PDF VS DNG
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Portable Document Format and Digital Negative.
Standard for document exchange, preserving layout.
Pros
- Universal layout preservation
- Security features
- Vector text
Cons
- Difficult to edit
- Not responsive for mobile
DNG
dngOpen RAW photography format that preserves sensor data for non-destructive editing.
Pros
- Lossless archiving
- Rich metadata
- Broad camera compatibility
Cons
- Large files
- Requires post-processing
- Previewing can be slow
When PDF wins
Stay with PDF when you need contracts or manuals. Its strengths center on universal layout preservation and a feature set native to Adobe.
When DNG wins
Choose DNG when your workflow prioritizes photography archives or lightroom workflows. It delivers lossless archiving plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | DNG | |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | application/pdf | image/x-adobe-dng |
| Developer | Adobe | Adobe |
| Release Year | 1993 | 2004 |
| Best For | Contracts, Manuals, Forms, Printing | Photography archives, Lightroom workflows, Long-term storage |
Need to switch?
Where PDF still wins
Keep PDF when you need universal layout preservation and workflows depend on contracts / manuals. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship DNG deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .pdf glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use DNG for photography archives while archiving originals as PDF.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.