How to Convert a File Into PDF

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• Using Windows Print to PDF
|
• Using Mac Preview
|
• Using the Mac File Menu
|
• Video
|
• Tips
|
• Warnings

|Show more|Show less

This How.com.vn teaches you how to turn a text, photo, Microsoft Office, or XPS file into a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. You can do this on both Windows and Mac computers by using built-in features.

Things You Should Know

• If you have a Windows PC, open the file and use the Print menu to print the file to PDF.
• For macOS, open the file in Preview and use the file menu to export the file as a PDF.
• If you use a Mac computer, you can also open the file and use the Print menu to save the file as a PDF.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Windows Print to PDF

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1. 
   1
   Open the file you want to convert. Go to the location of the file you want to convert into a PDF, then double-click the file to open it.

   • If you want to add multiple photos to one PDF, instead do the following: select each photo you want to use by holding down Ctrl while clicking them, right-click one of the selected photos, and click Print in the resulting drop-down menu. You can then skip the next step.
   • If you want to create a PDF of an HTML file, open the HTML file in Notepad by right-clicking the HTML file and then clicking Edit in the drop-down menu.

   Remember that you can only convert these types of files:
   • Text files (.txt)
   • Microsoft Office documents (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx, and so on)
   • Photos (.jpg, .png, .bmp, and so on)
   • XPS files (.xps)
2. 
   2
   Open the "Print" menu. The fastest way to do this is usually by pressing Ctrl and P at the same time, but you might need to click File and then click Print in the resulting menu.

   • Don't be alarmed if you don't have a printer attached to your computer—you're not actually going to print anything.
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3. 
   3
   Click the current printer's name. It should be near the top of the menu below the "Printer" or "Printers" heading. A drop-down menu will appear.

   • If you're using a text document or an XPS document, skip this step.
4. 
   4
   Click Microsoft Print to PDF. It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so selects your computer's "Print to PDF" feature as the method with which you'll "print" your document.

   • If you're using a text document or an XPS document, you'll just click Microsoft Print to PDF in the "Select Printer" section near the top of the window.
5. 
   5
   Click Print. It's usually at the bottom of the menu, though you'll click Print at the top of the menu if you're using a Microsoft Office program (e.g., Microsoft Word). A File Explorer window will appear.
6. 
   6
   Enter a name for your document. In the "File name" field, type in whatever you want to name the PDF version of your document.

   • Since you're creating a PDF version of the document, you can name the PDF the same thing as the original document and store it in the same location if you wish.
7. 
   7
   Select a save location. On the left side of the window, click the folder in which you want to store your PDF.

   • For example, if you want to save your PDF on the desktop, you'd find and click Desktop in the left-hand sidebar.
8. 
   8
   Click Save. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will save your changes and create a PDF version of your file in your selected save location.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Mac Preview

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1. 
   1
   Know which files you can turn into PDFs with Preview. While it isn't an exhaustive list, common file formats that can be converted into PDFs include the following:

   • TIFF files
   • Photos (.jpg, .png, .bmp, and so on)
2. 
   2
   Select the file. Go to the location of the file you want to convert, then click once the file to select it.

   • If you want to select multiple photos, click each photo you want to use while holding down ⌘ Command.
3. 
   3
   Click File. It's in the upper-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
4. 
   4
   Select Open With. This is in the File menu. A pop-out menu will appear.
5. 
   5
   Click Preview. You'll find it in the pop-out menu. Doing so prompts your file to open in Preview.
6. 
   6
   Click File again. The drop-down menu will reappear.
7. 
   7
   Click Export as PDF…. This is in the drop-down menu. A pop-up window will display.
8. 8
   Enter a name. In the "Name" text box, type in the name you want to use for your PDF file.
9. 
   9
   Select a save location. Click the "Where" box, then click the folder in which you want to save your PDF in the resulting drop-down menu.
10. 
    10
    Click Save. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will convert your document into a PDF and then store it in your selected save location.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using the Mac File Menu

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1. 
   1
   Know which files you can convert into PDFs with the File menu. The File menu can be used to convert the following documents into PDFs:

   • Text files (.txt)
   • Microsoft Office documents (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx, and so on)
   • Apple documents (e.g., Numbers, Pages, and so on)
2. 
   2
   Open your document. Double-click the document you want to convert to open it in its program.
3. 
   3
   Click File. This is in the upper-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
4. 
   4
   Click Print. It's in the File drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Print window.

   • Don't be alarmed if you don't have a printer attached to your computer—you're not actually going to print anything.
5. 
   5
   Click the "PDF" menu. This is in the lower-left side of the window. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
6. 
   6
   Click Save as PDF. It's in the drop-down menu.
7. 
   7
   Enter a name. In the "Name" text box, type in the name you want to use for your PDF file.
8. 
   8
   Select a save location. Click the "Where" box, then click the folder in which you want to save your PDF in the resulting drop-down menu.
9. 
   9
   Click Save. It's a blue button at the bottom of the window. Doing so will convert your document into a PDF and then store it in your selected save location.
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Video

Tips

• If you're in a hurry, you can use an online converter such as SmallPDF to convert multiple files into PDFs.
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Warnings

• Not all file types will translate over to the PDF style, so you may encounter some formatting errors.
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