Convert to PDF · guide
What Word to PDF does
Word to PDF turns a .docx document into a PDF in your browser, keeping its paragraphs, headings, bold and italic text, bullet lists, left, centred and right alignment, page breaks, page size and margins. It suits letters, memos, CVs and text-based reports. Text is re-typeset in Helvetica. Headings are found by Word's English style names, Heading 1 to 6 and Title, so a document from Word set to another language, such as German, can print its headings as body text. Table text comes through as plain lines without the grid, pictures are left out, and the result counts both; headers, footers and footnotes are not read. The document is never uploaded.
How to convert Word to PDF in your browser
- Choose a .docx file Select a Word document saved as .docx. Older .doc files are not supported: open them in Word or another editor and save them as .docx first.
- Convert it Select Convert to PDF. The text is set onto PDF pages using the page size and margins stored in the document, and the page breaks you inserted are kept.
- Check and save Read the notes, which count the tables and pictures found. Compare the PDF with the document, including anything in headers, footers, footnotes or text boxes, then save it.
Worked example
Create a browser-generated copy of a simple DOCX proposal.
- Starting point
- Choose a DOCX with ordinary headings, paragraphs, lists and a small table.
- What to do
- Convert and inspect page breaks, table rows and paragraph spacing in the PDF.
- Result
- Expect a reconstructed PDF suitable for reviewing straightforward content; keep the DOCX as the editable source.
If the result is not right
If exact Word pagination is essential, export with the original word processor. For a simpler browser conversion, simplify the source layout and retry.
Limits worth knowing
- Floating objects, advanced Word features and unavailable fonts can differ from the original application.
Questions and answers
Does Word to PDF keep tables and images?
Not as they look in Word. The text inside a table comes through, but as plain lines, one cell after another and row by row, without borders or columns. Pictures, charts and drawn shapes are left out, and the result notes count the tables and pictures found, where one text box can count as two pictures. Text inside a text box is still printed among the body text, often twice, and words that follow a text box in the same paragraph can be lost, so check pages that use text boxes. For a document built around tables or pictures, export it to PDF from Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice instead.
Can I convert an old .doc file?
No, only the .docx format that Word has used since 2007. Open the .doc in Word, LibreOffice or Google Docs, save or download it as .docx, then convert that.
Why do the pages break in different places than in Word?
Because the text is set again from scratch rather than copied from Word's layout. Everything is in Helvetica, with body text at 11 pt and fixed line spacing, so lines are a different length from your font's and pages fill at a different rate. What is kept: the page size and margins, page breaks you inserted, Page break before on a paragraph, and a heading is never left alone at the foot of a page. If the page count must match exactly, export the PDF from Word itself.
Are headers, footers, page numbers and footnotes included?
No. Only the main body of the document is read. Text in headers and footers, page-number fields, footnotes, endnotes and comments does not appear in the PDF, and the notes do not mention it, so check for it yourself. To number the pages, run the finished PDF through Add page numbers to PDF; Add header, footer or Bates numbers can put a running heading back.
What happens to fonts, colours and numbered lists?
Bold, italic, and left, centred or right alignment carry across; justified text is set flush left. Font choices, font sizes, colours, underlining and highlighting are not read: body text is near-black Helvetica and headings use a fixed size for each level. Numbered lists come out as bullet points without their numbers, so check any list that is referred to by number. Linked text keeps its words but is not clickable.
What happens to tracked changes and comments?
The PDF shows the document as if every tracked change had been accepted: inserted text is included and deleted text is left out, with no colours or margin marks. Comments are not included at all. That suits a final copy; if you meant to send the markup, export from Word with markup showing instead. The .docx still holds the edit history until the changes are accepted, so send the PDF rather than the document when those edits should stay private. Check for hidden text first, though: text formatted as Hidden in Word is printed in the PDF, although Word normally hides it, so delete it before converting.