PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format developed by Adobe that preserves document formatting across different devices and operating systems. PDFs display consistently regardless of the software, hardware, or operating system viewing them, making the format ideal for official documents, reports, and forms. Municipalities commonly use PDFs for council agendas, reports, forms, and archived documents. PDF files can include text, images, links, and even fillable form fields. While PDFs excel at preserving appearance, they're less accessible than HTML for screen readers and less editable than word processing formats. Modern PDFs can be made accessible with proper structure and alternative text.