How to save a PDF file

Table of contents:

The process for saving documents in PDF format may differ depending on which operating system you are using. In Mac OS X, the PDF document type is already integrated into the operating system. Any file that you can print, you can and save in PDF format. On Windows, you must either install Adobe Acrobat or any other program that converts files to PDF. In this article, you will read about using all three methods.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Save as PDF on Mac OS X

Step 1. Open the file you want to save as PDF

This applies to any file you can print, be it text, spreadsheet, or image. This works with any program that has a print function.

Step 2. Click the File button, then click the Print button

Some programs, such as Safari, have an Export as PDF command on the File menu, which will also work.

Step 3. Click on the PDF drop-down menu, then click Save as PDF

This button is located in the lower left corner.

Step 4. In the Save As window, name your PDF file, select a location to save it, then click the Save button

Method 2 of 3: Save as PDF on Windows using Adobe Acrobat

Step 1. Open Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is a paid program. If you do not have this program installed and you are not wasting money, click here to download a free alternative program.

Step 2. In the Welcome window, under the Select Task button, click Create PDF

If you don't get the welcome window, on the taskbar, click the New button, then click PDF from file.

Step 3. Find the file you want to convert to PDF

Find the file you want to convert on your computer, then hold down the Open button.

To select a file, you can click on it and drag it to the Open window

Step 4. Save the file in PDF format

When the file opens in Acrobat, click the File menu button, then click Save As. In the Save As dialog box, select the path to save the file, write a name. Make sure the dropdown menu is set to PDF Files, then click on the Save button.

Method 3 of 3: Save as PDF on Windows without using Adobe Acrobat

Step 1. Download and install the PDF converter for Windows

There are many free and paid PDF converters for Windows. In the search bar of any search engine, type windows pdf converter, and you will get a list of available programs.

PDFCreator and 7-PDF Maker are two free PDF conversion programs that you can download and install.
Online PDF converters such as PDF Online and the Neevia PDF Converter give you the ability to convert documents to PDF online. Do not use this method when converting classified documents.