Portable Document Format or PDF is a file format commonly used to view, print, or transmit read-only documents while preserving the text, graphics, or page layout. Adobe launched it in 1993, and it has become one of the most widely used document file formats up to this day.

Examples of documents used in the form of PDFs are eBooks, invoices, application forms, manuals, survey forms, among others. PDFs may contain text, interactive buttons, hyperlinks, embedded fonts, images, videos, and audios.

If your document is in the form of PDF, any person who has the file can open it on any operating system using a PDF reader, a web browser, or a third-party app. For more information about PDF files and how to edit them, read on below.

PDFBear.com

You can use online software like pdfbear.com to do a pdf split. This option is very simple.

1. You just have to upload the PDF file on the website.
2. Select the pages you want to split.
3. Once you’ve chosen the pages you need to split, refine, and export them into a single PDF file.
4. Download the new PDF file.

Adobe Acrobat DC

If you think the PDF file you have is too large, you can split it into separate pages, chapters, or files using Adobe Acrobat DC. Here’s the process of how you can do that.

1. Use Adobe Acrobat DC to open the PDF file.
2. Select Organize Pages, and then choose the file you want to split.
3. Select how you want to split a PDF file. Then, click Split.
4. Select Output Options to name the file and where to save it.
5. Click Save to complete the process.

Ways to View a PDF File

As mentioned earlier, there are several ways to open a PDF file. Since this file format is widely used today, you can expect to find different apps for viewing PDFs. Keep on reading to learn about the ways how you can open a PDF.

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader is an official desktop tool for viewing PDF files. You can download it for free, and it’s available for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows operating systems. Using Acrobat Reader is great because it has more control and support features. You can also turn a PDF file into an editable format like a Microsoft Word document using this desktop tool.

If your computer doesn’t have an Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can visit the official website for Adobe, look for the Acrobat Reader, and download it on your computer. Once you’ve installed it, you just have to double-click a PDF file to view it.

Viewing a PDF File Using a Web Browser

Yes, you heard that right. Web browsers like Google Chrome now can open a PDF file.

As long as you have a web browser that supports PDF viewing, you can set your web browser as your default PDF reader. Just double-click on the PDF file to view its contents. If you can’t open it by double-clicking, you can right-click the file, select the “Open With” option, and click on the browser you want to use.

How to Convert a PDF File

You can convert nearly everything into a PDF nowadays. You can make PDFs out of Google Docs, Microsoft Word documents, image files, and more. Major operating systems like MacOS and Windows allow users to save those mentioned documents as PDF files. Of course, you need to have a PDF reader, a third-party app, or a web browser for you to do that. For professional conversion and editing of a document into a PDF file, you have to use a more advanced tool such as Adobe Acrobat DC.

Takeaway

Now you know what a Portable Document Format or PDF file is and why it’s a popular file format. It’s a widely used file format because it can be viewed, printed, or distributed on various hardware and operating systems while keeping the file’s text, graphics, and layout intact.