Documents · .pdf
What Is a PDF File?
A .pdf file is a document format that looks the same on every device and printer.
- Extension
- Full name
- Portable Document Format
- Type
- Document
- MIME type
- application/pdf
- Developed by
- Adobe (1993), now an open ISO standard
Free PDF Tools
These run in your browser. Your PDF files are never uploaded.
About PDF Files
PDF was designed so a document looks exactly the same everywhere: same fonts, same layout, same page breaks, on any screen or printer. That makes it the standard for contracts, invoices, forms, manuals, tickets and scanned papers. A PDF can contain text, images, vector graphics, fillable form fields, digital signatures, links and attachments, and it can be protected with a password. Since 2008 it has been an open ISO standard, so many apps besides Adobe Acrobat can create and edit PDFs. Scanned PDFs are just pictures of pages, so their text can't be selected until it is run through OCR.
How to Open a PDF File
- Windows
- Double-click to open it in Microsoft Edge, which is the default PDF reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and adds form and signature features.
- Mac
- Double-click to open it in Preview
- iPhone & Android
- Tap the file to open it in the Files app, Books, Google Drive or your browser.
- Any device
- Drag the file into any web browser.
PDF File Questions
How do I edit a PDF?
For small changes, use a PDF editor such as Adobe Acrobat, or open it in Word, which converts it to an editable document. To rearrange, rotate or delete pages, the PDF tools on this site work in your browser.
How do I make a PDF smaller?
Use the PDF Compressor. Scanned PDFs shrink the most, because their page images can be compressed further.
Why can't I copy text from my PDF?
Either it's a scan, so the pages are images, or the author restricted copying. Scans need OCR to turn the images into text.