Word to PDF: How to Convert a DOCX File Without Losing the Layout

You've written a CV, a proposal or a report in Word, and now it has to go out. Sending the .docx file is risky: the recipient might not have Word, might see different fonts, or might edit it by accident. Converting Word to PDF fixes all three. The PDF looks the same on every screen and printer, and it's clearly a finished document.

Why send a PDF instead of a Word file#

• It looks the same everywhere. Layout, fonts and page breaks stay put on phones, Macs and printers.
• It's harder to change by accident. Nobody deletes a line of your contract while scrolling.
• Portals expect it. Job sites, tenders and government forms often accept only PDF.
• It's usually smaller once images are compressed.

Option 1: Save as PDF from Word#

If you have Microsoft Word on a computer, it's built in: File → Save As (or Export) and choose PDF. On a Mac, the same option is under File → Export To → PDF. This gives the most faithful result, because Word does the conversion with the fonts on your own machine.

Option 2: Convert online, without Word#

On a phone, a borrowed laptop or any computer without Word, use the Word to PDF tool:

1. Choose your .docx file.
2. Check the preview. Headings, lists, tables, links and images are kept.
3. Save it as PDF.

The file is converted on your device and isn't uploaded, which is what you want for contracts, payslips or anything personal.

Option 3: Google Docs or LibreOffice#

Upload the file to Google Drive, open it with Google Docs and use File → Download → PDF. Or open it in LibreOffice Writer, which is free, and use File → Export as PDF. Both handle most documents well, though complex layouts can shift slightly.

Keeping the layout intact#

Fonts#

Most layout problems come from fonts. If the document uses a font the converting device doesn't have, it's replaced by a similar one with different widths, and lines, then pages, move. Two fixes:

• Use common fonts such as Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman or Georgia for documents you'll share.
• In Word, turn on Embed fonts in the file (File → Options → Save) before sharing the .docx for conversion elsewhere.

Page breaks#

Don't use repeated empty lines to push text to the next page; they collapse differently in each program. Insert a proper page break (Ctrl+Enter), and use "keep with next" on headings so a heading never sits alone at the bottom of a page.

Images#

Set images "in line with text" where possible. Floating images positioned relative to the page are the ones most likely to move during conversion.

Tables#

Avoid very wide tables that only just fit the page. Set a table to fit the window, and allow rows to break across pages only when needed.

Keep the file size down#

A PDF from a document full of photos can be several megabytes. Before converting, compress pictures in Word (select an image, then Picture Format → Compress Pictures). After converting, you can also shrink the PDF itself; see compressing a PDF without losing quality.

Accessibility and links#

Use Word's built-in heading styles rather than bold text for headings. They become bookmarks in the PDF, help screen reader users, and let readers jump between sections. Add alt text to images, and make sure links are real hyperlinks so they stay clickable. Microsoft's guide to creating accessible PDFs covers the settings.

Common jobs#

A CV for a job application#

Always send a CV as PDF, named Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf. Check it on a phone as well as a computer, since many recruiters read on their phones first.

Contracts and proposals#

Send the PDF for review and signature. If the other side needs to sign, they can sign the PDF online; our guide to signing a PDF online explains how.

Several documents in one#

Convert each Word file to PDF, then combine them in order with Merge PDF. A cover letter, CV and certificates as one file is easier for a recruiter than four attachments.

Password-protecting the PDF#

For confidential documents such as payslips or medical letters, you may want the PDF to require a password. Word can do this when saving: in the Save As PDF dialog, choose Options and tick "Encrypt the document with a password". Send the password through a different channel from the file, for example the PDF by email and the password by SMS, so one intercepted message isn't enough.

Check before you send#

• Page count matches the Word document.
• No heading stranded at the bottom of a page.
• Tables and images in the right place.
• Links clickable.
• No leftover comments or tracked changes. Accept or reject all changes in Word before converting.
• File name that makes sense to the recipient.

Need to make a small correction after converting? You can fix a typo directly in the PDF with a PDF editor, though for bigger changes it's better to edit the Word file and convert again.