You Won’t Believe How Easy It Is To Convert Excel Spreadsheets To PDFs With These Simple Steps!

Are you one of those people who spend hours trying to convert an Excel spreadsheet to a PDF? Do you find it frustrating and time-consuming? Well, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with converting Excel spreadsheets to PDFs, but the good news is, it’s easier than you think. In this article, we’ll show you some simple steps on how to convert your Excel spreadsheets to PDFs quickly and easily.

Step 1: Open your Excel spreadsheet

The first step in converting an Excel spreadsheet to a PDF is to open your spreadsheet. Make sure your spreadsheet is complete and error-free before converting it to a PDF. If there are any changes or updates you need to make, do them before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2: Click on “File” and select “Save As”

Once you’ve opened your spreadsheet, click on “File” from the top menu, then select “Save As.” This will open a dialogue box where you can select the location where you want to save your PDF.

Step 3: Choose “PDF” from the “Save As Type” dropdown menu

In the “Save As” dialogue box, select “PDF” from the “Save As Type” dropdown menu. This will ensure that your Excel file is saved in PDF format.

Step 4: Check the PDF options and click on “Save”

Before clicking on “Save,” you may want to check the PDF options to see if there are any changes you want to make. For example, you can choose to optimize the PDF for online or print viewing. Once you’re satisfied with the options, click on “Save” to convert your Excel spreadsheet to a PDF.

Step 5: View your new PDF file

After saving your Excel spreadsheet as a PDF, you can now view your new file. Open the PDF to make sure it looks the way you want it to. If you notice any errors or mistakes, you can make changes to the Excel spreadsheet and repeat the steps above.

In conclusion, converting Excel spreadsheets to PDFs doesn’t have to be a difficult task. By following the steps outlined above, you can convert your Excel files to PDFs quickly and easily. So, the next time you need to convert an Excel spreadsheet to a PDF, remember these simple steps, and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration.

This article explains methods for converting Excel documents to PDF format, including exporting from Windows or Mac Excel, using Google Sheets, using an online converter, and printing to the PDF format. Information applies to Excel versions 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and Excel for Microsoft 365.

What to Know

  • In Windows: Choose File > Export > Create PDF/XPS. Confirm PDF is selected next to Save as type.On a Mac: Go to File > Save As. Next to File Format, select PDF.In Google Sheets: Use the file picker to open the Excel file. Go to File > Download > PDF > Export.

Export to PDF in Excel

There are many ways to convert an Excel file to the PDF format so that it is easier to open and read on other devices, without having a spreadsheet program or app installed. If you have Excel on your Windows or Mac computer, you can easily convert Excel XLSX or XLS format files to PDFs.

Export to PDF On a Windows PC

If you’re using Windows, make a PDF from an Excel file with the Export menu item.

  • Open the File > Export menu.
  • Choose Create PDF/XPS.
  • Double-check that PDF (*.pdf) is selected next to Save as type. The other option is for making an XPS file.
  • You can optionally use this time before making the PDF to enable or disable some advanced options. Go into Options in the save dialog box to do things like export only specific pages to PDF, export all the worksheets, and more.
  • Choose where the PDF should be saved, and then select Publish.

Export to PDF On a Mac

If you’re on a Mac computer, making a PDF from an Excel file can be completed through the Save As menu item.

Open the File > Export menu.

Choose Create PDF/XPS.

Double-check that PDF (*.pdf) is selected next to Save as type. The other option is for making an XPS file.

You can optionally use this time before making the PDF to enable or disable some advanced options. Go into Options in the save dialog box to do things like export only specific pages to PDF, export all the worksheets, and more.

Choose where the PDF should be saved, and then select Publish.

  • Go to File > Save As to open a pop-up box for saving the Excel document.
  • Next to File Format, at the bottom of that window, choose PDF.
  • Take note of the options just below the format selection drop-down box. You can choose Workbook or Sheet to convert either the whole workbook to PDF (all the sheets that have data in them) or just the sheet that’s open right now.
  • Select Save to convert the Excel file to PDF on your Mac.

