You spend hours formatting a document in Word: perfect margins, images in the right places, aligned tables, exact fonts. You send it by email and when the recipient opens it in their version of Word, everything is out of alignment. The images have moved, the fonts have been replaced, the margins have shifted. The solution is simple: convert to PDF before sharing.
A PDF preserves exactly the formatting you defined. It will look identical on any device, with any operating system, in any software version. It is the standard for sharing documents that must look exactly as you designed them. The trick is to perform the conversion correctly so that you effectively lose nothing in the process.
Converting directly from Word
The most straightforward way, and the one that best preserves the formatting, is to convert directly from Microsoft Word. Go to File > Save As, choose PDF as the format, and save. Word converts the document using its own engine, which fully understands its own format.
Before saving, check the options. Word offers two quality settings: ‘Standard’, optimised for printing with better quality, and ‘Minimum’, optimised for the web with a smaller file size. For most uses, Standard is the best option. Only use Minimum if file size is critical and you know it will only be viewed on screen.
You can also choose which pages to convert. If you only need certain sections of the document as a PDF, select the page range instead of converting the whole thing. This generates a smaller, more relevant PDF.
The ‘Options’ menu when saving allows you to configure additional details: whether or not to include document properties (metadata), whether to create bookmarks from headings, whether or not to include comments and revision marks, and the image compression level.
Google Docs as a converter
If you don’t have Word installed, Google Docs can convert Word documents to PDF. Upload your Word file to Drive, open it in Docs, go to File > Download > PDF document. Google converts the document to its own format first and then to PDF.
The result is generally good but not perfect. Some fonts may change if Google Docs does not have them available. Complex elements such as specifically positioned text boxes or advanced graphics may shift slightly. For simple documents, it works well. For complex layouts, native Word gives better results.
The advantage of Google Docs is that it works from any device with a browser; you don’t need any software installed. For quick, occasional conversions, it’s a practical option.
Online converters
Web services such as Smallpdf, iLovePDF, Zamzar and PDF Converter offer free conversion from Word to PDF via your browser. You upload the document, the service processes it, and you download the resulting PDF.
Conversion quality varies depending on the service and the complexity of the document. Simple documents with text and basic formatting convert well on any service.
Documents with elaborate layouts, special fonts, or complex elements may encounter issues. These services are convenient for occasional conversions or when you don’t have access to Word. For important documents or regular conversions, using Word directly guarantees better results.
Privacy is an issue: you are uploading your document to external servers. For confidential information or private documents, it is better to use local methods.
LibreOffice Writer
LibreOffice Writer, the free alternative to Word, can open Word documents and export them to PDF. The conversion is generally good, though not perfect. Some advanced Word features may not convert exactly the same.
Open the Word document in LibreOffice, go to File > Export as PDF, configure
the options and export. LibreOffice offers considerable control over the conversion: image quality, compression, security, bookmarks.
For users without access to Word, LibreOffice is an excellent free alternative that produces decent conversions. It is not as accurate as native Word but far better than some online converters.
Maintaining the correct fonts
Fonts are one of the most problematic elements in conversions. If your document uses fonts that are not installed on the system where the conversion is taking place, those fonts are replaced by similar ones. This can completely change the appearance of the document.
To ensure that fonts are retained, use standard fonts that exist on all systems: Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana. These fonts are virtually guaranteed to be available on any system.
If you must use specific fonts, ensure they are installed on the system where you are performing the conversion. Or use software that embeds the fonts into the PDF (Word and Adobe do this automatically).
Images and their quality
The quality of images in the resulting PDF depends on how they appeared in the original Word document and on the conversion settings. If your images in Word already have low resolution, the PDF will not improve them.
Insert images into Word with the appropriate resolution from the start. For documents that will be viewed on screen, 72–96 DPI is sufficient. For printing, you need 150–300 DPI depending on the print size.
When saving as a PDF from Word, the ‘Standard’ option preserves image quality better than ‘Minimum’. If the resulting file size is too large, you can compress the PDF afterwards rather than sacrificing quality during conversion.
Tables and their formatting
Tables in Word sometimes cause problems when converting to PDF if they have complex layouts or elaborate merged cells. Before converting, check your tables in Word. Simplify layouts where possible. For very complex tables, consider converting them to images.
To convert a table to an image in Word, select it, copy it, and paste it as an image. You lose the ability to edit the table’s content but gain the guarantee that it will look exactly the same in the PDF.
Links and hyperlinks
Links in your Word document (references to other parts of the document, links to web pages) can remain active in the PDF if you configure the conversion correctly. In Word, make sure to tick the option to create bookmarks from headings if you want a navigable table of contents in the PDF.
Hyperlinks to external URLs generally convert without issue and remain clickable in the PDF. Internal links to bookmarks or sections of the document also work if you configured them correctly in Word.
Headers and footers
Word headers and footers are converted to PDF whilst retaining their position and content. This includes page numbers, dates, logos, and any elements you have placed in those areas.
Check that the headers and footers look as expected before converting. Once in PDF, they are more difficult to edit. It is best to correct any issues whilst the document is still in Word.
Comments and track changes
Word allows you to decide whether to include comments and track changes in the final PDF. For documents you’re going to share publicly or with clients, you’ll probably want to remove these elements. For internal review documents, you may want to keep them.
In the ‘Save as PDF’ options, you can specifically choose to include or exclude comments and mark-up. Check these settings before converting to avoid accidentally sharing internal comments.
Unwanted blank pages
Sometimes Word inserts blank pages due to section breaks or formatting. These blank pages are also converted to PDF. Before converting, remove any unnecessary blank pages in Word.
Enable the formatting marks view in Word (the ¶ symbol) to see hidden page and section breaks. Remove the unnecessary ones. This cleans up the document and prevents blank pages in the PDF.
Protect the PDF during conversion
Some versions of Word allow you to set password protection during conversion to PDF. If not, you can password-protect the PDF after converting it as a separate step.
If you know the PDF needs protection, set it up during conversion if your software allows it. It saves an extra step.
Always check the result
After converting, open the PDF and review it thoroughly. Check that the pages look correct, the images are in the right place, the tables retain their formatting, and the links work. Don’t assume the conversion was perfect.
If you encounter problems, go back to the Word document, make the necessary corrections, and convert again. Sometimes simply changing an element in Word (simplifying a table, adjusting an image) resolves conversion issues.
Batch conversion
If you need to convert multiple Word documents to PDF, doing them one by one is tedious. Word offers automation options via macros. For non-technical users, some online services allow you to upload several documents simultaneously.
Command-line tools such as pandoc or LibreOffice in headless mode can automate bulk conversions. This is more technical but useful if you regularly convert a large number of documents.
Size of the resulting file
The resulting PDF may be larger or smaller than the original Word document depending on image compression and other factors. If the PDF is very large, you have options: convert again from Word using lower-quality settings, or compress the PDF afterwards.
It is better to create a well-optimised PDF from the start than to have to compress it aggressively afterwards. Adjust the quality settings in Word according to the document’s intended use.
Converting Word to PDF correctly ensures your formatting work isn’t lost. Your document will look exactly as you designed it on any device. Use native Word for conversions whenever possible, check the result before sharing it, and adjust settings as needed to balance quality and file size. A well-converted PDF is a professional calling card; a poorly converted, misaligned one damages your image as much as the content it conveys.
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