The Format of Things to Come

PostScript has evolved during the past decade, and other file formats for exchanging digital data have emerged. But the clear front-runner to become a universal standard is Adobe's portable document format (PDF). Neutral to every common computer platform, PDF is an extremely flexible file format that can contain fonts, searchable text, resolution-independent vector graphics (line art), and raster and bitmap images (photos, blends, etc.). PDF files are web-friendly and can be embedded with multi-media elements such as sounds, movies, and web links. They are more pervasive than any data format to date.