How to Save a Word Document as a PDF: 9 Ways, Step by Step

To save a Word document as a PDF, open it in Word and choose File > Save As (or Save a Copy), pick PDF as the file type and click Save. On a Mac, choose PDF in the File Format menu and click Export. Word keeps your fonts, layout and links, and the original .docx stays unchanged.

Try it free: Word to PDF Free to use, no account needed.

That is the quickest answer to how to save a Word document as a PDF, but you may be on Word for the web, a phone or Google Docs, or have no Word at all. Below are nine methods, step by step, a comparison and fixes for common problems.

How to save a Word document as a PDF in Word for Windows

1. Open the document in Word.
2. If the file was saved before, select File > Save a Copy. If it has never been saved, select File > Save As or Save a Copy.
3. Choose a folder and type a file name.
4. In the file type list, select PDF (*.pdf).
5. Select Save.

The same result is available under File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document > Create PDF/XPS.

PDF options worth checking in Word

Two settings in that dialog are worth a look:

• Optimize for: Standard (publishing online and printing) gives the best print quality. Minimum size (publishing online) makes a smaller file, which is useful for email attachments and upload forms with a size limit.
• Options (under More options in some versions) opens further choices:
  • Page range exports only some pages, for example pages 3 to 5.
  • Publish what > Document showing markup includes tracked changes and comments.
  • Create bookmarks using > Headings turns your Heading 1, Heading 2 and so on into a clickable outline in the PDF reader.
  • Document structure tags for accessibility creates a tagged PDF that screen readers can follow.
  • ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A) produces an archive format for long-term storage.
  • Bitmap text when fonts may not be embedded draws text as an image if a font's license forbids embedding, so it still looks right.
  • Encrypt the document with a password requires a password to open the PDF.

Microsoft's article Save or convert to PDF in Office desktop apps lists every option.

How to save Word as PDF on a Mac

1. Open the document in Word for Mac.
2. Select File > Save As (or press Command + Shift + S).
3. Give the PDF a different name from the document, so you keep an editable .docx next to it.
4. In the File Format menu, choose PDF.
5. If Word offers a choice, pick Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service) for a tagged, accessible PDF. This option sends the document to Microsoft's conversion service, so choose the printing option for confidential files if your version offers one.
6. Select Export.

To email a PDF straight away, use File > Share > Send PDF, which attaches a PDF copy to a new message.

Word for the web

Word in a browser (the free online version at office.com) exports a PDF copy to your computer:

1. Open the document at office.com or from OneDrive.
2. Select File > Export.
3. Choose Download as PDF, or Download as PDF with comments if the comments should be included.
4. Select Download and find the file in your downloads folder.

Word on iPhone, iPad and Android

The mobile apps use different routes:

• iPhone and iPad: open the file, tap the three dots icon, tap Export, select PDF and choose where to save it.
• Android: open the file, tap File in the three-dots menu, tap Print, choose Save as PDF as the printer, tap the PDF icon, pick a location and tap Save.

How to convert a Google Doc to PDF

Google Docs opens .docx files, so it is also a free way to convert a Word document to PDF without Word.

1. If you're starting from a Word file, upload it to Google Drive, then right-click it and choose Open with > Google Docs.
2. In the document, select File > Download.
3. Choose PDF document (.pdf). The file is saved to your downloads folder.

For very large documents, File > Print with the destination Save as PDF also works in Chrome. A Word file can look slightly different in Google Docs, especially with unusual fonts or text boxes, so check the PDF before sending it.

LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice is free and opens .docx files directly.

1. Open the document in LibreOffice Writer.
2. Select File > Export As > Export as PDF to see the settings, or Export Directly as PDF to skip them.
3. On the General tab, consider Tagged PDF (add document structure), Export outlines (headings become bookmarks) and JPEG compression with a Quality value. The Security tab sets passwords.
4. Select Export and choose a location.

The full list is in the LibreOffice help for Export as PDF.

Print to PDF on macOS and Windows

Macs and Windows PCs have a built-in PDF "printer" that works from any app.

On a Mac:

1. Choose File > Print.
2. Click the PDF pop-up menu at the bottom of the dialog and choose Save as PDF.
3. Enter a name and location, then select Save.

