Javascript required
Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

How Do I Convert a Word Document to a Pdf

Download Article

Download Article

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a PDF version of a Microsoft Word document. PDF files are both compatible with most platforms and difficult to edit, making them perfect for storing and delivering important documents. You can use SmallPDF or Google Drive to convert a Word document into a PDF online, or you can use Microsoft Word itself on your Windows or Mac computer.[1]

Need help creating, merging, or converting PDF files? Try wikiHow's PDF Toolkit, a free and easy-to-use custom tool to help you be more productive with your documents.

  1. 1

    Open the Microsoft Word document. Double-click the Word document to open it in Microsoft Word.

    • If you haven't yet created the document, open Word, then click Blank document and create the document as needed before proceeding.
  2. 2

    Click File . It's in the top-left corner of the Word window. Doing so opens a pop-out window.

    Advertisement

  3. 3

    Click Export . This option is in the left-hand column of options. You should see several new options appear in the middle of the window.

  4. 4

    Click Create PDF/XPS Document . It's in the upper-left corner of the window.

  5. 5

    Click Create PDF/XPS . This option is in the middle of the window. Doing so prompts a pop-up window.

  6. 6

    Select a save location. On the left side of the window, click the folder in which you want to store the PDF version of your Word file.

    • Since the PDF is a different file type than the Word document, you can store the PDF in the same file location as the Word file.
    • You can also enter a new file name in the "File name" text box if you like.
  7. 7

    Click Publish . It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. This will create a PDF copy of your Word document in your specified location.

    Advertisement

  1. 1

    Open the Microsoft Word document. Double-click the Word document to open it in Microsoft Word.

    • If you haven't yet created the document, open Word, then click Blank Document and create the document as needed before proceeding.
  2. 2

    Click File . It's in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen. A drop-down menu will appear.

  3. 3

    Click Save As… . This option is in the drop-down menu. Doing so opens a new window.

  4. 4

    Enter a file name. Type whatever you want to name the PDF into the "Name" text box at the top of the window.

  5. 5

    Select a save location. On the left side of the window, click the folder in which you want to save your PDF.

  6. 6

    Click the "File Format" text box. It's at the bottom of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.

  7. 7

    Click PDF . This option is in the "Export" section of the drop-down menu.

    • You may have to scroll down in the drop-down menu to see this option.
  8. 8

    Click Export . It's a blue button in the bottom-right corner of the window. Doing so saves your PDF in the specified file location.

    Advertisement

  1. 1

  2. 2

    Click Choose file . It's in the middle of the SmallPDF page. Doing so will open either a File Explorer (Windows) or a Finder (Mac) window.

  3. 3

    Select your Word document. Go to your Word document's location, then click the Word document to select it.

  4. 4

    Click Open . It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Doing so will upload the Word document to SmallPDF.

    • On a Mac, you may click Choose here instead.
  5. 5

    Click Download File . This option is in the lower-left side of the SmallPDF page. Your PDF will download onto your computer, though you may have to select a storage location and/or confirm the download depending on your browser's settings.

    • It may take a few seconds for this option to appear if your Word document is large or your Internet connection is slow.

    Advertisement

  1. 1

    Open Google Drive. Go to https://drive.google.com/ in your computer's web browser. This will open your Google Drive page if you're logged in.

    • If you aren't logged in, click Go to Google Drive, then enter your email address and password when prompted.
  2. 2

    Click + New . It's in the top-left side of the Google Drive window. A drop-down menu will appear.

  3. 3

    Click File upload . It's in the drop-down menu. Doing this will open either a File Explorer (Windows) or a Finder (Mac) window.

  4. 4

    Select your Word document. Go to your Word document's location, then click the Word document to select it.

  5. 5

    Click Open . It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Your Word document will upload to Google Drive.

    • On a Mac, you may click Choose here instead.
  6. 6

    Open the Word document. Once the Word file finishes uploading to Google Drive, double-click it in Google Drive to open it in your browser.

  7. 7

    Click File . It's in the upper-left side of the window. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.

    • On a Mac, make sure you're clicking File in your browser window and not in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
  8. 8

    Select Download as . This option is in the middle of the drop-down menu. Selecting it prompts a pop-out menu.

  9. 9

    Click PDF document . It's in the pop-out menu. A PDF version of the Word document will immediately download onto your computer.

    • Depending on your browser's settings, you may have to confirm the download and/or select a save location before the file will actually download.

    Advertisement

Add New Question

  • Question

    Why doesn't Microsoft Word give me the option to "Save as PDF" in the file menu?

    Community Answer

    A special type of software (technically called add-in) has the ability to convert Microsoft Word documents to PDF. However, Word 2007 does not include this add-in by default. To convert to PDF with Microsoft Word 2007, you have to download the add-in from Microsoft's website.

  • Question

    I need to convert a PDF file to a Microsoft Word document. Is there a way to do this?

    Community Answer

    Open up your PDF document and select "Save as --> Word Document." You'll need to clean it up afterwards (remove paragraph signs, reformat, etc.).

  • Question

    How do I fix the glitches and formatting errors that show up in the new PDF file?

    Community Answer

    The latest versions (after MS Office 2007) allow you to save the document as a pdf, thus avoiding formatting errors. Go to Files->Save As and select ".pdf format" from Save As Type. Click to save.

  • Question

    How do I convert from MS Word to a PDF while keeping the links clickable?

    Community Answer

    A Word or PowerPoint file may be converted to PDF using the Acrobat PDFMaker. Start Word or PowerPoint, open your document, and use the Acrobat tab.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

  • To open your PDF in your computer's default PDF reader, simply double-click it; if you have more than one PDF reader, you may be prompted to select one after double-clicking the PDF.

  • You can also use the "Save as" menu to convert your Word document to a PDF on a Windows computer.

Advertisement

  • When converting sensitive documents (e.g., credit card statements), avoid using SmallPDF. While their site is secure, it's best to keep such documents offline as much as possible.

Advertisement

About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Go to https://smallpdf.com/word-to-pdf in your web browser.
2. Click Choose file.
3. Double-click the Word file you want to convert.
4. Click Download File when the PDF is available.

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 4,597,737 times.

Is this article up to date?

How Do I Convert a Word Document to a Pdf

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Convert-a-Microsoft-Word-Document-to-PDF-Format