Soft Copy Vs Hard Copy
Introduction:
In cooperate world, we deal with documents on the regular basis. Previously, only hard copies of documents were used. It was hard to maintain the record of the document. Sometimes, documents got lost. There were separate people in the offices just to maintain and sort documents. When it comes to finding hard copies of a document, it would take hours to find it if not kept properly.
With the advancement in the world, everything is getting digitalized. The same is the case with the documents and assignments of the students. Now, we can keep all our important documents with us on our laptops and mobile phones. In this way, one can keep the important document safe and private. Sharing of the document has also become easy.
Softcopy is the digital version of hardcopy. In this article, we will be seeing softcopy vs hardcopy. We will find out that whether there is any difference in the format, design, and style of softcopy and hardcopy or not.
What is softcopy?
A softcopy is a digital form of document. In other words, we can say that it is a document that we can see and read but cannot touch physically. A softcopy of a document can be created using a computer with the help of tools that allow you to type. This type of document is only accessible on the computer system. It is kept safe in the computer memory or additional memories such as hard drives and USBs.
One can create multiple copies of a document in few seconds. The space consumed by a document is near to nothing. For sharing a document, one can use the internet, transferring cable, or simply a USB. It is a cheap and time-saving service. It is a way of fast and reliable communication.
One has to name the document and the computer will save it in the desired location. The name is necessary as it will be used to find the document later on. It is a common practice to create a folder and put all the documents in it. If any alteration is required one can edit the document at any time. It is wise to create the backup of a document, in this way one can prevent the destruction of the original document.
What is hardcopy?
A hard copy of a document is the one that can be seen with eyes and also touched. A hard copy is nothing but a written, typed, and composed document on paper. Anciently, a hard copy of a document was created with the help of plain paper and pen or pencil.
It was a way to secure information but it was not reliable. Anyone was able to alter the information. Other than this, a document on paper could be lost or torn apart. Not only this, a paper is fragile that is why after few years the writing on a paper could fade away or the paper could become sensitive to touch.
A hard copy is highly demanded in offices as it requires stamps and signatures on it. This increases the credibility of the hardcopy. On the flip side, a hardcopy consumes a large space. In offices, there is a special separate room where all the hard copies of a document are stored.
A hardcopy can be converted into a softcopy with the help of a scanner. If one needs to send a hard copy to some other location then it might take a lot of time depending upon the destination. Courier service is commonly used to send hard copies to different locations.
Difference between Softcopy Vs Hardcopy:
There is a huge difference between a softcopy and a hardcopy of document. Following is the detail of this difference.
|
Parameters of distinction |
Softcopy |
Hardcopy |
|
Definition |
It is a digital/virtual form of document that can be seen and shared but not touched. |
It is a physical form of document that can be seen, touched, and shared with anyone. |
|
Protection |
It is kept safe in a computer in a virtual folder. |
It is kept safe in a file, in a separate room of records. |
|
Portability |
It is easily transferred using an internet connection or USB drive. |
It is shared with the help of a photocopy machine or by hand. |
|
Space |
It does not consume much space. |
It consumes more space. |
|
Quality |
The quality of a softcopy is usually very fine. |
The quality of the document depends upon the quality of the paper, pen, and ink in the case of a typewriter. |
|
Environment-friendly |
It does not harm nature. |
It is made up of paper that is composed of trees. Therefore, it is not environment-friendly. |
Conclusion:
In this article, we have learned the difference between softcopy vs hardcopy. Other than this, we have stated some of the facts about both terms. After reading this article, it would be very easy for the readers to understand the difference between both forms of documents. It would also help readers to choose the right medium for their documents.
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