Why animated PDFs are no longer up to date

What appears modern at first glance turns out to be a digital dead end

In the following, we look at why animated PDFs are becoming less and less convincing in the digital age - and what better alternatives are available today.

The weaknesses of animated PDFs

PDFs have a fixed page layout. This means that they do not automatically adapt to different screen sizes or orientations. On a smartphone or tablet, the layout quickly appears cluttered or illegible.

At a time when over 50 % of all content is consumed on the move, this is a massive problem.

Limited interactivity

It is possible to use certain animations or embedded videos in PDFs, but:

• Not all PDF viewers support them equally well.
• A lot of content (e.g. animated graphics, forms or interactive navigation) only works to a limited extent or not at all.
• User guidance is inflexible.

This makes PDFs an unreliable medium for modern content experiences.

No or poor analytics

Anyone who publishes content on the web wants to know

• Who reads what?
• How long do users stay on a page?
• Which content performs well?

These insights are not available for PDFs. You may know that a PDF was downloaded - but not how it was read. PDFs are therefore unsuitable for data-driven marketing or content optimization.

Outdated format for new requirements

PDFs were developed in the 1990s for print - not for the web. They fulfill their original purpose well, but are simply not made for dynamic, interactive content experiences.

They are rigid, inflexible and difficult to update - especially when compared to modern web technologies.

The better solution: Interactive web content

Instead of packaging content in PDFs, more and more companies are turning to interactive, web-based formats - such as those offered by Novamag. These offer a number of advantages:

Responsive design - for all end devices

Whether smartphone, tablet or desktop: Content automatically adapts to the respective device, ensuring a consistent, user-friendly experience.

True interactivity

With modern web tools, you can easily

• Animations
• Scroll effects
• Video backgrounds
• Clickable elements
• Embedded forms

without compromising on compatibility.

Detailed user analyses

Web formats make it possible to see exactly how content is used. You find out:

• Which pages were viewed and for how long,
• When users leave,
• What content they are most interested in.

This helps enormously with the optimization of marketing and communication.

Easy updating & distribution

A major advantage: content does not have to be sent as a file. It is available online - anytime and anywhere. And if something changes, the page is simply updated - no new PDF required.

🚀 Conclusion: Animated PDFs were only an intermediate step

PDFs have their raison d'être - but if you want to create animated, appealing and interactive content, the web is the right place for it.

Modern tools such as Novamag help you to prepare your content in a professional, mobile-optimized and interactive way - without the limitations of a PDF document.