Mathematica Import/Export Format

PDF (.pdf)

MIME type: application/pdf
Adobe Acrobat format.
Standard format for exchanging and archiving multi-page documents.
PDF is an acronym for Portable Document Format.
Binary file format.
Stores text, fonts, images, and 2D vector graphics in a device- and resolution-independent way.
Can also store embedded raster images.
Supports multiple lossy and lossless compression methods.

Import and Export support PDF Version 1.5 and earlier.

Password-protected PDF files cannot be imported into Mathematica.

IMPORT AND EXPORT

Import["file.pdf"] imports a PDF file, returning all pages as a list of graphics.

Export["file.pdf", expr] exports any expression to PDF.

Import["file.pdf"] converts the pages of a PDF file to Mathematica vector graphics.

Import["file.pdf", "Plaintext"] gives a plain text version of a PDF file.

Export["file.pdf", expr] creates a PDF file from an arbitrary expression, cell or notebook object.

Mathematica does not rasterize fonts or 2D vector graphics when exporting to PDF.

Import["file.pdf", elem] imports the specified element from a PDF file.

Import["file.pdf", {elem, sub_a, sub_b, ...}] imports a subelement.

Import["file.pdf", {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] imports multiple elements.

The import format can be specified with Import["file", "PDF"] or Import["file", {"PDF", elem, ...}].

Export["file.pdf", expr, elem] creates a PDF file by treating expr as specifying element elem.

Export["file.pdf", {expr₁, expr₂, ...}, {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] treats each expr_i as specifying the corresponding elem_i.

Export["file.pdf", expr, opt₁->val₁, ...] exports expr with the specified option elements taken to have the specified values.

Export["file.pdf", {elem₁->expr₁, elem₂->expr₂, ...}, "Rules"] uses rules to specify the elements to be exported.

See the reference pages for full general information on Import and Export.

ImportString and ExportString support PDF.

NOTEBOOK INTERFACE

In the notebook front end, Insert ► Picture and the Open menu allow import of a PDF file into a cell.

Save As exports the active notebook as a PDF file.

Save Selection As exports the selected part of a notebook to PDF.

ELEMENTS

General Import elements:

	"Elements"	list of elements and options available in this file
	"Rules"	full list of rules for each element and option
	"Options"	list of rules for options, properties, and settings

Data representation elements:

	"Pages"	list of vector graphics, each representing a page of the PDF file
	"Plaintext"	textual content of the document, given as a string

Importing individual pages:

	"Pages", n	vector graphics, representing the n page
	"Plaintext", n	textual content of the n page

Meta-information elements:

	"Author"	name of person who created this document
	"CreationDate"	creation date of the document, given as a DateList specification
	"Creator"	program that created this file
	"PageCount"	number of pages
	"Title"	document title