TECHNOLOGY TIPS – WHAT IS A PDF FILE?

TECHNOLOGY TIPS – WHAT IS A PDF FILE?

This past weekend I had someone ask me what does PDF stand for. I really didn’t know but I’ve researched it and it’s quite an interesting story.

In 1991 Adobe Systems co-founder John Warnock outlined a system called "Camelot" that evolved into the Portable Document Format (PDF). When the file format was originally released in 1993 it took the documents created in multiple programs and converted them into two-dimensional documents independent of the application and operating system.

In the early years the PDF was not readily adopted and it was not a free platform. It also didn’t have the ability to add links within the documents so it wasn’t as Internet-friendly. When AT&T started working on an archiving program DjVu Adobe began sharing its Acrobat Reader program for free. This is when PDF documents started becoming popular and standard.

Though Adobe holds the patents to PDF they offer licenses royalty-free so that developers can continue to create software complying with the PDF specification.

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO