How to make a PDF on a Mac: Print, Preview, Pages, and more

The Mac has a PDF maker built into its Print window. If an app can print something, your Mac can usually save it as a PDF.

No physical printer is required.

The method that works in most Mac apps

1. Open the document, page, email, or image.
2. Choose File > Print, or press Command + P.
3. In the Print window, open the PDF menu near the bottom.
4. Choose Save as PDF.
5. Name the file, choose a location, and select Save.

Apple's official Mac guide also explains the security options available from this window.

Export directly from Pages, Numbers, or Keynote

For Apple's work apps, direct export gives you better control:

1. Choose File > Export To > PDF.
2. Pick the image quality.
3. Add a password only if the document needs one.
4. Choose Next, name the file, and export.

In Numbers, check page breaks and scale before exporting. In Keynote, decide whether presenter notes and skipped slides belong in the PDF.

Make a PDF from a website

In Safari, choose File > Export as PDF for a quick copy, or File > Print > PDF > Save as PDF for more layout control.

Reader view can make a long article cleaner before you save it. Use it only if you want the article text, not a faithful record of the original page.

Make a PDF from images in Preview

For one image:

1. Open it in Preview.
2. Choose File > Export as PDF.

For several images:

1. Open them together in Preview.
2. Show thumbnails with View > Thumbnails.
3. Drag the thumbnails into the right order.
4. Select them, choose File > Print, then PDF > Save as PDF.

Combine existing PDFs in Preview

Open one PDF in Preview and show thumbnails. Drag another PDF from Finder into the thumbnail sidebar exactly where it belongs. Choose File > Export as PDF or Save.

Work on a copy. Preview can save page changes into the open file.

Sign or write on a PDF

Open the PDF in Preview and choose the Markup button. You can add text, shapes, highlights, notes, and a signature made with the trackpad, camera, or a nearby Apple device.

For a formal contract, confirm whether the sender requires a specific electronic-signature service. A drawn signature may look right but may not satisfy every organization's process.

Make the file smaller

Preview offers File > Export > Quartz Filter > Reduce File Size. It can reduce image quality aggressively, so save a copy and inspect small text and photographs afterward.

The last check

Open the saved PDF in Preview, skim every page thumbnail, and confirm the page count. If the first and last pages are right, nothing is clipped, and the file opens, you are done.