How to use
- Drop a Word file (.docx) onto the box at the top, or click it to choose one. The old .doc format has to be saved again as .docx in Word before it can be opened.
- Once the file opens, a list called "Things that may differ from the original" appears first. Headers and footers, footnotes, charts and other things this tool cannot carry over are listed there. If nothing is listed, no notable limits were found.
- Use the preview below to check that the text styling, tables, pictures and line breaks look like the original. Page size and margins follow the values set in the document.
- Click "Save as PDF" and the print dialog opens. Set the destination (printer) to "Save as PDF", turn off "Headers and footers", and save.
- Open the saved PDF and check the page breaks once more. If they differ from the original, add manual page breaks in Word and they will be followed.
About Word to PDF
There are plenty of sites that turn documents into PDFs, but with a résumé, a contract or a school assignment it always bothers you that the file has to be uploaded to a server. Even when a file contains personal details, it is hard to know where it is kept and for how long, and many sites limit file size or the number of conversions per day. This converter reads the document only in your browser, draws it on screen and lets you save it as a PDF. The document never leaves your device, and there is no limit on size or number of uses.
It is honest up front about what works. Word paragraphs and character styling (bold, italic, underline, color, size), alignment, indents, line spacing, bulleted and numbered lists, tables (including merged cells), pictures, hyperlinks, page size, margins and page breaks are carried over. Headers and footers, footnotes, comments, charts, SmartArt, equations and shapes floating over text cannot be carried over or look different. When such elements are found in the document, the tool lists how many there are, so you can decide before saving whether the result can be trusted.
The PDF is made with your browser's print feature. That gives you a real PDF in which text can be selected and searched, but fonts appear as in the original only when the fonts named in the document are installed on your device. If they are not, similar default fonts are used, line breaks can move and the number of pages can change. For an important document you have to submit, open the PDF next to the original and compare, or save it as a PDF directly from Word, which is the most accurate way. This tool is best when you urgently need a PDF on a device without Word.
Frequently asked questions
Where does my document go?
Nowhere. Your browser only reads the document, and the PDF is made in the same place with the print feature. Even if your internet connection drops during the conversion, you can keep working on the page that is already open.
Will it look exactly like the original?
Not necessarily. Text styling, tables and pictures usually come out similar, but if a font is missing on your device it is replaced by another one, so line breaks and the page count can change. Headers, footers, footnotes, charts and similar items cannot be carried over. Check the "Things that may differ" list and the preview.
I clicked "Save as PDF" but no file was downloaded.
Your browser's print dialog opens. Change the destination (printer) to "Save as PDF" and click Save, and the file is created. Because it is made with the print feature, the text in the PDF is real text, not a picture.
Can I convert a .doc file?
The old .doc format cannot be read. Open the file in Word, choose "Save As", change the format to .docx and save it, then bring it back here.
Does it work with password protected documents?
No. A document saved with a password cannot be read. Remove the password in Word, save the file and try again.
The page numbers are missing.
Page numbers that live in the footer cannot be carried over. If you turn on "Headers and footers" in the print dialog, the browser adds page numbers, but it also adds the document title and address. If you really need page numbers, save as PDF directly from Word.