As IT professionals with years of experience helping users streamline workflows, we know PDF is the gold standard for sharing documents. It preserves formatting for resumes, reports, or any file—and saves on printing costs. This expert guide walks you through printing to PDF on every major platform, from desktops to mobiles.
Windows 10 includes a built-in Microsoft Print to PDF feature. First, enable it: Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features. Click Turn Windows features on or off in the sidebar and check Microsoft Print to PDF.
Once enabled, select Microsoft Print to PDF in any app's print dialog. It works system-wide for seamless conversion.
Earlier Windows versions lack native PDF printing but third-party tools fill the gap. We recommend doPDF for its clean install—no toolbars or bloat. Install it, then choose doPDF as your printer in the print dialog to generate PDFs instantly.
For a full walkthrough, see our detailed Windows 8 print-to-PDF guide.
Linux makes it simple with the cups-pdf package. Install via your package manager (e.g., sudo apt install cups-pdf on Ubuntu). Follow guides like Jon Mifsud's for setup.
Select the PDF printer in any print dialog. Output saves to ~/PDF in your home folder.
Apple builds PDF support right into macOS. In any app, go to File > Print, then click the PDF button at the bottom and choose Save as PDF. Pick your save location and name.
For web pages, PrintFriendly is our top pick—flexible and user-friendly. Enter a URL on their site, or use their browser extension/bookmarklet for one-click PDFs.
Grab the bookmarklet from PrintFriendly's browser tools page for quick access.
Use the Google Cloud Print app (install if needed). Share content > Cloud Print > Save to Google Drive. Access your PDF from Drive on any device.
For web content in Chrome, print and select Save to Google Drive. PDFs land in your Drive. For non-web files, apps like ToPDF or PDF Printer work, though with some quality trade-offs.
Got a favorite PDF trick we missed? Share in the comments!
