Portable Document Format (PDF)

PDF format (Portable Document Format), developed by Adobe, is a document presentation format, the specifications for PDF are available on the web. It is a universal format (regardless of which platform and software are used to generate it), compatible with any printer, flexible (you can substitute fonts, add links, bookmarks, notes) and legible onscreen with the appropriate plugins. It can be generated with Adobe Acrobat, with the open source software GhostScript or created on the fly in a Unix environment.

Adobe PDF Specifications∞

Although the Adobe PDF specifications are open, they are not free and their status could change as further versions are produced.

-- modemcable112.146-82-70.mc.videotron.ca (2005-11-20 17:04:32)

The present document is not about public standards, but about a larger class of formats that can be qualified as open formats. Adobe PDF qualifies as an open format insofar as its specifications are public and its implementation is constraint-free.

-- DarTar (2005-11-26 20:05:17)

openformats.org

Portable Document Format (PDF)