What software made this PDF?
Drop a PDF to see what made it
Any PDF document
Works with Word Chrome Acrobat Mac Scanners
or paste a link (Ctrl+V) Paste a link
How it works
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Drop your file in the box above, or tap to choose one.
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We read the information saved inside it. This takes a few seconds.
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The answer appears right away, with a link you can share and the full details if you want them.
Reading a PDF's Producer
Every PDF names the software that made it, but the names can be cryptic: "Skia/PDF" means Chrome, "Quartz PDFContext" means a Mac or iPhone, "iText" means a server generated it.
This tool shows the names and explains them in plain words. That tells you whether a document was typed in Word, printed from a browser, scanned, or produced by a company's system.
- Producer and Creator
- Plain-language meaning
- Scanned or typed
- PDF version
Questions and answers
How do I find out what software created a PDF?
Drop it into the box above. You'll see the Producer and Creator saved in the file, with an explanation of what they mean.
What does "Skia/PDF" mean?
The PDF was made by Chrome or Microsoft Edge, usually with "Save as PDF" in the Print dialog.
What does "Quartz PDFContext" mean?
The PDF was made on an Apple device: a Mac, iPhone or iPad, often from the Print or Export as PDF option.
What's the difference between Creator and Producer?
The Creator is the app the document was written in, like Word. The Producer is the software that wrote the PDF itself. They can be the same app or two different ones.
Can this show whether a PDF was scanned?
Often, yes: scanners and scanning apps name themselves as the Producer. We point it out when we recognise one.
What happens to my file?
Your file is sent over an encrypted connection, read on our servers and deleted automatically after about 24 hours. The answer is kept on a page with its own link, so you can share it. Tool result pages are never listed in search engines.