About the PDF Format

The PDF format, or Portable Document Format, was developed by Adobe Systems in the 1990s to allow universal document sharing while preserving original layout, fonts, images, and structure. It quickly gained popularity due to its ability to retain document appearance across all operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and even mobile devices.

PDF became an international standard (ISO 32000) in 2008, which reinforced its credibility and adoption in professional, governmental, and educational environments. Today, almost all official documents — contracts, forms, invoices, publications — are shared in this format.

Among its many advantages are:

Cross-platform compatibility
Consistent display on any device
Ability to restrict editing and printing
Support for digital signatures and metadata

However, the PDF format is not without limitations. It is often difficult to edit a PDF file without using expensive specialized software. This can be problematic for correcting errors, reusing content, or updating information. That is why many users prefer converting PDFs into editable formats like Microsoft Word (.docx), which can be opened, modified, and saved easily using free office suites like LibreOffice or OpenOffice.

Français

English

Español

Deutsch

Bahasa Indonesia

Italiano

中文

Português

Українська

Türkçe