How to make a PDF from Word, photos, a web page or a scan
Your computer or phone can almost certainly make a PDF already. Here are the built-in ways on each device, and what to use when they don't fit.
By the PDF ProMaster team · Fact-checked 27 October 2026
Quick answer: in almost any app, open Print and choose a PDF option instead of a printer: Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows, PDF > Save as PDF on a Mac, or Save as PDF in Chrome. Word and Google Docs can save PDFs directly. For photos, use JPG to PDF; for paper, use your phone's document scanner.
Pick the right method
| You have | Easiest way |
|---|---|
| A Word document | Word's own Save as PDF, or Word to PDF if you don't have Word |
| A Google Doc | File > Download, then choose PDF |
| A web page | Your browser's Print, then Save as PDF |
| Photos or screenshots | JPG to PDF or PNG to PDF |
| Paper documents | A scanner app on your phone |
| A mix of files | The PDF ProMaster Workspace |
From Microsoft Word
Word on Windows: choose File > Save a Copy (or Save As if the file hasn't been saved yet), select Browse, pick PDF in the file type list, and select Save. More Options > Options lets you save only some pages, add bookmarks from your headings, or add a password.
Word for the web: choose File > Export > Download as PDF, then Download.
No Word? Word to PDF converts .docx files in your browser, keeping text, tables, pictures, headers, footers and page numbers. The layout is very close to the original but not always identical, and the file is larger than one Word makes itself, because each page is saved as a sharp image with the text layered behind it so you can still search and copy it. If you have Word, its own PDF option gives the smallest file.
From Google Docs
Choose File > Download and pick PDF as the file type. Google suggests that for a very large document in Chrome, you can instead choose File > Print, select Save as PDF next to "Destination", and click Save.
From any app on Windows: Microsoft Print to PDF
On Windows, Microsoft Print to PDF appears in the list of printers. In the app you're using, open Print, choose Microsoft Print to PDF under Printer, and select Print. Instead of printing on paper, you get a PDF. This works in most apps that have a Print option, such as email, spreadsheets and photo viewers.
From any app on a Mac
Choose File > Print. In the Print dialog, click the PDF button, or the arrow next to it, and choose Save as PDF. Type a name, choose where to save it, and click Save. Apple notes you can click Security Options to add a password.
From a web page
- Chrome on a computer: press Ctrl + P (⌘ + P on a Mac), choose Save as PDF as the destination, and click Save.
- Microsoft Edge on Windows: press Ctrl + P, choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer, and select Print.
- Chrome on Android: tap More > Share > Print. At the top, select Save as PDF, then tap Print and choose where to save the file.
- Safari on iPhone or iPad: Apple's guide for iPad gives these steps: tap the Share button, tap Options, choose PDF and tap Done, then tap Save to Files and choose where to save it. Apple's iPhone guide confirms Safari on iPhone can save a web page as a PDF too.
Printed web pages often include menus and ads. Print settings, such as the Pages option in Edge, let you leave out the pages you don't need.
From paper: scan with your phone
iPhone: in the Files app, tap the More button, then Scan Documents. Hold the page in view; in Auto mode it's captured for you, or tap the shutter button. Tap Keep Scan, add more pages if you need to, tap Done, choose a location and tap Save. You can also scan in Notes (tap the attachment button, then Scan Documents). On recent versions of iOS, Apple says the Preview app can create a PDF by scanning a document.
Android: in the Google Drive app, tap Camera at the bottom right and photograph the page. Crop, rotate or add pages, tap Done, give it a name, choose .pdf and tap Save. On iPhone, the Google Drive app has the same feature: tap Add, then Scan, and Drive saves the scan as a PDF.
Scan in good light with the whole page in view and no shadows. If the result is too large, Compress PDF can shrink it.
From photos and screenshots
- Open JPG to PDF and add your images. JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF and BMP all work, and each image becomes a page. iPhone HEIC photos work in Safari; on other browsers, share them as JPG first.
- Put them in order and choose a page size: A4 (standard in most of the world), US Letter (US and Canada) or the same shape as each image. Add a margin if you like.
- Convert and download. Sideways phone photos are turned the right way up automatically.
For screenshots, charts and diagrams, PNG to PDF keeps every pixel sharp.
From plain text
Text to PDF turns a .txt file, or text you paste in, into a tidy PDF with the page size and text size you choose. It supports English and Western European languages.
From a mix of files
If you need one PDF made from several things, such as a Word letter, two scanned pages and a photo of a receipt, open the PDF ProMaster Workspace. It opens PDFs, images, .txt files and Word (.docx) documents together. Drag the pages into order, delete the ones you don't need, then press Merge & download. For applications with a size limit, see how to combine documents into one PDF for an application.
All PDF ProMaster tools run in your browser, so your documents are never uploaded. If a PDF you've made turns out very large, our guide Why is my PDF so big? explains why and what to do.
Questions
How do I make a PDF for free?
Use your device's built-in options: Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows, Print > Save as PDF on a Mac, Save as PDF in Chrome, or a scanner app on your phone. Free browser tools such as JPG to PDF and Word to PDF cover photos and Word files.
How do I turn a Word document into a PDF without Word?
Open it in Word to PDF, which converts .docx files in your browser. Google Docs can also open Word files and download them as PDF. Older .doc files need saving as .docx first.
How do I make a PDF on my phone?
On iPhone, use Scan Documents in the Files app for paper, or Share > Options > PDF in Safari for web pages. On Android, scan with the Google Drive app, or use Chrome's Share > Print > Save as PDF.
How do I combine photos into one PDF?
Add them all to JPG to PDF. Each photo becomes a page, in the order you set.
Are my files uploaded when I make a PDF with PDF ProMaster?
No. The PDF is made in your browser on your own device.
Try these tools
How we write our guides: the limits, formats and prices of other organisations in this guide are checked against the official pages linked under Sources, on the date shown. Instructions describe only features our tools actually have. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll correct it.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Save or convert to PDF in Office desktop apps (checked 27 October 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Export Word document as PDF (Word for the web) (checked 27 October 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Print handouts (uses Microsoft Print to PDF) (checked 27 October 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Print in Microsoft Edge (checked 27 October 2026)
- Apple Support: Save a document as a PDF on Mac (checked 27 October 2026)
- Apple Support: How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad (checked 27 October 2026)
- Apple Support: Scan text and documents in Preview on iPhone (checked 27 October 2026)
- Apple Support: Annotate and save a webpage as a PDF in Safari on iPhone (checked 27 October 2026)
- Apple Education: How to convert a webpage to a PDF (checked 27 October 2026)
- Google Docs Help: Create, view or download a file (checked 27 October 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Print from Chrome (Android) (checked 27 October 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Print from Chrome (computer) (checked 27 October 2026)
- Google Drive Help: Scan documents with Google Drive (Android) (checked 27 October 2026)
- Google Drive Help: Scan documents with Google Drive (iPhone and iPad) (checked 27 October 2026)
Microsoft, Windows, Word and Edge are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Apple, Mac, iPhone and Safari are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google, Android, Chrome, Google Docs and Google Drive are trademarks of Google LLC. PDF ProMaster is independent and isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by it. Comparisons are based on the sources above; if anything here is out of date, please let us know and we'll correct it.