PDF (raster — Portable Document Format, rasterized)

Raster PDF is the same familiar PDF, except the page inside it is not a set of vector objects but a single image. The file opens in any browser and viewer, and its weight depends not on how many houses and labels are on the map, but only on the resolution and the sheet size.

That is exactly why the format is chosen for large territories. A vector map of a million-strong city or of a region drags along hundreds of thousands of objects, and the viewer starts thinking over every page turn. The raster version opens instantly and scrolls equally fast on a weak laptop and on a phone.

The resolution is picked automatically from the area: for a region up to 10,000 km2 the sheet is capped at A2 size and drawn at 300 dots per inch — the labels come out crisp; for larger regions the sheet size is fitted to the map's proportions and the resolution stays at 150 dots per inch, otherwise the file would grow to an unacceptable weight. If you need a different value, set the DPI explicitly at export time — your choice takes priority.

The price for the speed is honest: the text in such a file is baked into the picture. Labels cannot be selected or found by search, zooming runs into the resolution, and you will not be able to edit the map as vector graphics. If you need those capabilities, take vector PDF or SVG.