DVI
Device Independent file
DVI is the output document format produced by the TeX typesetting system, containing absolute page layout instructions.
What is Device Independent file?
A DVI (DeVice Independent) file is generated by TeX when it compiles source code. Created by David R. Fuchs in 1982, the format contains all the text layout and positioning information required to render a document, but relies on external font files and drivers to display or print the output on a specific device. Because DVI does not embed fonts directly, files remain compact and are typically converted to formats like PDF or SVG for modern viewing.
Advantages
- Extremely compact file size due to lack of embedded bitmaps and fonts
- Completely independent of output device resolution
- Precise typographic positioning and layout control
- Fast generation speed during TeX compilation
Limitations
- Requires external font metric (TFM) and font files to render correctly
- Not natively supported by standard web browsers or modern document readers
- Outdated format mostly superseded by PDF for general distribution
How to open Device Independent file files
TeXview
Yap (Yet Another Previewer)
xdvi
Evince
Okular
Common use cases
- Previewing academic papers and books during the TeX writing process
- Intermediate step before converting typesetting output to PDF or SVG using ConvertX
- Generating print-ready mathematical and scientific documents
DVI converters
Explore other formats
Frequently asked questions
DVI stands for Device Independent. It means the document layout is independent of any specific printer or display screen resolution.
You can view DVI files using specialized previewers like xdvi, Yap, or Okular. Alternatively, you can convert DVI to PDF using ConvertX for universal viewing.
DVI files only contain positioning commands and text references, without embedding heavy fonts or raster graphics directly into the file.
Yes, you can easily convert DVI documents to PDF or SVG using ConvertX tools like dvi-to-pdf and dvi-to-svg.