How does PDF work?

Answer 1

Excerpts from Microsoft Computer Dictionary (5th Edn):

Acrobat n. A program from Adobe Systems, Inc., that

converts a fully formatted document created on a Windows,

Macintosh, MS-DOS, or UNIX platform into a Portable

Document Format (PDF) file that can be viewed on

several different platforms. Acrobat enables users to send

documents that contain distinctive typefaces, color, graphics,

and photographs electronically to recipients, regardless

of the application used to create the originals.

Recipients need the Acrobat Reader, which is available

free, to view the files. Depending on version and platform,

it also includes tools such as Distiller (which creates PDF

files from PostScript files), Exchange (which is used for

links, annotations, and security-related matters), and PDF

Writer (which creates PDF files from files created with

business software).

Acrobat Reader n. A free program produced and distributed

by Adobe Systems, Inc., for displaying and printing

documents that are in Portable Document Format (PDF).

.pdf n. The file extension that identifies documents

encoded in the Portable Document Format developed by

Adobe Systems. To display or print a .pdf file, the user

should obtain the freeware Adobe Acrobat Reader. See

also Acrobat, Portable Document Format.

Portable Document Format n. The Adobe specification

for electronic documents that use the Adobe Acrobat family

of servers and readers. Acronym: PDF. See alsoAcrobat,

.pdf.