How to Convert Excel Documents to the PDF Format

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

What to Know

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.

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.

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.

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.

1. 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.

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.

1. 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.

Use Online Converters

Another option is to use a free document file converter. 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.

Smallpdf, iLovePDF, and FileZigZag (pictured below) are a few of our favorites.

'Print' to PDF

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.

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

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

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

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.

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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