:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/downloadgdocaspdf-248fbf665647437ba7ba07250720cdff.jpg)
There are a few ways to convert a Google Doc into a PDF.
Kat Aoki has nearly 10 years worth of professional IT and troubleshooting experience. She currently writes digital content for technology companies in the U.S. and Australia.
Updated on December 3, 2022 Reviewed byJonathan Fisher is a CompTIA-certified technologist with more than 10 years of experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
In This Article In This ArticleThis article explains how to use Google Docs to convert a document to a PDF file and save it to various places, like email and your Google Drive. The instructions in this article apply to the desktop version of Google Docs, which is accessed through a web browser.
Select File >Download >PDF Document (.pdf).
If your browser is not setup to ask you where to save downloaded files, the file will automatically be placed in your Download folder. Otherwise, you will be prompted to choose a location and filename for the document, and then to press Save to save it.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/gdocemailasattachment-653dce1c2e0b4ea8be65b353933e8f5a.jpg)
Select File >Email as attachment.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/EmailasPDFoptionsinGoogleDocs-3d3a7eadb07d4d97b7ef7a1ee790bfce.png)
Enter the recipient's email address. Use your email address if you'd like to have the converted document delivered to your inbox. Enter a subject header, and, if you'd like, a message.
These instructions only work for Google Chrome.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/printingagoogledoc-5acb948611754ae3891b95e7f4f84d0c.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/PrintandsavePDFtoGoogleDrive-5d8767f6124b44bdac5f771763b05284.png)
In the Destination field, select Save to Google Drive, then select Save.
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. The format was created by Adobe in the early 1990s as a way to share files without compromising a document's formatting. Before then, sharing files between computers could be problematic, as it was common for fonts, text sizes, and other settings to get lost or altered.
PDF solves that problem. When someone opens a PDF file, it looks exactly how it did when it was saved. The formatting is locked into the document, preventing unwanted changes.
People also like PDF because it allows for visual elements like clip art, digital images, and photographs. Others prefer it because it looks more polished and professional. The format uses internal compression, which means it uses less space than other file types, making it ideal for emailing, printing, and uploading documents to the web.
In addition to preserving your formatting, PDFs remove unnecessary and distracting elements from digital documents, like margins and outlines. They also preserve document formatting when printed out.
You should consider using the PDF format for any of the following documents:
In addition to these methods for saving a Google Doc as a PDF, you can install third-party software, such as DriveConverter, which lets you download Google files into different formats, including PDF, JPG, and MP3.
How do I convert a PDF to a Google Doc?To convert a PDF to a Google Doc, log into Google Docs and select the Open file picker icon (looks like a folder). In the Open a File dialog, select the Upload tab and choose Select a file from your device > select Open with Google Docs and edit your file.
How do I convert a Google Doc to Word?To convert your Google Doc into a word file, open your file in Google Docs and select File > Download > Microsoft Word. The file will now have a .docx extension, and you can open and edit it in Word.
How do I convert a Word file to a Google Doc?To convert Word documents to Google Docs, go to Google Drive and log in. Select New > File Upload > select file > Open. In Google Drive, select the file > File > Save as Google Docs.
