To convert a file to PDF, open it in the app that created it and choose Save as PDF, Export as PDF or Print, then pick Microsoft Print to PDF (Windows) or Save as PDF (Mac, Chromebook, phone). If you do not have the right app, upload the file to a free online converter such as WoowPDF Convert Any File to PDF, which turns Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OpenDocument, RTF, TXT, CSV, HTML, EPUB and SVG files into a PDF in seconds. Below are the exact steps for every device and file type, plus fixes for the problems people hit most often.
In this guide: Windows · Mac · Chromebook and Linux · Office and Google Docs · iPhone and Android · Paper and photos · Web pages and emails · Any format online · Common problems · FAQ
How to convert a file to PDF on Windows
Windows 10 and 11 include a virtual printer called Microsoft Print to PDF, so any program that can print can also make a PDF:
- Open the file and press Ctrl+P.
- Choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer.
- Set the page size and orientation if the dialog offers them, then click Print.
- Pick a folder and a file name, and save.
The result looks like a printout, so links and bookmarks are usually lost. For Office documents, Save as PDF (below) keeps them.
Microsoft Print to PDF is missing? Open the Start menu, type "Turn Windows features on or off", tick Microsoft Print to PDF, click OK and restart the program you were printing from.
How to change a file to PDF on a Mac
- Open the file and choose File, Print (or press Cmd+P).
- Click the PDF menu at the bottom left and choose Save as PDF.
- Name the file and save.
Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Preview also have File, Export as PDF, which gives a cleaner result than printing. To put several images into one PDF on a Mac, open them together in Preview, select all thumbnails in the sidebar and choose File, Print, then Save as PDF.
How to convert a file to PDF on a Chromebook or Linux
On a Chromebook, open the file in Chrome or the Gallery app, press Ctrl+P, set Destination to Save as PDF and click Save. Files that ChromeOS cannot open, such as a DOCX without Google Docs, can be converted online in the browser.
On Linux desktops (Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint), press Ctrl+P and choose Print to File with the output format PDF. LibreOffice, which most distributions include, also has File, Export as PDF for documents, spreadsheets and slides.
How to convert Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Google Docs to PDF
Every office suite can save to PDF directly, which keeps links, headings and selectable text:
| App | Menu |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint | File, Save As, choose PDF as the file type (or File, Export, Create PDF) |
| Google Docs, Sheets, Slides | File, Download, PDF document |
| LibreOffice | File, Export as PDF |
| Pages, Numbers, Keynote | File, Export To, PDF |
In Excel, set the print area first (Page Layout, Print Area) or a wide sheet spreads over many pages. In Word, tick "Create bookmarks using Headings" under Options so the PDF gets a clickable outline.
No Office on this computer? Use Word to PDF, Excel to PDF or PowerPoint to PDF online instead.
How to convert a file to PDF on iPhone and Android
iPhone and iPad
Open the file, tap Share, then Print. In the print preview, tap Share again and choose Save to Files. The saved file is a PDF. In Safari you can also tap Share, then Options at the top, choose PDF and save the page to Files.
Android
Open the file, tap the menu, then Print. Choose Save as PDF as the printer and tap the PDF button. Google Docs, Sheets and Slides on Android also have Share and export, Save as, PDF.
Photos are easier with a dedicated tool: JPG to PDF or Images to PDF put several pictures into one PDF in the order you choose.
How to turn paper documents and photos into a PDF
A paper form, receipt or ID card becomes a PDF with your phone camera:
- iPhone: in the Notes app, tap the camera icon, then Scan Documents. The Files app has the same Scan Documents option under the three dot menu.
- Android: in the Google Drive app, tap the plus button, then Scan. Drive saves the pages as one PDF.
- Any phone, no app: take photos and open Scan to PDF in the browser. It crops, straightens and enhances each page, then saves them as one PDF.
For an ID card with a front and a back, ID card to PDF puts both sides on one A4 page at real card size. A scan is a picture of text, so run PDF OCR afterwards if you need to search or copy the words.
