PDF, EPUB or DOCX — what to send a client
Three formats doing three different jobs, none of which replaces the others. A short guide: what to send, what to read on a device, and what to use when someone has to add something.
The question comes up with every piece of material: send a PDF, add an EPUB, or hand someone a DOCX to edit? The answer depends on one thing — what the recipient is supposed to do with the file.
PDF — when it must look the same for everyone
A PDF records a layout, not text. Margins, line breaks, page numbers and the position of every element are fixed once and for all. It opens in any browser without downloading and comes out of a printer exactly as it looked on screen.
That makes it the default wherever a file goes to someone outside: a lead magnet on a landing page, material sent to a client, notes handed out in a room. If you care how it looks — send a PDF.
The price is rigidity. Enlarging text on a phone means scrolling in both directions, and editing without the right software is effectively impossible.
EPUB — when the reader sets up their own reading
An EPUB has no fixed pages. The text reflows to the screen and the reader chooses the typeface and size. On a reading device or a phone it is the only format that can be read without fatigue — which is why ebook stores require it.
If the material is going to be sold or read on the move, EPUB is added to the PDF, not substituted for it.
DOCX — when someone has to change something
DOCX is a working format. It opens in Word, accepts changes and lets you add a chapter, drop in a logo or change the typeface. There is no typesetting in it — there are paragraph styles, meaning information about what is a heading and what is a callout.
That is the right choice when the material is a basis for further work: a company adding its own procedures, a trainer adding the agenda for a specific date, a law firm adding disclaimers.
The one thing that regularly looks like a bug
The DOCX page count almost never matches the PDF. Word sets text differently: a different typeface, different margins and its own line-breaking. The same text occupies a different number of pages, and that is correct behaviour for both formats.
What should match is the content — chapters, order, tables and lists. Pagination is a property of typesetting, and the typesetting is in the PDF.
Quick reference
| Situation | Format |
|---|---|
| Lead magnet on a page | |
| Material to print and hand out | |
| Product for sale | PDF + EPUB |
| Reading on a device | EPUB |
| Basis for your own changes | DOCX |
| Attachment to a proposal |
If you have to send one file and cannot decide — send the PDF. The other two solve situations you either already recognise or do not have.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the DOCX page count different from the PDF?
Because Word reflows text with its own engine, a different typeface and different margins. The content matches; the pagination does not — that is normal behaviour, not a defect.
Does EPUB work on Kindle?
Yes. Amazon accepts EPUB through Send to Kindle and converts it on their side. MOBI has been retired and is no longer worth producing.
Which format should I send if I can only send one?
PDF. It opens everywhere, looks the same for everyone and prints properly. The other two solve special cases.