PDF file extension. How to open and convert files with PDF file suffix

A pdf file extension is mainly used for Adobe Portable document format, commonly referred to as PDF. All programs that create some sort of documents or projects offer the possibility to export their format to PDF format. A free PDF viewer (Adobe Reader) is available for download from Adobe website.

There is one other file type using
the PDF file extension!

.pdf - ArcView preferences definition data

Detailed description

Software that open pdf file

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PDF file extension - Adobe Portable document format

What is pdf file? How to open pdf files?

File type specification:

Document file type

E-book file type

pdf file icon:

PDF files are primarily associated with Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files. There are very few other file formats with the PDF file extension in our list, and it is not an exaggeration to say that 99,99% of PDFs found on the Internet are Adobe Portable documents.

The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format developed by Adobe Systems that represents two-dimensional documents in a device-independent and resolution-independent format. PDF documents contain a complete description of a 2D document (and, with Acrobat 3D, embedded 3D documents), including the text, fonts, images, and vector graphics in 2D.

The PDF format does not encode information that is specific to the application software, hardware, or operating system that was used to create or view the document. A valid PDF will render the same regardless of its origin or destination (depending on font availability).

Without paying royalties to Adobe Systems, anyone may create applications that read and write PDF files. However, Adobe has several patents relating to the PDF format and claims it is an open standard. Therefore, Adobe has licensed these patents royalty-free to develop software based on its PDF specification.

Even though the PDF format can be used to describe single-page documents, it can also be used to describe many-page, complex documents containing a variety of fonts, graphics, colors, and images.

PDF readers for many platforms are available, such as Xpdf, Foxit, and Adobe's own Adobe Acrobat Reader. PDF readers/viewers or online services for basic functions are generally free.

There are many software options available for creating PDFs, including the PDF printing capability built into Mac OS X, OpenOffice, numerous PDF print drivers for Microsoft Windows, and Adobe Acrobat itself. There is also specialized software for editing PDF files.

MIME types used for PDF file type:
application/pdf
application/x-pdf
application/acrobat
applications/vnd.pdf
text/pdf
text/x-pdf
application/x-bzpdf
application/x-gzpdf

Updated: April 18, 2024

The default software associated to open pdf file:

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (formerly Adobe Acrobat Reader or Reader X) is a PDF documents viewer-only software from Adobe.

Adobe Acrobat

Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Acrobat is fully featured document solution that works with PDF format and is able of both opening and editing of existing PDF documents, or creating new ones from scratch. Acrobat DC is the last version after Acrobat XI. You can purchase it as standalone desktop software.

Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac

Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for Mac software is the free global standard for reliably viewing, printing, and commenting on PDF documents.

Adobe Acrobat for Mac

Company or developer:
Adobe Systems Incorporated

Much like its Windows counterpart, the Mac version of Adobe Acrobat is software used view, create, manipulate, print and manage files in PDF document file format. Acrobat is available in three editions - Acrobat XI Pro, Acrobat XI Standard and Acrobat XI Suite as well as part of Creative Cloud.

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Help how to open:

PDF is a very common document format and thus is supported by all productivity software. A free viewer from Adobe is also available to open pdf files, its unable to edit them though.

How to convert:

Conversion of this file to another text/graphic file format is possible. Still, it has some limitations based on content/security permissions in the document and features of the application that you use to convert PDF documents into another file format.

Many applications can export their documents to PDF.

You can also create PDFs from any application that can print using any virtual PDF printer software available on the Internet.

Find conversions from pdf file:

Find converter to pdf file type:

File identification strings:

HEX code: 25 50 44 46 2D 31 2E
ASCII code: %PDF-1.

List of software applications associated to the .pdf file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open pdf file, edit pdf file, convert pdf file, view pdf file, play pdf file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting pdf files.

Software that open pdf file - Adobe Portable document format

Programs supporting the exension pdf on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open pdf file action.