What is a PDF and why have they stuck around?

Anyone who has used a computer for long has likely encountered a PDF file. The ubiquitous file type is a must-have for exchanging files.

According to Makeuseof.com, the PDF file was originally introduced by Adobe in the early 1990s and then released as an open format in 2008 which allowed anyone to create their own viewers and editors.

Before the appearance of the PDF, professionals looking to create documents with graphics resulted in painfully large files being created because they had to store all of the elements together in that file. Due to the power of those early computers, it made handling those files a daunting task.

The PDF solved the problem by developing a system that gathered all parts of a file into a smaller whole which allowed for easier handling of the file. Because of the way the file was created, it also looked the same on any device that the user might be opening it on.

This property keeps the tech relevant, as today’s consumer is just as likely to be opening the file on a smartphone as a PC.