A file with the .pdf file extension is a Portable Document Format file (PDF). PDFs are regularly used to deliver read-only documents that preserve the layout of a page. They are commonly used for documents such as user manuals, e-books, application forms and scanned documents, to name just a few.
What is a PDF file?
PDF was created by Adobe in the decade of 1990 to achieve two things. The first is that people should be able to open the documents on any hardware or operating system., no need to use the application to create them; all you need is a PDF reader and, in this days, most web browsers meet the requirements. The second is that wherever you open a PDF, your document layout should look the same.
PDF files can contain text, images, embedded fonts, hyperlinks, videos, interactive buttons, forms and more.
How to view a PDF file
Because PDFs are a standardized format, there are a considerable number of applications that can open PDF files. Web browsers, Official Adobe Acrobat Reader, third-party applications and even word processing applications.
The easiest way to view a PDF: use your web browser
Most likely, if you are reading this post, the web browser you are using is capable of viewing a PDF, and doing it is practically the same on macOS and Windows.
If you don't have another application that can read PDF files, most likely your browser is already the default application and you can double click the file to open it.
Opposite case, right click on the file, line arrow “To open with” and then click on your favorite browser.
The results are similar to those of any other program.
For more control and better feature support: use a desktop reader
Adobe Acrobat Reader is the official tool to read PDF files. It is free and Windows-enabled, macOS, iOS and Android.
After installing Acrobat Reader, all you have to do is double click on any PDF you want to open.
And as you can see, has many more features to control your eyesight, as well as the ability to export PDF files to an editable format, as a Microsoft Office document.
Decidedly, there are also third-party applications to view PDF files, some of which are faster and less bloated than Adobe Reader.
RELATED: Best PDF Readers for Windows
How to edit a PDF
If you need to edit a PDF but keep it in PDF format, your options are limited. The gold standard here is Adobe's Acrobat DC. Unfortunately, It's a little expensive. The standard version costs $ 12,99 per month and need an annual commitment. It is also enabled only for Windows. The pro version costs $ 14,99 per month and also needs an annual commitment. That one is enabled for both Windows and macOS.
There is a 7-day free trial period available for the Pro version., so if you only need to edit one or two documents, that could work for you.
Also there are some free utilities available. Our favorite is PDF-XChange Editor, which enables you to make basic modifications and annotations.
How to create a PDF
There are several alternatives for creating a PDF from almost anything: Word documents, websites, etc.
To start, both Windows and macOS enable you “to print” in a PDF file. Because, almost anything i can print, can save as PDF.
RELATED: How to create a PDF file in Windows
RELATED: How to create a PDF file on a Mac
Some applications, like Chrome, they also have their own integrated PDF printers.
If you need more control over the output of your PDF files (as if you are preparing something for a professional print), will have to resort to Adobe Acrobat DC.
How to make a PDF editable
You can also convert a PDF into some other file format that you can edit more easily..
In general, you'll want to turn your PDF into something your word processor can handle. We already have excellent posts on converting PDF files to Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so give them a read if that's what you need to do. Even if you use another word processor, it should be able to handle any of those formats after conversion.
The only problem with converting documents using Word or Google's built-in tools is that they can sometimes have a hard time maintaining complex layout and formatting. If you have a PDF that fits that invoice, you might want to try the Adobe one Acrobat Reader DC. Although the application is free, must pay a fee of $ 1.99 per month if you want it to be able to convert PDF files to other formats, like Word. If it is something you need to do regularly, That fee is probably worth it because using Acrobat is the most reliable way to change your PDF files to Word documents., since it tends to keep the format quite well. AND, in any case, the full version of Acrobat DC can also do the job, but it is not important to highlight the additional cost if all you need to do is convert documents.
In addition, there are some online conversion tools that you can use if none of these others suit your needs.. Since these solutions are supported in the cloud and allow you to convert any PDF you have without having to install software on your machine. Despite this, it is essential to pay attention that you must upload your document to their servers in the procedure, so if your document has confidential information, you may want to skip this step.
Zamzar is one of the most popular online file conversion sites and it has worked well for us. Their free service enables you to convert any file up to 100 MB in size. After uploading and selecting the format you want to convert it to, The document will be sent to you by email with a link to download.
An added benefit of using Zamzar is that it supports a large number of formats that you can convert to, including various document formats, images and even e-books.