Portable Document Files (PDFs) have a number of advantages over standard MS Word documents. First of all, the PDF file retains the original formatting that you created in the Word document. Secondly, the data in the file cannot be altered, which may come in handy when you are sending out a document like a contract. Finally, converting a Word document to a PDF allows you to share your document with someone who doesn't own Microsoft Office software.

Step 11

Download and install a copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer. You may have a copy already but get the most current version. The software is free. The link in the Resources section will direct you to the appropriate web page.

2

Acquire the means to convert MS Word files to PDF files. This may be accomplished in several ways. Purchasing and downloading the Adobe Acrobat 9 Standard software package is one of them. While the reader is free, the software to create PDF files carries a price tag of $299, as of October 2010. This software also allows you to do many other things with PDF files so if you just want to convert MS Word files to PDFs, there are cheaper and even free alternatives. One solution is to sign up for Adobe's Acrobat.com subscription service. The service is free for the first five file conversions to PDF format. For unlimited conversions, the basic subscription service charges a monthly fee of $14.99 per month (as of October 2010). There are also third-party Word-to-PDF converters, such as Universal Document Converter, available for download at $69.99, as of October 2010, for a single-user license, Primo PDF and PDF Creator -- both of which are free, opensource software (see Resources).

3

Convert the MS Word file to PDF format. If you have already installed Adobe Acrobat 9, you can execute conversion in the MS Word application. Depending on your version of Word, this may be accomplished in two ways: 1. Save the file as a PDF through the "Save As" option from "File" on the main menu. In this case, you may have options to determine the print quality and file size of the PDF.2. From the main menu, select "File" then "Print." For the printer, select "Virtual PDF Printer" and click "OK." For the subscription Adobe service, just upload the Word file and download the converted PDF by following the instructions in your web browser.

4

Open the converted PDF file in Acrobat Reader to confirm that it replicated the desired formatting and graphics of your Word document. Also note the file size of the document if you plan on emailing it. Lengthy Word files with numerous images can become very large when converted to PDF.

References Microsoft: Save a File in PDF Format Go2PDF: How to Create PDF from Microsoft Word Adobe: Acrobat.com Subscriptions ResourcesAdobe: Adobe Reader DownloadSource Forge: PDF Creator DownloadPrimo PDF: Create PDF Files FreeAdobe: Acrobat.com SubscriptionsUniversal Document Converter: Download

• How to Print from MS Word to a PDF [10/14/2010 00:04:02]