---
title: "How to create a PDF: 4 options for desktop and mobile"
description: "Almost every computer and mobile device offers an easy way to make a PDF for free. Here are four ways to create a PDF on any device."
image: "https://images.ctfassets.net/lzny33ho1g45/create-pdf-p-img/86d457f1b603cb90f72772c064cda867/Group_9898.png"
---

# How to create a PDF: 4 options for desktop and mobile

Almost every computer and mobile device offers an easy way to make a PDF for free. Here are four ways to create a PDF on any device.

Whenever I find a recipe online that catches my eye, I immediately save it as a PDF. Why? Because I've been burned before. I had a go-to carrot cake recipe that I used for years until one day, the recipe was randomly taken down. By saving it as a PDF, I can access the recipe whenever I want on any device with no surprises.  

Every computer and mobile device offers a way to make them for free. Here's [how to create a PDF](https://zapier.com/blog/create-extract-data-from-pdfs/) on any device.  

**Table of contents**: 

- [How to create a PDF on iPhone](#iphone)
- [How to create a PDF from Word](#word)
- [How to create PDF from Google Docs](#google-docs)
- [How to create a PDF on Mac and Windows](#mac-and-windows)
- [How to convert a file to PDF](#convert-files-to-pdf)

## How to create a PDF on iPhone 

Apple doesn't offer any built-in quick action tools to create a PDF on iPhone (yet), but it's still fairly easy to do. Here's how to save a webpage as a PDF—the same method works for Chrome and Safari. 

1. Open the webpage you want to save.
2. Tap the **Share** icon, which looks like a square with an up-facing arrow. This will appear in different places depending on the browser you're using—for example, in the mobile Chrome app, it's in the address bar. In Safari, it's below the address bar at the bottom of the page.

3. Tap **Print**.

4. In the _Options_ popup, tap the **Share **icon.

5. Tap **Save to Files**.

6. Choose where you want to save your PDF, and tap **Save**.

That's it. Your iPhone will automatically convert the webpage into a PDF file that you can read later on. 

## How to create a PDF from Word 

If you want to create a PDF file from an existing Word document, here's how. 

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Click **File** > **Save As**.

3. Save the file as you normally would—give it a file name and choose where you want to store it—but change the file format to **PDF**.

4. Click **Export**.

## How to create a PDF from Google Docs

It's just as straightforward to create a PDF from [Google Docs](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-use-google-docs/)—here's how. 

1. Open the Google Doc you want to convert to a PDF.
2. Click **File **> **Download** > **PDF Document**.

Google Docs will download the PDF to your computer's _Downloads _folder. 

## How to create a PDF on Mac and Windows

If you want to create a PDF from your desktop without using a dedicated app, here's the easiest way to do it. 

1. Open the content you want to turn into a PDF—for example, a webpage or an image.
2. Use your keyboard shortcut to print the file: `command`+`P` (on Mac) and `Ctrl`+`P` (on Windows).
3. If your desktop isn't connected to a printer, your file will automatically be set to save as a PDF instead of being sent to print. If your desktop is connected to a printer, click the dropdown next to _Destination_, and click **Save as PDF** (on Mac) or **Print to PDF** (on Windows).
4. Click **Save**.

5. Choose where you want to save your file, and click **Save**.

## How to convert a file to PDF 

If you want to convert another file type into a PDF or vice versa, there are lots of apps you can use, including CloudConvert, PDF.co, and pdfFiller. Here's how to do it in CloudConvert.

1. Go to [cloudconvert.com](http://cloudconvert.com).
2. Drag the file you want to convert onto the web page.
3. Click the dropdown next to _Convert to _to select the file type you want to create.
4. Click **Convert**.

5. Click **Download** to save a copy to your hard drive.

You can also use Zapier's integrations with [CloudConvert](https://zapier.com/apps/cloudconvert/integrations), [PDF.co](https://zapier.com/apps/pdfco/integrations), [pdfFiller](https://zapier.com/apps/pdffiller/integrations), or other PDF apps to automatically turn emails or files into PDFs. And if you want to really take a hands-off approach to your file management, connect these apps with your go-to [cloud storage app](https://zapier.com/blog/best-cloud-storage-apps/). This way, you can automatically upload your converted files to the cloud. Here are a few pre-made workflows to get you started. 

**Related reading**: 

- [How to edit a PDF on Windows](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-edit-pdf-on-windows/)
- [How to edit a PDF in Google Drive](https://zapier.com/blog/edit-pdf-google-drive/)
- [How to use tags and labels to organize your files](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-use-tags-and-labels/)
- [How to make a PDF fillable](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-make-a-pdf-fillable)
- [How to open a PDF in Google Docs](https://zapier.com/blog/pdf-to-google-docs)
- [How to merge PDF files](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-merge-pdf-files)
- [The free Windows PDF editor that'll let you say so long to Adobe](https://zapier.com/blog/free-pdf-editor-windows/)

_This article was originally published in September 2018 by Matthew Guay and has also had contributions from Justin Pot. The most recent update was in August 2024._**_ _**