Adobe Acrobat

Software that allows users of different computer systems (PC, Macintosh, minicomputer, mainframe) to transfer a document from one computer to another (via disk or Internet), without any degradation or change in how the document looks on the screen or in print. Acrobat preserves colors, fonts, graphic elements, and layout of a document and reproduces them accurately. It converts the document's file format into portable document file (PDF) format which can be read by any computer by using Acrobat Reader software (without needing the application program with which the document was originally created). PDF is the de facto worldwide standard for platform-independent distribution of books, brochures, catalogs, ezines, newsletters, and other types of literature. See also Extensible Markup Language (XML).