Converting a Word document to PDF is one of the most common document tasks in business, education and personal use. PDF is the universal standard for sharing finished documents because it preserves your exact formatting โ fonts, layout, margins, tables, images โ regardless of what device, operating system or software the recipient uses to open it.
When Should You Convert Word to PDF?
- Sending CVs and cover letters: A PDF guarantees hiring managers see your document exactly as you formatted it, not with fonts substituted or paragraphs reflowed by a different version of Word.
- Sharing contracts and agreements: PDF prevents accidental or intentional edits. Use Protect PDF to add a password after converting for an extra layer of security.
- Submitting academic papers: Universities and journals typically require PDF submissions to ensure consistent rendering across all reviewers' systems.
- Sending invoices: PDFs maintain your invoice layout perfectly and are the expected format in professional billing contexts.
- Publishing documents online: PDFs are more compact and universally readable than .docx files, making them ideal for website downloads.
What Gets Preserved in the Conversion?
The tool uses LibreOffice to perform the conversion, which supports the full Open XML (.docx) specification. The following elements are preserved:
- Text formatting: bold, italic, underline, font sizes and colours
- Tables with borders, merged cells and background colours
- Headers, footers and page numbers
- Embedded images and their positioning
- Bullet points, numbered lists and indentation
- Paragraph spacing and margins
Very complex documents using advanced Word features like macros, custom themes or linked external objects may require minor adjustments after conversion.
Protecting Your Converted PDF
After converting to PDF, consider adding protection. Use Protect PDF to add a password so only authorised recipients can open it. Use Watermark PDF to add a CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT overlay. Or use Redact PDF to permanently remove sensitive information before sending.
Going Back: PDF to Word
If you ever need to convert in the other direction, use PDF to Word to turn a text-based PDF back into an editable .docx document. For presentation files, use PowerPoint to PDF or PDF to PowerPoint.
Tips for the Best Word to PDF Results
Following these steps before uploading ensures the most accurate conversion:
- Embed your fonts: In Microsoft Word go to File โ Options โ Save โ check "Embed fonts in the file". This embeds font data in the .docx so LibreOffice can use it even if those fonts aren't installed on the server. Without this, uncommon or custom fonts will be substituted.
- Flatten tracked changes: Accept or reject all tracked changes before converting โ tracked changes in the .docx produce cluttered output in the PDF. Go to Review โ Accept All Changes.
- Check your page size: If your document uses a non-standard page size (A3, US Legal, custom), verify the PDF output matches. Standard A4 and US Letter always convert correctly.
- Remove hidden data: Word documents can contain comments, hidden text and document history. Use File โ Info โ Inspect Document to remove hidden metadata before converting if this is a concern.
- High-resolution images: Images in Word are sometimes compressed when saved. If your converted PDF looks blurry on images, re-insert the images from their original high-resolution files before converting.
Word to PDF vs Other Methods
Microsoft Word's own built-in PDF export (File โ Save As โ PDF) often produces slightly better results for complex documents because it has direct access to all Word rendering internals. However, this requires having Word installed. This tool's advantage is that it works from any device and browser without any software โ useful when you're on a phone, a tablet, a shared computer, or when processing documents in bulk.