How to convert a Word document to PDF
Published
A Word file can look different on every computer, depending on the fonts and the version installed. A PDF looks the same everywhere, which is why job applications, invoices and official forms usually ask for one.
Step by step
- Open Word to PDF and add your .docx file.
- Press Convert to PDF.
- Save the PDF and open it once to check page breaks.
What is kept
Text formatting, paragraph spacing, lists, tables, pictures, charts, page size, margins, headers, footers and page numbers are carried over. Fonts are matched to closely similar ones, so a line can occasionally break in a slightly different place. Text boxes placed at exact positions and drawing shapes are simplified.
Documents in Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil and other Indian scripts, as well as Greek, Cyrillic, Thai and Vietnamese, are supported with correctly joined letters.
Older .doc files
The tool reads the modern .docx format. For an old .doc file, open it in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice, choose Save as or Download as .docx, then convert it.
After converting
To send several documents as one, combine the PDFs with Merge PDF. To keep a file under an email limit, use Compress PDF, and add a password with Protect PDF if it contains personal details.