On Windows:

1. Choose File > Print (or press Ctrl + P).
2. Select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer.
3. Select Print, then choose a name and folder for the PDF.

Printing is a fallback. The PDF looks like a printout, and you usually lose clickable links, heading bookmarks and accessibility tags.

Convert Word to PDF in your browser without uploading

If you have a .docx file but no Word, and you'd rather not upload it to a website, our free Word to PDF Converter converts it with JavaScript in your browser. The file never leaves your device.

1. Drop one or more .docx files on the page, or click to browse.
2. Pick the page size (A4, US Letter or Legal), portrait or landscape, narrow, normal or wide margins, a base font size of 10, 11, 12 or 14 pt, and optional page numbers.
3. Select Convert to PDF, preview the result and download each PDF, or all of them as a ZIP.

It keeps title and heading styles, bold and italic text, left, centered and right alignment, bulleted and numbered lists with their real numbering (1., a., ii.), tables, manual page breaks and PNG or JPEG images. It also copies the document title from the file's properties into the PDF.

Margins set the width of the text column. On A4 paper (210 mm wide), normal margins of 20 mm leave 210 − 2 × 20 = 170 mm for text. Narrow margins of 12.7 mm (half an inch) leave 210 − 2 × 12.7 = 184.6 mm, so each line holds more words.

It has real limits. The PDF uses the standard Helvetica font, so your original fonts, colors and underlining are replaced, and text in scripts such as Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic or Chinese won't display correctly. Headers, footers, footnotes, text boxes and columns are dropped or simplified, links become plain text, and there are no bookmarks or accessibility tags. Only .docx is accepted, not the older .doc format. It suits text documents such as letters, reports and assignments in English and other Western European languages.

Which method should you use?

If you're still deciding how to convert Word to PDF, this table sums up the trade-offs:

Tips for a better PDF

• Check the fonts. Word embeds fonts when their license allows it. If a font may not be embedded, turn on Bitmap text when fonts may not be embedded, or switch to a common font such as Calibri or Arial.
• Use real heading styles. Headings from the Styles gallery become bookmarks and accessibility tags; bold text that only looks like a heading doesn't.
• Test the hyperlinks. Click a few links in the finished PDF. If they don't work, you probably used a print-based method.
• Watch the file size. Choose Minimum size (publishing online) in Word or JPEG compression in LibreOffice. If the PDF is still too big, run it through a PDF compressor.

Common problems and fixes

• Fonts are substituted. The font wasn't embedded or isn't installed where the PDF was made. Convert on the computer where the document looks right, or use common fonts.
• The layout shifts. Line and page breaks move when another app or font renders the file. Convert in the app that created it, and position things with page breaks and tables, not spaces.
• Images look blurry. Minimum size and JPEG compression lower image quality. Export with Standard in Word or a higher JPEG quality in LibreOffice. For sharp photos, select Do not compress images in file under File > Options > Advanced in Word.
• Tracked changes appear in the PDF. Choose Document instead of Document showing markup under Publish what, or accept the changes first.
• The PDF is not accessible. Turn on Document structure tags for accessibility in Word or Tagged PDF in LibreOffice, and use real heading styles and alt text on images.

FAQ

How do I convert a Word document to PDF without Microsoft Word?

Open it in Google Docs or LibreOffice Writer and export a PDF, or drop the .docx into a browser-based converter such as our Word to PDF Converter. On a Mac you can also open the file in Pages and use File > Export To > PDF.

Does saving as PDF change my original Word file?

No. Word writes a separate .pdf file and the .docx stays exactly as it was. Keep it, because editing a PDF later is much harder than editing the Word file.

Why are the links in my PDF not clickable?

Print-based methods such as Microsoft Print to PDF record only what would appear on paper, so links are lost. Use File > Save As or Export in Word, Download in Google Docs, or Export as PDF in LibreOffice instead.

Can I password-protect a PDF made from Word?

Yes. In Word for Windows, open Options in the Save As dialog and select Encrypt the document with a password. On a Mac, Security Options in the print dialog can require a password, and LibreOffice has a Security tab.

How do I save only some pages of a Word document as a PDF?

In Word for Windows, select Options in the Save As dialog and set a Page range. In a print dialog, enter the pages you want before you choose Save as PDF.

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