How to Convert a File Into PDF
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher.
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This wikiHow 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.
Method 1 of 3:
Using Windows Print to PDF

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- 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)

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- 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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
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- If you're using a text document or an XPS document, skip this step.

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- 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.

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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.

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- 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.

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- For example, if you want to save your PDF on the desktop, you'd find and click Desktop in the left-hand sidebar.

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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. [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
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Method 2 of 3:
Using Mac Preview

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- TIFF files
- Photos (.jpg, .png, .bmp, and so on)

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- If you want to select multiple photos, click each photo you want to use while holding down ⌘ Command .

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Click File . It's in the upper-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear. [4] X Research source

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Select Open With . This is in the File menu. A pop-out menu will appear.

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Click Preview . You'll find it in the pop-out menu. Doing so prompts your file to open in Preview.

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Click File again. The drop-down menu will reappear.

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Click Export as PDF… . This is in the drop-down menu. A pop-up window will display. [5] X Research source
Enter a name. In the "Name" text box, type in the name you want to use for your PDF file.

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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.

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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 of 3:
Using the Mac File Menu

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- Text files (.txt)
- Microsoft Office documents (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx, and so on)
- Apple documents (e.g., Numbers, Pages, and so on)

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Open your document. Double-click the document you want to convert to open it in its program.

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Click File . This is in the upper-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear. [6] X Research source

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- 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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Click the "PDF" menu. This is in the lower-left side of the window. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu. [8] X Research source

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Click Save as PDF . It's in the drop-down menu. [9] X Research source

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Enter a name. In the "Name" text box, type in the name you want to use for your PDF file.

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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.

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