How do I convert a document to PDF?

PDF exists so a document looks the same on every device. Converting to one is built into every modern system through the print dialogue, which is not where most people look for it.

Safety

Step by step

1. Use the print dialogue, not a converter.Print, then in the printer list choose Save as PDF on a Mac or Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows. It works from Word, a browser, a photo viewer, almost anything that can print.
2. Use the application's own export where it has one.Word, Pages, Google Docs and LibreOffice all have Export or Save As PDF. That preserves clickable links and document structure, which the print route sometimes flattens.
3. Know why you are doing it.A PDF fixes the layout, so it looks the same on every device and cannot be casually edited. That is why forms, invoices and applications ask for one.
4. Check the page setup before converting.Margins, orientation and page breaks are baked in. A document that looks fine on screen and breaks awkwardly across pages will do exactly that in the PDF.
5. Convert photos and scans on a phone.Both iPhone and Android can produce a PDF from photos through the share menu or a scanning app. That is the right route for a document you are photographing rather than typing.
6. Combine several files into one.Select multiple images or documents and use the create PDF option, or merge them afterwards. One PDF is almost always what an organisation wants rather than six attachments.
7. Check the file size before sending.A PDF made from photographs can be very large. Most tools offer a reduce-file-size or optimise option, and email limits are usually around 20-25MB.
8. Name it meaningfully.Not 'Document1' or 'scan_0001'. Whoever receives it is filing it alongside a hundred others.
9. Open it before sending.Check the pages are all there, in order, and the right way up. Conversion occasionally drops a page or rotates one, and it is invisible until someone else opens it.
10. Keep the editable original.A PDF is awkward to change. Keep the Word or Pages file alongside it, because the next version will need editing rather than annotating.
11. Use an offline tool for anything sensitive.Bank statements, identity documents, contracts, medical letters. This is the whole reason to prefer the built-in route over a website.

Tips

• Print-to-PDF is the universal answer. If you remember one thing, it is that the printer list contains a PDF option on every system.
• For a scan, use a phone scanning app rather than photographing a page. It squares, crops and produces a far more readable PDF.
• If the PDF must be filled in later, check the recipient does not actually want an editable document instead.

Common mistakes

• Uploading a personal document to a free online converter — It is transmitted to and stored on someone else's server. Every operating system does this locally through the print dialogue.
• Sending six separate images instead of one PDF — It is harder to file, print and read. Combining them into a single PDF takes seconds on any device.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask