Undoubtedly, Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used formats for creating business and personal documents. However, when it comes to sharing or viewing a document across different devices and platforms, PDF is often a better choice. PDFs generally preserve the original formatting and are widely supported across computers, phones and other devices.
There are many situations where you may need to convert a Word document to PDF, whether you’re preparing a report, sharing an important document or simply want to make sure the formatting stays consistent. Fortunately, converting a Word file to PDF is quite simple. In this article, I’ll show you how to convert a Word document to PDF using both offline and online methods.
Using Microsoft Word
If you already have Microsoft Word installed, you don’t need any additional software or online converter to create a PDF. Word can save or export your document directly as a PDF.
- Open the Document:
Open the Word document you want to convert in Microsoft Word. - Save the Document as a PDF:
- Click File.
- Select Save As or Save a Copy, depending on your version of Word.
- Choose where you want to save the file.
- In the file type or format dropdown, select PDF.
- Click Save.
Your Word document will now be saved as a PDF while retaining its formatting and layout.
Using Online Methods
If you don’t have Microsoft Word installed, you can use an online Word-to-PDF converter instead. These tools work directly through your web browser, so there’s no software to install.
Using Adobe Acrobat Online
Adobe offers an online Word-to-PDF converter that supports both DOC and DOCX files.
- Open Adobe Acrobat Online:
Go to Adobe’s Word to PDF converter. - Upload Your Document:
- Click Select a file or drag and drop your Word document into the upload area.
- Select the DOC or DOCX file you want to convert.
- Adobe will automatically convert the document to PDF.
- Download the PDF:
Once the conversion is complete, download the newly created PDF to your device.
Using Smallpdf
Smallpdf is another option for converting Word documents to PDF online. It supports both DOC and DOCX files and works directly in a browser.
- Open Smallpdf:
Go to the Smallpdf Word to PDF converter. - Upload Your Document:
- Drag and drop your Word document into the converter.
- Alternatively, click Choose Files and select your document.
- The conversion will start automatically.
- Download the PDF:
Once the conversion is finished, click Download to save the PDF to your device.
A Note About Online Converters
Avoid uploading confidential, sensitive or private documents to online conversion services unless you’re comfortable with their privacy practices. For sensitive documents, converting the file directly through Microsoft Word is generally the better option.
