Also known as PDF (Adobe), PDF format, PDF Format, PDF (file format), Adobe Portable Document Format, Portable Document Format, Adobe PDF
Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1993 used to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Based on the PostScript language, each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout document, including the text, fonts, vector graphics, raster images and other information needed to display it.
AI overview
PDF is a file format created by Adobe that lets you share documents with text, images, and formatting that look the same no matter what computer, software, or device someone uses to open them. It matters because it reliably preserves the exact appearance and layout of a document across different platforms, making it ideal for sharing information that needs to look consistent for everyone.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- File format.name
- Portable Document Format
- File format.icon
- PDF_file_icon.svg
- File format.icon_size
- 121px
- File format.iconcaption
- Adobe PDF icon
- File format.extension
- File format._noextcode
- no
- File format._nomimecode
- true
- File format.uniform type
- com.adobe.pdf
- File format.magic
- File format.owner
- Adobe Inc. (1991–2008) ISO (2008–)
- File format.latest release version
- 2.0
- File format.extended to
- PDF/A, PDF/E, PDF/UA, PDF/VT, PDF/X
Article
34 sectionsContents
- History
- Technical details
- PostScript language
- File format
- Imaging model
- Vector graphics
- Raster images
- Text
- Transparency
- Additional features
- Logical structure and accessibility<span class="anchor" id="Tagged PDF"></span>
- Optional Content Groups (layers)
- Encryption and signatures
- File attachments
- Metadata
- Accessibility
- Multimedia
- Forms
- Licensing
- Security
- Changes to content
- Malware vulnerability
- Zip bomb
- Software
- Viewers and editors
- Printing
- Native display model
- Annotation
- Conversion and Information Extraction
- Alternatives
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1993 used to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Based on the PostScript language, each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout document, including the text, fonts, vector graphics, raster images and other information needed to display it.
PDF has its roots in "The Camelot Project" initiated by Adobe co-founder John Warnock in 1991. PDF was standardized as ISO 32000 in 2008. It is maintained by ISO TC 171 SC 2 WG8, of which the PDF Association is the committee manager. The last edition as ISO 32000-2:2020 was published in December 2020.