More security: PDF document encryption can be accomplished relatively easily and you can basically choose between two different types of encryption, namely using password or certificate security.

An appropriate level of protection is recommended when exchanging particularly sensitive or mission-critical documents. The security offered by conventional transfer methods - such as sending by e-mail or storing on a server - is inadequate for effectively safeguarding your files against unauthorized access. This is why file-level encryption, such as that provided by Adobe Acrobat Pro, is vastly more reliable.

ISO 24517, also called PDF/E, is one of the newest standards governing PDF and was verified in 2007.

This subset of the PDF format (the ISO 24517 standard) was designed especially for technical documents created in engineering and architecture workflows, and supports interactive media including 3D depictions. Its broad scope of application also extends to construction and architectural drawings, which, thanks to PDF/E, can be printed on paper or displayed interactively on the computer. PDF/E documents can be viewed using the free Adobe Reader software.

Following three years of collaboration among industry leaders, the PDF/VT format was published as the ISO 16612-2 standard in August 2010.​

This version of PDF is based on the PDF imaging model and is designed specifically for the requirements of variable (V) and transactional (T) data printing workflows. The stated goal of ISO 16612-2 is to bring the advantages of PDF workflow to the production process involved in variable data printing (VDP). PDF/VT serves as an exchange format for graphically designed content and simplifies the process for businesses, marketers, designers and print professionals.