How to create a PDF: 4 options for desktop and mobile

How to create a PDF: 4 options for desktop and mobile

Whenever I find a recipe online that catches my eye, I immediately save it as a PDF. Why? Because I’ve been burned before. I had a go-to carrot cake recipe that I used for years until one day, the recipe was randomly taken down. By saving it as a PDF, I can access the recipe whenever I want on any device with no surprises.  

Every computer and mobile device offers a way to make them for free. Here’s how to create a PDF on any device.  

Table of contents

If you’re looking for a way to create and edit PDFs, check out our roundup of the best PDF editor apps.

How to create a PDF on iPhone 

Apple doesn’t offer any built-in quick action tools to create a PDF on iPhone (yet), but it’s still fairly easy to do. Here’s how to save a webpage as a PDF—the same method works for Chrome and Safari. 

  1. Open the webpage you want to save. 

  2. Tap the Share icon, which looks like a square with an up-facing arrow. This will appear in different places depending on the browser you’re using—for example, in the mobile Chrome app, it’s in the address bar. In Safari, it’s below the address bar at the bottom of the page. 

    Address bar of a webpage in Google Chrome on iPhone. The share icon is highlighted.
  3. Tap Print

    Expanded view of the share menu in the Google Chrome app for iPhone. The print option is highlighted.
  4. In the Options popup, tap the Share icon. 

    Print options popup with the share icon highlighted.
  5. Tap Save to Files

    Expanded view of the share menu with the save to files option highlighted.
  6. Choose where you want to save your PDF, and tap Save

    Partial view of a PDF in the Files app on iPhone with the option to save highlighted.

That’s it. Your iPhone will automatically convert the webpage into a PDF file that you can read later on. 

PDF file in the Files app on iPhone.

How to create a PDF from Word 

If you want to create a PDF file from an existing Word document, here’s how. 

  1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.

  2. Click File > Save As

    Expanded view of the file dropdown in Microsoft Word.
  3. Save the file as you normally would—give it a file name and choose where you want to store it—but change the file format to PDF

    How to save a Word document as a PDF.
  4. Click Export

How to create a PDF from Google Docs

It’s just as straightforward to create a PDF from Google Docs—here’s how. 

  1. Open the Google Doc you want to convert to a PDF. 

  2. Click File > Download > PDF Document

    How to save a Google Doc as a PDF.

Google Docs will download the PDF to your computer’s Downloads folder. 

How to create a PDF on Mac and Windows

If you want to create a PDF from your desktop without using a dedicated app, here’s the easiest way to do it. 

  1. Open the content you want to turn into a PDF—for example, a webpage or an image. 

  2. Use your keyboard shortcut to print the file: command+P (on Mac) and Ctrl+P (on Windows). 

  3. If your desktop isn’t connected to a printer, your file will automatically be set to save as a PDF instead of being sent to print. If your desktop is connected to a printer, click the dropdown next to Destination, and click Save as PDF (on Mac) or Print to PDF (on Windows). 

  4. Click Save

    Print settings window for a Mac.
  5. Choose where you want to save your file, and click Save

    Popup with fields to save a new file on a Mac.

How to convert a file to PDF 

If you want to convert another file type into a PDF or vice versa, there are lots of apps you can use, including CloudConvert, PDF.co, and pdfFiller. Here’s how to do it in CloudConvert.

  1. Go to cloudconvert.com.

  2. Drag the file you want to convert onto the web page. 

  3. Click the dropdown next to Convert to to select the file type you want to create. 

  4. Click Convert

    Portion of the CloudConvert home page.
  5. Click Download to save a copy to your hard drive. 

You can also use Zapier’s integrations with CloudConvert, PDF.co, pdfFiller, or other PDF apps to automatically turn emails or files into PDFs. And if you want to really take a hands-off approach to your file management, connect these apps with your go-to cloud storage app. This way, you can automatically upload your converted files to the cloud. Here are a few pre-made workflows to get you started. 

Zapier is the leader in workflow automation—integrating with 6,000+ apps from partners like Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Use interfaces, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization’s technology stack. Learn more.

Related reading

This article was originally published in September 2018 by Matthew Guay and has also had contributions from Justin Pot. The most recent update was in August 2024. 

by Zapier