How to Make a PDF (From Anything)
The short answer
Almost every program on your computer can make a PDF — the trick is the print dialog. Hit Ctrl/Cmd + P in any app, choose “Save as PDF” (or “Microsoft Print to PDF” on Windows), and you get a perfect PDF of whatever’s on screen. Word and Google Docs also export PDFs directly.
Make a PDF from Word or Google Docs
Word: File → Save As → PDF. Google Docs: File → Download → PDF Document. Both are the “proper” way when you control the document — the PDF keeps your layout exactly as designed. More detail in how to convert Word to PDF.
Make a PDF from anything else (the print trick)
Websites, emails, receipts, presentations — anything you can view, you can PDF:
- Open what you want to save.
- Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac).
- In the printer list, choose Save as PDF (Mac) or Microsoft Print to PDF (Windows).
- Click Save. You now have a PDF of that page.
This works everywhere — browsers, PDFs themselves (yes, you can “print” a PDF to a fresh PDF, which is how people strip passwords and recompress files).
Make a PDF on your phone
On iPhone: share anything via the share sheet and choose Print — then pinch the preview outward and you’ll see a “Save as PDF” button. It’s hidden, but it’s there. On Android: most apps have a share → PDF option, or Google Drive’s scan feature covers paper documents.
The honest part
Making a PDF is easy; making a good PDF is slightly less so. Watch out for:
- Fonts — the print dialog embeds them automatically, which is why printed PDFs look right everywhere.
- File size — photos make heavy PDFs. If yours comes out huge, compress it.
- Sensitive content — a PDF is shareable by nature. If it’s private, password protect it before sending.
One more thing: “print to PDF” captures the page as it looks — what you see is what you get. That’s the feature and the limitation. It’s the best tool in your computer you never knew you had.