Export to PDF With Google Sheets

Sheets is Google’s online spreadsheet creator and editor. Since you can upload Excel files to Google Sheets, and because Sheets can export documents to the PDF format, it serves as a great way to convert XLSX/XLS to PDF on any computer.

Go to File > Save As to open a pop-up box for saving the Excel document.

Next to File Format, at the bottom of that window, choose PDF.

Take note of the options just below the format selection drop-down box. You can choose Workbook or Sheet to convert either the whole workbook to PDF (all the sheets that have data in them) or just the sheet that’s open right now.

Select Save to convert the Excel file to PDF on your Mac.

  • Open Google Sheets, and use the file picker button off to the right to browse for and open your Excel file.
  • Go to File > Download > PDF (.pdf) to see a preview of the document as a PDF. You can edit what should be exported and some other settings.
  • Select EXPORT to save the spreadsheet as a PDF.

Use Online Converters

Another option is to use a file converter. Since XLS and XLSX files are documents, you can use a free document file converter.

Open Google Sheets, and use the file picker button off to the right to browse for and open your Excel file.

Go to File > Download > PDF (.pdf) to see a preview of the document as a PDF. You can edit what should be exported and some other settings.

Select EXPORT to save the spreadsheet as a PDF.

There are even some online Excel to PDF converters that make this even easier, and since they work with any web browser, they can convert Excel to PDF on any operating system.

A few of our favorites include Smallpdf, iLovePDF, Soda PDF, Online2PDF, and PDNob.

Another one we like, shown below, is FileZigZag. Upload your Excel file there and choose PDF as the target format. Select Start Converting to convert the Excel file to PDF and get the download link.

If you don’t have Excel installed, you can still save the XLSX or XLS file to PDF with Microsoft’s free Excel Viewer program. However, since that tool is only a viewer (not editor), you have to install another program along with it to make it support the PDF conversion.

One way is with a free PDF printer. PDF printers work by having you ‘print’ the document to PDF, which is an easy way to send the Excel file to the PDF converter, after which the program will save it to the PDF format.

  • Open Excel Viewer and select the Excel file you want to convert to PDF.
  • Use the button at the upper left-hand side of the program to select Print.
  • Change the printer from the drop-down menu next to Name to be the PDF printer you installed.
  • In our example, we can choose Foxit Reader PDF Printer from the drop-down menu.
  • Make any other changes you want to the print preferences, like to print a certain number of pages, and then select OK to launch the PDF printer software, Foxit PDF Reader in this case.
  • Some PDF printers will open the program with further instructions, and others will save the PDF without any other prompts.
  • That’s it! You’ve created a PDF file from the Excel document!

Why Use the PDF Format

Excel files require a specific program to read and edit them, so it can be hard to share such documents with people who don’t have the needed software. However, the PDF format is much more ubiquitous, so as long as there’s a PDF viewer installed on the computer, you can view the file without the need for a spreadsheet viewer/editor.

Open Excel Viewer and select the Excel file you want to convert to PDF.

Use the button at the upper left-hand side of the program to select Print.

Change the printer from the drop-down menu next to Name to be the PDF printer you installed.

In our example, we can choose Foxit Reader PDF Printer from the drop-down menu.

Make any other changes you want to the print preferences, like to print a certain number of pages, and then select OK to launch the PDF printer software, Foxit PDF Reader in this case.

Some PDF printers will open the program with further instructions, and others will save the PDF without any other prompts.

That’s it! You’ve created a PDF file from the Excel document!

Excel files that remain in the XLSX or XLS format are 100 percent editable with Excel or another similar spreadsheet program (e.g., OpenOffice Calc and LibreOffice Calc), but PDFs are not. While there are PDF editors available, they don’t usually work as well as editing the raw file.

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