How to Use Tagged PDFs in 3 Simple Steps
Using Tagged PDFs: Why and How to Use Them
Accessibility should never be an afterthought. Making the information that you put out into the world easier for all users to consume and understand is beneficial to every company—why would you want to pass up the opportunity to enable your message to reach as many individuals as possible? Beyond the basics of strong communication, accessibility features are essential for other reasons, including complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
When your business creates and shares PDF files publicly or with other businesses, you should consider the advantages of creating an appropriately tagged PDF. With Kofax Power PDF, achieving this goal is straightforward and results in materials that are easier for individuals with disabilities and all other users to access.
What Are Tagged PDFs, and How Can You Make Them?
A tagged PDF is any PDF that makes use of the file format's support to engage a hidden markup system that functions much as HTML does on a web page.
When you set it up correctly and apply it to a document, this markup creates a definitive order for the contents in the PDF. When a user who relies on assistive technology such as a screen reader directs their software to read the PDF, this markup guides the program's reading choices.
This feature is growing in acceptance and adoption. Recently, Google even added a feature to its browser that uses web HTML to create an automatically-tagged PDF for more accessible reading.
Why Should Your Business Focus On Creating Tagged PDFs?
There are three key reasons to invest time and effort into creating tagged PDFs:
- Meet accessibility standards, especially if compliance is a concern. You may need to offer documents in screen readable formats to comply with your industry.
- Make your documents easier to use for users within your own workplace or a public audience.
- Follow best practices to make documents useful and keep them useful. A tagged PDF remains an accessible document even years from now thanks to the standardization of the format.
Creating Tagged PDFs in Power PDF in 3 Steps
With Power PDF, there are multiple ways to create tagged PDFs manually or automatically. Assuming that your document features a standard layout and does not contain watermarked images, it typically takes only three steps to initiate automatic tagging:
- Select the "Tag" tool from the Panel menu on the left side of Power PDF.
- Click "Tag PDF" from the dropdown menu.
- Power PDF automatically tags the document. Review the results in the tag panel to make any changes, then save the document.
If you merge a PDF into a new document, it will usually retain its tags, but you can easily double-check. Within the same menu, users will find a wide variety of options for manual tagging, including tagging annotations and other information. For teams focusing on accessibility, these tools represent a powerful way to make any PDF easier for users with disabilities to enjoy.
Build Better PDFs and Enjoy Other Must-Have Functions
Power PDF makes the tagging function simple to understand and straightforward to use so that any knowledge worker can make quick work of creating accessible documents. It is capable of much more beyond tagging, however: a fully-featured PDF editor that performs rapid file conversions, enables real-time collaboration, and more, Power PDF is a critical tool for saving time.
Take a free 15-day trial of Power PDF, or explore licensing options and request a quote based on your business's needs today. Discover just how easy it is to make accessibility an everyday part of your document workflows.
