PDF Version Compatibility: A Quick Guide

PDF was initially developed by Adobe as a way to create and share documents that would look the same on any device, regardless of the operating system or software used to create them. This was a breakthrough at the time, as it made it possible to easily share documents with people who might not have the same software as you. PDF has since become one of the most popular document formats in the world, and it is used by businesses, governments, and individuals alike to create and share a wide variety of documents, including reports, presentations, brochures, and more.

PDF 1.1

The first version of PDF, released in 1993, was unique in several ways. First, it was one of the first document formats to allow for the creation of electronic documents that could be viewed and printed on any device, regardless of the operating system or software used to create them. This was a breakthrough at the time, as it made it possible to easily share documents with people who might not have the same software as you. Overall, the first version of PDF was a very innovative and powerful document format. It offered several advantages over other document formats of the time, such as PostScript and WordPerfect, and it quickly became one of the most popular document formats in the world.

PDF 1.2

PDF 1.2 was released in November 1996 and it was a significant update to the PDF format. It added several new features which include, colour support, interactive elements support, extended character sets and AcroForms. These new features made PDF 1.2 a much more versatile and powerful document format. It was now possible to use PDF to create a wide range of documents, including forms, presentations, and brochures. PDF 1.2 also made it possible to create PDF documents that were more accessible to people with disabilities. PDF 1.2 was a major step forward for the PDF format, and it helped to make PDF one of the most popular document formats in the world.

PDF 1.3

The third version of PDF, released in April 1999, was a significant update to the format. It introduced several new features, which include, smooth shading, PDF annotations, digital signatures, java actions and improved document encryption. These new features made PDF 1.3 a much more versatile and powerful document format. It was now possible to use PDF to create a wide range of documents, including interactive forms, presentations, and brochures. PDF 1.3 also made it possible to create PDF documents that were more secure and accessible.

PDF 1.4

The most notable new features of PDF 1.4, released in May 2001, were support for transparency and Tagged PDF. Tagged PDF is a special type of PDF document that contains meta-information about the document’s structure and content. This makes Tagged PDF documents more accessible to people with disabilities, as it allows screen readers to read the document aloud in a logical order. PDF 1.4 was a significant update to the PDF format, and it helped to make PDF one of the most popular document formats in the world.

 

PDF 1.5 and PDF 1.6

The new features in PDF 1.5, released in April 2003, were improved compression, support for layers, and additional PDF presentation transitions. The features include improved compression, support for layers and additional PDF presentation transitions. PDF 1.6, released in January 2005, introduced several new features, including AES encryption, support for embedding OpenType fonts, support for embedding 3D data, and support for embedding files into PDF.

Summary

In brief, the PDF format has evolved, with new versions being released that add new features and improve performance. Later versions of PDF have added more features and improved performance, but the basic features supported by PDF 1.0 are still supported by all PDF versions. This means that PDF documents created with older versions of PDF can still be opened and viewed by newer versions of PDF. If you need to create a PDF that will be used by a wide range of people, you should choose a version that is widely supported. For example, PDF 1.7 is widely supported by most devices and software.