How to Print to PDF on Windows, Mac, Chromebook and Phone

Knowing how to print to PDF saves more paper than any eco setting on your printer. Instead of sending a page to the printer, you send it to a “virtual printer” that writes a PDF file. You get an exact copy of what would have come out of the tray, ready to email, store or print later, and you have used no ink at all. Every current computer and phone can do it without extra software; the option simply has a different name on each system.

What printing to PDF actually does

When you print to PDF, the app goes through its normal print process: it lays out the pages using the paper size, orientation, margins and scale you choose. The only difference is the destination. A PDF “printer” captures those pages as a file instead of turning them into ink on paper.

That makes it useful for more than saving paper:

• Checking a layout before you spend ink, for example a long web page, a spreadsheet or a booklet.
• Keeping receipts, tickets and confirmations that you only need to show or file.
• Sending a document to someone else’s printer, a print shop or a library computer, where a PDF looks the same on any machine.
• Combining a web page and its formatting into one file that will not change if the site changes.

Our guide to eco-friendly printing at home lists saving as PDF among the simplest ways to print less, and it is the first thing to try when a page looks odd in the print preview.

How to print to PDF on Windows

Windows 10 and 11 include a virtual printer called Microsoft Print to PDF. It appears in the printer list of almost every app.

1. Open the document, web page or photo and press Ctrl+P.
2. In the printer list, choose Microsoft Print to PDF.
3. Set the pages, orientation and paper size as usual.
4. Select Print. A save window opens instead of the printer starting.
5. Type a file name, choose a folder and select Save.

If Microsoft Print to PDF is missing

The virtual printer is a Windows feature that can be switched off. Search the Start menu for Windows Features, open Turn Windows features on or off, and make sure Microsoft Print to PDF is ticked. Changing Windows features needs an administrator account. After switching it back on, check that it appears in Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Printers and scanners.

In the meantime, browsers have their own PDF option (below), and Office apps can export a PDF directly.

How to save as PDF on a Mac

On a Mac the PDF option lives inside the print dialog rather than in the printer list. Apple’s guide describes the steps:

1. Open the document and choose File, Print (or press Command+P).
2. Open the PDF menu, usually at the bottom of the print dialog.
3. Choose Save as PDF, then name the file and choose a location.

Apple notes that the same PDF menu has extra choices: you can add a password through Security Options so the PDF needs a password to open, copy or print, and you can send the PDF straight to Mail or save it to iCloud Drive. Because the option is part of the system print dialog, it works in most Mac apps that can print.

How to print to PDF in Chrome, Edge and on a Chromebook

Browsers have a built-in PDF destination, which is also how a Chromebook makes PDFs.

1. Press Ctrl+P (Command+P on a Mac).
2. Under Destination (Chrome) or Printer (Edge), choose Save as PDF. Google’s Chrome help notes that some destinations, such as Save to Google Drive, may be listed under See more.
3. Open More settings to set the scale, margins and pages per sheet, and to turn headers, footers and background graphics on or off.
4. Select Save and choose where the file goes.

Web pages are the most common reason people print to PDF. If the page is cluttered, switch to reader view first; our guide to printing a web page without ads explains how in each browser. Chromebook owners will find the printer side covered in how to print from a Chromebook.

How to print to PDF on Android and iPhone

Android. Open the app’s Print option, usually in the three-dot menu or behind Share. At the top of the print preview, tap the printer name and choose Save as PDF, then tap the PDF or download button and choose a folder. Google’s Chrome help for Android describes the same choice. If an app has no Print option, open the file in Chrome or a PDF viewer and print from there. Our guide to printing from an Android phone covers the real printer side.

iPhone and iPad. There is no PDF printer in the list, but many apps can export or share a document as a PDF, and the Share sheet often offers Save to Files. The exact buttons vary by app and iOS version, so check the app’s Share and Export options first. For printing on paper, see how to print from an iPhone to a home printer.

Print to PDF vs Save As PDF in Office

Word, Excel and PowerPoint can make a PDF without the print dialog. Microsoft’s instructions for Word on Windows: choose File, Save As (or Save a Copy for a file that is already saved), pick a location, choose PDF in the file type list and select Save. Excel offers two quality choices: Standard for printing and Minimum size when a small file matters more.

Exporting keeps things that a printed PDF loses. Under Options, Microsoft lists:

• a page range, to export only some pages;
• bookmarks created from headings;
• document properties;
• document structure tags, which help screen readers;
• PDF/A, an archiving format intended to look the same on other computers;
• encryption with a password.

Microsoft also warns that internal links in Excel workbooks can be lost in conversion, so check them in the finished PDF.

Method	Best for	Keeps links and bookmarks
Print to PDF (any app)	Web pages, receipts, anything that prints	Usually not
Save As or Export PDF in Office	Reports, CVs, forms to share	Yes, with the right options
Save as PDF in a browser	Articles, tickets, confirmations	Links often kept

Getting a clean PDF

The same settings that make a good printout make a good PDF:

• Paper size. Choose the size the reader will print on, A4 or Letter. See fit to page vs actual size if anything is cut off.
• Scale and pages per sheet. A PDF of slides or a long article can use two pages per sheet; our guide to printing multiple pages on one sheet explains the trade-offs.
• Colour. A PDF keeps colour, so if it will be printed in black and white, check that coloured text still reads well in greyscale.
• File names. Use a clear name with a date, such as 2026-10-16-boarding-pass.pdf, so you can find it later.

Is a PDF safe and private?

A PDF is a copy, not a lock. Microsoft is explicit that many programs, Word included, can open and edit PDF files, so sharing a PDF does not by itself stop someone changing it. If a document must stay private, use the password options in the Mac PDF menu or Office’s encryption setting, and share the password separately.