How to convert a Word document to PDF on any device
Word tools · Published
Use Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice or your phone's built-in options to save a Word document as a PDF. Filecon doesn't offer this conversion yet, and this guide explains why.
The short answer
If you have Microsoft Word, use its own PDF export: it keeps your fonts and layout best because it's the same program that laid the document out. On Windows that's File › Save a Copy (or Save As) and choosing PDF.
No Word? Free options work well for most documents: Word for the web with a free Microsoft account, Google Docs, LibreOffice Writer, Pages on a Mac, or the print-to-PDF option built into Windows, iPhone and Android.
Does Filecon convert Word to PDF?
Not yet. A faithful Word-to-PDF conversion needs the document's fonts and a complete page layout engine that places every line, table and image the way Word does. A converter that runs only in your browser doesn't have those fonts, so page breaks, spacing and tables could come out different from what you see in Word. We'd rather point you to the tools below than give you a PDF that looks wrong.
Filecon does have two related Word tools that run in your browser without uploading the file. Word to text pulls out the plain text, and Word to HTML turns the document into a clean web page. Neither keeps the page layout.
Compare the options
| Method | Devices | Cost | Layout match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word desktop app | Windows, Mac | Microsoft 365 or Office license | Closest |
| Word for the web | Any browser | Free Microsoft account | Very close |
| Word mobile app | iPhone, Android | Free account; some features need a subscription | Very close |
| Google Docs | Any browser, phones | Free Google account | Can differ |
| LibreOffice Writer | Windows, Mac, Linux | Free | Can differ |
| Pages | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Free | Can differ |
| Print to PDF | Windows, iPhone, Android | Built in | Depends on the app |
"Can differ" means the app re-creates the document with its own layout engine and whatever fonts it has, so check page breaks and tables before you send the PDF.
Microsoft Word on Windows
- Open the document in Word.
- Go to File › Save a Copy. If the file has never been saved, use File › Save As.
- Choose Browse and pick a folder.
- In the file type list, choose PDF.
- Select Save.
More Options › Options in the same dialog lets you save only some pages or include bookmarks from your headings.
Microsoft Word on a Mac
- Go to File › Save As.
- Give the PDF a different name from the document, so you keep an editable copy.
- Set File Format to PDF.
- Select Export.
Word for the web
- Upload the document to OneDrive and open it in Word for the web.
- Go to File › Export.
- Choose Download as PDF, or Download as PDF with comments.
- Select Download.
Word app on iPhone and Android
The app's menus change between versions, so treat these as a guide:
- Android: open the document, tap the three-dot menu, then Print. Choose Save as PDF as the printer, tap the PDF button and choose where to save it.
- iPhone: open the document, tap the three-dot menu, and look for Export and then PDF.
Google Docs
- Upload the .docx to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs.
- On a computer, go to File › Download › PDF Document (.pdf).
- In the Docs app, tap the three-dot menu, then Share & export. On Android choose Save as and PDF; on iPhone choose Send a copy and PDF.
Docs converts the file to its own format first, so fonts it doesn't have are replaced and complex layouts may shift. The file is also stored in your Google Drive.
LibreOffice Writer (free, any computer)
- Open the .docx in LibreOffice Writer.
- Go to File › Export As › Export as PDF.
- Check the options (page range, image quality) and select Export.
The Export Directly as PDF toolbar button skips the options. Install the fonts the document uses if you have them; otherwise LibreOffice substitutes similar ones.
Pages on a Mac
- Open the Word document in Pages.
- Choose File › Export To › PDF.
- Pick the image quality, select Save, name the file and select Export.
Print to PDF, built into your device
Windows: Microsoft Print to PDF
- Open the document in any app that can print it and press Ctrl+P.
- Choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer.
- Select Print, then choose a name and folder.
If it isn't in the printer list, it may be turned off in Windows Features. A printed PDF may not keep clickable links or bookmarks, so a real export is better when you have one.
iPhone and iPad
Open the document from the Files app, tap Share, then Print. In the print preview, tap Share again and choose Save to Files. The exact buttons vary with the iOS version, and the preview uses Apple's own rendering of the Word file, which can differ from Word.
Android
From an app that can print the document, open the print option and choose Save as PDF as the printer. Where the print option lives depends on the app and phone brand.
Troubleshooting
- Fonts look different. The converting app doesn't have your fonts. Convert on a computer that has them installed, ideally with the Word desktop app, or pick common fonts in the document.
- Old .doc files. Word, LibreOffice and Google Docs can open them. Save as .docx first if another tool refuses the file.
- You only need the text. Skip the PDF and use Word to text. For a web page, use Word to HTML.
Summary
Word's own export gives the closest match, and Word for the web does the same for free with a Microsoft account. Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages are good free alternatives for simple documents, and every phone and Windows PC can print to PDF. Filecon doesn't convert Word to PDF, but it can extract the text or turn the document into HTML in your browser.