What is a PDF file?

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format developed by Adobe as a means of distributing compact, platform-independent documents. It is superficially similar to HTML; a PDF document may contain images and text, as well as hyperlinks. However, as PDF is based on a variant of PostScript, each document is self-contained, packing text, graphics, and fonts into a single file.

You can use Adobe Acrobat to create PDF files, and you can view PDF files either with Adobe Reader or via a web browser with the PDF Viewer plug-in.

Many Adobe software products are available free via IUware for IU students, faculty, and staff under the IU/Adobe License Agreement. For details, see What software is available through the Adobe agreement, and how can I get it?

Additionally, Mac OS X offers built-in support for creating PDF files and includes a free application called Preview for viewing PDF files; see In Mac OS X, how do I convert a document to PDF?

For more information, visit the Adobe Acrobat family web site.

Note: In Mac OS (but not Mac OS X), CD-ROM file-sharing preferences are also called PDF files. They are unrelated to Adobe's Portable Document Format.

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