Why send a PDF instead of a Word file?
A Word document is laid out by whichever app opens it, using the fonts installed on that device. The same DOCX can look different in Word for Windows, Word for Mac, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice: lines break in other places, tables shift and pages run over. A PDF fixes the layout at the moment it's made, so it looks identical on every phone, computer and printer.
That's why job applications, invoices, contracts, school assignments and official forms usually ask for PDF. It also can't be edited by accident, and it opens in any browser without Office.
How is my document converted?
Your file is sent over an encrypted connection to CloudConvert, a German file conversion service, which renders it with a full office engine, the same kind of software that displays it in a word processor. Fonts, tables, images, headers and footers, page numbers, columns and page breaks come out as they are in the document. The browser uploads straight to CloudConvert, never through our servers, and CloudConvert deletes both files within 24 hours.
If CloudConvert is unavailable, DOCX files are converted in your browser instead. The fallback keeps the text, headings, bold and italic, bullet lists, alignment and page breaks on clean A4 pages, with table rows as plain lines and no images. The page tells you when it was used. For older DOC, ODT and RTF files there's no browser fallback, so try again later if the main converter is busy.
Getting the layout right
A few checks before converting avoid most surprises:
- Fonts: a custom or unusual font may be replaced with a similar one. Common fonts (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia) are safest. In Word for Windows you can also embed fonts in the file (File → Options → Save).
- Tracked changes and comments: accept or reject changes and delete comments first, or they may appear in the PDF.
- Page size: check whether the document is A4 or US Letter, especially when sending across countries.
- Images: very large photos make large PDFs. Compress pictures in Word, or run the images through our Image Compressor before inserting them.
Which document formats can I convert to PDF?
DOCX (Word 2007 and later), the older DOC format, ODT from LibreOffice and OpenOffice, and RTF. Google Docs files need to be downloaded first: in Docs, choose File → Download → Microsoft Word (.docx), or File → Download → PDF to skip this step entirely. Pages documents can be exported from Pages as Word or PDF.
After converting
To combine the PDF with other documents, such as a CV with certificates or a report with appendices, use Merge PDF. To send only part of it, use Split PDF. Both run in your browser, so once the PDF is made nothing else needs to be uploaded.
Can I save a PDF from the apps I already have?
Most word processors can save a PDF themselves, and when they're available that's the most faithful route, because the document is laid out with exactly the fonts on that machine:
- Microsoft Word: File → Save As (or Export) and choose PDF.
- Google Docs: File → Download → PDF document.
- Apple Pages: File → Export To → PDF.
- LibreOffice Writer: File → Export as PDF.
- iPhone: open the document in Files, tap Share → Print, then pinch outward on the page preview to open a PDF you can share or save.
When this tool is the right choice
Use it when the document arrived as an attachment on a phone, tablet, Chromebook or shared computer without Word, or when you just need a PDF quickly without opening an office suite. The conversion uses a full office rendering engine, so the PDF matches the document's own layout rather than a simplified version.
Some government and archive portals ask specifically for PDF/A, an archival variant of PDF. The PDFs made here are standard PDFs. If a portal insists on PDF/A, Word (Save As → PDF → Options → PDF/A compliant) and LibreOffice (Export as PDF → Archive PDF/A) can produce it.