Embed PDFs into Your Content
One in every of my pet hates about WordPress is it doesn’t will let you embed PDF information into your posts and pages. Certain, you may add hyperlinks to them, however you can not bodily insert and show the doc the place you need it. Fortunately, a variety of WordPress PDF plugins has advanced to beat this deficiency within the platform, and it’s these I will probably be taking a look at at the moment.
In the event you’re not aware of PDF paperwork, earlier than studying on, I recommend you first learn the article “Everything you need to know about the PDF” written by Adobe, the creators of the format.
What Is a WordPress PDF Plugin?
As you most likely know, WordPress is a extremely versatile platform that initially advanced primarily for running a blog. It has since metamorphosed into one thing rather more, and these days, it’s extremely customizable due to the sheer variety of plugins which have grown up round it
These plugins exist as a result of the platform in its fundamental type has a number of limitations. Truly, ‘limitations’ most likely isn’t the fitting phrase as a result of WordPress is now used for such a large vary of purposes that it might by no means be a ‘one dimension suits all’ answer needing no plugins in any respect.
Within the context of this text, two issues that the core WordPress platform lacks are:
- the flexibility to embed and show PDF information in posts and pages, and
- the flexibility to create PDF paperwork from content material.
Fortunately, there are many WordPress PDF plugins to assist overcome one or each these deficiencies.
When Do You Want a WordPress PDF Plugin?
There are lots of cases when chances are you’ll need to embed PDF paperwork into your posts and pages.
For instance, enterprise web sites are most likely the prime instance, the place there’s typically a have to show PDF experiences or articles.
One other instance is a musician who could need to show PDFs of their music scores in articles.
Until you utilize an appropriate PDF plugin, WordPress, because it stands, will solely add a hyperlink to the doc quite than show it. That’s inconvenient for the person and appears messy.
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On the flip facet, there are occasions when creating or modifying as a substitute of simply displaying PDF information is fascinating.
For instance, you probably have an eCommerce retailer, the flexibility to generate print-friendly PDF invoices and packing notes will be an absolute time-saver.
Alternatively, chances are you’ll be a blogger that wishes to permit folks a handy approach of downloading your articles (or parts thereof) in a format that can’t simply be plagiarized, and guarded PDFs are a good way of doing that.
My Recommended WordPress PDF Plugins
Many plugins can be found to embed PDFs into your WordPress web site posts and pages, create them out of your content material, or each.
The next are my options for WordPress PDF plugins that you should utilize so as to add good PDF performance to your web site shortly, simply, and (in lots of circumstances) free of charge.
PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg
PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg is a straightforward, light-weight plugin that provides a brand new PDF viewer block to the embeds menu of the Gutenberg editor. That makes inserting PDFs into your content material an absolute breeze.
By default, the PDF viewer is preset to your complete width of your content material. Nonetheless, it’s attainable to configure the peak and width to your preferences. Moreover, the plugin is responsive, so embeds show optimally whatever the display they’re being considered on.
Professionals
- A straightforward approach of including a fundamental, however neat PDF viewer to your content material
- Configurable sizing and alignment
Cons
- It makes use of JavaScript, so if guests have that disabled, a obtain hyperlink will probably be displayed as a substitute
Value
- PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg is completely free.
Get PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg
PDF.js Viewer
Like PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg, PDF.js Viewer is one other free plugin that makes use of JavaScript to embed PDFs into content material. Nonetheless, this plugin does boast some extra options, most notably the choice to embed PDFs utilizing shortcode or by way of a Gutenberg block.
Different options of this plugin embrace a theme that adapts to darkish and lightweight mode (however provided that the browser helps dynamic CSS), customizable buttons, PDF zoom, search, password safety, and extra.
Professionals
- Good characteristic set for a freebie
Cons
- Like PDF Viewer Block, the plugin makes use of Javascript, so if that has been disabled, the embeds received’t show
Value
- PDF.js Viewer is a free plugin.
EmbeddPress
EmbedPress is an easy-to-use freemium WordPress PDF plug for including and displaying PDF information in your web site. Paperwork will be uploaded straight into your media library and positioned wherever you want them in your content material.
EmbedPress is just not restricted solely to PDFs – it may well additionally embed a variety of different media varieties similar to movies, sound clips, and paperwork from numerous sources, together with YouTube, Vimeo, Google Docs, Google Maps, and plenty of extra.
Professionals
- The free model has the performance you want for embedding PDFs and different doc varieties. Professional provides options principally associated to video content material
- Gutenberg appropriate with 14 blocks included
- Professional has a 14-day moneyback assure
Cons
- Slightly excessive for those who solely want it for PDFs, significantly the Professional model
Value
- The core EmbedPress plugin is free. Professional at the moment prices $39 for a single web site or $79 for limitless domains.
WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips
There are not any prizes for guessing what WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips does! Yup, this WordPress PDF plugin extends the performance of your WooCommerce retailer to create e-mail or print-ready PDF invoices and packing slips.
With this plugin, you may robotically add invoices to emails of your selecting, plus there are many customization potentialities for the whole lot. What’s extra, eighteen languages are at the moment supported.
Upgrading to the Skilled model provides credit score observe and proforma bill choices, plus extra customizations and the flexibility to save lots of the whole lot in Dropbox.
