Supported Formats and Compatibility
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      Best Practices for Different File Types

      Optimize file formats and device performance for smoother presentations in TrialPad.

      Different Apple devices offer varying levels of performance based on their hardware. The processor and memory (RAM) have the greatest impact on how efficiently an app performs. Newer devices generally deliver better results thanks to faster processors and more available memory.

      Our apps are tested against large and complex files, and optimized to use the latest hardware efficiently. Still, following the file recommendations below will help you get the best performance from your device.

      Document and Text Files

      PDF Documents

      PDFs can contain a mix of text, images, and vector content. File size in MB isn’t always an accurate indicator of performance—compressed high-resolution images, for instance, can use the same amount of memory as uncompressed ones.

      Best Practices for PDF Documents:

      • Scan documents between 150 dpi and 300 dpi. Scanning higher than 300 dpi increases memory use without improving clarity.

      • Resample PDFs over 300 dpi before importing. Use Adobe Acrobat Preflight for best results.

      • Use original PDFs whenever possible. Scanned or flattened copies are larger, require more memory, and display less clearly when zoomed.

      Optimize in Preview for compatibility and speed:

      1. Control-click the file and choose Open With > Preview.

      2. Choose File > Export… (not “Export as PDF…”).

      3. Set Format: PDF and Quartz Filter: None.

      4. Select Create Linearized PDF.

      5. Save with a new name.

      You can perform similar optimization in Adobe Acrobat and even apply it to multiple files at once.

      Text Files

      Text (.TXT) files are lightweight and fast to process. No special optimization is needed.

       

       

      Images

      TIFF Images

      TIFFs can be single- or multi-page scans.

      Best Practices for TIFF Images:

      • Follow the same resolution guidelines as PDFs and keep scans at 300 dpi or lower.
      • Resize TIFFs. In the Mac Preview app, select pages in the thumbnail pane, then choose Tools > Adjust Size.

      Photographs

      Digital and smartphone cameras create very large images. For stable performance, TrialPad automatically scales large images during import to a maximum of 4096 × 4096 pixels.

      Best Practices for Photographs:

      • Match image resolution to your display. For example, scale images to about 1920 × 1080 for 1080p displays.

      • Crop excess areas. Remove blank or irrelevant sections to reduce processing load and focus attention on key content.

      • Import cropped versions for high-detail zooming. This preserves resolution while reducing overall storage requirements.

      ZIP Files

      You can import ZIP archives into TrialPad, preserving file and folder structure for easier organization.

      Best Practices for ZIP Files:

      • Keep ZIP files under 1 GB. Split larger sets into multiple ZIPs or import media separately.

      • Don’t nest ZIP files within other ZIPs.

      • Include only supported file types. Unsupported files slow import and take up unnecessary space.

      • Ensure enough free storage for both the ZIP and its extracted contents—typically more than twice the ZIP’s size.

      Audio and Video Files

      Video Files

      Improving your video files can keep playback smooth and reduce storage needs.

      Best Practices for Video Files:

      • Clip videos before importing.

      • Remove unused video from your cases to free up storage space.

      Audio Files

      TrialPad supports any audio formats compatible with iPadOS.

      Best Practices for Audio Files:

      • Import only what’s needed for your presentation to save space.

      For more information on using audio and video files, please review Ensuring Video and Audio Compatibility in our Help Center.