How to Convert Your Documents to the
Portable Document Format (PDF)

The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a computer file format developed by Adobe Systems so that any kind of document created on any kind of computer can be viewed exactly as it was designed — no need for the user to have the original authoring application. PDF has become a de facto standard for online documents and forms.

What this means is that an electronic document — such as a Microsoft Word file, an Excel chart, a PowerPoint presentation or an AutoCAD drawing – will look the same on a user’s computer as it did on the original author’s computer. PDF enables a document author to include all fonts, images and other design elements in the file so users don’t need to have these elements on their computers in order to view the original design. These elements are embedded in the document so visual integrity can be maintained.

There are a number of ways to convert a document to PDF:

Mac OS X (from almost any application that can print):

1. Select File: Print... in any open document
2. Click the PDF button* in the lower left corner of the Print dialogue box
3. Click 'Save As PDF...'
4. Specify a filename and location, and then click Save.

* alternatively, clicking the Preview button will create a temporary PDF document that will be opened in Apple's Preview application which you can then save or print from.

Note: Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac splits sections into separate PDFs. You will then need to combine them into one PDF file using the full version of Adobe Acrobat, or a free online service such as MergePDF.net.

Microsoft Windows (Office 2003 and earlier) users will need the Professional version of Adobe Acrobat or, alternatively, any number of free PDF creators that you can download from the web including PrimoPDF, FoxTab PDF Converter and PDF Converter Desktop for Windows, or convert files online without downloading any software with Baltsoft's PDF Converter (free) or Adobe's Acrobat.com (convert up to 5 files for free when you sign-up for a trial)

Microsoft Office 2007 for Windows supports the PDF file format, but you must first install the free Save as PDF or XPS add-in. Go to the Microsoft Save as PDF or XPS Add-in for 2007 Microsoft Office programs and follow the instructions on that page.

Save a file in PDF format in Word 2007

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, point to the arrow next to Save As, and then click PDF or XPS.
2. In the File Name list, type or select a name for the document.
3. In the Save as type list, click PDF.
4. If you want to open the file immediately after saving it, select the Open file after publishing check box. This check box is available only if you have a PDF reader installed on your computer.
5. Next to Optimize for, click Standard (publishing online and printing).
6. Click Options to set the page range to be printed, to choose whether markup should be printed, and to select the output options. Click OK.
7. Click Publish.
   

The preceding Office 2007 instructions were copied from a Microsoft Office Online article, specific to Word 2007, but are similar if not identicle to the other Office 2007 system programs.

Last updated: 7/21/08