The Transportable Doc Format, or PDF, was initially developed by Adobe to be used with its personal Acrobat reader and enhancing software program. PDF information are a number of the most typical varieties of paperwork, however now the duty of opening them has shifted to internet browsers. Some browsers can solely view PDFs, whereas others can modify them and even add signatures.
So, how did internet browsers find yourself being the primary approach to make use of and edit PDF information? It could appear to be a wierd match, or an instance of characteristic bloat, nevertheless it’s the most effective success tales within the evolution of internet browsers.
The Reign of Adobe Acrobat
Let’s begin in the beginning. Adobe created the original PDF specification in 1993 as a know-how for displaying pages on any display and platform. It was primarily helpful for the desktop publishing business, the place the scale and positioning of pictures and textual content wanted pixel-perfect accuracy.
Adobe made its personal utility for creating PDFs, referred to as Acrobat, nevertheless it was priced at $50 —about $110 in 2025 {dollars}. Acrobat and the PDF normal didn’t catch on till Adobe made a free Reader utility for read-only entry to PDFs. Adobe co-founder Charles Geschke mentioned in a 2008 interview, “The idea of gifting away software program was anathema, a really international idea. Nevertheless it turned apparent that doing that was the one approach we may get market penetration. Microsoft may assume that in some way or one other everyone had Phrase. We couldn’t assume that everybody was going to purchase the Reader.”
When web entry and the net began going mainstream within the Nineties, PDFs had been the most effective choices for sharing paperwork with complicated formatting. Adobe even created a Reader plug-in for web browsers, permitting them to show PDF information inside internet pages with out switching to the complete Reader utility. PDFs turned simply as vital for the net expertise as movies and Flash animations.
Changing the Plugins
Net browser plug-ins had been an absolute nightmare for safety and system stability. They had been usually not up to date robotically, so even when safety vulnerabilities had been found and patched, the fixes didn’t roll out to most individuals for weeks or months. They might additionally trigger crashes and efficiency points in internet browsers. Adobe’s Flash plugin was the biggest culprit for safety points, however Adobe Reader additionally had some issues over the years.
When internet browsers began to section out plug-ins within the late 2000s, they wanted a substitute for the Acrobat plug-in, so internet pages with embedded PDF content material may proceed working. Apple Safari switched to the native PDF viewer in Mac OS X, Firefox 19 arrived in 2013 with a built-in PDF viewer (the PDF.js project), and Google Chrome added a PDF viewer in 2010.
The migration away from Flash required vital updates to many web sites, however the change to built-in PDF viewers was rather more seamless. Pages utilizing tags like and to show PDF content material continued working usually. Most individuals most likely didn’t discover the transition, besides the controls wanting a bit totally different, nevertheless it was an vital step for enhancing the efficiency and safety of contemporary internet browsers.
When internet browsers lastly turned off plug-ins in the 2010s, the built-in PDF viewers turned the one solution to present PDF information inside internet pages. Paperwork that wanted Acrobat-specific performance, like scripting, needed to be downloaded and opened within the desktop Acrobat utility or one other instrument.
The built-in PDF viewers have change into higher through the years. For instance, Firefox’s viewer can now add text, markings, and signatures to PDF files. Microsoft has gone full-circle with its Edge web browser, which now makes use of an Acrobat-based reader for PDF content material developed in collaboration with Adobe.
Not Only for the Net
Now that internet browsers had their very own built-in PDF viewers, which had been a vital element for transferring away from plug-ins throughout the net, the subsequent logical step was permitting them for use with native information. That approach, an online browser may absolutely change Adobe Acrobat and different functions for opening PDFs.
Over time, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and different internet browsers added themselves as legitimate functions for opening PDF information. Once you double-click on a PDF file on a pc right now, it often opens in an online browser. Mac computer systems nonetheless have Preview for opening paperwork like PDFs, however the one built-in viewer on Home windows 10 and 11 is Microsoft Edge.
It might sound a bit bizarre that internet browsers have taken over PDF file dealing with on most computer systems, nevertheless it’s not a case of software program bloat. Net browsers needed to create their very own viewers to maneuver away from plug-ins, and by extending that performance to native information, they may change apps like Acrobat Reader for typical utilization. Personally, I’m joyful to maintain the Adobe software program on my laptop to a minimal.