PDFs are brilliant at some things and awkward at others. If you're about to start a document, it's worth knowing which jobs are a poor fit — so you don't end up wrestling the format later.
Live collaboration
PDFs are designed to be finished, not co-edited. Two people typing into the same PDF at once isn't really a thing. For that, pick Google Docs, Notion or Word with track changes, then export the final version to PDF when you're done. It saves a lot of friction.
Heavy text edits
You can edit a PDF in Flint, and for small tweaks it's perfect. But if you need to restructure a whole document — rewrite paragraphs, change the layout — you'll move faster by converting PDF to Word, editing there, then exporting back. The PDF format simply wasn't built for major rewrites.
Reading on tiny screens
PDFs hold their page shape, which is great on a laptop and frustrating on a phone. Text doesn't reflow to fit. For long-form reading on mobile, ePub or web articles work better. PDFs win when layout matters more than convenience — receipts, contracts, forms — and lose when reading comfort does.
FAQ
Can I co-edit a PDF in real time?
Not in the way you can with Google Docs. Some tools let multiple people comment or annotate, but live text editing together is rare and clunky. Draft elsewhere, finalise as PDF.
Why does my PDF look tiny on my phone?
Because the page is fixed in size — your phone shrinks it to fit. Pinch to zoom, or for long reads, ask the sender for a Word or ePub version instead.
Should I write a blog post as a PDF?
No. Blogs need to reflow, link out, and load fast. Use a proper web page. PDFs are for documents people will keep, sign or print — not for the open web.
Pick the right tool for the job. When you do need PDF power, Flint handles editing, signing and conversion in one place.