How to turn a document into PDF

Do you need to convert a document saved on your computer into PDF format, so that you can view it from any device, but you don’t know how to do it? Well, don’t worry, there are solutions that allow you to obtain perfect PDF files starting from Office documents, photos, Web pages and any other type of printable content in a very simple way.

Do you want me to recommend some of them and show you how to transform a document into PDF using it? I’ll settle for you immediately: below you will find a review of tools that allow you to transform virtually any kind of file into a PDF document at no cost. I bet you will be amazed by their ease of use and the excellent results they will be able to guarantee you.

Courage: take five minutes of free time, identify the solution that seems most suitable for you and start using it according to the instructions I am about to give you. Whether you have a Windows PC or a Mac, you will certainly succeed. There is nothing left for me to do, except wish you good reading and good work!

Index

• How to turn a document into PDF for free
  • Turn a document into PDF on Windows 10
  • Convert a document to PDF on Windows 7
  • Turn a document into PDF on Mac
  • Turn a document into PDF online
• How to turn a document into PDF from your phone
  • Turn a document into PDF on Android
  • Turn a document into PDF on iPhone
• How to turn a PDF document into PDF / A

How to turn a document into PDF for free

Are you interested in understanding how to transform a document into PDF  at no cost, from your computer? Then turn to the resources I have reported below: I’m sure they will come in handy.

Turn a document into PDF on Windows 10

If you want to transform a document into PDF directly on your PC, you can rely on a virtual printer, or a software that allows you to convert any printable content into PDF: Office documents, Web pages, photos and much more. If you are using Windows 10, you can take advantage of the virtual printer included “standard” with the operating system, without having to install extra tools.

To use it, just open the printable document you want to convert into PDF using the program you usually use for that particular type of file, call up the print command from the File menu (or from the menu in the program in use) and select the item  Microsoft Print to PDF or  Save as PDF from the list of available printers.

To give an example, if you want to convert a Web page opened in Microsoft Edge to PDF, click on the […] button in the upper right part of the browser window, choose the Print item from the menu that appears and select the option Microsoft Print to PDF from the Printer drop-down menu, located at the top. Finally, adjust (if necessary) the print settings (eg margins, orientation etc.) and save the web page in PDF by pressing the Print button.

Convert a document to PDF on Windows 7

If you are using Windows 7 or, in any case, a version of Windows older than 10, since there is no PDF printer built into the operating system, you can turn to third-party tools, such as  DoPDF. In case you have never heard of it, this is a free (basic) program that allows you to convert any printable file into a PDF document. It is extremely simple to use and does not imprint any watermark on the generated documents.

To download it to your PC, visit the program’s website and click on the Download Now! Button. twice in a row.

When the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and, in the window that is shown on the desktop, remove the check from the boxes relating to the installation of the add-in for Microsoft Office and to the sending of anonymous statistics, then click on the Install Now, Yes and Close buttons, to conclude the setup.

Now, to transform a document into a PDF, you just need to open it using the program you usually need to do it (eg a DOCX document with Microsoft Word ) and select the Print item from the File menu.

In the window that opens, choose DoPDF from the list of available printers, click on the Print button and then on the Browse button. Select, therefore, the location on your PC in which to save the output file and click on the OK button to save the PDF.

If necessary, before creating your PDF, you can define the quality of the file, using the options below the wording PDF options, and you can adjust the printing preferences (orientation and layout of the pages, resolution, etc.), acting from the DoPDF settings.

Turn a document into PDF on Mac

Do you use a Mac? Again, I have great news for you: you can turn any printable content into PDF using the virtual printer included “standard” in macOS. Yes, you read that right! You don’t need to install any additional software. You can “print” your documents in PDF format using the native functions of the operating system.

How you do it? Nothing could be easier: first open the file to convert (e.g. a text document, a photo or a web page), select the Print command from the File menu and, in the next window, click on the Save as PDF item available in the drop-down menu at the bottom left.

In the further window that opens, type the name you want to assign to the PDF in the appropriate text field, indicate the location on your Mac where you want the file to be stored and click the Save button to save the document.

If necessary, before saving the file, you can also customize its properties (title, author and subject) and/or protect it with a password, using the options available on the screen.

Turn a document into PDF online

Do you want to turn an Office document or image into PDF but don’t want (or can’t) resort to the solutions mentioned above? In this case, you can use online services, such as iLovePDF: it is a free web solution that allows the creation, modification and conversion of PDFs. Works on all major web browsers and allows you to upload (and generate) documents up to 200MB in size. To underline the fact that it does not require registration and protects the privacy of users by deleting, within a few hours, all the files that are uploaded to its servers.

To use it, connect to its home page and click on the button for the function you want to use: Word to PDF to convert DOC and DOCX files to PDF,  Excel to PDF to convert Excel sheets to PDF and so on.

At this point, drag the document you want to convert to PDF into the browser window, or select it “manually” by clicking the Select documents [document type name] button. Alternatively, upload your file from Google Drive or Dropbox by clicking on the appropriate buttons and logging in to the relevant service.

Once uploaded, click the Convert to PDF button located at the bottom right to start converting the document first and then downloading.

How to turn a document into PDF from your phone

Would you like to know if there is a way to turn a document into PDF from your phone? Yes, of course! You can get PDF files from any printable document even from Android and iOS: here is everything explained in detail.

Turn a document into PDF on Android

Even Android as Windows and MacOS, includes a virtual printer that allows you to convert to PDF any printable content.

To use it, open the web page, photo, document or any other content you want to convert to PDF on your smartphone or tablet, then tap on the share icon or select the Share item from the menu of the app in use and recall the print command from the menu that appears.

Then select the Save to PDF option from the menu for choosing the printer located at the top, press the PDF button located at the top right and select the location on your device to export the final file.

Turn a document into PDF on iPhone

Do you own an iPhone (or an iPad )? Then I am happy to inform you that even on the mobile devices of the “bitten apple” a practical virtual printer is included, thanks to which you can convert any printable content into PDF.

All you have to do is open the document, web page, photo or any other content you want to convert to PDF, press on the share icon (the one with the square and the arrow that goes up ), select the voice Create PDF from the menu that appears and choose a location to save the file.

If the Create PDF item is not available, select the word  Print. In the new screen displayed, perform a two-finger zoom on the thumbnail of the item to convert (or press on it and continue to hold it down for a few moments until it is displayed in full screen), then tap the share icon located at the top right and choose the location or app to export the PDF, from the menu that opens.

How to turn a PDF document into PDF / A

Do you need to convert a PDF document into PDF / A format (which is a specific type of PDF designed for long-term archiving of electronic documents)? In this case, you can contact the DocuPUB online service. It is free, easy to use, works from any browser and operating system and protects the privacy of users, as all files uploaded to the servers are deleted within a short time.

To use it, visit the DocuPUB home page and select the PDF / A option from the Output format drop-down menu. Then click on the Choose file / Open file button and select the PDF file you want to convert. To start the conversion procedure, click on the Upload & Convert button.

Once the conversion process is complete, you can download the resulting PDF / A file by simply clicking on its name. Alternatively, you can choose to receive the file via email by checking the Email me a link to the document option from the Delivery Method drop-down menu.

For further information on the practice in question and to find out what other tools you can use (perhaps offline), to transform PDF into PDF / A, I invite you to consult my tutorial dedicated to the topic.