What is a PDF file?

by Lina Thorne Lina Thorne Updated · Posted in Marketing

Over the last couple of decades, PDF has become one of the most popular file formats that’s utilized in various industries. If you’ve ever purchased an e-book, filled out an interactive Tax Form or had to send a resume over the Internet, you’ve probably come across this format before. If you own a computer or a smartphone, there’s a very high chance that you downloaded a PDF at least once in your life.

what is a pdf file

But what is a PDF file? Have you ever wondered about that?

Here, you will learn everything you need to know about PDF. You will not only find out what it is, when and why you should use it, but you will also discover how exactly you can create, open and edit PDFs.


What Is A PDF File?

When a file has the .pdf extension, it means that it’s a PDF file, which is an acronym for Portable Document Format. This versatile format allows you to share important documents without worrying that they will be edited. Moreover, you can open and view PDF files on almost any device regardless of its operating system. And you will only need a browser to do so! This makes exchanging and storing documents incredibly easy.

Who created PDF?

PDF was created by Adobe. Dr. John Warnock created the Camelot Project in 1991; it was the beginning of the paper-to-digital revolution. Warnock’s goal was to make the process of digitizing documents easier. He wanted to create a format that would allow digital versions to be sent anywhere as well as viewed and printed on any machine. The Camelot Project led to the creation of PDF, which took Warnock about a year.

A couple of decades later PDF has become one of the most widely used formats in the world. In 2008 it was standardized as ISO 32000.


Why You Should Use PDF

PDF is quite a versatile format with a number of benefits – no wonder it’s so widely used in a lot of different industries. A PDF file can contain not only text and images, but also links, audio and video, graphics, vectors, business logic, fillable forms, buttons, etc. This is why PDF is incredibly versatile.

As you may know, MS Word is also commonly used for working with documents. However, Word files pose a couple of challenges when it comes to sharing. First of all, Word files can be opened and viewed only using MS Word. Which means that the recipient of your Word file should have this software. Secondly, Word files are intended to be edited. They can actually be viewed and edited using the same software. Therefore, anything in your Word file can be changed without you knowing. Third, the original formatting isn’t always perfectly maintained due to the easily editable nature of Word files.

PDF addresses all three of these issues:

  1. PDF stands for Portable Document Format, so one of its main advantages is that it’s…yep, very portable! It means that you can share PDF files easily, quickly and without worrying that some information might get corrupted. Moreover, you can open and view a PDF file using a browser. Of course, special software for working with PDFs does exist and you can easily get it. But it’s not necessary. So, no matter what software your recipient has, they will be able to view your documents.
  2. PDF files are mainly intended for viewing. It’s challenging to edit PDFs, because essentially, a PDF consists of pictures. Yep, you see pictures of pages. When you work with a Word file, there are actual pages that you can easily type on. But when a Word file is converted to PDF, its pages are turned into images. You will need some advanced special software to edit PDF, and very few people actually have it. So, nothing bad will happen to the contents of your documents.
  3. Another benefit of PDF is that it preserves the original formatting. So, you won’t have to worry about it. Your files will look exactly as you intended, no matter what.

Let’s take a look at some other benefits that PDF has:

  • Preserves both the data and the formatting. The PDF format usually preserves all the data that’s present in the original file; even if you need to combine graphics, text and spreadsheets in one PDF file. For instance, if you save your Excel spreadsheet as a PDF, all the data will be kept.
  • PDF is extremely secure. You can set a password if you are worried that the recipient might have the advanced software for editing PDFs. For instance, you can prohibit editing and copying of the contents with the help of a password. On top of that, you can get rid of any hidden data as well as redact any sensitive information, thus, removing it permanently. Learn more - How to secure a PDF.
  • Digitizing paper documents is easy. Once you scan paper documents, you can save their digital versions as PDFs and as a result, you will get searchable files that are also easy to share and store. What’s more, optical character recognition (OCR) technology is used in this format, which means that with the right software, you will be able to edit and comment on your scanned versions.
  • PDF is universally compatible. The vast majority of modern browsers support this format. You can read PDF files on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android devices. What’s more, Mac and iPhones actually have built-in apps that allow you to view PDFs as well as make some minor changes. More details here: How to edit a PDF on Mac and How to edit a PDF on iPhone.

What Are PDF Files Usually Used For?

Now that you know why you should use PDF, let’s take a look at when you might need to use files in this versatile format. PDF is usually used to:

Share documents

It’s better to opt for the PDF format when you need to send or share online any kind of documents, especially if they are extremely important – e.g. contracts, agreements, legal documents – and contain some confidential information. PDF can provide the necessary level of security thanks to password protection and the fact that it’s hard to edit. This format is also great for fillable forms since the recipients will be able to enter information only into the empty fields without changing any of the other contents. You should also opt for PDF if you need to not only share but also print your documents.

