How to save a Word document as PDF (the right way)
Turning a document into a PDF is easy — but the way you do it decides whether links still work, whether the file has bookmarks, whether screen readers can read it, and how big it ends up. Here's how to export properly from the most common word processors.
Export, don't print
There are two ways to make a PDF from a document:
- Export or Save As PDF: the word processor writes the PDF itself, keeping clickable links, bookmarks from your headings and an accessibility structure.
- Print to PDF (for example "Microsoft Print to PDF"): the document is "printed" to a file. The result looks the same but usually loses links, bookmarks and structure.
Use export whenever you can. Printing to PDF is fine for web pages or apps that have no export option.
Microsoft Word
- Go to File → Save As (or File → Export → Create PDF/XPS) and choose PDF as the file type.
- Choose Optimize for: Standard for printing and general use, or Minimum size if the file is only for screen reading and needs to be small.
- Click Options to set:
- the page range, if you only need part of the document;
- Create bookmarks using headings, so readers can jump between sections;
- Document structure tags for accessibility, which makes the PDF readable by screen readers — and easier to convert back to Word later;
- PDF/A compliant, if the document needs to be archived long-term.
On a Mac, Word offers the same through File → Save As with the PDF format, where you can choose between a version for printing and one for electronic distribution and accessibility.
Google Docs
Choose File → Download → PDF Document (.pdf). Links are kept, and headings you've formatted with heading styles become a document outline. The page size comes from File → Page setup, so check it's A4 or Letter as your recipient expects.
LibreOffice Writer
Choose File → Export as PDF. The dialog has many options; the most useful are:
- Archive (PDF/A) for long-term storage.
- Universal Accessibility (PDF/UA) and tagged PDF for accessibility.
- Export outlines to create bookmarks from headings.
- Image compression and resolution settings, handy for controlling file size.
On a Mac, iPhone or Android
- Mac: most apps have File → Export as PDF; any app that can print can also save a PDF from the print dialog.
- iPhone and iPad: from the Share menu choose Print, then use the share button in the print preview to save or send it as a PDF.
- Android: use Print and choose Save as PDF as the printer.
Fonts, images and page size
- Fonts: Word and LibreOffice embed the fonts you used, so the PDF looks the same everywhere. Some fonts don't allow embedding and will be substituted; check the result on another device if you used unusual fonts.
- Images: large photos make large PDFs. Compress pictures in the document before exporting (in Word: select a picture → Compress Pictures). See how to reduce PDF file size for more.
- Page size: A4 is standard in most of the world and Letter in the US and Canada. Sending the wrong one can cause cropping or scaling when printed.
Checklist before sending
- Open the PDF and scroll through every page: page breaks, tables and images in place?
- Click a couple of links to make sure they work.
- Check the bookmarks panel if the document is long.
- Check the file size against the recipient's email or upload limit.
- Remove hidden comments and tracked changes from the Word file before exporting — or check that they don't appear in the PDF.
- If you need to add pages from other PDFs (a cover, an annex), merge them after exporting.
Need to combine several PDFs? Merge them into one file privately, right in your browser.
Merge PDF files