How Do You Convert Word to PDF?
You convert Word to PDF by adding your DOCX or DOC file to QuickCatPDF's Word to PDF converter and clicking Convert to PDF. The document's layout, fonts, tables, images and page breaks are kept, and its headings become bookmarks in the PDF, so long documents are easy to navigate.
The converter is free, needs no sign-up and adds no watermark. It also handles DOCM, DOTX, DOT and RTF files, plus ODT documents from LibreOffice.
How to Convert a Word Document to PDF With QuickCatPDF
Turning a Word file into a PDF takes four steps.
- Click Select Word files or drop your documents on the page. You can add up to 10 files.
- Choose the Paper size, and keep Bookmarks from headings ticked if you want them.
- For several files, choose Separate PDFs or One combined PDF.
- Click Convert to PDF, then download each PDF, the ZIP or the combined PDF.
Why Use QuickCatPDF to Convert Word Files?
QuickCatPDF converts documents with LibreOffice, a full office suite running on our own server, rather than a simplified browser preview. Tables, columns, headers and footers, footnotes, images and page numbers are laid out the way a word processor lays them out, and the text in the PDF stays selectable and searchable.
The PDF is also tagged, which helps screen readers follow headings, lists and tables. In our test, a four-page report with a table, an image and text in Hindi, Arabic and Chinese converted in about 2 seconds to a 65 KB PDF, with all four headings as bookmarks and every script displayed correctly.
Your document travels over HTTPS and is deleted as soon as the conversion ends; the PDF is deleted right after your browser downloads it, and nothing is kept more than 1 hour.
Will My Fonts and Formatting Stay the Same?
Formatting stays the same when the document uses common fonts. Our server has metric-compatible versions of Calibri, Cambria, Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New, which take up exactly the same space, so lines and pages break where they do in Word.
Fonts embedded in the DOCX are used as they are. A rare font that is neither embedded nor on the server is replaced by a similar font, which can move a line break or two. If exact typography matters, embed the fonts in Word (File, Options, Save, "Embed fonts in the file") before converting.
Can You Choose A4 or Letter?
Yes. Paper size offers Keep the document's size, A4 and Letter. Choosing a size changes the paper of every page while keeping the margins, so the text reflows to the new width.
Keep the document's size when the layout was designed for a specific paper, such as a form or a letterhead. A4 is the standard in most of the world; Letter is used in the United States and Canada.
What Is PDF/A, and Do You Need It?
PDF/A is a version of PDF made for long-term archiving: all fonts are embedded and nothing depends on outside resources, so the file opens the same way decades later. Courts, universities and public bodies often ask for PDF/A when you submit documents.
Tick PDF/A for long-term archiving to create a PDF/A-2b file; for PDF/A-1b or 3b, or a PDF you already have, use PDF to PDF/A. For everyday sharing, a normal PDF is fine and usually a little smaller.
Which Word Features Don't Carry Over?
A PDF shows the document as it would print, so a few Word features don't appear. Comments aren't included, and if the document has tracked changes, accept or reject them first so the PDF shows the final text. Macros never run, and linked content isn't refreshed.
Password-protected documents need the password removed in Word before conversion. To make the PDF smaller, choose Smaller file under Image quality, which reduces photos to 150 DPI.
How Do You Convert Several Word Files at Once?
Add up to 10 documents, then choose the output. Separate PDFs gives one PDF per document and a Download all (ZIP) button; One combined PDF joins them in list order with a bookmark for each file.
To add or remove pages later, use Merge PDF or Organize PDF Pages. Spreadsheets and slides convert with the Excel to PDF and PowerPoint to PDF tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Word to PDF converter free?
Yes, it's free, with no sign-up and no watermark. A fair-use limit of 60 files an hour per visitor keeps the server fast for everyone.
Are my Word files safe?
Your files are sent over HTTPS to our own server, converted in a sandbox with no internet access, and deleted automatically. They are never opened by people, shared or used to train software, and our logs never contain file names.
Do I need Microsoft Word installed?
No, the conversion runs on our server, so you only need a browser. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone.
Can I convert a Word file from Google Drive?
Download the file to your device first (in Google Docs, File, Download, Microsoft Word), then add it here. The tool converts files from your device only.
Does Word to PDF work with Hindi or Arabic text?
Yes, the server has fonts for Hindi, Marathi, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and many other scripts, and right-to-left text keeps its direction.
How large can the file be?
Up to 50 MB per document. If a file is larger, compress its images in Word or split it into parts.
Last updated: