How to make a PDF on Windows: every built-in method

Windows can make a PDF from almost anything it can print. The feature is already there and is usually called Microsoft Print to PDF.

You are not sending paper to a printer. You are asking Windows to make a file.

The method that works almost everywhere

1. Open the page, picture, email, form, or document.
2. Press Ctrl + P, or choose File > Print.
3. For the printer, select Microsoft Print to PDF.
4. Check the preview.
5. Choose Print.
6. Name the file, choose a folder, and select Save.

Open the saved PDF once before you close the original.

Make a PDF in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

Office gives you a more direct route:

1. Choose File > Save As or File > Save a Copy.
2. Choose where to save it.
3. In Save as type, select PDF.
4. Choose Standard for printing or Minimum size for email and web use.
5. Select Save.

You can also use File > Export > Create PDF/XPS in many desktop versions of Office.

For Excel, inspect every page in the preview. A wide spreadsheet may place one lonely column on a second page. Set the print area, orientation, scaling, and margins before exporting.

For PowerPoint, decide whether the PDF should show one slide per page, notes pages, or handouts. The print or export settings control that.

Microsoft's official PDF guide lists the current options in each Office app.

Save a website as a PDF

In Chrome, Edge, or Firefox:

1. Open the page.
2. Press Ctrl + P.
3. Select Save as PDF or Microsoft Print to PDF.
4. Turn background graphics on if the page looks incomplete.
5. Save.

Use the website's own Print or Download PDF button when it has one. Those versions often remove menus and ads.

Turn a photo into a PDF

Open the image in Photos, press Ctrl + P, select Microsoft Print to PDF, and save.

For several photos, select them in File Explorer, right-click, choose Print, then select Microsoft Print to PDF. Check the order first; Windows may follow the filename order.

Turn an email into a PDF

Open the individual message, choose Print, select Microsoft Print to PDF, and save. Expand any hidden quoted text you need before printing.

Attachments do not automatically become part of the email PDF. Download them separately.

If Microsoft Print to PDF is missing

Search Windows for Turn Windows features on or off. Find Microsoft Print to PDF, enable it, and restart the app you were using. On a managed work computer, your administrator may control this setting.

Before you send it

Check that:

• no page is cut off
• the file opens after saving
• links work if they matter
• comments or tracked changes are included only if you intended
• the filename tells the recipient what it is

If the preview looks right, the PDF usually will too.