What is a .PDF file? (How to open & convert)
Learn what .PDF is, how to open it, and use an embedded local-only tool for common tasks.
Overview
.PDF PDF is designed to preserve layout across devices. It’s widely used for contracts, invoices, ebooks, and print-ready documents.
Basic info
- Full name: Portable Document Format
- Developer: Adobe (originally)
- Category: Document
How to open a .PDF file
On macOS: Preview opens PDFs natively.
On Windows: Browsers open PDFs directly; Adobe Acrobat Reader is the common free reader.
On mobile: Mobile browsers and many reader apps support PDFs.
Try a related tool
Use a local-only tool (no uploads) for common tasks.
Technical characteristics
- Can include text, vector graphics, images, fonts, forms
- Not meant for easy editing (hence Word conversions)
- Size depends heavily on embedded images and compression
Common scenarios
- Merging multiple PDFs into one file
- Adding page numbers before printing
- Generating PDFs from text or templates
Security notes
PDFs can contain complex content. Only open PDFs from trusted sources and keep your viewer updated.