Readers also usually have commenting functions included. Office programs are now equipped with plugins that convert documents to PDF by default. Many of them offer a similarly large range of functions.įor private users who only want to read PDFs or create them from other formats, a free PDF reader is often sufficient. Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat are often less expensive – whether as a subscription or as a purchase version. But if you want to avoid ongoing costs or constant updates, other providers also offer this one-time payment model. For large business customers, this is a practical solution since updates and support are included. In the meantime, a subscription system was introduced that lowered the price. For a long time, anyone who wanted to use the tools to their full extent had to buy the rather expensive complete version of the product. You would typically create a PDF if you wanted to ensure document fidelity, to make it more secure, or to create a copy for storage.Adobe Acrobat is a product family for PDF solutions. Creating a PDF can involve compressing a file, making it take up less storage space. They can be viewed on almost all devices. PDF files aren’t typically created from scratch, but are usually converted, saved or ‘printed’ from other documents or images before sharing, publishing online or storing.

It is maintained by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO). The PDF format is now a standard open format that isn’t just available under Adobe Acrobat. The format has evolved to allow for editing and interactive elements like electronic signatures or buttons. It was developed by Adobe so people could share documents regardless of which device, operating system, or software they were using, while preserving the content and formatting. PDF stands for ‘Portable Document Format’ file.

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