Maintain formatting

Even if you trust the recipient and know for sure that they won’t make any changes to your file, it doesn’t mean that nothing bad will happen to it. Unfortunately, it is possible for Word and Excel files to get corrupted. If you created an e-book or a manual that you want to share with your most loyal followers or sell online, make sure that it’s in PDF. By using PDF, you will ensure that the content, the layout and the overall formatting of your files will remain intact.

Create an easily-sharable portfolio

PDF can maintain not only the original formatting, but also high quality of images and videos. On top of that, you can easily merge and split pages. For instance, if you are a designer or a photographer, you can easily combine your best works into a single PDF document that you can then send to your dream clients when offering your services or pitching an idea. What’s also great about this is that PDF files don’t occupy lots of space, so you won’t have any issues storing and sharing your portfolio. PDF is also commonly used for CVs and cover letters.

Naturally, these examples are only the tip of the iceberg. PDF has a variety of applications.


How to Create A PDF File

It is incredibly easy to create a PDF. In fact, it can be done in several different ways.

If you have Adobe Acrobat, which is often used to work with PDFs, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open Adobe Acrobat, then go to Tools > Create PDF. create pdf
  2. Select the necessary option for creating a PDF. For instance, you can create a single PDF file by importing a .txt file or .docx file. It’s also possible to create a PDF from a scan.
  3. Depending on your choice, click on Create or Next, then follow the instructions to convert to PDF.

That’s it!

If you’ve created a document in MS Word, MS Excel or MS PowerPoint, go to File > Save as Adobe PDF and a copy of your document will be saved as a PDF file.

Method number three is to use the Print dialog box. Let’s say you have an image that you want to convert to PDF quickly. Simply open the necessary image, right-click on it and select the Print option. In the Print dialog choose the Save as PDF option. Alternatively, if you don’t have a printer connected to your device, simply make sure that the Adobe PDF format is selected and click on Print. Instead of printing, your image will be saved as PDF.

Finally, you can use a browser to create a PDF file. Open the webpage or the email that you want to save. Right-click on it and select Save as PDF. Most popular browsers offer this option. But if you don’t see it, you can try the previous method.


How To View PDFs

First, there’s a high chance that your computer will open your PDF file in a browser. In addition to this, you can actually write something on your PDF document or highlight some text in it, if you are using MS Edge. Please note, though, that depending on your browser, your PDF file might open right away or you might need to download it first.

Another way to open and view a PDF file is to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, which might actually be more convenient for reading PDFs. You won’t be able to set any password using a browser – it’s only possible in Adobe Acrobat and other similar programs. In the free version you can also annotate PDFs, highlight text, search through the contents as well as add digital signatures. It can be used on a wide range of devices since it has not only a desktop, but also a mobile version.


How To Edit PDFs

It doesn’t require much effort to open and view PDFs. Adding some new elements to a PDF file can also be rather easy. For instance, you can easily fill out an interactive form right in your browser or in the free version of Adobe Acrobat. If you need to write something on a PDF, you can do that in Microsoft Edge, Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview, which is a pre-installed app on MacOS devices. Finally, if you want to increase the protection of your files, you can watermark PDF using free online app.

However, editing the already existing content is a challenge. The best way to do so is to purchase Adobe Acrobat Pro. This software allows you to rearrange pages, make changes to already existing text, add and remove new elements, etc. This is the best choice because Adobe Acrobat Pro will make sure that the formatting looks exactly how you want it to. So, your files will look amazing and professional.

Another way to edit a PDF is to use Microsoft Word. However, this can be done only using one of the recent versions of MS Word. And, what’s more crucial, this methos works best only with PDF files that have lots of text and simple formatting. This is due to the fact that MS Word doesn’t always do a good job at maintaining the original formatting. For a PDF file to be edited, it should be converted into a Word file first. Say, your PDF file contains lots of images and has a light green background. There’s a high chance that after the conversion is done, the background will become white and some of the images will be placed incorrectly. More details here - How to edit a PDF in Word.

There are some online apps that allow you to either convert PDF to editable file formats (e.g. Convert PDF to JPG) or make some basic changes to PDF files. But please be aware that they don’t always produce good results, and some free apps might have limitations.


Wrapping Up

PDF is used in an astonishingly wide range of different industries. You can come across legal documents, contracts, fillable forms, e-books and even portfolios in this format. It’s compatible with nearly all the browsers, devices and operating systems. You won’t even need any special software to read PDFs in most cases. Now that you know what a PDF file is and all the basics, you will be able to make the best of your PDF files.

← Other blog posts