TUTORIAL ARTICLEBeginner8 min

Create PDFs from Microsoft Office

Learn how to convert Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint documents to PDF.

What you'll need

Easilyconvert Microsoft Word , Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint documents to PDF using the Create PDF tool in Acrobat. You can also convert documents without leaving the application using the Acrobat task ribbon in Office for Windows or the Print command in Windows or Mac OS.

Prerequisite: No matter which method you use, you must have the original Office application installed on your computer.

Method 1: Use the Create PDF tool in Acrobat

1. Open Acrobat. Click Tools, and then click the Create PDF tool to open it. Using the Create PDF tool, you can easily convert almost any file to PDF.

2. Select the file, and click Open. Acrobat displays a preview of your file.

If you’re using Windows, click Advanced Settings to customize the conversion settings for security, bookmarks, links, and accessibility. Then, click OK.

Sample files: Analysis.xls, or Overview.pptx (shown here)

3. Click Create. Acrobat creates the PDF file, saving it in the same location as the original file. It has the same name as the original file, but with a .pdf extension. Acrobat automatically opens the PDF file you created.

Tip: You can use the Create PDF tool to easily create PDF files from websites, clipboard contents, images, and other file formats too.

Method 2: Use the Acrobat task ribbon in Office (Windows only)

1. Open your Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document, if it’s not already open. Then click the Acrobat tab. In the Acrobat task ribbon, click Create PDF.

If you’re converting an Excel document, a second dialog box will appear with further options. Specify how much of the workbook to convert and the final page size, and then click Convert to PDF.

2. In the Save Adobe PDF File As dialog box, select View Result if you want Acrobat to open the PDF file after converting. Select Restrict Editing if you want to prevent the finished PDF file from being changed without your permission. Click Options to specify other conversion settings, such as whether to create bookmarks or tag the PDF file for accessibility.

Tip: For further control over conversion settings, click Preferences in the Acrobat task ribbon.

3. Name the PDF file, and select a folder for it. Click Save. If you selected View Result, the PDF file immediately opens in Acrobat.

Method 3: Print from an Office application

1. Open your Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document, if it’s not already open. Then, choose File > Print. In the Print dialog box, specify any settings, such as which pages to include in your PDF.

2. How you print to PDF at this point is a little different in Windows and Mac OS:

In Windows, choose Adobe PDF from the Printer pop-up menu. Click Printer Properties to customize conversion settings, and click OK. Then, click Print.

In Mac OS, choose Save as Adobe PDF from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the Print dialog box. In the Save As Adobe PDF dialog box, select a PDF settings file, and choose whether to open the file in Acrobat. The default values usually work fine here. Click Continue.