There is a universal PDF creator on every computer, and it is the print dialog. Its limits are worth understanding before you rely on it.
The universal method
| Platform | How |
|---|---|
| Windows | Ctrl+P → Microsoft Print to PDF |
| macOS | Cmd+P → PDF dropdown → Save as PDF |
| iOS | Share → Print → pinch out on the preview |
| Android | Print → Save as PDF |
| Chrome or Edge | Ctrl+P → Destination → Save as PDF |
| Linux | Print → Print to File → PDF |
The iOS one is genuinely obscure: from the print preview, pinching outwards on the page thumbnail opens it as a PDF, which can then be shared or saved. It has worked for years and is discoverable by nobody.
Print to PDF, or export to PDF
These are different operations and the difference is invisible until someone tries to use the file.
Print sends the document through a printer driver, which produces a faithful picture of the printed pages and nothing else. Export uses the application's own PDF writer, which can carry structure through.
- Hyperlinks: live in an export, dead text in a print.
- Bookmarks and outline: exported from document headings, absent from a print.
- Accessibility tags: preserved in an export, discarded in a print.
- Image quality: configurable in an export, downsampled to print resolution otherwise.
- Selectable text: both, usually.
So the rule is simple: if the application has File → Export → PDF or Save as PDF, use it. Fall back to printing only for applications that offer nothing else, which these days is mostly older or niche software.
Making PDFs from specific things
- A web page: print to PDF from the browser. Use the browser's Reader mode first to strip navigation and ads.
- Photographs: select them and use the built-in Create PDF, or a browser tool that lets you order the pages.
- An email: print to PDF. Outlook and Gmail both print cleanly; check that the full thread is expanded first.
- A screenshot: save as PNG, then convert. Going straight to PDF usually re-encodes it.
- Several files at once: convert each, then merge.
- A spreadsheet: set the print area first, or you will get dozens of near-empty pages.
The web-page case deserves the extra step. Printing a modern page directly captures cookie banners, sticky headers and advertising alongside the content. Reader mode, or a print stylesheet if the site has one, produces something worth keeping.
Viewing a PDF without installing anything
Any browser opens a PDF. Drag the file onto a browser window, or press Ctrl+O and select it, and the built-in viewer handles it — including basic annotation in Chrome and Edge.
This is worth knowing on a machine where you cannot install software, which is a common situation on managed work computers and public terminals.
It is also the safer option for a PDF from an unknown source. Browser PDF viewers run in a heavily sandboxed process and update constantly, whereas desktop readers have a long history of vulnerabilities and are frequently years out of date. Opening an unexpected attachment in a browser tab rather than a desktop reader is a small habit worth having.
Making a PDF that works well
A PDF created carelessly is technically valid and unpleasant to use. Four things separate one from the other, and none takes long.
Set the page size to match the destination — A4 or Letter, matching where it will be printed. Check that text is selectable, by trying to select some; if you cannot, the content was rasterised and the file is now an image. Keep hyperlinks live by exporting rather than printing. And name the file something meaningful, because Document1.pdf helps nobody.
If the file is heading for email or an upload form, check the size too. A PDF made from photographs is frequently tens of megabytes for no visible benefit, and Compress PDF handles it locally.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a PDF from any file?
Print it. Ctrl+P then Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows, Cmd+P then Save as PDF on macOS, Save as PDF from the Android print dialog. Any application that can print can produce a PDF this way.
Should I print to PDF or export to PDF?
Export, whenever the application offers it. Printing routes through a printer driver and discards hyperlinks, bookmarks and accessibility tags while downsampling images. Export uses the application's own writer and carries that structure through.
How do I make a PDF on an iPhone?
Share → Print, then pinch outwards on the page preview — that opens it as a PDF you can save or share. It is an old feature and almost impossible to discover by accident.
How do I save a web page as a PDF?
Print to PDF from the browser, but switch to Reader mode first. Printing a page directly captures cookie banners, sticky headers and advertising along with the content.
How do I view a PDF without installing anything?
Drag it onto a browser window, or press Ctrl+O and select it. Chrome and Edge both include annotation as well. This works on managed machines where you cannot install software.
Is it safer to open a PDF in a browser?
Generally yes for files from unknown sources. Browser viewers run in a heavily sandboxed process and update constantly, while desktop readers have a long vulnerability history and are often years out of date.
Why is my PDF of a spreadsheet dozens of pages?
No print area was set, so the application exported every cell it considers used — often far beyond the visible data. Set the print area, choose landscape, and fit to one page wide before creating the PDF.