How to convert a Word document to PDF
Open Word or Excel to PDF, add the .docx or .xlsx file and press Make the PDF.
Word or Excel to PDFFree. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Word or Excel to PDF.
- Add the .docx or .xlsx files.
- Press Make the PDF.
- Save the PDF, or tap Then to merge or compress it.
What is kept
Headings, lists, tables, links and pictures are laid out on the Word file’s own page size, with the words kept as real text you can select and search. Headers and footers go on every page with their page numbers worked out, and footnotes are gathered under Notes at the end. Wide spreadsheets go on sideways pages. Lines in Malayalam, Hindi and other scripts are drawn by your browser and placed as pictures, so they show correctly but cannot be selected or searched.
What is not, yet
Fonts become the nearest of Helvetica, Times or Courier, so a document set in a special font looks plainer. Footnotes move to the end rather than the foot of each page. Older .doc and .xls files need saving as .docx or .xlsx first.
If you have Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice, their own Save as PDF or Download as PDF keeps your exact fonts and spacing. This tool is for when you do not have them, such as on a phone, or on a work computer where you should not upload files.
After converting
Join it with other PDFs using Merge, or bring it under an upload limit with Compress. Going the other way is PDF to Word.
A worked example
A college wants your resume as a PDF, and you only have the .docx on your phone. Open Word or Excel to PDF, add the file, and press Make the PDF. Open the result to check the line breaks and the table of your marks. Then save it, or tap Then and choose Compress if the portal sets a size limit.
Excel sheets as PDF
Each sheet in a workbook comes out in turn, as a table, with its name as a heading when there is more than one sheet. Columns that are empty all the way down are left out, numbers line up on the right, and the first row is set in bold and comes back at the top of every page. Dates and amounts show as their cells show them. A sheet too wide for an upright A4 page goes on sideways pages, in smaller type when even that is too narrow. Charts are not drawn; for those, use the spreadsheet app’s own export.
Check that totals worked out by formulas show the figures you expect before you send the PDF. If only one sheet of a workbook should become a PDF, delete the others from a copy of the workbook first, or save that sheet as a workbook of its own, and convert that.
Common mistakes
Converting an old .doc file: save it as .docx first in any office app. Typing page numbers by hand into a document: use Word’s own page-number field in the footer, which comes out right on every page. And checking the PDF only on a computer when it will mostly be read on a phone: open it on both if it matters.
Questions people ask
Is my document uploaded?
No. The PDF is laid out in your browser.
Can I convert an Excel sheet?
Yes. Each sheet comes out as a table; wide ones on sideways pages.
Why does my .doc file not work?
Only the newer .docx and .xlsx are read. Open the old file in an office app and save it as .docx first.
Can I convert several files at once?
Yes. Add them all; each becomes its own PDF, and Merge can join them afterwards.
Will the PDF be searchable?
Yes, for words in English letters: they are real text you can search and copy. Lines in other scripts are placed as pictures, so search will not find them.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, that is what it is for: a .docx sent to you on WhatsApp or by email can become a PDF in the phone’s browser, with nothing to install.
Your file stays on your device. Foolscap does the work inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there is nothing for anyone to keep. How you can check