Why we only include PDF files in our factsheet index.

The factsheet page is designed to index factsheets that are ready to re-distribute by other activists. There is no way to predict how a webpage will print, so in August 2002, we made the decision to include only PDF files. HTML is the superior for display on a webpage, but PDF is the best for print purposes.

The PDF reader is free, pre-installed on most machines and easily obtained. PDFs can be made in the expensive full Acrobat program or in a variety of shareware or freeware products. Mac OSX can make PDFs from any file automaticaly.

We encourage other organizations to design redistribute-friendly materials to accompany their research and advocacy. An executive summary is a good way to give the main idea of your work. Factsheets are something that you (or your supporters) can redistribute.

With that in mind, we encourage organizations to consider how the page will print and be distributed -- ie. if more than one page, is it an even number of pages? will the factsheet photocopy acceptably in black and white? etc. -- before submitting the link.