Why you do not need a conversion website
Word, LibreOffice and current operating systems already create PDFs on their own. Conversion websites upload your document to someone else’s server, limit file size or files per day and often break fonts and tables. For contracts, payslips or customer data, converting on your own device is faster and safer.
| Method | Cost | Uploads the file? | Keeps links and contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word: Save as PDF | Included in Office and Microsoft 365 | No | Yes |
| LibreOffice Writer | Free | No | Yes |
| Google Docs | Free with a Google account | Yes, to Google Drive | Yes |
| Microsoft Print to PDF | Included in Windows | No | No, links are lost |
| Conversion websites | Free with limits | Yes, to a third-party server | Depends on the site |
Which method to choose
If you have Word, use Save as PDF: it is the most faithful option. If you do not, install LibreOffice, which is free and opens most .docx files well. Google Docs is convenient but uploads the file to your Drive, and the Windows virtual printer works with any program but turns links into plain text.
Step by step with Microsoft Word
On Windows, open the document and go to File → Save As, or File → Export → Create PDF/XPS Document. Under Save as type choose PDF, type a name and press Save. On a Mac, go to File → Save As and choose PDF as the file format.
Before saving, the Options button lets you choose which pages to export, create bookmarks from headings, which is very useful in long documents, and produce PDF/A, the format designed for long-term archiving. If the PDF will be emailed, choose Minimum size; if it will be printed, choose Standard.
With LibreOffice, for free
LibreOffice is a free, open source office suite for Windows, Mac and Linux. Open the .docx file in Writer and go to File → Export as PDF. The options window lets you adjust image quality, export bookmarks and choose a page range.
There is also a button in the toolbar to export directly as PDF with the default options. If the document looks different from Word, missing fonts are usually the cause: install the same ones or pick a similar font before exporting.
With Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive, open it with Google Docs and go to File → Download → PDF Document. It works in any browser and nothing needs installing.
Bear in mind the document stays stored in your Google account. For files with other people’s personal data, Word or LibreOffice is a better choice.
From your phone
In the Word app for Android or iPhone, open the document, tap the three-dot or share menu and choose Export or Save as PDF. On Android you can also use Print → Save as PDF from almost any app.
On an iPhone, from the print preview of any app, spread two fingers on the preview: the PDF opens and you can save it to Files or share it.
Before you send the PDF
Open it and check four things: fonts and tables look as in the original, the page count is what you expect, links work and the file is under the email limit, about 25 MB in Gmail and 20 MB in Outlook.
If several people worked on the document, use File → Info → Inspect Document in Word before converting: it removes comments, tracked changes and the author name, which could otherwise end up inside the PDF.
Common problems
If the PDF is too large, images are almost always the reason: in Word use Compress Pictures before saving or choose Minimum size. If links do not work, you probably used a virtual printer instead of Save as PDF.
And if you already have several PDFs and want to combine them into one file, reorder pages or turn photos into a PDF, you can do it with the CalculaIT PDF tools without uploading anything.
Frequently asked questions
Will the PDF look the same as the Word document?
With Word, yes: it uses the same fonts and layout. With LibreOffice or Google Docs some things may shift if the document uses fonts you do not have installed; check the result before sending it.
Can I turn a PDF into a Word document?
Word 2013 and later open a PDF from File → Open and convert it into an editable document. The result is acceptable for simple text, but tables and complex layouts often shift.
What is PDF/A?
A PDF variant for long-term archiving that embeds fonts and avoids content that depends on external resources. Some public bodies require it for online procedures.