How to : How to Convert a Microsoft Word Document to PDF Format

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Word on Windows

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

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

Click Create PDF/XPS Document. It’s in the upper-left corner of the window.
5

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

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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Word on Mac

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

Click File. It’s in the upper-left corner of your Mac’s screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
3

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

Select a save location. On the left side of the window, click the folder in which you want to save your PDF.
6

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

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.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using SmallPDF

1

Open SmallPDF’s Word-to-PDF website. Go to https://smallpdf.com/word-to-pdf in your computer’s web browser.
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

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

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Google Drive

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

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

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

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
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

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

Tips

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.

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

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Warnings

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.

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