Does PDF have to disappear entirely?

No. PDF remains suitable for print, offline use and archiving with a fixed page layout.

Can a web publication exist alongside a PDF?

Yes, and that is a common choice: the web publication to read and share, the PDF for the archive.

What does responsive actually mean?

That the layout adapts to the screen size, so the same publication stays readable on phone, tablet and desktop.

What data can be measured?

For a web publication you can review reach, behaviour and engagement.

How do you start from existing content?

You use the copy and imagery you already have and turn it into a web publication.

Choosing a format

PDF or web publication: choose the format that fits your readers and goals.

Both formats have their place. This page lines up the differences across mobile reading, sharing, updating, measurement and archiving, so you can make a reasoned choice per publication.

An honest trade-off
Decided per publication
Not either-or

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(The two formats)

What each one is good at.

PDF

Strong for a fixed, exact page layout.

Strong for downloading and keeping offline.

Strong for printing.

Strong for archiving with fixed page numbering.

Responsive web publication

Strong for reading on phone and tablet.

Strong for sharing through a link.

Strong for updating after publication.

Strong for seeing how the publication is used.

Six criteria for choosing a format.

Work through them for the publication in front of you.

Screen use

Will this mostly be opened on a phone, or read at a desk?

Distribution

Are you sharing a link, or sending a file as an attachment?

Updates

Does the content still need to change after publishing?

Measurement

Do you want to know what gets read, or is that not needed?

Print and archive

Does a fixed, printable version have to exist?

How it is produced

Who builds it, and how often does a new edition appear?

The questions that usually settle it

(01)
Where does your audience read this?
If the answer is mostly mobile, responsive reading matters more than a fixed layout.
(02)
How does it reach the reader?
A link opens straight away; a file has to be downloaded first.
(03)
Will the content still change?
Figures or copy that may still change argue for a web publication.
(04)
Do you need to account for what was read?
If that counts, you need insight into how it is used.
(05)
Is there an archive or print requirement?
Then a PDF alongside the web publication still makes sense.

(Example)

What a web publication looks like in practice.

This is an existing client publication built with Greenzeen. It is an example of the web format, not a controlled comparison between two formats.

Responsive on any screen
Opens from a link
In the organisation's own brand

Open the example

When PDF remains the right choice

Choose PDF when the page layout has to be exact, when the publication will be printed or kept offline, or when an archive calls for an unchanging document with fixed page numbering. For formal documents that need to be signed or filed, a PDF is often simply easier.

When a responsive web publication makes more sense

Choose a web publication when readers mostly open it on a phone or tablet, when you want to share it with a link, when the content may still change after publishing, or when you want to see which parts get read. Many organisations combine the two: the web publication to read and share, the PDF for archive and print.