How to Save as a PDF From MS Word

Save a Word document in PDF format using Word 2007 or Word 2010.

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a widely-used format for electronic documents, whether you intend to view them on a computer or print them professionally. PDF format is the way to make sure your document will preserve all the formatting you've done to it and the content won't easily be changed by others. Practically any document can be converted to PDF, but both Microsoft Word 2007 and Word 2010 have a built-in PDF converter. You can save a Word document directly to PDF from Microsoft Word.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Word 2007 or Word 2010

Instructions

Word 2007

1. Open a Microsoft Word 2007 document.

2. Click the "Microsoft Office Button." Scroll to "Save as," then click "PDF or XPS." This will launch the "Save as" dialog box.

3. Type a file name for the document and select a destination folder. Select "PDF" in the "Save as Type" list.

4. Select "Open File After Publishing" to immediately view the PDF document after saving. Select an option next to "Optimize for" to specify the print quality. Select "Standard" for high print quality or "Minimum Size" for lower print quality and a smaller file size.

5. Click "Publish."

Word 2010

1. Open a Microsoft Word 2010 document.

2. Click the "File" tab, then "Save as."

3. Repeat steps 3 and 4 from above.

4. Click "Save."

Tips & Warnings

• Previous versions of Microsoft Word, such as Word 2003, do not have PDF-saving capabilities. However, you can use programs such as Adobe Acrobat or a free online PDF conversion tool that will allow you to convert a Word document to PDF.

References

• Microsoft Word 2007 Help: Save a File in PDF Format
• Microsoft Word 2010 Help: Save as PDF or XPS