PDF standards FAQ

If you work with PDF documents, chances are that sooner or later you’re going to come in contact with PDF standards. You might knowingly save a PDF conforming to this or that standard, but you might also use standards without even being aware of it. Why? Because many of the vendors who create software using PDF implement standards for you: saving a PDF file for a specific use from that software likely uses some standard under the hood.

This document was written to clarify some of the language you might encounter, demystify some of the curious statements you might hear and provide pointers to help you navigate the wonderful world of PDF standards. We have the document available in 4 languages: English, French, Spanish and Italian.