# Portable Document Format and Acrobat Reader What is a PDF file? A Portable Document Format file is a self-contained cross-platform document. In plain language, it is a file that will look the same on the screen and in print, regardless of what kind of computer or printer someone is using and regardless of what software package was originally used to create it. Although they contain the complete formatting of the original document, including fonts and images, PDF files are highly compressed, allowing complex information to be downloaded efficiently. What do you need to view and print PDF files? Virtually anyone - including Windows, DOS, Macintosh and UNIX system users - can view and print a PDF file using the free Acrobat Reader, which can be installed and configured to work seamlessly within your Internet browser. To download the free Acrobat Reader, you may either go directly to the Adobe site. Configuring the browser Some browsers may need to be configured to download PDF files effectively, so that they will be opened in a window within the browser without requiring you to launch a separate application.