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How to convert a Word document to PDF

By Mergevanta · Updated · 3 min read

Quick answer

How do I convert a Word document to PDF?

Open Mergevanta's Word to PDF tool, add your .docx or .doc file, keep the document's own page size or choose A4 or Letter, and press Convert. The PDF keeps fonts, tables, images, lists, headers and footers, and it's free with no watermark or sign-up. Word and Google Docs can also save a PDF directly.

Why convert a Word document to PDF?

A Word file can look different on every computer: a missing font, another version of Word or a different page size can move lines, pictures and page breaks. A PDF fixes the layout, so it looks the same in every viewer and on paper. That makes it the safer format for CVs, contracts, invoices and anything you print or submit.

The trade-off is editing: a PDF is made to be read, not changed. Keep the .docx as your working copy and send the PDF. PDF vs Word compares the two formats in detail.

How to convert Word to PDF with Mergevanta

  1. 1Open Mergevanta's Word to PDF tool in any modern browser, on a computer or a phone.
  2. 2Drop in your .docx file, or tap the drop zone to browse. Older .doc files, .docm and .dotx files work too.
  3. 3Keep “Same as document” to use the file's own page setup, or choose A4 or Letter and an orientation to override it.
  4. 4Press Convert. The PDF is laid out page by page.
  5. 5Press Download and open the PDF to check it before you send it.

How to save a PDF from Word, Google Docs or your phone

  • Microsoft Word on Windows or Mac: choose File › Save As (or File › Export) and pick PDF as the format.
  • Google Docs: open the document, then choose File › Download › PDF Document (.pdf).
  • Word on iPhone, iPad or Android: open the document and use the Share or Export menu to save a PDF.
  • No Word installed: use Word to PDF in your browser. It reads .docx and .doc files directly.

What to check before you send the PDF

  • Page breaks: scroll through and make sure no heading sits alone at the bottom of a page.
  • Fonts: Calibri, Cambria, Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New are matched with metric-compatible fonts, so lines wrap where Word wraps them. Rare or decorative fonts fall back to a close standard font.
  • Charts and SmartArt aren't drawn in the PDF yet. In Word, copy each one and paste it back as a picture before you convert.
  • Hindi, Arabic and other scripts that need complex shaping may not join correctly yet. For those documents, use Word's own Save as PDF.
  • Size: one conversion handles about 4 MB of documents. Larger files fall back to a basic text-only conversion.

Turning several Word documents into one PDF

Need a single PDF from several Word files? Convert each one, then combine the PDFs with Merge PDF. If you'd rather keep one editable file as well, join the documents with Merge Word first and convert the result.

In short

  • Mergevanta's Word to PDF tool converts .docx and .doc files to PDF for free, with no watermark or sign-up.
  • Fonts, tables, images, lists, headers, footers and page numbers carry across; save charts and SmartArt as pictures first.
  • If you already have Word or Google Docs, Save as PDF or Download as PDF works too.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Mergevanta's Word to PDF tool is free, with no watermark, no sign-up and no daily limit.

Styles, fonts, colours, tables with merged cells, images, lists, footnotes, headers, footers and page numbers all carry across. Charts and SmartArt aren't drawn yet, so paste them as pictures in Word first.

Yes. Word 97–2003 .doc files are read directly, along with .docx, .docm and .dotx, so there's no need to re-save them first.

Open Word to PDF in your phone's browser, pick the document from Files or your downloads, press Convert and download the PDF. No app is needed.

Yes. Keep the document's own page setup, or choose A4 or Letter and an orientation to override it.

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