Need to convert that important Word document to a PDF file? We’d look at three effective ways to convert a word document to PDF.
What is a PDF file?
Developed by Adobe, PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is a commonly used file format to store documents. It is popular for a reason. Assuming you need to share a document you edited in Microsoft Word to a co-worker to read, they’d need another word processor to open it. And there’s a high chance the formatting you made would appear distorted once it’s opened.
Using a PDF file eliminates the problems of compatibility. When you share your document in a PDF format with someone, it can easily be opened by the receiver’s browser or a dedicated PDF reader and would still retain the formatting effort you made.
Here are the three effective methods I promised:
Method 1: Using Microsoft Office Word
There’s a high chance you write or edit documents in Microsoft Office Word. You can quickly convert it to a PDF format right there. Here’s how:
a. Open the document you want to convert with the Microsoft Word application.
b. Click on the File tab at the top menu section.
c. You’d be greeted with the Home screen. Now, select the Save As option.
d. Choose where you’d love to save the converted PDF file. (In this case, I’d save mine in my OneDrive folder).
e. A file dialog box would open, prompting you to set the name of the document and its file type.
f. In the Save as type option, click the dropdown and select PDF.
g. Click Save.
Method 2: Using Online Converters
You might not have access to your computer when you need to convert a Word document, especially when you’re on a time-crunch. The good news is that you can also convert your Word document online. There are a plethora of online converters out there. My recommended picks are SmallPDF and Adobe PDF converter. Here’s how to use them:
1. SmallPDF
SmallPDF is a helpful website and has a suite of essential PDF tools. Here, we’d use the converter tool.
a. Visit their PDF converter page and click the Choose Files button (https://smallpdf.com/pdf-converter).
b. Select the Word document you wish to convert.
c. Give it a few seconds to upload and convert.
d. Click the Download button to download your converted file.
Bonus Tip
Just in case the converted file is large,
a. Visit their PDF compressor page and click the Choose Files button (https://smallpdf.com/compress-pdf).
b. Select your PDF file and give it a few seconds to upload.
c. Select the Basic compression option, click on Choose option and give it a few seconds to compress.
For a much better result, you’d need a pro account. Here are their pricing plans.
d. Click the Download button to access your compressed PDF file.
2. Adobe PDF Converter
Since Adobe is the inventor of the PDF file format, it is a no-brainer for this to be one of the best online converters. Here’s how to use it:
Note: Adobe’s converter would most times, require you to sign in before using it.
a. Visit the Adobe PDF converter page (www.adobe.com/acrobat/online/word-to-pdf).
b. Click the Select a file button.
c. It would open up a file dialog box. Select the file you wish to convert.
d. Give it a couple of seconds to convert.
e. When it’s done, click on Download.
You might be required to Sign in to download
Bonus Tip
Just in case your converted PDF file is huge, you can also compress it with Adobe’s online tool. Here’s how:
a. Visit the Compress PDF page (https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/online/compress-pdf).
b. Click on the Select a file button, which would prompt you to select a file from your device.
c. Select the PDF file you converted.
d. Give it a few seconds to work its magic.
e. Download your compressed PDF (You might be required to sign in).
A major drawback to using Adobe’s online tool is that it might require you to sign up before you can download your converted/compressed PDF, which can be a time waster if you’re in a hurry.
Method 3: Using Google Drive
Google Drive is primarily used to synchronise and store files in the cloud. It can also be used to convert a Word document to PDF. Here’s how:
a. Visit your Google Drive account (https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive).
If you’re not signed in with your browser, you’d be prompted to do so.
b. Click on the New button and select File upload.
d. Choose the Word document you wish to convert and monitor its upload progress at the bottom-right corner of your screen.
f. Once it’s complete, double click on it and it would open it with Google Docs.
g. Click on File, select Download and choose the PDF document (.pdf) option.
Voila. You’re done converting.
Conclusion
Following either of the three aforementioned steps should get your Word document converted to PDF. Don’t forget that you can convert your document right-on-the-go with Microsoft Word, and with online converters if you’re on a time-crunch.
Also, if the converted file is too large, you can easily compress it with those recommended online tools.
