How to Create a PDF from an Existing Document on Mac

 

How to Create a PDF from an Existing Document

Let’s say that you have a complete document that you want to share with someone as a PDF file. That’s easy: we just need to convert it, which OS X makes very easy.

First, open the document in its native app. If you’re working on a Word document, then you’ll do this from Word. Want to PDF-ify a webpage? Then open it up in Safari, and so on.

Creating the PDF is accomplished via the print dialog, which can be accessed via the “File” menu or using the keyboard shortcut Command+P.

Now, note the “PDF” controls in the lower-left corner of the Print dialog.

You will need to click on this menu to access further options.

There are a few choices you can explore here, the most obvious being “Save as PDF”. But there are also others to directly create and mail via the Mail app, or send it via Messages.

Let’s assume, however, that you just want to save your document as a PDF. That’s pretty simple. Just select “Save as PDF”, give it a name (at the very least), as well as other optional pieces of information such as a subject and any keywords you want to add to make locating the PDF easier later on.

The security options are also an important item to note. Using them, you can require a password to open the document, and add further layers of security, including requiring a password to copy text, images, and other content, as well as to print it. You can choose one, the other, or both.