How Do I Save a Document to PDF?

For some assignments, your instructor may require that you upload a PDF file for your submission.  You may do your work in a Word Processing application, like Microsoft Word, Google Doc, or Apple Pages and need to convert the file to a PDF file.  Below are instructions for how to turn your document into a PDF for Microsoft Word (Mac Users), Microsoft Word (Windows Users), Pages (Mac Users), and Google Docs (Mac, Windows, Chromebook Users)

Microsoft Word (Mac Users)

After completing your document (don't forget to save a copy in Word first), click File --> Save As [1].

Navigate to where you would like to save it on your computer. Enter the name of your file. In the Format dropdown box, select PDF [1].

Click Save.

After the file has processed, navigate to the file in Finder and view it in Preview to ensure that it exported correctly.

Issues During Conversion

If the file is not converting correctly (cutting off the header/footer and/or text), you may need to adjust your printer settings to convert the Word document edge to edge:

1. Select File > Page Setup.
2. In Format for select "Any Printer.
3. In the Paper Size dropdown menu, chose Manage Custom Sizes.
4. Click on the "+" sign and type a descriptive name, like "Edge to edge"
5. Under Non-Printable Area, choose User Defined.
6. Enter zero for all margin values.

This will also save the custom size setting it to your computer.  When you do your next assignment, you can choose the custom size you created from Page Set-Up --> Paper Size. 

Pages (Mac)

After completing your document (don't forget to save a copy in Pages first), click File --> Export To --> PDF [1].

Make sure PDF is highlighted [1]. Select Better for Image Quality [2]. Click Next [3] to continue.

Navigate to where you want to save your file and name it.  Then, click Export [1] to save as a PDF file.

Google Doc (Mac or Windows)

After completing your document (don't forget to save a copy in Google Docs first), click File --> Print [1]. Note: Do not use the Download As function. It messes up the formatting of the document.

Make sure the Destination is Save as PDF [1]. If it is not, click Change and select Save As PDF as the Destination.  Then, click Save [2].

Navigate to where you want to save your file and name it. Then, click Save [1].

Microsoft Word (Windows)

Similar to Microsoft Word for Mac.