PDF Anvil

Open and read a PDF

Open a PDF file and read it in your browser. Scroll through the pages, zoom in, and print. The file stays on your device.

How it works

  1. 1

    Drop a PDF into the box, or click to choose it.

  2. 2

    Scroll through the pages. Use the toolbar to go to a page, zoom in, zoom out, or fit the page to the width of the window.

  3. 3

    Click Print to open the file in a new tab and print it from your browser. Click the X next to the file name to open a different file.

Secure and private by design

  • Files never leave your deviceThe tool runs as JavaScript in your browser. There is no upload and no server-side copy of your document.
  • Works offlineAfter the page loads, you can disconnect from the internet. Processing does not need a connection.
  • No queue, no limitsYour device does the work, so there is no waiting line, no daily quota, and no watermark.

Frequently asked questions

Drop the file on this page, or click the box and choose it. You do not need Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. The page draws the PDF with the same open-source engine that Firefox uses. It works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. There is nothing to install.

A PDF reader is a program that opens PDF files and shows the pages on your screen. Adobe Reader is one example. Most browsers also have one built in. This page is a PDF reader that runs as a web page. It draws each page in your browser and does not send the file anywhere.

No. The file is read by JavaScript on your own device and drawn on your screen there. Nothing is sent to a server. You can check this in the network panel of your browser: no request carries your file.

Mostly. The file is opened in your browser, and no data goes to a server. The viewer code and some fonts load from our site when they are needed for the first time. Open the page and one file while you are online. After that, you can open more files without a connection until you close the tab.

Yes. Click Print in the toolbar. The file opens in a new tab in the PDF viewer of your browser. Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac) there to print it. The browser prints the original file, so the text stays sharp on paper.

Yes. Use the plus and minus buttons in the toolbar, or click Fit width to make the page as wide as the window. Each page is drawn again at the new size, so the text stays sharp at every zoom level.

No. This tool only shows the file. To change the file, use the other tools on this site: rotate pages, reorder or delete pages, split, merge, or convert pages to images.

No. There is no page limit, no file count limit, and no daily quota. The only limit is the memory of your device. Files above 100 MB show a warning, but they still work on most computers.

Yes, it is free, and there is no account. No sign-up, no email, no watermark, and no premium tier. PDF Anvil is a KafLabs side project that exists to be useful.

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