Open And View PDF Online: Exploring Methods & Limits

When discussing PDF files, the thing that is overlooked the most is the importance of finding a good PDF viewer. There are many ways to open and view PDF files, but most offer basic features and an unfriendly interface. When looking for an ideal PDF tool, the PDF view feature has the same importance as other features like annotation, editing, etc. In this article, we'll introduce you to different ways to open and view PDFs online and offline.

Part 1: How to View PDF Online

There are many ways that you can use to open PDFs online. Most of these are quick and straightforward. The only requirement when viewing PDF files online is an active and running internet connection. Below are a few of the main methods you can use to open and view PDFs: 

Method 1: Open PDF Online with Browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox)

If you have a web browser like Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, etc., on your system, you can use it to open and view your PDF files. There are two ways you can open PDF files online in a browser:

Way 1: You need to right-click on the PDF file and select "Open with" among the options. Here choose a browser to open your PDF files.

Way 2: If the browser is already open, you can drag your PDF file and drop it on "New Tab" to open and view it.

Method 2: View PDF Online with UPDF

UPDF is the best economical tool available for PDF files. You can use it to open and view your PDF files in a friendly interface. Below are the steps you can use to open and view PDF files in UPDF:

Step 1: Import your PDF File

You must open UPDF on your Mac and select "Open File" to open and view your PDF files.

Step 2: Create the PDF Link

As the PDF opens, lead to the "Share this file with others" button on the right column to generate a link for your document. On the new window, you will find the "Copy Link" button that will copy the link of the PDF to the clipboard.

Step 3: Open the PDF Link

You can now open this copied link on any browser and view the PDF online with ease.

Method 3: View PDF Online in DocFly

You can upload PDFs online to view using DocFly. It is a great tool for opening and viewing your PDF files online and for some basic editing. Following are the two ways you can use to open your PDF files online:

Way 1: You can use the "Click to upload PDF" button to upload your PDF files in DocFly. It also allows you to drag and drop PDF files from your system.

Way 2: There is also an option to upload your files directly from Dropbox and Google Drive. It means you can view PDFs online without downloading them to your system.

Part 2: The Best Method to View PDF

UPDF is the best tool for viewing your PDF files because it has a user-friendly and eye-catching interface and many other features to make your viewing and reading process captivating. Its PDF viewer has multiple page-display, zoom, and slideshow options. You can use bookmarks and thumbnails to make your reading process more productive. It also allows you to rotate between Window Screen and Full-Screen modes.

You can also enable or disable comments when viewing a PDF file. UPDF has many more features and advantages compared to other PDF tools. Major features and advantages are discussed below:

Major Features of UPDF

• Share via Link: Instead of uploading PDF files manually when you need to share them, you can create a link and share it with others. It also allows you to share the link using your email directly.
• Annotation: The annotation feature allows you to highlight, underline or strikethrough any text you want. You can differentiate the highlighted sentences by changing their color or adding notes. Text comments and sticky notes can be added to PDF documents using UPDF. There are multiple options regarding shapes available if you want to use them.
• PDF Editing: When using the editing feature of UPDF, you can edit text, images, and links in PDF files. Text editing includes features like adding and deleting text and changing font style, color, or size. You can add, remove, crop, or rotate images in a PDF file using UPDF. The inter-page and website links can also be added to PDF documents.
• PDF Conversion: UPDF allows you to convert your PDF file to over 14 formats. These formats include Word, Excel, CSV, PowerPoint, HTML, etc. You can also convert your PDF files to PDF/A format to archive them. If a document is scanned, it allows you to use the OCR feature in UPDF to convert it to an editable PDF.
• Organizing PDF: Using the organizing tool of UPDF, you can add, remove, export, and import pages from a PDF file. You can also rotate or delete any pages you want in a PDF. In case the PDF file is too long, you can split it into multiple files using UPDF.
• Flatten PDF: If your PDF has multiple layers or comments, you can flatten it using UPDF to make the printing process smoother. It is helpful when trying to print PDF files with comments.
• Crop and Resize PDF: You can crop your PDF file using UPDF; if the file is large, you can resize it by deleting unnecessary pages.
• Permissions Restriction: If you need to share your file with someone but don't want them to change anything in it, you can turn on permissions settings. It allows you to set up a password so only people with a password can modify your PDF file.
• Dark Mode: Continuing to look at bright screens for long periods can hurt your eyes. UPDF allows you to turn on Dark Mode on Mac to relax your eyes.

Advantages of UPDF

• Multiple Platforms: UPDF supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android four devices.
• Friendly Interface: The interface of UPDF is lively and colorful. It is easy to understand and follow because all the main features are located on the main screen with proper icons and colors.

Part 3: Limitations of Opening and Viewing PDF Online

While opening and viewing your PDF files online saves you from the hassle of downloading and installing a PDF viewer tool, it has many demerits. These are the major limitations when trying to open PDF online for free:

• File Size Limit: There are always file size limitations when opening a PDF file online. Even if you buy a premium service, it is likely that you won't be able to upload a file beyond a specific size.
• Not Secure: Since most of the malware is on the internet, there is always a risk of losing your important data. Hackers may use online PDF tools to hack your system.
• Rely on the Internet: The online PDF viewer can only be accessed when you have the Internet. Similarly, if you have slow internet, you will have problems when opening large-size files.
• Multitasking: You cannot work on multiple files simultaneously using an online PDF viewer.

Part 4: Frequently Asked Questions

1. How Can I Read a PDF Online Without Downloading It?

If you have received the PDF file in the form of a link, like in the option provided by UPDF, you can open the PDF file in the browser by clicking on the link. It will open the PDF file without downloading the file.

2. Why is PDF Not Opening Online?

There is a chance that the link you have received no longer works. If you are uploading a file from your system, it is possible that your internet is too slow or the file size is larger than allowed. There is a chance that your PDF file might be damaged.

3. How Do I View PDFs in the Browser?

You can right-click on a PDF file and select browser among the "Open With" options to view PDF in the browser. Otherwise, you can drag and drop your PDF file to a browser and view it there.

4. Why PDF Link is Not Opening in Chrome?

The reason behind your PDF link not opening could be the wrong Chrome settings. Open "Settings" in Chrome and tap on "Privacy and Security" on the left sidebar. After that, select "Site Settings" and click on "Additional Content Settings." Here tap on "PDF Documents" and choose "Open PDFs in Chrome" to start viewing your PDF files in Chrome.

5. How Can I View a Secured PDF Online?

If the file is secured using a password, you would need to provide it when opening a file. You can remove the main password and permission settings by selecting "Remove Security" and providing the password in UPDF.

6. Which Free PDF Viewer is Best?

UPDF is the best free PDF viewer there is. It has a great dynamic interface, and you can open and view all the PDF files you want without any cost.

Conclusion

You are going to need an excellent PDF viewer to open and study your important PDF files in your student and professional life. The tool should have features like a versatile zoom, quick scrolling, bookmarks, thumbnails, highlights, etc. The interface and design of the tool should be vibrant and dynamic so that you don't lose focus. UPDF covers all these aspects and is also economical and fast, making it an ideal choice for you.