While Microsoft have finally added a native print to pdf feature in Windows 10, other operating systems like Mac Os and Linux have had the feature throughout the last decade. Windows 10 users are excited at the prospect of printing to pdf without installing third party programs or converting to XPS file format then trying to convert to Pdf.
We also realize that not everyone made the jump to Windows 10. A lot of people stuck to Windows 8 while others are still running Windows 7 on their computers. The print to PDF feature should not be the only reason you are moving to Windows 10. In this articles, I’m discussing how you can easily print to pdf on the operating system you’re using right now.
Windows 10:
To get started, you need to install the software to read PDF files, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or any other. Then open the PDF file in the program and from there, select your printer and print the file. Everything should be printed. Download PDF reader software, Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Just like I’ve mentioned, Windows 10 has its own print to pdf functionality in the operating system. This means you don’t have to install, export, tweak or worry about anything. Simply File > Print from any application that allows printing. Under Printer, choose Print as PDF and proceed to name and save your new PDF document.
Print To PDF in Windows 8 and 7:
For Windows 7 and 8 which don’t have Microsoft’s print to pdf feature we have to find other ways of printing to pdf.
First of all, check whether the application you are using can print to pfd. For instance, Google chrome can print to pdf. If you open a web page or document from Chrome, you can print to pdf from the File–>Print menu. Microsoft office can print to pdf. On the print preview window select export to XPS/PDF.
Windows 7 Print As Pdf Free
Other applications like Firefox don’t have their own print to pdf feature. They rely on Microsoft’s print menu which has only XPS document writer.
You would have to save the document in the XPS file format and find another application or online tool to convert it to pdf. For this reason, there is a need to install a PDF printer so that you are sure you can print to pdf from any application on your Windows 7 and 8 computers.
Also Read : How To Edit PDF Files Without Adobe Acrobat
How To Install a PDF printer:
There are plenty of PDF printers you can download and install in your computer. PDF printer applications create a virtual printer in your print menu. When you want to print to PDF, simply select that printer from any application.
Adobe acrobat has a PDF printer which will add the option to Microsoft’s print menu. But if you are looking for a free option, CutePDF Writer should get the job done. It will integrate into the system’s print menu and give you a print to pdf option from any application.
2020-12-21 15:17:48 • Filed to: Knowledge of PDF • Proven solutions
Microsoft print to PDF is a little late to the party but with the introduction of Windows 10, they have finally introduced a print to PDF feature that all major operating systems had. MacOS and Linux had been allowing users to do this for a very long time. This means that if you are using a printable application such as Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint, you can now make use of the Microsoft Print to PDF feature to create a PDF document out of your Microsoft application file.
The process is quite easy as we shall see very shortly and quite effective, although as we shall also see shortly, there are some problems to overcome if this is how you intend to print to PDF. In this article, we take a critical look at this new feature and provide you with an even easier and more effective alternative for the 'Microsoft Print to PDF' feature.
Microsoft Print to PDF in Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Each one of the three Microsoft applications allows for printing to PDF, in its own way. Let's take a look at how to do this for each one, individually.
How to Use Microsoft Word Print to PDF
To print Microsoft Word to PDF you first of all need to open the file you would like to print in the Microsoft Word application. Once this is done, follow these simple steps.
- Step 1: Hit 'Ctrl + P' on your keyboard or click on 'File' and then select 'Print'.
- Step 2: This will open the print window. Click on the drop down menu under 'Printer' and from the options presented select 'Microsoft Print to PDF'. Here, you can also select other settings such as the number of pages to print. This will print Word to PDF and in essence create another file that is in PDF format.
How to Use Microsoft Excel Print to PDF
Windows 7 Print To Pdf Missing
To Print Microsoft Excel to PDF, you essentially have to follow the same process. First, begin by opening the excel file you wish print PDF and then follow these simple steps.
- Step 1: Again click on 'File' and then choose 'Print'. Or even hit Ctrl + P on your keyboard to open the 'Print' menu.
- Step 2: In the pop-up window after clicking 'Printer', find 'Microsoft Print to PDF' and select it. Then the Excel file could be created to a PDF document.
How to print Microsoft PowerPoint as a PDF
PowerPoint Presentation(PPT) can be also printed as a PDF with the same method. Or some other ways can also be implemented. It could be done even without your PPT file opened.
- Step 1: Select the PPT file you want to print, then right-click and select 'Print' item on the drop-down menu.
- Step 2: In the new window, choose 'Microsoft Print to PDF'. Once you are done, you will have created a PDF of your PowerPoint Presentation that you can now save or print.
Serious Problems with Microsoft Print to PDF
Windows 7 Print Pdf To File
There are several problems that you may encounter when trying to create PDF using this method, the following are just 3 of the most prominent ones.
1. This can only work in Windows 10
If you are using Windows 7 or 8, it is practically impossible for you to be able to do this. The feature is only available for Windows 10. So if you want to print to PDF in Microsoft, you have to upgrade to Windows 10.
2. No creative control
Once the PDF has been created this way, you will be unable to edit it in any way unless you use a third-party editing tool. The solution to this problem is to use a third-party tool that is can be used to edit the PDF after it has been created.
3. You cannot combine different formats
If for instance, you wanted to create a PDF out of all three file formats, you would have to create each one separately and then combine them using a third-party tool. The solution is to use a program that allows you to combine the different file formats to create one large PDF file.
A Better Solution than Microsoft Print to PDF
The Microsoft print to PDF feature is long overdue and very handy. The only problem is that there are several problems as we have seen above. If you would rather bypass all of the problems and create a PDF easily, you need the best PDF management software in the business. This PDF software is PDFelement, a program that is designed to make it easier for you to not only create a PDF but also easily manage all aspects of a PDF.
- You can use to create a PDF from a single file just as we have done with Microsoft Print to PDF or you can use the 'Combine' feature to easily create a PDF from all of these formats.
- After creating the PDF, you can easily edit the document. The program allows you to add image and text to the created PDF. You can also delete some of the text on the document and remove any images.
- The program also gives you the ability to annotate the document any way you want. This means that you can strikethrough text, highlight text and even add comments and notes to the PDF.
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!
Buy PDFelement right now!
Buy PDFelement right now!