Creating PDFs
Filenaming conventions for PDF files
Your PDF file can be read by a number of different computer platforms (e.g. Windows, Macintosh, Linux, etc.) so it is important that the filename is readable by all of these operating systems.
The following basic principles also apply to other file formats (e.g. html).
A guide to naming PDF files
- Only use lowercase alpha (a-z) characters and numerals (0-9)
- Don’t use spaces or other characters (excluding en dashes).
- If you need to separate words in a filename, use a hyphen (e.g. annual-report.pdf).
- Filenames should be a maximum of 31 characters, including the extension (e.g. 27 characters, followed by a period then pdf).
Some examples
- pasture-guidelines-2002.pdf, not pasture guidelines February 2003.pdf
- safety-health.pdf, not SAFETYHEALTH.PDF
- planning-guidelines.pdf, not planning_guidelines.PDF
Use descriptive file names
A descriptive, meaningful filename can increase the usability of a PDF.
When naming your PDF file, remember that you won't be the only person using it and that the context of the file usage may change. It may not be available always from a descriptive link on a web page—a user may download the file to their desktop.
Some examples
- Instead of part01.pdf, use annual-report2003-pt1.pdf
- Instead of newsletter.pdf, use burdekin-news-feb2003.pdf