Word to PDF: Convert DOCX Files to PDF

Turn a .docx file into a PDF with selectable text. Headings, paragraphs, inline styles, lists, tables, images, links and page breaks are kept, and you preview every page before you download. Exact Word layout and fonts are not reproduced.

Drag & drop a DOCX file here

or choose a file from your device

DOCX

Overview

What is Word to PDF?

Word to PDF turns a .docx file into a PDF with real, selectable text. It keeps the document's structure: headings, paragraphs, bold and italic text, lists, tables, images, links and manual page breaks.

It does this without Microsoft Word. The document is read and laid out again by code running in your browser. That makes it handy on a shared computer, a Chromebook, or anywhere Word is not installed. The result will be clean and readable, but it is not a pixel-perfect copy of what Word shows. Fonts, spacing and where pages break can differ. Check the preview before you send the file.

How it works

How to convert Word to PDF

  1. Choose the .docx file

    The conversion starts as soon as the file is open.

  2. Set up the page

    Choose A4, Letter or Legal, the margins, and the body text size. Then convert again.

  3. Check the preview

    Every page of the actual PDF is shown, with thumbnails for quick checks.

  4. Download

    Read any warnings about content that could not be converted, then download.

Examples

Examples: what is kept and what changes

In the Word fileIn the PDF
Heading 1–6, Title stylesBold headings at stepped sizes, kept with the next paragraph
Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, superscriptKept
Bulleted and numbered lists, with nestingBullets and numbers with indentation
Tables, including merged columnsGrid tables; long tables repeat the header row on new pages
PNG and JPEG imagesKept at the size set in Word, shrunk to fit the page if needed
HyperlinksClickable links
Manual page breaksNew page
Calibri, Cambria and other fontsLiberation Sans
Headers, footers, page numbersNot included

Under the hood

Structure first, layout second

A .docx file is a zip archive with the text in XML. The open-source mammoth library reads it into a structure of paragraphs, runs, lists, tables and images. A layout engine then sets that structure onto PDF pages. It wraps lines to the margins, moves to a new page when one is full, and keeps headings with the paragraph that follows them.

Because the PDF is built from the document's structure rather than a picture of it, text stays searchable and copyable. Files also stay small, because fonts are embedded only for the characters you used.

Best results
Reports, letters, CVs, essays, contracts and notes using standard styles.
Approximate
Documents with custom spacing, multiple columns or complex tables.
Use Word instead
Brochures, forms built from text boxes, and anything that must match Word exactly.

Use cases

Use cases

Job applications

Many portals ask for a PDF CV. Convert it, check the preview, and upload a file that will not reflow on the recruiter's screen.

cv.docxcv.pdf

Locked-down computers

School, library and hotel computers often have no Office suite. Everything here happens in the browser tab.

no WordPDF

Sharing drafts

Send a read-only PDF of a proposal or policy draft so reviewers comment on the content instead of editing it.

draft-v3.docxdraft-v3.pdf

Troubleshooting

Common questions about the output

The PDF has more pages than Word showed. Liberation Sans and the margin setting decide how many lines fit on a page. Try narrower margins or the 10 pt body size, and convert again.

A heading looks like normal text. It was formatted by hand rather than with a Heading style. Apply Heading 1, 2 or 3 in Word and the PDF will show it as a heading.

Tips

Tips

  • Use Word's built-in Heading styles. Headings typed as large bold text come through as normal paragraphs.
  • Save .doc files as .docx first. Only the newer format is supported.
  • Insert images as PNG or JPEG. EMF, WMF and SVG drawings are skipped, and a warning says so.
  • Add page numbers afterwards with Add Page Numbers if the document needs them.

Limitations

Limitations

Not a Word-identical layout

Line breaks and page breaks are calculated again, so a document may end up a page longer or shorter.

Fonts

Text is set in Liberation Sans, which covers Latin, Greek and Cyrillic. Other scripts, such as Chinese, Arabic or Devanagari, are not supported yet.

Page furniture

Headers, footers, footnote placement, text boxes, columns, shapes, comments and tracked changes are not reproduced.

.doc files

The older binary .doc format is not supported.

Privacy

Privacy

The Word file is read and the PDF is created in your browser. The document is not uploaded to TryFormatter.

Related tools

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will the PDF look exactly like my Word document?

Close, but not identical. Text, headings, lists, tables and images are kept, but the document is laid out again with Liberation Sans. Line and page breaks can move. Use the preview to check before downloading.

Can I convert an old .doc file?

No, only .docx is supported. Open the .doc file in Word, LibreOffice or Google Docs, save it as .docx, then convert it here.

Are headers, footers and page numbers kept?

No. Headers and footers are not reproduced. To number the pages, run the finished PDF through Add Page Numbers.

Are links in my document clickable in the PDF?

Yes. Web and email links are written as clickable links, underlined in the brand teal colour.

Why is an image missing from the PDF?

It is probably an EMF, WMF or SVG drawing, which is not supported. A warning lists skipped images. Replace them with PNG or JPEG copies in Word and convert again.

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