While Microsoft Word is a powerful word processing tool, it is ideal to convert the document to a PDF before sharing it with anyone. This is because PDFs maintain consistent formatting across devices and systems, ensuring the document looks the same for everyone who views it. In this article, we want to show you how to save a Word document to a PDF on your PC and Mac.
There are several ways to convert a Word document to a PDF. You can do it directly within Microsoft Word or use a free third-party app online. Further, if your Word document contains comments and markup – you can also retain them in the PDF you are exporting.
Also Read: Top ways to convert PDF to Word
How to Export a Word File to PDF on Microsoft Word
Here’s how you can easily save a Word document as a PDF on Microsoft Word on your Windows PC or Mac.
Step 1: Open the document you want to convert to PDF in Microsoft Word. Click on the File option.
Step 2: Click on Save as. Now, click on Browse.
Step 3: Select the location where you want to save the document as a PDF. Now, click on the drop-down menu next to ‘Save as Type’ to change the format. Select PDF.
Step 4: You can also select the quality of the PDF document.
- Standard: Saves the document using default settings for PDF conversion.
- Minimum size (publishing online): Optimizes for smaller file sizes suitable for online publishing.
Step 5: Click on Save to finish the process.
Print a Word File to PDF With Markup and Comments
When you save a Word document as a PDF the markup/comments will not be visible by default. Here’s how you can ensure your PDF documents retain them.
On your Windows PC, tap on the Options button while you are about to save the document as a PDF. Check the box for ‘Document Showing Markup’, click on OK, and save the document.
Also Read: How to print tracked changes and comments in Microsoft Word documents
However, you will not find this option for Mac. As a workaround, you must use Microsoft Office online to do the same.
Step 1: Upload the document in the My Content tab. Open the document.
Step 2: Now, click on File.
Step 3: Click on Save As and select ‘Download as PDF with Comments’.
Convert a Word Document to a PDF for Free Using Third-Party Apps
If you do not have Microsoft Word installed on your PC, save a Word (.docx) document as a PDF using free third-party tools online from your web browser.
1. CloudConvert: Best All-in-One File Conversion Tool
CloudConvert is an all-in-one conversion tool you can access on your web browser. You can convert nearly every kind of format using this tool, and here’s how to convert your Word document to a PDF.
However, you can only convert up to 25 documents for free in a single day using CloudConvert.
Step 1: Visit the official CloudConvert website using the link below.
Step 2: Enter the format for the source document and the output file.
Step 3: Click on Select File and upload the file from your PC or Mac.
Step 4: Now, tap on the settings icon to modify the conversion settings.
Step 5: Modify the settings per your needs and click on Okay.
Step 6: Click on Convert. Within a few seconds, you can download the PDF document.
2. Save a .DOCX File as a PDF in Google Docs
Do you not trust a third-party tool with your Word document? You can always use Google Docs to save a .docx file as a PDF document. Here’s how.
Step 1: Open Google Docs on your web browser. Click on the folder icon to upload your Word document.
Step 2: Click on Upload and select Browse to upload the document. You can also drag and drop the document in this window.
Step 3: The document will now open in Google Docs. All you need to do is click on File > Download > select PDF from the list of options.
The Word document will now be saved as a PDF on your PC or Mac.
If you have any further questions, look at the FAQ section below.
FAQs on Converting Word Document to PDF
You can open the document in Adobe Acrobat, open the All Tools menu, and select ‘Prepare a Form’. Alternatively, you can use a free online tool called Sejda PDF to create fillable form fields.
Export to PDF and Save as PDF are similar to each other and provide the same result.
You can select the XPS format in the Save as menu in Microsoft Word. You can also go to File > Export > Prepare XPS on Micorosft Word to do the same.
Change DOCX to PDF Easily
We hope this article helps you easily save Word documents to PDF files on your Mac and Windows devices. If you find the output PDF larger in size, compress the document to reduce the file size as per your needs.
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Last updated on 05 January, 2024
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