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Convert a Microsoft Word Document to PDF (4 Ways)

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Why Convert Word to PDF?

There are numerous reasons why you might want to convert a Word document to pdf. There are often incompatibilities between versions of Microsoft Word that can mess up your careful formatting. In addition, not everyone has Microsoft Word, but nearly everyone has access to viewing a pdf. PDFs are an industry standard, so how a pdf looks on one computer will change very little from how it looks on another computer. This makes PDFs great for carefully laid out documents such as resumes and design specifications.

These are just some of the many reasons you might want a PDF file instead of a Word document. Rest assured, converting a Word doc to a PDF is super easy! I’ll show you some easy ways to get this done down below. I also have a video on how to convert Microsoft documents to pdf if you would like to follow along.

There are two ways to do this:

If you have access to Microsoft word, follow the instructions marked, “If you have Microsoft Word…”
If you don’t have access to this software or if the file is not compatible with your version of Word, you’ll want to skip down to the third method.

Method 1: If you have Microsoft Word…

If you have Microsoft Word, converting a Word document to pdf is simple! This can be achieved by using Word to open the document you’re wanting to convert. First, check over your document to make sure the formatting is how you want it to look.

  1. Click “File” in the upper left-hand corner.
  2. Navigate to the “Save as” button and click it.
  3. Select the directory you would like to save to.
  4. Under the file name, select the file type dropdown box.
  5. In the dropdown menu, select PDF (*.pdf) and hit save.

After completing these steps, you will find a pdf version of your Word Document saved in the directory you selected.

Method 2: If you have Microsoft Word

If the first method doesn’t work, this is another way you can try to turn a Word doc into a pdf. Instead of saving it as a pdf, in this method, we will be printing to a pdf. Don’t worry, this doesn’t actually print anything out of your printer!

  1. Click “File” in the upper left-hand corner.
  2. Select “Print.”
  3. In the box that pops up, select your printer in order to access the Printer dropdown menu.
  4. In the dropdown menu, select “Microsoft Print to PDF.”
  5. A box will pop up. In this box, select the directory you would like your document to print to, name your file, and click save.

Voila! You’ve just printed your file to a PDF. Go to the directory you’ve printed to and you’ll find your file waiting there for you!

Method 3: Google Documents

This method takes advantage of Google Documents to convert Word to pdf. While this may not preserve your formatting, it will work in a pinch and is super secure!

  1. While logged into your Google account, navigate to https://docs.google.com/document/
  2. In the middle of the page, on the right-hand side, select the folder. (The hover text on the folder will say “Open file picker.”
  3. In the box that pops up, click the button that says “select a file from your device.”
  4. Fix any formatting and font issues that may occur from the .doc being incompatible with Google Docs so that your file appears how you want it to.
  5. Navigate to the directory where your Word file is saved, select it, and click open. Your Word file will then open in Google Docs.
  6. In the upper left-hand corner, select File. Then select Download. Finally, select PDF Document (.pdf)

After you complete the above steps, a .pdf version of your Google Docs file will be saved to your computer.

Method 4: File Conversion Websites

If you do not have Microsoft Word or do not have a version that is compatible with the file that you’re working with, this method will get the job done.

This method takes advantage of websites that convert Word docs to PDF, so do keep your own privacy in mind. For example, if you’re converting a business contract, you may want to avoid this method as you cannot guarantee what a website will do with your file. If it’s a school paper, you should be fine.

To find a website that will do this for you, do a quick Google search for “convert doc to pdf free” and you should quickly find an option that will work for you.

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