PDF file format
Portable Document Format (.pdf): documents, forms, receipts and multi-page scans you send or print.
PDF is the universal format for documents. It looks the same on every device and printer, can hold many pages, and is accepted almost everywhere you need to submit paperwork. Putting photos or scans into a PDF is the easiest way to send several images as one file.
| Full name | Portable Document Format |
|---|---|
| File extension | |
| MIME type | application/pdf |
| Created | 1993 by Adobe (an open ISO standard since 2008) |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | Yes |
| Animation | No |
| Colors | Pages with text, vector graphics and images |
| Opens on | Every computer, phone and browser |
| Best for | documents, forms, receipts and multi-page scans you send or print |
Advantages
- Looks the same everywhere
- Many pages in one file
- Accepted by almost every form
Drawbacks
- Hard to edit
- Images inside are not directly usable in photo apps
Convert PDF to…
Convert to PDF
Frequently asked questions
What is a .pdf file?
PDF is the universal format for documents. It looks the same on every device and printer, can hold many pages, and is accepted almost everywhere you need to submit paperwork. Putting photos or scans into a PDF is the easiest way to send several images as one file.
How do I open a PDF file?
PDF files open on Every computer, phone and browser. If a program will not open yours, convert it to a more common format.
How do I convert PDF?
Use one of the converters below — they run in your browser, so your documents are never uploaded. Most popular: PDF to JPG, PDF to PNG.