- August 14, 2023
- Ahmed Rashid, Digital Marketing Team
Google Docs is a versatile and widely used cloud-based word processing tool that offers numerous benefits, including easy collaboration, automatic saving, and seamless integration with other Google services.
While Google Docs primarily functions as a web-based document editor, there are times when you may need to save your document in a different file format, such as PDF.
In this article, we’ll explore how to convert a Google Docx file into a PDF file, allowing you to preserve formatting, secure your document, and share it more widely. However, you might need internet connection.
Below are a few simple methods to follow when converting Google Docs to PDF format, ensuring compatibility, ease of sharing, and the appearance you intended.
How to save a Google Docs file as a PDF using the Google Docs app
Open the Google Doc from Google Drive
You can either create a new PDF file from a Google Doc or access an existing one from your Google Drive.
Access the “File” Menu
Click on the “File” option to reveal a dropdown menu for options to, then choose your Google Doc in Google Drive.
Select “Download” from the Dropdown Menu
Clicking download will open a secondary drop down menu with several file format choices, but we will be focused on converting Google Doc to a PDF document.
Choose “PDF Document (.pdf).”
From the secondary menu, select the “PDF Document” option. This will perform the conversion process in which you save a Google Doc as a PDF file.
Locate your downloaded PDF
This is usually the “Downloads” folder on your computer or device. Double-click on the file to open and view it using a PDF reader like Foxit PDF Reader or any other compatible software like Adobe Acrobat. Once the process is complete, it might be impossible to convert PDF back to a new document.
This is an easy way to download a PDF file from a Google Doc. The process of converting Google Docx file to PDF files is the same from browser to browser.
As you’ve seen, converting a Google Doc to PDF is a simple process. By following the steps outlined here, you can easily save and download your Google Doc files in a portable format, allowing for easy sharing, compatibility, and professional presentation of this very popular Google Drive app.
Whether you need to share important reports, résumes, or any other digital document, knowing how to save a Google Doc as a PDF is helpful. It ensures that your file’s formatting and content remain intact across different platforms as you share it and collaborate.
It also means you get even more utility out of Google Doc files. When using the browser commands, the process to save a Google Doc as a PDF will vary from browser to browser.
How to save a Google Doc as a PDF file on Chrome
Here’s how to save select file as a Google Doc in PDF format using Chrome.
- On your computer, after opening Google Drive, open Google Docs using the Google Chrome browser.
- At the top, click File > Print.
- Next to “Destination,” select Save as PDF.
- At the top, click Save.
As you can see, this is a very straightforward way to convert a Google Doc to PDF.
How to save a Google Doc as a PDF file on Safari
If you’re on the Safari browser, here are the steps to follow to convert a Google Doc to PDF format.
- On your computer, open a Google Doc. Create a new file or choose an already existing file.
- At the top, click File > Print.
- Select PDF.
- At the top, click Save.
Safari also gives you the option to save a Google Doc as a PDF by exporting the file to PDF. All you do is choose File > Export as PDF. You’ll be prompted to choose the location to save pdf to. Once you do, click Save. That’s the process for how to save a Google Doc as a PDF.
Save Google Docs as a PDF on Android
To do so, follow these steps:
- Open the Google Docs or Google Drive app on your Android phone.
- Open the document that you want to convert to a PDF version.
- Click the ellipses (…) menu at the top-right corner and choose Share & Export.
- Tap on Save As > PDF Document, then click OK.
Convert Google Docs to PDFs on iPhone
The method to create a PDF from Google Docs on iPhone is a little more involved, but only slightly. In this case, you may have to email yourself the Google Doc as a full PDF attachment, however, you’ll still be able to save it in your iPhone Files or on iCloud once you do.
Just do the following:
- Open the Google Docs or Google Drive app on your iPhone.
- Open the Google Docs document that you want to convert to PDF format.
- Click the ellipses (…) menu at the top-right corner and choose Share & export.
- Click Send a Copy, then choose PDF.
- Then click OK.
