly on a phone screen and be easy to navigate. The file size should be compact with a lower image resolution to reduce storage space and ensure functionality.

You might also want to consider optimizing your PDF to have only one column of text, preventing the need for scrolling horizontally and zooming in and out of the page to read everything. To improve readability, you should also think about using a larger font size, consistent margins, and bold or italic fonts where relevant...

Even if you have a large screen on your phone, it can sometimes still be difficult to view a PDF if it’s not formatted properly — you don’t want to waste time doing a lot of pinching and zooming. If you’re creating PDFs on phones or tablets, keep the following tips in mind so that work can continue to flow seamlessly between your teams without anything getting overlooked.

• Use bold text and 30 pt. font for headlines.
• Use 26 pt. font for paragraph text.
• Opt for single columns of text where possible.
• Apply .25 margins all around to give yourself room to work.
• Keep document files small in size for quicker load times."

Key Tips for Creating Mobile-Friendly PDFs

I also asked ChatGPT and Perplexity.ai for their thoughts. You can read what they each said in their entirety, but below are some highlights (ChatGPT's full response. Perplexity.ai's full response (using Claude 3 Opus)) that I've mixed together that make sense to me. You'll see that Perplexity references 20 sources in its answer. You can view them all when you click on the link above to read the full response.

Creating a mobile-friendly PDF involves several design and formatting strategies to ensure that the document is easy to read and navigate on a smartphone.

By following these tips to optimize your PDF for portrait orientation, streamlined layout, readable text, compressed images, clear organization, small file size, and real-world mobile testing, you can create documents that smartphone users can easily access and read on the go. Keeping the mobile experience in mind from the start will make your PDFs more effective at reaching and engaging your on-the-go audience.By following these tips to optimize your PDF for portrait orientation, streamlined layout, readable text, compressed images, clear organization, small file size, and real-world mobile testing, you can create documents that smartphone users can easily access and read on the go. Keeping the mobile experience in mind from the start will make your PDFs more effective at reaching and engaging your on-the-go audience. Here are some key tips to help you create a mobile-friendly PDF:

1. Use a Single-Column Layout: Avoid multi-column layouts which can be difficult to read on small screens. Design your PDF in portrait orientation rather than landscape. This will minimize the need for horizontal scrolling on a small smartphone screen.
2. Choose Readable Fonts: Use a sans-serif font, such as Arial or Helvetica, in a readable size (at least 12 points). Use a large, clear, easy-to-read font. Ensure the text is big enough to read on a smartphone without needing to zoom in.
3. Optimize Images: Use high-quality images that are compressed to reduce file size without compromising quality.
4. Use Short Paragraphs: Break content into shorter paragraphs and use bullet points or numbered lists for easy scanning. Keep paragraphs short, around 3-4 sentences each. This makes the document easier to skim on mobile.
5. Organize content with headings and bookmarks: Use descriptive headings to divide your content into clear sections. This helps mobile readers skim the document and find relevant information.
6. Include Hyperlinks: Make navigation easier by including hyperlinks to different sections within the PDF and to external resources.
7. Responsive Design Elements: Use scalable graphics and responsive design elements that adapt to different screen sizes.
8. Clear Headings and Subheadings: Use headings and subheadings to break up content and make it easier to navigate. Use descriptive headings to divide your content into clear sections. This helps mobile readers skim the document and find relevant information.
9. White Space: Use plenty of white space to avoid clutter and improve readability.
10. Interactive Elements: Include interactive elements like bookmarks, internal links, and a table of contents. If your PDF has interactive elements like forms or buttons, ensure they are large enough to easily tap with a finger on a touchscreen.
11. Test on Multiple Devices: Before sharing the final PDF, open it on several smartphones and tablets to ensure it displays as intended. Check that text is readable, images look correct, and interactive elements work.