How do I work with PDF files?

PDF files are the most common digital representation of a paper document.   They preserve the layout of the page and are viewable on any computer.

On Windows or Mac, the easiest way to create a PDF file is to print and select PDF (as opposed to a physical printer).     This will create a file that may be uploaded to LivesArchived.

In general, PDFs may be edited but not easily like a Word document.   Minor changes like annotations or adding pages is possible without specialized software.

Sometime PDF files can get large.   There is a free service (not affiliated with LivesArchived) at smallpdf.com/compress-pdf that allows you to upload your PDF and provide back a version that is smaller without loss of content.