This article shows you how to convert a Word document to PDF format. PDF files are at the same time secure, because they cannot be edited unless you have the necessary tools and permissions, and compatible with virtually all hardware platforms on the market. For these reasons, PDF files are the ideal tool for storing and sharing important or sensitive content. To perform the conversion you can use a web service, such as SmallPDF or Google Drive, or you can directly use Microsoft Word on both Windows and Mac systems.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Use SmallPDF
Step 1. Go to the "Word to PDF" section of the SmallPDF website
Use the following URL https://smallpdf.com/word-to-pdf and the internet browser of your choice.
Step 2. Press the Choose File button
It is placed in the center of the page. This will bring up the "File Explorer" window on Windows or "Finder" on Mac.
Step 3. Select the Word document to convert
Navigate to the folder that contains the file you want to convert to PDF, then select it with the mouse.
Step 4. Press the Open button
It is located in the lower right corner of the window. In this way the file to be converted will be transferred to the SmallPDF site.
If you are using a Mac, you will need to press the button You choose.
Step 5. Select the Download File option
It is located at the bottom left of the SmallPDF site. The converted PDF file will be saved locally on your computer. In some cases, depending on your internet browser settings, you may need to select the destination folder or confirm your willingness to transfer the chosen file to your computer.
If the Word document to be converted is very large or if the internet connection is slow, the option to download the PDF file may appear after a few seconds
Method 2 of 4: Using Google Drive
Step 1. Log in to the Google Drive website
Use the following URL https://drive.google.com/ and the internet browser of your choice. If you are already signed in with your Google account, you will be automatically redirected to your personal Drive page.
If you are not logged in with your profile, press the button Go to Google Drive, then enter your login credentials when prompted (email address and password).
Step 2. Press the ＋ New button
It is located at the top left of the page. A drop-down menu will appear.
Step 3. Choose the File Upload option
It is one of the items listed in the menu that appeared. This will bring up the "File Explorer" window on Windows or "Finder" on Mac.
Step 4. Select the Word document to convert
Navigate to the folder that contains the file you want to convert to PDF, then select it with the mouse.
Step 5. Press the Open button
It is located in the lower right corner of the window. In this way the file to be converted will be transferred to the Google Drive site.
If you are using a Mac, you will need to press the button You choose.
Step 6. Open the Word document
At the end of the data transfer from the computer to Google Drive, select the Word file with a double click of the mouse to view its contents in the browser.
Step 7. Access the File menu
It is located in the upper left of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.
If you are using a Mac, be sure to access the menu File displayed within the browser window and not the one visible in the upper left of the screen.
Step 8. Choose the Download As option
It is placed in the middle of the appeared menu. A new submenu will appear.
Step 9. Select the PDF Document item
It is one of the options listed in the submenu. The PDF version of the selected Word document will be saved locally on your computer.
In some cases, depending on your internet browser settings, you may need to select the destination folder or confirm your willingness to transfer the chosen file to your computer
Method 3 of 4: Use Microsoft Word on Windows
Step 1. Open the Word document to convert
Double click on the relevant icon. Microsoft Word will start and the content of the document will be displayed in its own window.
If the document to convert has not been created yet, start Microsoft Word, then choose the option New blank document and proceed to create the document which you will then convert to PDF.
Step 2. Access the File menu
It is located in the upper left corner of the Word window. A drop-down menu will appear.
Step 3. Choose the Export option
It is located inside the left column of the page. In the center of the latter you will see other options appear.
Step 4. Choose the item Create PDF / XPS document
It is located in the upper left corner of the main page pane.
Step 5. Press the Create PDF / XPS button
It is positioned in the center of the Word window. A new pop-up window will appear.
Step 6. Select the destination folder
Use the left sidebar of the appeared dialog box to select the folder where you want to save the new PDF file.
- Since the file you are creating is in PDF format, which is a different format than Word documents, you can save it in the same folder as the original file without changing its name.
- If you wish, you can give it a new name by typing it in the "File name" text field.
Step 7. Press the Publish button
It is located in the lower right corner of the window. In this way the chosen Word document will be converted into PDF format and saved in the indicated folder.
Method 4 of 4: Use Microsoft Word on Mac
Step 1. Open the Word document to convert
Double click on the relevant icon. Microsoft Word will start and the content of the document will be displayed in its own window.
If the document to convert has not been created yet, start Microsoft Word, then choose the option New blank document and proceed to create the document which you will then convert to PDF.
Step 2. Access the File menu
It is located in the upper left corner of the Mac screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
Step 3. Choose the Save As option
It is one of the items in the drop-down menu that appeared. A new dialog will appear.
Step 4. Name the new file
Type it in the "Name" text field at the top of the window. This will be the name that will be assigned to the new PDF file.
Step 5. Select the destination folder
Use the left sidebar of the appeared dialog box to select the folder where you want to save the new PDF file.
Step 6. Access the "File Format" drop-down menu
It is located at the bottom of the window. A small menu will appear.
Step 7. Choose the PDF option
It is listed within the "Export" section of the drop-down menu.
In order to locate and select the option in question, you may need to scroll down the menu that appears
Step 8. Press the Export button
It is blue in color and located in the lower right corner of the window. In this way the chosen Word document will be converted into PDF format and saved in the indicated folder.
Advice
- To open a PDF file with your computer's default program, simply select it with a double click of the mouse. If you have more than one program installed on your system that can view the content of a PDF, you will need to choose which one to use to complete the required action.
- If you are using a Windows computer, you can use the "Save As" menu to convert a Word document to PDF format.
