Microsoft Word 101: how to convert a Word doc to a PDF

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge

PDF files have been the format of choice for legal and business documents for a long time due to the fact that they can be locked down so that no changes can be made. PDF's are great for producing accurate digital versions of paper documents, but you can also create a PDF out of a Word document.

Save a Word file to a PDF from Microsoft Word

You can create a PDF from a Word document with Microsoft Word.

On a desktop / laptop

• Open the document in Word.
• Click on File > Save as > Download as PDF.

On an Android device

• Tap on the three dots in the upper-right corner.
• Select Share as PDF.
• Choose where you want to share the file.

On an iOS device

• Tap on the three dots in the upper-right corner.
• Select Export > PDF.
• Name your new file and select where you want to save it.

Save a Word file to a PDF from Google Docs

You don't need to worry if you have a Word file that you need to convert into a PDF. Word files can be accommodated nicely with the help of the doc. It can spit them back as PDF files once they're uploaded. The process isn't as simple.

On a desktop / laptop

• Open a new document in Google Docs.
• Select File > Open > Upload (assuming the Word document is on your computer’s drive). Find your file and upload it.
• Go to File > Download and select PDF Document (.pdf).

You can't save a Word file to a PDF on a mobile device, which makes it more difficult. You can convert the file to a PDF if you save it as a doc.

On an Android device

• Open the document in (or share it to) the Google Docs app.
• Select the three dots in the upper-right corner.
• Tap on Share & export > Save As > Google Docs.
• Then go through the same steps, but this time you can save it as a PDF file.

On an iOS device

• Open the document in (or share it to) the Google Docs app.
• Select the three dots in the upper-right corner.
• Tap on Share & export > Save as Google Docs file.
• Go back to Share & export, but this time, select Send a copy > PDF.

PDF is the wildly excitingPortable Document Format.