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PDF Between the Lines: Specification, De Facto Standards, and the Coming UX Shift
Session description
The PDF specification defines a rich, flexible document format—but in practice, much of what end users encounter is shaped not by the spec itself, but by long-standing implementation decisions from major tools and vendors. These “de facto” standards have created a fragmented landscape where conformance is measured as much by expectation as by technical accuracy. This session will critically examine the divergence between formal specification and real-world user experience, exploring how tool developers navigate the grey areas between the two.
We’ll discuss the implications of this informal standardization: what it means for interoperability, innovation, and user trust. With the rise of AI-driven content consumption and document interaction, the expectations around PDF are poised to shift. Should we expect a revolution in how PDFs are rendered, read, and processed? What would that mean for PDF’s long-standing reputation as a stable, reliable document format? Join us for a deep dive into where the format is headed—and whether it’s time to rethink the boundaries between spec, implementation, and experience.
