Adobe Document Services
Adobe has released an enhanced and rebranded version of it’s Document Cloud SDK, now called Adobe Document Services. The Embed API and Tools API get big improvements and new capabilities in the process. The power Document Services brings to your digital transformation toolbox is nearly endless.
New and Improved PDF
Wow, summer goes by fast. It’s great to enjoy the sunshine, but it’s hard to keep up with all the new technology. Back in July, I wrote about Adobe’s Document Cloud SDK and how it unlocks the power of PDF. Within weeks, Adobe released a rebranded and updated version. The Doc Cloud SDK is now Adobe Document Services.
Adobe Document Services continues to have two main components, client-side PDF viewing services and server-side PDF creation and manipulation services. These are now called the PDF Embed API and the PDF Tools APIs respectively.
In addition to the branding changes, which Adobe made to better clarify their functionality and relationship to the PDF standard, the APIs got a few upgrades.
The PDF Embed API now provides “Lightbox mode”, which displays your PDF over top of the webpage. Lightbox mode is designed for content websites, content portals and email. You try the various view modes for yourself on Adobe’s Embed API demo page. Other improvements include richer functionality for displaying, creating and editing annotations and new preview events giving developers even more control over the user experience.
For me, the PDF Tools API improvements is where it gets really exciting. In addition to PDF creation, OCR, export and combination functions, the Tools API now provides the ability to:
- Compress
- Linearize (for efficient lazy loading)
- Password protect
- Delete, replace, insert, rotate and reorder pages
These capabilities vastly improve developer’s ability to create the powerful document production applications that enterprises crave, simply and easily using Adobe’s cloud services. I can see a path combining these applications with Adobe Sign and Nintex (an Adobe partner) Workflow Cloud and Nintex Document Generation to rapidly transform digital processes. The global pandemic is driving incredible demand for businesses to become agile and efficient in their digital processes, Adobe Document Services provides the tools you need. I can’t wait to see what Adobe puts in our toolboxes next!