File format options for PDF export

File format options for PDF export

File format options for PDF export in Acrobat

To convert a PDF to different file formats, select Convert from the global bar. Each file format includes unique conversion settings. Alternatively, you can use the Export a PDF tool from the All tools menu.

Adobe PDF options (Acrobat Pro)

You can resave PDFs as optimized PDFs using settings in the PDF Optimizer dialog box. The PDF Optimizer lets you change the compatibility version of your PDFs so they can be viewed using older versions of Acrobat or Acrobat Reader. When you change the compatibility setting, newer features may be unavailable in the PDF. For an explanation of each compatibility setting, view PDF compatibility levels.

Note

If you want to use the same settings every time you convert PDFs to a particular format, specify those settings in the Preferences dialog box. In the Convert From PDF panel, select a file format from the list and select Edit Settings. You can select the Defaults at the top of the Save as Settings dialog box to revert to the default settings.

Image conversion settings

JPEG and JPEG 2000 conversion settings

In Acrobat, select All tools > Export a PDF and select Image format. From the drop-down menu next to Image format, select the format you want your image to be. You get JPEG and JPEG 2000 options. Select the settings icon to change the export preferences. 

File Settings

  • Grayscale/Color: Specifies a compression setting that balances file size with image quality. The smaller the file, the lesser the image quality.
  • Tile Size: Divides the image being compressed into tiles of the given size. (If the image height or width is not an even multiple of the tile size, partial tiles are used on the edges.) Image data for each tile is individually compressed and can be individually decompressed. The default value of 256 is recommended. This option is available only for JPEG 2000 format.
  • Format: Determines how the file is displayed. Available only in JPEG format. It provides the following options:
    • Baseline (Standard): Displays the image when it has fully downloaded. This JPEG format is recognizable to most web browsers.
    • Baseline (Optimized): Optimizes color quality of the image and produces smaller file sizes but is not supported by all web browsers.
    • Progressive (3 scans-5 scans): Downloads the image first as a low-resolution image, with incremental quality improvements as downloading continues.

Color Management

RGB/CMYK/Grayscale Specifies the type of color management to be applied to the output file and whether to embed an ICC profile.

Note

If you use the Export To or Export All Images command on a PDF that contains JPEG and JPEG 2000 images, and export the content to JPEG or JPEG 2000 format, the resulting image may look different when opened in Acrobat. This can happen if the images have a color profile included at the page level but not inside the image data. In this case, Acrobat cannot bring the page-level color profile into the resulting saved image.

Conversion

Colorspace/Resolution Specifies a color space and resolution for the output file. You can let Acrobat determine these settings automatically. To convert color images in the file to shades of gray, choose Grayscale.

Note

Higher resolutions, such as 2400 pixels per inch (ppi), are suitable only for small page sizes (up to 6.826 inches or 173.380 millimeters).

PDF to PNG conversion settings

In Acrobat, select All tools > Export a PDF and select Image format. From the drop-down menu next to Image format, select PNG. Select the settings icon to change the export preferences. 

PNG format is useful for images that are used on the web.

File Settings

Interlace Specifies if the image is interlaced. None creates an image that displays in a web browser only after downloading is complete. Adam7 creates an image that displays low-resolution versions in a browser while the full image file is downloading. Adam7 can make downloading time seem shorter and assures viewers that downloading is in progress; however, it increases file size.

Filter: Lets you select a filtering algorithm.

  • None: Compresses the image without a filter. Recommended for indexed-color and Bitmap-mode images.
  • Sub: Optimizes the compression of images with even horizontal patterns or blends.
  • Up: Optimizes the compression of images with even vertical patterns.
  • Average: Optimizes the compression of low-level noise by averaging the color values of adjacent pixels.
  • Paeth: Optimizes the compression of low-level noise by reassigning adjacent color values.
  • Adaptive: Applies the filtering algorithm—Sub, Up, Average, or Paeth—best suited for the image. Select Adaptive if you are unsure of which filter to use.

Color Management

RGB/Grayscale Specifies the type of color management for the output file and whether to embed an ICC profile.

Conversion

Colorspace/Resolution Specifies a color space and resolution for the output file. You can let Acrobat determine these settings automatically. To convert color images in the file to shades of gray, choose Grayscale.

Note

Higher resolutions, such as 2400 ppi, are suitable only for small page sizes (up to 6.826 inches or 173.380 millimeters).

PDF to TIFF conversion settings

In Acrobat, select All tools > Export a PDF and select Image format. From the drop-down menu next to Image format, select TIFF. Select the settings icon to change the export preferences. 

TIFF is a flexible bitmap image format supported by virtually all paint, image-editing, and page-layout applications. Resolution is determined automatically.

File Settings

Monochrome Specifies a compression format. CCITTG4 is the default and generally produces the smallest file size. ZIP compression also produces a small file.

Note

Some applications cannot open TIFF files that are saved with JPEG or ZIP compression. In these cases, LZW compression is recommended.  

Color Management

RGB/CMYK/Grayscale/Other Specifies the type of color management for the output file.

Conversion

Colorspace/Resolution Specifies a color space and resolution for the output file. You can let Acrobat determine these settings automatically. To convert color images in the file to shades of gray, choose Grayscale.

Note

Higher resolutions, such as 2400 ppi, are suitable only for small page sizes (up to 6.826 inches or 173.380 millimeters).

PDF to Microsoft Word conversion settings

In Acrobat, select All tools > Export a PDF and select Microsoft Word. From the drop-down menu next to Microsoft Word, select the format you want your document to be in. You get DOC and DOCX options. Select the settings icon to change the export preferences. 

Layout Settings

  • Retain Flowing Text: Specifies that text flow must be retained.
  • Retain Page Layout: Specifies that page layout must be retained.

Comments Settings

  • Include Comments: Exports comments to the output file.

Image Settings

  • Include Images: Exports images to the output file.

Text Recognition Settings

  • Recognize Text If Needed: Recognizes text if the PDF contains images that contain text.
  • Set Language: Specifies the language setting for OCR.

Convert PDF to RTF

  1. 1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.

  2. 2. From the global bar, select Convert.

  3. 3. Under EXPORT PDF TO, select the drop-down menu next to Other format. Then select RTF. 

    A PDF is opened in Acrobat. Convert pane is openend and the Other format drop down menu is open with the RTF option highlighted.

  4. 4. Select Convert to RTF. 

  5. 5. In the Save as dialog, select a location where you want to save the file and then select Save.

PDF to RTF conversion settings

In Acrobat, select All tools > Export a PDF and select Other format. From the drop-down menu next to Other format, select RTF. Select the settings icon to change the export preferences. 

Layout Settings

  • Retain Flowing Text: Specifies that text flow must be retained.
  • Retain Page Layout: Specifies that page layout must be retained.

Comments Settings

  • Include Comments: Exports comments to the output file.

Image Settings

  • Include Images: Exports images to the output file.

Text Recognition Settings

  • Recognize Text If Needed: Recognizes text if the PDF contains images that contain text.
  • Set Language: Specifies the language setting for OCR.

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