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Portable Document Format (PDF) files are useful because they act as electronic versions of printed pages with several benefits over traditional paper copies:
- PDFs are a greener option
- No paper required
- No need to power on a printer
- No need for toner
- No reprinting pages that have mistakes
- They are usually small enough to be easily transferred via e-mail or on a USB thumbdrive
- PDFs are viewable on almost any electronic device (from computers to smart phones to tablets)
How do you create a PDF? Creating them is similar to printing your document on paper.
Creating a PDF on a Macintosh computer:
The ability to create PDF’s is built into the Macintosh Operating System so the process is the same for all applications:
- Open the document you would like to convert into a PDF
- Select File > Print or type Command-P
- In the bottom left corner of the print dialog is a PDF drop-down menu, click the button and choose Save as PDF
- Give the file a name and choose the location you would like to save it. You can also change the document Title and Author if you like.
- Click Save
Creating a PDF on a Windows computer:
Windows 10 computers have a printer named Microsoft Print to PDF. You're able to print your document to this printer and it will create a PDF for you. Here are the steps to create one:
- Open the document you would like to convert into a PDF
- Select File > Print or type Ctrl-P.
- Click on the printer named Microsoft Print to PDF
- Ensure all of your other settings are as you like (page size, orientation, margins, etc)
- Click the Print button
- You will be presented with a dialog box Save Print Output As.
- Enter the name for your document.
- Navigate to where you'd like to save the document and click Save.
That’s it! You now have a PDF version of the document that you can use and distribute as you see fit.