How to convert Word to PDF
- 1
Click Choose files or drag one or more .docx files into the box above.
- 2
Click Convert. Each document is laid out page by page and saved as a PDF.
- 3
The PDF downloads automatically. For several documents, download them one by one or click Download all (ZIP).
Why send a PDF instead of a Word file?
A Word document can look different on someone else’s computer: other fonts, another version of Word, a different page size or a phone app that ignores half the formatting. A PDF fixes the layout so that every recipient sees the same pages. It is the expected format for:
- CVs and cover letters — recruiters and applicant tracking systems widely accept PDF, and your layout stays intact.
- Invoices, quotes and contracts — a PDF is harder to modify by accident and prints identically everywhere.
- School and university submissions — many portals ask for PDF only.
- Anything you print — print shops and office printers handle PDF most reliably.
What gets converted
| Element | In the PDF |
|---|---|
| Text, headings, bold, italic, colours | Kept |
| Images and logos | Kept, in place |
| Tables | Kept, with borders and cell shading where possible |
| Page size and margins | Taken from your document |
| Fonts | Used when available, otherwise replaced by a close match |
Word to PDF vs. “Save as PDF” in Word
If you have Microsoft Word on a computer, File › Save As › PDF is a good option and uses your installed fonts. TurboConvert is useful when that is not at hand:
- On a phone or tablet, where the Word app may not be installed or may ask for a subscription.
- On a shared or work computer without Office.
- For a batch — drop ten documents and get ten PDFs, no need to open each one.
- With Google Docs or LibreOffice files that you exported as .docx.
And unlike most online converters, it does not send your file to a server: everything happens in your browser.
Tips for a perfect PDF
- Stick to common fonts for documents that must look exact. Decorative or brand fonts that are not available in the browser are substituted.
- Check page breaks. If one line spills onto a new page, slightly reduce spacing or margins in the document and convert again.
- Compress after converting. Documents with many photos make heavy PDFs. Run the result through Compress PDF before emailing it.
- Combining several documents? Convert each one, then join them with Merge PDF — a cover letter and CV in one file, for example.
- Need an image instead? For a page you want to post or embed, Word to JPG saves each page as a picture.
- Other Office files? Spreadsheets and slides have their own converters: Excel to PDF and PowerPoint to PDF.
Common problems
“Not a supported file.” The file is probably a .doc, .odt or .rtf. Save it as .docx first.
Layout shifts slightly. Usually a missing font. Change the font to a common one, or accept the substitute if the result looks fine.
The PDF is too large. Images inserted at full camera resolution are the usual cause. Compress the PDF, or reduce the images in Word (Compress Pictures) before converting.
Text near the bottom of a page moved to the next page. A substituted font can be slightly wider than the original, which pushes the last lines over. Tighten the spacing a little, or use a widely available font, and convert again.
Tracked changes or comments are still in the document. Accept or reject tracked changes and delete comments in Word before converting, so the PDF shows only the clean final text you intend to send.
Word to PDF on iPhone, Android and Chromebook
Mobile Word apps and Chromebooks don’t always make PDF export obvious, and some ask you to sign in with a Microsoft account. Here you only need a browser: open this page, choose the .docx from Files, Google Drive, OneDrive or a mail attachment, and the PDF is saved to your downloads, ready to attach to an email or upload to a portal. Batch conversion works on phones too, although long documents with many images convert faster on a computer.