Converters · Windows 10 and 11
Convert Word to PDF
A PDF is the safe way to send a document: it looks the same on every screen and nobody can change it by accident. Drop your .docx files on Octoolo and it writes a PDF for each one, on your own computer, without Word and without a printer dialog.
How to convert Word to PDF
- 1
Open Word to PDF
Open Converters from Octoolo's home screen and pick Word to PDF.
- 2
Drop the Word files in
Drag the .docx files onto Drop DOCX files here, or click it and choose them. As many as you like.
- 3
Convert
Press Convert to PDF. Each file is read, laid out as pages and written; the row says what it is doing and then shows the PDF's size.
- 4
Save the PDFs
Press Save on a row to name that PDF and choose its folder, or Save all as ZIP for the whole batch.
What the PDF looks like
Octoolo reads the .docx with the same reader as its Documents editor and lays the document out as pages: the text in its fonts, headings, bold and italics, lists, tables and pictures, in order. The page is Letter with one-inch margins when Windows runs in US or Canadian English, and A4 with one-inch margins otherwise. Fonts are embedded as the PDF is written, so the file reads the same on a phone, a Mac or a print shop's computer.
Parts of a Word file that Documents does not yet handle are left out of the PDF as well: headers and footers, page numbers, footnotes, comments, tracked changes, columns and text boxes. For a document that relies on those, check the PDF before sending it.
When to use the converter, and when Save as PDF
For a document you are writing, Save as PDF… (Ctrl P) in Documents makes the PDF of what is on screen. The converter is for the rest: a folder of files someone sent you, old documents to archive, or a set of letters to turn into PDFs in one go, without opening each one.
Because the PDF is written by the app's own engine, this conversion runs in the installed Octoolo app. Going the other way, PDF to Word gets the words of a PDF back into a .docx.
Why send a PDF rather than the .docx
- It looks the same everywhere. A .docx reflows in whatever program opens it, with whatever fonts that computer has. A PDF carries its layout and fonts with it.
- It is harder to change by accident. Readers open PDFs to read; a Word file invites edits.
- Forms and applications often accept PDF only.
- It can be signed: open the PDF in the PDF Editor to sign it, watermark it or number the pages.
Octoolo or an online tool?
| Detail | Octoolo | A typical online tool |
|---|---|---|
| Your files | Stay on your computer | Usually uploaded to the site's server |
| Without internet | Works | Does not work |
| File size | No limit | Often capped on free use |
| Watermarks and ads | None | Common on free plans |
| Cost | $4.99 a month, all 17 apps | Free with limits, or a plan per site |
Questions, answered
Do I need Microsoft Word?
No. Octoolo reads the .docx itself and writes the PDF itself; nothing else needs to be installed.
Can I convert many Word files at once?
Yes. Drop them all in, press Convert, and save each PDF or all of them as one ZIP.
What about .doc files?
Older .doc files are not read. Save them as .docx in Word or LibreOffice first.
Can I choose the page size?
Not in the converter: it uses Letter when Windows runs in US or Canadian English and A4 otherwise, with one-inch margins.
Will my fonts be in the PDF?
Yes. The fonts used are embedded when the PDF is written, so it looks the same on computers that do not have them.
Is my document uploaded?
No. The file is read and the PDF written on your computer.
Word to PDF, and 16 more apps.
Download for Windows7 days free, then from $3.99 a month for all 17 apps. Windows 10 and 11.