.pdf PDF document
Documents & office
| MIME type | application/pdf |
|---|---|
| Description | PDF document |
| Acronym | PDF – Portable Document Format |
| Category | Documents & office |
| Signature (magic bytes) | 25 50 44 46 2D (%PDF-) |
Frequently asked questions
What is a .pdf file?
A .pdf file is a “PDF document” (MIME type application/pdf). PDF stands for Portable Document Format.
How do I open a .pdf file?
With an office suite: LibreOffice (free, Windows/macOS/Linux) opens most document formats, as do Microsoft Office or the vendor’s own app.
How can you tell a genuine .pdf file?
By the bytes at the start of the file, the signature (magic bytes): 25 50 44 46 2D (%PDF-). On Linux and macOS, file --mime-type example.pdf checks the real type regardless of the extension.
Which MIME type belongs to .pdf?
The MIME type is application/pdf. In the Apache web server: AddType application/pdf .pdf; in nginx: types { application/pdf pdf; }.