PDF File Information | How to Open a PDF File

What is a PDF file?

PDF stands for “Portable Document Format.” A PDF file encodes all the elements of a printed document as an electronic image that you can view, print, or send to someone else.

PDF was invented by Dr. John Warnock, the co-founder of Adobe Inc. The goal of the PDF file format is to enable people to download documents from any application, transmit electronic copies of those documents anywhere, and view and print them on any computer.

This file format is very popular, and a PDF is actually an image of a document. A PDF contains one or more page images that can be scaled. One can also scroll through pages in a PDF.

This is a short video about PDF files. We hope you'll learn some useful information from it. Here's the timeline for the video:

• 00:08 Introduction to PDF
• 00:38 Key Features of PDF
• 01:13 Are PDF Files Convenient?
• 01:43 Disadvantages of PDF Files

Next, we'll explore the many uses of PDF files in everyday life. By the way, if you want to come back to this later, feel free to bookmark the page or share it on social media.

What is a PDF file used for?

PDF files come with a multitude of advantages that appeal to users for various reasons. What are PDF files used for? Here are some answers:

Contracts. When users need to send a contract to a client and want to prevent the client from making changes to it, they save the contract as a PDF.

Printing: If you need to send a file to be printed, send it as a PDF to ensure proper formatting.

You might know that PDF files maintain a fixed format and aren't very editable. If you want to ensure that a document keeps its formatting and isn't editable by other users, it's best to save it as a PDF.

How to Open a PDF File on Windows

Most computers come with a default PDF reader, and we'll teach you how to easily open a PDF on Windows.

Step 1: Locate your PDF file on your computer.

Step 2 Double-click the file to open it with the default program. Alternatively, right-click the PDF, then hover over “Open with.” You'll see a list of programs that can open the PDF. Select “Microsoft Edge.”

Open a PDF file with Microsoft Edge

Step 3. You can also install Adobe Acrobat on your computer and use it to open a PDF file when it won't open. This program lets you easily create, open, and edit PDF files.

How to Open a PDF File on a Mac

Both the Mac Preview app and the Safari browser can open PDF files. We'll show you how to do both.

Open the PDF file with the macOS Preview app:

Step 1: Find the folder that contains your PDF file.

Step 2. Right-click the PDF you want to edit, then select “Open With” from the drop-down menu, and click “Preview (Default).” Alternatively, double-click the file to open it in macOS's default “Preview” app.

Open a PDF File on Mac Using Safari:

Step 1: Locate the folder that contains your PDF file.

Step 2: Right-click the PDF, and select “Open With” > “Safari.” A Safari window will open with your PDF displayed inside it.

Best Free PDF Editors - Updated for 2023

You might also try using a PDF editor to open, edit, and convert PDF files. Read on for more information.

How to deal with issues in PDF documents

While working with PDF files or any other documents, you might encounter a few issues. One of the most common problems is accidental deletion and file corruption.

Users might accidentally delete some important PDF files, or they could go missing due to a computer virus. PDF files can become corrupted or lost due to system crashes, malware attacks, or other unforeseen issues.

How to recover deleted PDF files and how to repair a PDF file? We have perfect solutions for both scenarios.

Data Recovery Wizard Pro is a third-party PDF recovery tool that also works as a PDF repair tool. Whether you've lost your PDF files on your computer, an SD card, or an external hard drive, this utility can help you get them back. With its PDF repair feature, you can easily fix corrupted PDF files.

What is the difference between PDF and JPG?

In simple terms, PDF is a document format, while JPG is an image file format. While both can contain photographs, they are fundamentally different:

• JPG files are relatively smaller since they only compress image data. When users save a JPG file, some image data might be lost, which doesn't happen with PDFs.
• While PDF files are less editable, there are still ways to modify them. In contrast, JPEG images cannot be separated into multiple parts since everything is compressed into a single layer.
• Due to their smaller size, JPG files might occupy less space on hard drives, portable disks, or cloud storage, making them an option over PDFs. However, for storing documents and photographs, PDF files might be more reliable.

Conclusions

Did you ever try to open or edit a PDF on your computer? Now that you know how to open a PDF on Windows or Mac, you shouldn't have any problems with that. In case you lost your PDF files or they got corrupted, remember you can download a data recovery wizard to fix that.