>>We are currently investigating distributing our data on CD's for our customers and need to
>>convert all our images/documents to a common format.
>>
>>If you have experienced this before, what common format type would you choose to
>>base all of our data on. e.g. TIF, JPG, PDF, .... Can you give a reason.
>>
>>Thanks in advance
>
>
>I would definately go with the PDF. Not only is it the easiest and most flexible thing I've found for "soft copy output", but in my dealings with the Navy (mostly budget office), its become their standard for distribution.
>
>Valerie

PDF has been investigated and have found that it is very proprietary. We have thousands of TIFF Group 4 images that would
need to be converted to PDF and found that there are not batch type converters to PDF from TIFF. Even adobe acrobat
requires you to call each files up and convert manually. The reason I think that no third party has provided a batch type
converter is that PDF format is owned and controlled by ADOBE and that royalties would have to be paid to them for PDF
converters in any product. So for general image type formats it is better to stay with formats governed by standards bodies and
not owned by any one company (TIFF JPG etc.)