Every PDF can name two pieces of software: the Creator and the Producer. The Creator is the app the document was written in, such as Word. The Producer is the software that turned it into a PDF, or last rewrote the PDF file. Read together, they often tell you the path a document took before it reached you.
Two fields, two different apps
When you write a letter in Word and save it as a PDF, Word does both jobs, so both fields usually name Word. When you print a web page to PDF, the browser is the Creator and its PDF engine is the Producer. When you open a finished PDF in a PDF editor and save it again, the editor often replaces the Producer with its own name, while the Creator still names the app the document started in.
So a Producer that differs from the Creator usually means the file passed through a second program at some point.
What common PDFs say
The exact words vary with versions and settings, but these patterns are typical.
| How the PDF was made | Creator usually says | Producer usually says |
|---|---|---|
| Saved as PDF from Microsoft Word | Microsoft Word | Microsoft Word |
| Printed with Microsoft Print to PDF | The app it was printed from, or nothing | Microsoft: Print To PDF |
| Printed or exported on a Mac | The app, such as Pages or Word | macOS and “Quartz PDFContext” |
| Printed to PDF from Chrome, or downloaded from Google Docs | The browser or Google Docs, or nothing | Skia/PDF and a version number |
| Exported from LibreOffice | Writer, Calc or Impress | LibreOffice and a version number |
| Scanned on a scanner or copier | The scanning software | The scanner’s or copier’s software |
| Generated by a bank, payroll or accounts system | The organisation’s own system | A PDF library that system uses |
| Re-saved in an online PDF editor or converter | Often still the original app | The editor or converter’s name |
When the two don’t match
A mismatch is common and mostly innocent. People compress large files, merge several documents into one, add a signature image or fill in a form, and each of those can leave a different Producer behind.
It becomes interesting when it doesn’t fit the document’s story. A bank statement that should come straight from the bank’s system, but whose Producer names a free online editor, has been through that editor. A payslip whose Creator is a word processor rather than payroll software was typed rather than generated. Neither proves anything is wrong, but both are fair reasons to ask how the file was made, and to check the details with whoever issued it.
Look at the dates at the same time. A file whose Producer is an editor, modified days after it was created and saved more than once, has clearly been worked on after it was made. How to see when a PDF was created explains the dates.
When the fields are empty
Some apps write very little, and privacy tools remove these fields on purpose. An empty Creator and Producer don’t mean a file is fake. But documents from banks, employers and big companies normally carry their system’s details, so a bare file from one of them is a reason to ask for the original download.
How to see them
Attach the PDF to the free checker on our home page. The Creator is shown as Made with and the Producer as Saved as PDF by, next to the created and modified dates and the number of saves. It all happens in your browser, and the file is never uploaded.
In Adobe Acrobat Reader, choose File, then Properties: the Description tab calls them Application and PDF Producer. For every detail the file holds, use Verify Metadata.
How far to trust them
These fields are written by software, and they can be edited by anyone with the right app. Treat them as a clue about a file’s history, never as proof of who made it or whether its contents are true. If a document matters, confirm what it says with the person or organisation that issued it. If you’d like someone to look at a file by hand, Document Check is our paid check for signs of editing or backdating.
Frequently asked questions
What does Producer mean in a PDF?
It names the software that wrote the PDF file itself: the PDF engine of the app that created it, or the last program that rewrote it, such as a PDF editor or converter.
What is the difference between Creator and Producer?
The Creator is the app the content was made in, such as Word or Pages. The Producer is the software that produced the PDF. They’re often the same app, and differ when a second program was involved.
Why does my PDF say Skia/PDF?
Skia is the graphics engine used by Google Chrome and other Google products. A Producer of Skia/PDF usually means the file was printed to PDF from Chrome or downloaded from a Google app such as Google Docs.
Can you find out who made a PDF?
Sometimes. The Author field often holds the name of the account on the computer that made it. Templates carry old names forward and the field can be edited, so it’s a hint about who made the file, not proof.
