Best File Formats for Documents: PDF, DOCX, JPG, PNG and More

You have a document and someone needs to read it, edit it, print it or file it. Which format should you send? The wrong choice leads to broken layouts, files that will not open, or a document that someone else can accidentally change. This guide compares the common formats and gives clear recommendations for each situation.

PDF: the default for finished documents

PDF (Portable Document Format) stores the exact layout of a page, including fonts, images and positions, so it looks the same on every device and prints the same everywhere. It is the standard for CVs, invoices, contracts, reports, forms and anything you want to stay as written.

Strengths: consistent appearance, small and predictable size, support for passwords and signatures, universal viewers. Weaknesses: editing is awkward without special software, and text may be hard to extract from scanned PDFs.

Use it when the reader should read or print, not edit. Create one from a Word file with Word to PDF.

DOCX: for documents people will edit

A Word document (DOCX) stores structured content that flows to fit whichever program opens it. It suits drafts, collaboration and anything with tracked changes or comments. Fonts, margins and spacing can shift between programs or versions, and recipients may see a layout different from yours.

Send DOCX when you expect changes. If you need the recipient to see exactly what you designed, send PDF. If you receive a PDF that must be edited, PDF to Word recovers the text, and for scans you will need OCR first.

Images: JPG and PNG

A photo of a document is a picture, not text. JPG suits photographs and scans, and PNG suits screenshots, diagrams and sharp text. Neither is searchable, and multi-page documents are awkward as separate images. For a set of photos or scans, combine them into one file with JPG to PDF. For more on the two image formats, see JPG vs PNG vs WebP.

Plain text and Markdown

Plain text (TXT) has no formatting and opens anywhere, which makes it ideal for notes, code, logs and content that will be pasted somewhere else. Markdown adds light formatting using simple symbols, and is popular for documentation and blogs. Neither suits documents with images and layout.

Spreadsheets and presentations

Keep working files in their native format (XLSX, PPTX) so formulas and animations survive. Send a PDF when the recipient only needs to see the result. Very large spreadsheets exported to PDF can produce hundreds of pages, so set a print area first.

Archiving: PDF/A

For long-term storage, PDF/A is an ISO-standardised version of PDF that embeds everything needed to display the document in the future and forbids features that could stop working, such as external links to fonts. Public bodies, courts and libraries often require it. If you only need to keep a personal copy, a normal PDF stored with a clear name and date is usually fine.

Choosing by situation

• Job application or CV: PDF, unless the employer asks for DOCX, or an online form parses your text (a text-based PDF works well).
• Contract for signature: PDF, protected if it contains personal information.
• Draft for review: DOCX or a shared online document.
• Form with fill-in fields: PDF form.
• Scanned paperwork: PDF built from the pages, compressed to fit limits.
• Screenshot or diagram: PNG, or PDF if it is several pages.
• Content to paste into a website: plain text or Markdown.

Keep it small and safe

A few habits make any document easier to share. Compress large PDFs with Compress PDF when a limit applies, and see reduce PDF file size without losing quality for the details. Combine related files with Merge PDF so the recipient has one attachment. Protect confidential files with a password using PDF Password Protector, and send the password separately.

Accessibility

Documents that will be read by many people, or by law must be accessible, should use real headings, alt text on images and a logical reading order. A properly tagged PDF exported from a well-structured Word document is readable by screen readers, whereas a scanned PDF with no text is not. Add text with OCR if you have to publish a scan.