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Learn how to get PDF files to open in the Firefox window and fix common problems like blank pages and files downloading instead of opening.

Firefox includes a built-in PDF viewer to display PDF files inside the browser window. This article explains how to use the built-in PDF viewer, how to use another PDF viewer and how to fix the common issues you might encounter. __TOC__ = Using the built-in PDF Viewer = Firefox includes a built-in PDF viewer that allows you to view almost all PDF files found on the web without a plugin. The built-in PDF viewer is enabled by default. ;[[Image:PDF JS]] ==PDF Viewer toolbar functions== *'''View document thumbnails or outline''' - The slider button on the far left will open a sidebar with thumbnails of the document's pages. Some documents will also have an outline view available. These make it easy to navigate through a long document. *:[[Image:PDF Thumbnails]] *'''Page up and down or skip directly to a page''' - You can use the up and down arrows to page through a document or enter the number of the page you want to go to. *:[[Image:PDF Pager]] *'''Change the size of the document''' - Use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out or choose a zoom setting from the dropdown menu. *:[[Image:PDF Zoom]] *'''Fullscreen or Presentation mode''' - Click the fullscreen button to allow the PDF file to take over your entire screen. Press {key ESC} to exit fullscreen mode. *:[[Image:PDF Fullscreen]] *'''Print''' - Click the Printer button to open the print setup dialog. *:[[Image:PDF Print]] *'''Download''' - Click the Download button to save the PDF file to your computer or to open it with a PDF reader program. *:[[Image:PDF Download]] *'''Copy current view''' - [[T:contextmenu]] the current view button to open the current view in another tab or window. *:[[Image:PDF Copy]] ==PDF Viewer keyboard shortcuts== {| !Command !Shortcut |- |Next page |{key N} or {key K} or {key &#8594;} |- |Previous page |{key P} or {key J} or {key &#8592;} |- |Zoom in |{for win,linux}{key Ctrl+&#43}{/for}{for mac}{key command+&#43}{/for} |- |Zoom out |{for win,linux}{key Ctrl+-}{/for}{for mac}{key command+-}{/for} |- |Automatic Zoom |{for win,linux}{key Ctrl+0}{/for}{for mac}{key command+0}{/for} |- |Rotate the document clockwise |{key R} |- |Rotate counterclockwise |{key Shift+R} |} ==Troubleshoot problems with the PDF viewer== *With certain types of PDF files, the PDF Viewer may have problems displaying fonts, colors or the whole document. If some PDF files don't render well or are blank, click the download button on the right side of the document header to open it with the default PDF viewer application on your computer. *If you can't open any PDF files with the built-in PDF viewer, a Firefox extension could be the cause. You can disable all your extensions, to see if one of them was the problem. <!-- Maybe the user is using NoScript and doesn't want to disable it completely. Note that https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=739058 is now resolved WORKSFORME as of 2013-02-06. --> For details, see [[Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems#w_disable-all-extensions]]. = Using another PDF viewer = If you'd rather not use the built-in PDF Viewer, you can use a plugin to view PDF files in Firefox or you can view PDF files outside of Firefox using an external application. For more information, see [[How to disable the built-in PDF viewer and use another viewer]]. To change from using the built-in PDF viewer to another PDF viewer: # [[T:optionspreferences]] # Select the {menu Applications} panel. # Find '''Portable Document Format (PDF)''' in the list and click on the entry to select it. # Click on the drop-down arrow in the '''Action''' column for the above entry. The Action entry will show ''Preview in Firefox'' when you're using the built-in PDF Viewer. #* To use an external application to view PDF files, select the entry for the PDF application you wish to use, such as {for mac}'''Use Preview''' or {/for}'''Use Adobe Reader'''. #* To use a plugin to view PDF files in Firefox, select '''Use ''PDF plugin name'' (in Firefox)'''. {for mac}{warning}Warning: The "Adobe Acrobat NPAPI Plug-in" has been known to cause problems in Firefox. See [[PDF files are blank or cause an error message on Mac]] for details.{/warning}{/for} <!-- Mozilla plans to drop support for all NPAPI plugins except Flash, in 2017. See https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2015/10/08/npapi-plugins-in-firefox/ and https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2016/07/20/reducing-adobe-flash-usage-in-firefox/ --> ==Using a PDF viewer plugin== {for win7,win8,win10} {note}Note: You will not be able to use a PDF plugin in the new 64-bit Firefox, which has limited plugin support. See [[How do I tell if I have the 32-bit or 64-bit Firefox?]].{/note}{/for} You can use a PDF plugin {for win} like [[Use the Adobe Reader plugin to view or download PDF files|Adobe Reader]], [http://www.nitroreader.com/ Nitro PDF Reader] or [http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sumatrapdf/free-pdf-reader.html Sumatra PDF]{/for}{for linux} like [[Use the Adobe Reader plugin to view or download PDF files|Adobe Reader]], [http://mozplugger.mozdev.org/ MozPlugger], or [http://www.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/~fischer/kpartsplugin/ KParts plugin]{/for}{for mac}, if one is available{/for}, to view PDF files in Firefox. If you have installed a PDF reader plugin but PDF files are not displayed in Firefox, try these solutions: ===Enable the PDF plugin=== Your PDF plugin may be disabled in Firefox. To enable it: #[[T:Open Add-ons|type=Plugins]] #Select your PDF plugin. #Select {button Always Activate} in its drop-down menu. ===Reset download actions=== # [[T:profileFolder]] # [[T:closeFirefox]] # Delete (or rename) the {filepath mimetypes.rdf} file. ===Other solutions=== *Re-initialize the plugins database. Follow the instructions in [[Troubleshoot issues with plugins like Flash or Java to fix common Firefox problems#w_re-initializing-the-plugins-database|Re-initializing the plugins database]]. *If the PDF plugin comes bundled with an application, check the application preferences, to see if there is an Internet setting to enable the plugin or to display PDF files in the browser. <!-- The Adobe Reader "Display PDF In Browser" preference does not exist in current versions, only Acrobat/Reader X or earlier. Ref. https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/cant-view-pdf-web.html --> *If the PDF plugin comes bundled with an application, uninstall and re-install the PDF application.{for win,linux} If the PDF application is Adobe Reader, uninstall all versions of Adobe Reader from your computer (see [http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/400/kb400769.html Adobe's instructions for uninstalling] for Reader versions 8 and above) and then reinstall the latest version from [http://get.adobe.com/reader/ Adobe's download page].{/for}{for win} If you still can't view a PDF in Firefox with the Adobe Reader plugin, see the Adobe help page, [https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/cant-view-pdf-web.html Troubleshoot viewing PDF files on the web].{/for}