Why Did Web Browsers Become PDF Readers?

The Portable Document Format, oregon PDF, was primitively developed by Adobe for usage with its ain Acrobat scholar and editing software. PDF files are immoderate of the astir communal types of documents, but present the task of opening them has shifted to web browsers. Some browsers tin lone presumption PDFs, portion others tin modify them and adjacent adhd signatures.

So, however did web browsers extremity up being the main mode to usage and edit PDF files? It whitethorn look similar a unusual match, oregon an illustration of diagnostic bloat, but it’s 1 of the champion occurrence stories successful the improvement of web browsers.

The Reign of Adobe Acrobat

Let’s commencement astatine the beginning. Adobe created the archetypal PDF specification successful 1993 arsenic a exertion for displaying pages connected immoderate surface and platform. It was chiefly utile for the desktop publishing industry, wherever the size and positioning of images and substance needed pixel-perfect accuracy.

Adobe made its ain exertion for creating PDFs, called Acrobat, but it was priced astatine $50 —about $110 successful 2025 dollars. Acrobat and the PDF modular didn’t drawback connected until Adobe made a escaped Reader exertion for read-only entree to PDFs. Adobe co-founder Charles Geschke said successful a 2008 interview, “The conception of giving distant bundle was anathema, a precise overseas concept. But it became evident that doing that was the lone mode we could get marketplace penetration. Microsoft could presume that someway oregon different everybody had Word. We couldn’t presume that everyone was going to bargain the Reader.”

When net entree and the web started going mainstream successful the 1990s, PDFs were 1 of the champion options for sharing documents with analyzable formatting. Adobe adjacent created a Reader plug-in for web browsers, allowing them to show PDF files wrong of web pages without switching to the afloat Reader application. PDFs became conscionable arsenic important for the web acquisition arsenic videos and Flash animations.

Replacing the Plugins

Web browser plug-ins were an implicit nightmare for information and strategy stability. They were often not updated automatically, truthful adjacent erstwhile information vulnerabilities were discovered and patched, the fixes didn’t rotation retired to astir radical for weeks oregon months. They could besides origin crashes and show issues successful web browsers. Adobe’s Flash plugin was the biggest culprit for information issues, but Adobe Reader besides had immoderate problems over the years.

When web browsers started to signifier retired plug-ins successful the precocious 2000s, they needed a replacement for the Acrobat plug-in, truthful web pages with embedded PDF contented could proceed working. Apple Safari switched to the autochthonal PDF spectator successful Mac OS X, Firefox 19 arrived successful 2013 with a built-in PDF spectator (the PDF.js project), and Google Chrome added a PDF viewer successful 2010.

The migration distant from Flash required important updates to galore websites, but the power to built-in PDF viewers was overmuch much seamless. Pages utilizing tags similar and to show PDF contented continued moving normally. Most radical astir apt didn’t announcement the transition, but the controls looking a spot different, but it was an important measurement for improving the show and information of modern web browsers.

When web browsers yet turned disconnected plug-ins successful the 2010s, the built-in PDF viewers became the lone mode to amusement PDF files wrong web pages. Documents that needed Acrobat-specific functionality, similar scripting, had to beryllium downloaded and opened successful the desktop Acrobat exertion oregon different tool.

The built-in PDF viewers person go amended implicit the years. For example, Firefox’s spectator tin present add text, markings, and signatures to PDF files. Microsoft has gone full-circle with its Edge web browser, which present uses an Acrobat-based scholar for PDF contented developed successful collaboration with Adobe.

Not Just for the Web

Now that web browsers had their ain built-in PDF viewers, which were a indispensable constituent for moving distant from plug-ins crossed the web, the adjacent logical measurement was allowing them to beryllium utilized with section files. That way, a web browser could afloat regenerate Adobe Acrobat and different applications for opening PDFs.

Over time, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and different web browsers added themselves arsenic valid applications for opening PDF files. When you double-click connected a PDF record connected a machine today, it usually opens successful a web browser. Mac computers inactive person Preview for opening documents similar PDFs, but the lone built-in spectator connected Windows 10 and 11 is Microsoft Edge.

It mightiness look a spot weird that web browsers person taken implicit PDF record handling connected astir computers, but it’s not a lawsuit of bundle bloat. Web browsers had to make their ain viewers to determination distant from plug-ins, and by extending that functionality to section files, they could regenerate apps similar Acrobat Reader for emblematic usage. Personally, I’m blessed to support the Adobe bundle connected my machine to a minimum.