PortableDocument.Core 0.1.0-preview.5

FreeDF for .NET

Read, render, extract, and edit PDFs in C# - without a PDF service. FreeDF is a managed .NET 10 PDF engine. Choose the packages you need; the rendering package brings the core document and content libraries with it. PDF files stay in your application unless you explicitly send them elsewhere.

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Get started

dotnet add package PortableDocument.Render --version 0.1.0-preview.5

using PortableDocument.Document;
using Pdf = PortableDocument.Render.PortableDocument;

var document = PdfDocument.Load(File.ReadAllBytes("input.pdf"));
var page = document.Pages[0];
var text = string.Concat(Pdf.ExtractText(page).Select(span => span.Text));
File.WriteAllBytes("page-1.png", Pdf.RenderPage(page, dpi: 144).ToPng());
Console.WriteLine(text);

PdfDocument.Load reads a complete byte array into memory. Pages is zero-indexed. The Pdf alias distinguishes the rendering entry point from the PortableDocument namespace.

Choose your packages

Use the same version across explicitly referenced FreeDF packages. Package dependencies are resolved automatically; you don't need to install all six.

Render with bundled fallback fonts

dotnet add package PortableDocument.FallbackFonts --version 0.1.0-preview.5

using PortableDocument.FallbackFonts;
using PortableDocument.Render;

var options = new PdfRenderOptions
{
    FontFallback = new BundledFontFallback(new DirectoryAssetSource())
};
var rendered = Pdf.RenderPage(page, options, dpi: 144);
File.WriteAllBytes("page-1.png", rendered.ToPng());

The font package copies its assets beside your application. This example uses only bundled substitutes for consistent output across hosts; omitting FontFallback uses installed system fonts. The optional timestamp client performs HTTP requests only when invoked.

Preview versions and compatibility

FreeDF is actively developed and does not claim complete PDF 2.0 parity. Preview releases may change APIs or output; pin a version and test your PDF corpus before upgrading. Use 0.1.0-preview.3 or later: preview.2 contains a fallback-font packaging defect.

All six packages share a version. Tags follow vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-preview.N for previews and vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH for stable releases. See GitHub Releases for changes, known limitations, and downloadable packages.

PDF actions and JavaScript are inspected as data, not executed. Validation and signature APIs report what they can establish; they are not a substitute for independent PDF/A, PDF/UA, or signature-trust certification. Review the coverage matrix before relying on a particular feature.

License and support

FreeDF code is MIT licensed. Copyright (c) 2026-Present David Pine. Included third-party data and fonts retain their own licenses; packages include THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md and the applicable license files.

Report an issue with a minimal reproduction, package version, and runtime details. Share a PDF only if you have permission and it contains no sensitive information.