How to convert Word, Excel and PowerPoint to PDF
To convert Word, Excel or PowerPoint to PDF, upload the file (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt or .pptx) to the matching tool and download the finished PDF. To avoid surprises, use common fonts, set the print area in spreadsheets and check the pagination of the result before sending.
Why convert Office documents to PDF
A Word, Excel or PowerPoint file depends on the program, the version and the fonts installed on each computer. The same document can break its pagination on another machine, swap fonts or move images around. A PDF freezes the result: it looks the same on any device, system or printer.
There is also a privacy reason. When you send an Excel spreadsheet, you also send formulas, hidden sheets and data the recipient does not need to see. Converted to PDF, it becomes only the visible content.
How to convert each type of file
The process is the same in all three tools: upload, convert and download.
- Word to PDF accepts DOC and DOCX files and preserves fonts, images and formatting.
- Excel to PDF accepts XLS and XLSX and produces a document with the spreadsheet’s print layout.
- PowerPoint to PDF accepts PPT and PPTX and turns each slide into a page.
What to adjust in Word before converting
Update the table of contents, cross-references and page numbering: the PDF shows exactly what is in the file at the moment of conversion. Prefer common fonts, which exist on most systems, and avoid placing floating images on the page with complex cropping, since those are what shift the most. After converting, scroll through the entire PDF; page breaks in the middle of tables and headings stranded at the bottom of a page are the most frequent problems.
Spreadsheets: print area and orientation
A spreadsheet’s PDF follows Excel’s print settings. If the print area is not set, wide columns may be split across several pages or appear cut off. Before converting, select the range that should appear, set it as the print area, choose landscape for wide tables and use the option to fit all columns to the page width. Hidden sheets and content outside the print area do not appear in the PDF.
Presentations: notes, animations and size
In the PDF, each slide becomes a static page: animations and transitions are not kept, so make sure the final slide shows all the important content. Presentations with many photos produce heavy PDFs; if the upload limit is a problem, run the result through Compress PDF.
When the PDF needs to be archived for a long time
To keep documents for years, such as contracts, financial statements and medical records, there is the PDF/A format, designed so that the file keeps opening the same way in the future. First convert the document to PDF and, if needed, use PDF to PDF/A. And always keep the original editable file, because a PDF is not meant to be changed; if you need to edit it later, the reverse path is PDF to Word.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Microsoft Office installed?
No. The conversion happens on the server, so you just upload the file from your browser, on a computer or a phone.
Why do the fonts in my PDF look different?
When the document uses a font that is not available during conversion, it is replaced with a similar one. Common fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman and Calibri avoid the problem.
How do I keep the spreadsheet from being cut off in the PDF?
In Excel, set the print area, choose landscape orientation for wide tables and turn on the option to fit all columns on one page before converting.