It sounds so old school and it probably is. Tags are one of the most ancient things that were created since HTML was born but it is also the most taken for granted feature of a document uploaded online. If we are dealing with PDF, we think that tags have nothing to do with but in actual reality, they can aid the disabled, can help organize, and can also optimize the document for online visibility. Let’s elaborate.
PDF is a digital format of a printed document that contains a lot of data and media that would reflect what the author may want to portray. But along these lines and in between, a computer can’t read content or assume any. Adding tags can help read those in-between lines that only humans can assume and conclude. In a summary, it can do two things – it organizes the content and can help accessibility software to read it as it should be read. Tags can show the correct order and structure of a document to a computer using the label method to clarify the position of every word and show the reading order. Additionally, adding tags will also show which line is the heading, paragraph, tables, and line items. Of course, as a result of a well-structured and labeled document, a PDF will become optimized and easier to be indexed online.
Defining tags and what it does
Tags by definition is a keyword used to a data or information. It is metadata that helps information be found online with the description indicated. If tags were to be defined with PDF documents, it is therefore the description of the file’s content. It helps people access the file and aids assistive technologies to recognize and process what’s inside. PDF tags are created to “label” what kind of content is available therefore creating a structure that helps assistive technologies like screen readers, to identify the order of reading. For other purposes, images with tags help these techs provide descriptions and can help the disabled understand what the additional object in the document is.
What are the limitations?
Adding tags doesn’t automatically mean it’s perfect and really ready for assistive tech. Tags can only make a guess of what the author really means in terms of structure and reading order. If the author chooses to create a complex and graphic-filled layout, then the tags can only do so much. Simpler documents can survive with tags more than appealing ones.
Are tags required?
Tags aren’t really required for all but if you are a business that wants to extend their hand to the disabled or an organization that needs to keep up with the 508 compliance, then adding tags is definitely required. 508 Compliance is a term used for the law implemented regarding documents/websites being safe and accessible especially to those with disabilities.
How to add tags?
Adding tags can be done with the use of Adobe Acrobat. Just follow the instructions below and you are on your way.
Step one: Open the PDF document using Adobe Acrobat
Step two: Click tools then select accessibility. Then click add tags to the document.
Step three: Once you’ve added the tags, click file then save.