How to save a web page or an email as a PDF
In Chrome, Edge or Firefox, press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac) and choose Save as PDF or Microsoft Print to PDF. Turn off "Headers and footers" if you do not want the date and address printed on every page. Our guide on how to save a web page as PDF covers long pages, cookie banners and lazy loaded images, and URL to PDF does it from a link alone.
For an email, open the message, choose Print (in Gmail it is the printer icon at the top right of the message) and save as PDF. Attachments are not included, so convert them separately and merge the PDFs if you need one file.
Converting files to PDF online: any format
Some files cannot be printed on your device: an old .wpd from WordPerfect, an .odt or .odp from LibreOffice, a Mac .pages file on Windows, an EPUB e-book or an SVG drawing. For these, the any file to PDF converter does the work on our server:
- Open Convert Any File to PDF.
- Add one or more files (up to 100 MB each).
- Click Convert and download the PDF, or a ZIP when you convert several files.
The files are converted with LibreOffice, or with a real browser engine for HTML, and deleted right after processing. It is free and needs no account. E-books keep their chapters as bookmarks with EPUB to PDF.
Which tool for which file?
| File type | Fastest way to PDF |
|---|---|
| DOC, DOCX, ODT, RTF | Word to PDF |
| XLS, XLSX, ODS, CSV | Excel to PDF |
| PPT, PPTX, ODP | PowerPoint to PDF |
| JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF and BMP images | Images to PDF |
| Phone photos of paper | Scan to PDF |
| Web page address | URL to PDF |
| HTML pages and code | HTML to PDF |
| Plain text, TXT, logs | Text to PDF |
| EPUB e-books | EPUB to PDF |
| WPD, Pages, SVG, XML and mixed batches | Any file to PDF |
Common problems when converting to PDF, and fixes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Fonts look different | The converter does not have the font | Export from the original app, or embed fonts (Word: Options, Save, Embed fonts) |
| Spreadsheet cut into many pages | No print area, columns wider than the page | Set a print area and choose Fit all columns on one page or landscape |
| Pages come out sideways | Mixed portrait and landscape pages | Rotate the PDF pages that are wrong |
| PDF too large to email or upload | Full resolution photos inside | Compress the PDF, or set a target size such as 1 MB |
| Text cannot be searched or copied | The PDF is a scan (an image) | Run PDF OCR |
| A portal asks for PDF/A | Archives need a self contained format | Convert with PDF to PDF/A |
| File contains private data | PDFs open for anyone who has them | Add a password before sharing |
Why convert files to PDF at all?
A PDF looks the same on every phone, computer and printer, keeps fonts and layout fixed, and is the format most forms, schools, employers and government portals ask for. It is an open standard (ISO 32000), so it will still open in decades. Converting is free on every device, and for any format your device cannot open, the free online file to PDF converter fills the gap.
Questions about converting files to PDF
How do I convert a file to PDF for free?
Every modern computer and phone can do it without extra software: use Print and choose Microsoft Print to PDF or Save as PDF. For formats your device cannot open, a free online converter such as WoowPDF converts the file without an account.
Can I convert any file type to PDF?
Any document, spreadsheet, presentation, image, e-book, web page or text file can become a PDF. Files that are not meant to be printed, such as videos, audio or program files, cannot be turned into a useful PDF.
Does converting to PDF reduce quality?
Text and vector drawings stay sharp because they are stored as text and shapes, not pixels. Photos keep their quality unless you compress the PDF afterwards.
How do I combine several files into one PDF?
Convert each file to PDF first, then use Merge PDF to join them in the order you want. For photos only, Images to PDF does both steps at once.
Is it safe to convert files to PDF online?
Use a converter that states how it handles files. WoowPDF deletes uploaded files right after processing, and many of its tools run entirely in your browser, so the file never leaves your device. For highly confidential documents, the built in Save as PDF on your own computer is the safest option.
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