4 Ways to Create PDF Files

This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.

This article has been viewed 1,830,882 times.

Creating a PDF file is a great way to share your ideas and to make sure that they can't be altered without leaving an electronic footprint. There are multiple ways to create a PDF file and all of them are fairly quick and easy. This wikiHow article teaches you 4 different ways to create PDFs.

Making a PDF File
  1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
  2. Go to "File" > "Save As" and select "PDF" as the file type or format.
  3. Click "Export" or "Save."
Method 1 of 4:

Creating a PDF from a Word Doc on a PC

Step 1 Open your document in Microsoft Word.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Step 2 Click File.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Click File . It's in the ribbon above the editing space in the document. Advertisement

Step 3 Click Save.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Step 4 Select PDF under the

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Select PDF under the "Save as type" drop-down. It's near the bottom of the menu.

Step 5 Click Save.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Click Save . Now you have a PDF version of the Word document, but if you want to make changes to it, open the ".docx" or ".doc" version and make your changes before saving it as a PDF again. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source

Advertisement Method 2 of 4:

Creating a PDF from a Word Doc on a Mac

Step 1 Open your document in Microsoft Word.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Open your document in Microsoft Word. You'll find this app in the Applications folder of Finder.

Step 2 Click File.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Click File . You'll see this option in the Apple Menu at the top of your screen.

Step 3 Click Save As.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Click Save As . You can also press Shift + Cmd + S.

Step 4 Select PDF.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Step 5 Click Export.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Click Export . This blue button is in the lower right corner of the window and will save the file as a PDF. [2] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source

Advertisement Method 3 of 4:

Using a Web Browser

Step 1 Navigate to the page that you want to save as a PDF.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Step 2 Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+P (Mac).

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd + P (Mac). This will open the Print Menu.

Step 3 Select

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Select "Save as PDF" from the drop-down. If you're using Windows, you'll see this option under the "Printer" menu. You'll see the "Save as PDF" option under the "Local Destinations" heading on Macs.

Step 4 Click Print.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Click Print . The page will save as a PDF and may open your file manager so you can choose where to save it. [3] X Trustworthy Source US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau U.S. government agency for protecting consumers in the financial sector Go to source

Advertisement Method 4 of 4:

Using an Online Converter on a PC or Mac

Step 1 Find a reliable online converter.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Step 2 Click Choose file or Browse.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Click Choose file or Browse . Any converter will give you the option of browsing through your files to choose the ones you'd like to add to the PDF.

Step 3 Select as many files as you want or can.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Step 4 Click Convert to PDF.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

Click Convert to PDF . Wait for the file to convert to a PDF. This can take a few minutes, especially if you have multiple files. When the process is finished, you will be told that your files are ready to be downloaded.

Step 5 Download your converted files.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Download your converted files. Click on the files and wait for them to download.

Step 6 Save them to your computer.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n"> Save them to your computer. You have finished creating the PDF files. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

How can I merge two PDF files into one? Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Computer & Tech Specialist Expert Answer

You can use Acrobat or CutePDF to do that by using the Merge function. If you don't want to use any software, you can also do it the old-fashioned way by printing both documents and scanning the pages in the desired order to create a new PDF.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

Can I create a PDF file from pictures? wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer

This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer

Yes. One easy way to do this is to save an image as a PDF file in a graphics editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop. Your scanner software might also allow you to save scanned images as a PDF. If you have Microsoft Word, paste one or more images into a .doc file and export it as a PDF.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

What programs can I use to create PDF files? wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer

This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer

You can export PDF files from Word documents or create them in Adobe Acrobat Pro. There are also a variety of free programs you can use, such as AbleWord or PDFMate.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Advertisement Always save the file even if you've saved the PDF file. It's usually easier to edit.

The links in the text will not work in PDF format, so be sure to write the entire URL (https://something.com) instead of linking text (creating hyperlinks).

You can use OpenOffice instead if you don't have Word. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Please provide your name and last initial Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

You Might Also Like

Save a PDF File

5 Easy Ways to Save and Download a PDF File

Print PDF Files

Print PDF Files

Convert a File Into PDF

Convert a File Into PDF

Reduce PDF File Size

Reduce PDF File Size

<a href=Scan Multiple Pages Into One PDF File" width="342" height="184" />

Scan Multiple Pages Into One PDF File

Insert an Image Into PDF

3 Easy Ways to Insert a Picture Into a PDF File

Convert an AutoCAD File to PDF

How to Convert a DWG File to a PDF

Compress a PDF File

How to Compress a PDF File: 4 Easy Tricks on PC & Mac

Copy a Table from a PDF to Excel

How to Copy a Table from a PDF to Excel

Attach a File to a PDF Document

3 Easy Ways to Attach a File to a PDF

View a PDF Document in Full Screen View

View a PDF Document in Full Screen View

Unlock a Secure PDF File

Unlock a Secure PDF File

Download PDFs

Download PDFs

Digitally Sign PDF Documents

3 Ways to Electronically Sign PDFs