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This article provides a detailed guide on converting Microsoft Word documents into PDF format. PDF files are universally compatible, difficult to alter, and perfect for storing and sharing critical documents. You can utilize tools like SmallPDF or Google Drive for online conversion, or use Microsoft Word directly on Windows or Mac computers.
Steps
Using Word on Windows
Open the Microsoft Word document. Double-click the Word file to view its content in Microsoft Word.
- If you haven't created a document yet, open Word, click on Blank document, and prepare your content before proceeding.
Click on File (File) located at the top-left corner of the Word window, and a new window will appear.
Select Export (Export) from the left-hand menu. Several new options will appear in the center of the window.
Click on Create PDF/XPS Document (Create PDF/XPS Document) at the top-left corner of the window.
Choose the Create PDF/XPS (Create PDF/XPS) option in the center of the window, and another window will pop up.
Select the save location. Click on a folder on the left side of the window to save the Word file converted to PDF format.
- Since PDF is a different format from Word, you can save the PDF file in the same folder as the Word file.
- You can also enter a new file name in the "File name" field if preferred.
Click on Publish (Publish) at the bottom-right corner of the window. This action will generate a PDF version of the Word document in the selected folder.
Using Word on Mac
Open the Microsoft Word document. Double-click the Word file to view its content in Microsoft Word.
- If you haven't created a document yet, open Word, click on Blank document, and prepare your content before proceeding.
Click on File (File) at the top-left corner of the Mac screen to open the options menu.
Select Save As… (Save As) from the displayed menu. A new window will appear on the screen.
Enter the file name. Type your desired PDF file name into the "Name" field at the top of the window.
Choose the save location. Click on a folder on the left side of the window to save the PDF file.
Click on the "File Format" dropdown at the bottom of the window to open the options list.
Select PDF from the "Export" section of the dropdown menu.
- You may need to scroll down the list to find this option.
Click the blue Export button at the bottom-right corner of the window. This will save your PDF file to the selected folder.
Using SmallPDF
Open the SmallPDF Word to PDF conversion page by visiting https://smallpdf.com/word-to-pdf on your computer's browser.
Click on Choose file (Choose File) in the middle of the SmallPDF page. This will open File Explorer (on Windows) or Finder (on Mac).
Select the Word document. Navigate to the folder where your Word document is stored, then click on the document to select it.
Click Open (Open) at the bottom-right corner of the window to upload the Word document to SmallPDF.
- On a Mac, you will click Choose (Choose).
Click on Download File (Download File) at the bottom-left corner of the SmallPDF page. The PDF file will be downloaded to your computer, though you may need to select a save location and/or confirm the download depending on your browser settings.
- This option may take a few seconds to appear if your Word file is large or your internet connection is slow.
Using Google Drive
Open Google Drive. Visit https://drive.google.com/ using your computer's web browser to access your Google Drive page (if already logged in).
- If not logged in, click Go to Google Drive, then enter your email and password when prompted.
Click on ＋ New (New) at the top-left corner of the Google Drive window to reveal a dropdown menu.
Select File upload (File Upload) from the displayed menu. This will open File Explorer (on Windows) or Finder (on Mac).
Select your Word document. Navigate to the folder containing your Word file and click on the document to choose it.
Click Open (Open) at the bottom-right corner of the window. The Word file will be uploaded to Google Drive.
- On a Mac, you will click Choose (Choose).
Open the Word file. Once the Word file is uploaded to Google Drive, double-click it to open it in your browser.
Click on File at the top-left corner of the window to open the options menu.
- On a Mac, make sure to click File in the browser window, not the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Select Download as (Download As) from the middle of the displayed menu, and a new menu will appear.
Click on PDF document (PDF Document) in the menu. This will immediately download the PDF version of the Word document to your computer.
- Depending on your browser settings, you may need to confirm the download and/or select a save location before the file is downloaded.
Tips
- To open a PDF file with your computer's default PDF reader, simply double-click the file; if multiple PDF readers are installed, you'll be prompted to choose one after double-clicking the PDF.
- You can also use the "Save as" option to convert Word files to PDF on a Windows computer.
Warnings
- When converting sensitive documents (such as credit card information), avoid using SmallPDF. Although their site is secure, it's best to keep such files offline.
