Exporting a Report as a PDF File (Report Builder)
The PDF export option saves report data to a file that can be opened in Adobe Acrobat and other third-party PDF viewers that support PDF 1.3. Although PDF 1.3 is compatible with Adobe Acrobat 4, Report Builder supports Adobe Acrobat 6 or later. PDF viewers such as Adobe Acrobat are required for viewing or printing a report that is exported to a PDF format.
The PDF export option is based on the TIFF file export option, with some differences. For information common to the TIFF file export option and the PDF export option, see Exporting a Report as an Image File (Report Builder). This topic describes features that are specific to the PDF export option.
Font Requirements
When the PDF export option saves a report as a PDF file, it uses the information stored in the Report Builder fonts used in the report to create character mappings within the PDF file. If the font used in the report is not installed on the report server, the resulting PDF file might not contain the correct mappings and might not display correctly when viewed. In addition, the computer that you use to view the report must also have the correct font installed. If the font is not installed, the report might not display correctly.
Differences in PDF output occur most often when the report uses Arial and it includes non-Latin characters. Before sharing your report as a PDF file, you should test the PDF file on several different computers to verify that the report appears correctly.
Metadata
The PDF export option writes the following information to the PDF file.
| PDF property | Created from |
|---|---|
Title |
The Name attribute of the Report RDL element. |
Creator |
Reporting Services product name and version. |
Producer |
Export option name and version. |
CreationDate |
Report execution time in PDF datetime format. |
Fonts
The PDF export option does not embed fonts. Fonts that are used in the report must be installed on the report server and on the client computers used to view the report.
Images
If an image in the report is originally stored in JPEG format, the PDF file will contain that image in JPEG format. Images originally stored in other formats appear in PNG format.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Export a Report as a Different File Type (Report Builder)
Concepts
Exporting a Report as a Different File Type (Report Builder)
Design Considerations for Exporting a Report as a Different File Type (Report Builder)