Create a PDF from an Office file
File ▸ Create PDF from Office… converts a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file to PDF. In the app: Help ▸ Show me.
Steps
- Choose File ▸ Create PDF from Office….
- Pick an Engine:
- ASH (built-in) is the default and needs no Microsoft Office.
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) appears only on Windows when Office is available.
- Click Choose file… and select the file.
- Built-in engine: the PDF opens in a new, unsaved tab named after the file. Use File ▸ Save to keep it.
- Microsoft Office engine: you are asked where to save the PDF, then a Converting window appears. Click Cancel to stop; any partial output file is removed. The finished PDF opens in a tab.
What each engine converts
| Engine | File types | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ASH (built-in) | .docx, .xlsx |
Word: headings, paragraphs, lists, tables and images. Excel: every sheet as a table, one sheet per page. A workbook with a sheet wider than 8 columns prints landscape. Pages are A4 with 15 mm margins. |
| Microsoft Office | .doc, .docx, .rtf, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx |
Uses the installed Word, Excel or PowerPoint, so the layout matches what Office prints. |
Note
The built-in engine is a simplified rendering. Page layout, fonts, headers, footers and charts may differ from the original. Use the Office engine when layout matters.
Limits and errors
- The Office engine allows 5 minutes per file. After that you see "Microsoft Office did not finish within 5 min. Try again; for a long document, close other Office windows first."
- If the application is missing, the message reads "Microsoft Word is not installed" (or Excel, PowerPoint).
- If PowerPoint is stopped part-way it may keep running; the message says so.
- A failed attempt shows Could not create the PDF with the reason.
Important
The Microsoft Office engine is Windows only and needs a desktop copy of Office. Elsewhere the message is "Requires Microsoft Office on Windows".
To go the other way, see Export to Word, Excel or an image. For pictures, see Images to PDF.