Professionals
- The free model is nice for creating easy invoices and packing slips
- Detailed documentation
- Proactive assist
Cons
Value
- The core WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips plugin is free. The Skilled improve prices €59 for a single web site license, €119 for 3, and €249 for as much as twenty-five. Observe these costs are in Euros, not US {Dollars}.
Get WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips
PDF & Print by BestWebSoft
PDF & Print by BestWebSoft lets you embed buttons in your pages, posts, and widgets that allow customers to create, print, and save PDFs of your content material. Customers love this as a result of printing from webpages utilizing the browser print perform is never supreme because it contains numerous additional ‘junk’ on the pages.
The free model of PDF & Print by BestWebSoft contains wonderful performance. With it, look forward to finding issues like button customization and placement choices, person function restrictions (nice for those who solely need to permit registered customers to create PDFs), plus fundamental customization choices for the precise PDFs.
The Professional model provides tons extra customization potentialities. Nonetheless, one characteristic I actually like about Professional is it allows you to add your personal watermark to PDFs, thereby serving to safeguard your content material’s copyright.
Professionals
- The free model is a superb place to begin for giving your customers the choice to create and print PDFs out of your content material
- Documentation contains video tutorials
- Professional comes with a 30-day moneyback assure
Cons
- You could have to experiment slightly with the settings to get the PDFs wanting precisely the way you need them
- Per area pricing of Professional will get costly you probably have a number of websites
Value
- PDF & Print by BestWebSoft is offered free of charge within the WordPress plugin listing. Nonetheless, do you have to want to improve to the Professional model, that at the moment prices $43 per yr or $310 for a lifetime subscription. All costs are per area.
Get PDF & Print by BestWebSoft
DearFlip 3D Flipbook
I really like the DearFlip 3D Flipbook plugin because it lets you add flipbooks to your WordPress posts. These are nice for creating books, magazines, and newsletter-type posts the place customers can ‘flip’ the pages on the display quite than simply scrolling by way of them. Such a characteristic provides a stage of interactivity and visible impression that’s rather more participating than common ‘flat’ PDFs.
Creating flipbooks with the plugin may be very straightforward – simply add the PDF into the plugin’s admin panel, paste the auto-generated shortcode the place you need the flipbook to seem, and also you’re completed.
The free model contains some nice options, similar to a content material desk generator for the PDFs, thumbnail previews, and extra. Moreover, the Professional model provides extra customization potentialities, zoom controls, paper stiffness, and so on.
Professionals
- The free model provides good performance out of the field
- PDF flipbooks are extra interactive and visually interesting, which helps drive person engagement
- Very straightforward to make use of
- Proactive assist from the developer
- Professional model has a 30-day moneyback assure
Cons
Value
- DearFlip 3D Flipbook is a freemium plugin with free and paid (Professional) choices. The Professional model for one area prices $39 per yr or $119 lifetime. Moreover, annual and lifelong plans are additionally accessible for 5 or thirty websites.
3D Flipbook
3D Flipbook is one other nice freemium plugin for including flipbook PDF viewers to your WordPress web site.
The characteristic record of the free model of 3D Flipbook is in depth, together with issues like PDF search, shortcode generator, auto decision/scale/alignment, PDF bookmarks, cellular responsive, CSS layers, and rather more.
The Professional improve contains readymade templates, extra settings, premium assist, toolbar button administration, plus entry to the supply code for builders.
Professionals
- The free model is full-featured
- Loads of documentation, together with a YouTube channel with tutorials
- Wonderful developer assist with the Professional model (free model solely covers help with reported bugs and points)
- Professional model has a 30-day moneyback assure
Cons
Value
- The core model of 3D Flipbook is free. The Professional improve prices $39 per yr or $199 lifetime.
E2PdF
E2PdF is a WordPress PDF plugin for creating, modifying, and displaying each static and dynamic PDF paperwork. It integrates with well-liked type plugins similar to Gravity Forms, Divi Contact Varieties, Caldera Forms, and so on.
E2PdF’s integral editor lets you create and edit kinds, plus it’s attainable to merge net kinds with signatures and pictures into PDFs. Moreover, PDFs will be hooked up to emails, and they are often despatched with Net Type Knowledge.
Professionals
- Good documentation
- Video tutorials on YouTube
- Works with hottest type plugins
Cons
- The free model restricted to only one template and one web page
- Premium variations are priced on a per-template foundation however embrace limitless pages
Value
- The core model of E2PdF is free, however as already talked about, it limits you to 1 template and one web page.
- All paid plans embrace limitless pages, however the quantity you pay will depend on the variety of templates you want. For instance, the most affordable plan prices $20 per web site per yr and contains only one template, whereas the costliest prices $199 per web site per yr for 99,999 templates.
What’s Your Favourite WordPress PDF Plugin?
Hopefully, this text has proven you ways useful embedding PDFs into your web site will be, as is the choice for producing and printing them from content material. Each might help enhance person expertise, and each are simply achievable with WordPress PDF plugins.
Have you ever used any plugins in your WordPress web site to embed or generate PDFs? In that case, is it one I steered on this article? In that case, which, and what do you want and dislike about it? Are there every other PDF plugins that you simply significantly like?
As ever, I’d like to learn your suggestions on what you might be doing along with your web site and your future plans.
