Happy Birthday: 25 years of PDF
The most important data format in today's working world, whether for online applications, email archiving, or long-term archiving, is without question the Portable Document Format (PDF).
What does PDF stand for?
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It is a platform-independent file format for documents, developed and published by Adobe Systems in 1993.
This format is essential for both data exchange and paperless office workflows. It is suitable for many use cases because it ensures reliable visual fidelity and print output.
PDF files are ideal as conversion targets from other formats, because the final document keeps a consistent appearance across macOS and Windows systems, independent of the original authoring software.
Summer 2018 marked a special anniversary: PDF was introduced to the public for the first time 25 years earlier.
Summer 2018: PDF turns 25
- 1993 - PDF 1.0: PDF is introduced. The initial goal was a reliable, system-independent format. Adobe presents Acrobat and PDF publicly on June 15, 1993.
- 1994: Adobe makes the Reader available free of charge.
- 1996 - PDF 1.3: With the internet boom, Adobe lays the groundwork for color-ready print workflows, including CMYK support.
- 1999: The PDF/X standard is published, focusing on faithful handoff from prepress to print production.
- 2001: New features include JBIG2 support, transparencies, and tagged document structure, which improves accessibility.
- 2003: Multimedia embedding (video/audio) becomes possible. Acrobat Reader is renamed Adobe Reader.
- 2004 - PDF 1.6: Content can be read aloud (for example form fields), and screen-reader optimization is improved.
- 2006: Improved 3D display options and enhanced encryption algorithms are introduced.
- 2007/2008: Adobe submits PDF 1.7 to ISO; in 2008, ISO publishes PDF 1.7 as ISO 32000-1:2008. Multiple PDF-based standards are defined over time.
- 2017 - PDF 2.0: Support for PRC (Product Representation Compact), 3D measurement tools, and enhanced security features.
Summary: Today, PDF is used wherever data is exchanged, transferred, or printed. It is also central for organizations that need audit-proof and legally compliant archiving of emails and documents.
How to open and create a PDF file
To open a PDF document, use a free reader such as Acrobat Reader DC. To create a PDF, you can author a document in Microsoft Office and then choose File -> Save As, selecting PDF as the file type.