What is a Soft copy and a Hard copy | Differences between Soft copy and Hard copy

In this article I have explained what is a soft copy and a hard copy | the differences between soft copy and hard copy and what are the examples of soft copy and hard copy to make your concept clear about them.

What is a soft copy

• The information or output displayed on the Monitor or VDU( Visual Display Unit) in a computer is called a soft copy.
• It is an electronic version of a document or we can call it a digital document which is available only in electronic devices in non-printed form.
• It is stored, read, edited in electronic devices such as computer or mobile .
• The soft copy is temporary as it can be edited, deleted.
• A soft copy can be a text, an image, an audio or a video file which is stored in the storage device.
• A soft copy is said to be a virtual copy that is why it occupies a memory space but it does not occupy physical space

Examples of soft copy

Examples of soft copy are

• Ebook
• Enewspaper
• PDF file
• any digital file
• Enotes
• Scanned file in the form of text or image

Following is the image of a soft copy

What is a hard copy

• The soft copy of a file when printed on paper is called hard copy.
• Hard copy is the physical copy or printed document which we can touch and feel.
• Hard copy is permanent.
• Hard copy can be in the form of text or image but can not be audio or video.
• Hard copy is said to be a physical copy as it exists physically and that is why it occupies a physical space.
• Hard copy is not convenient in the case of its portability. It is not easily portable

Examples of hard copy

Examples of hard copy are

• printed book
• printed newspaper
• printed notes
• hand written notes etc.

Following is the image of hard copy

Differences between soft copy and hard copy

Following are the differences between a hard copy and a soft copy

Sl. No.	Soft copy	Hard copy
1	The information that is displayed or shown in computer screen is called soft copy.	whereas the same information when printed on paper is called hard copy.
2	A Soft copy is a digital copy of a document which resides in an electronic device.	whereas hard copy is a physical copy which exists in real that we can touch and feel.
3	A Soft copy is temporary as it can be edited, modified without getting noticed by user.	but hard copy is permanent as it cannot be edited, modified without getting noticed by user. It will be clearly visible to the user unlike soft copy.
4	A Soft copy is much more convenient in the case of portability. It is easily portable.	but a hard copy is not so convenient to carry to other places because of its weight.
5	A soft copy can be in the form of text, image, audio and video.	whereas hard copy can only be in the form of text and image.
6	A soft does not occupy physical space as it resides in electronic device. It occupies only memory space in electronic device.	whereas hard copy occupies physical space as it exists physically with us.
7	A Soft copy does not have a physical weight.	whereas a hard copy has a physical weight as it exists physically in real.
8	A soft copy can only be created with the help of an electronic medium in electronic devices.	but to create a hard copy we don’t need any electronic medium. It can be created manually with pen, pencil, paper etc.
9	If any hardware failure occurs, we may lose the soft copy. So it is dependent on hardware’s working condition.	but it is not the case with a hard copy. It is not dependent on any hardware. we don’t lose a hard copy if we keep it carefully in a safe place.
10	A soft copy is not so reliable as it is dependent on electricity, hardware’s working condition etc.	But a hard copy is much more reliable than a soft copy as it exists physically.

The image given below shows a soft copy in a tablet and a hard copy on a table.

How to convert hard copy into soft copy

Below given are the steps to convert hard copy into soft copy

1. First scan the hard copy and save it in PDF format.
2. upload the PDF file in Google Drive
3. Right click on the PDF file in Google Drive . A menu will appear.
4. Click on ‘Open with’ option and then click on ‘Google Docs’ sub option
5. You will see the original file in first page
6. Scroll down
7. you will see soft copy of it generated in second page
8. Now you can copy it and paste it anywhere to make a file in any format you wish.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is PDF a soft copy ?

Ans. Yes, PDF is a soft copy.

What is considered a soft copy ?

Ans. The output or result displayed on the computer screen is considered as a soft copy.

we can say that the information stored in electronic form in electronic device is called a soft copy.

Is hard copy a handwritten ?

Ans. Hard copy can be a hand written document or a printed document . Both are considered as hard copy.

Is CD a soft copy ?

Ans.CD is a secondary storage device . The contents stored inside a CD is considered as soft copy.

Is PDF a hard copy ?

Ans. No, PDF is not a hard copy.

What converts hard copy into soft copy ?

Ans. A scanner converts hard copy into soft copy in computer.

Which device converts hard copy into soft copy ?

Ans. Scanner

Conclusion

Friends, I hope after reading the entire article, your concept on what is a soft copy and a hard copy and what are the differences between the two are clear.

If you have any doubt or question regarding this please let me know in the comment section or you can email me at [email protected].

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