How to Create PDF Files in Windows 10

In earlier days if you wanted to have a PDF file for a document you needed to rely on a third-party program such as Adobe InDesign Adobe Acrobat Pro etc.

After some time Microsoft made some advancements in its MS-Office package and allowed users to save the documents spreadsheets and PowerPoint slides in the PDF file format.

In both the above conditions users still had to rely on an external program (an app not available as a built-in program with Windows) if they were to create a PDF file from a document. Even this limitation caused many users to buy additional programs thus investing their money even if they didn’t want to.

To overcome this Microsoft integrated a virtual PDF printer in Windows 10 itself. This virtual PDF printer removes the dependency of any third-party PDF creator thus saving users’ decent amount of time and money that they otherwise used to spend in buying an additional program.

This is how the virtual PDF printer works:

As you create a new document using any program and give the Print command in addition to all the available printers another one that you would see in the Print box that opens up is Microsoft Print to PDF. When you select the Microsoft Print to PDF option and continue with the Print command you are displayed with a Save Print Output As box where you can give a name to the PDF file. This can be done even with the Notepad or WordPad.

Although roughly explained above the step-by-step procedure of generating a PDF file from a document in Windows 10 is explained below:

1. On your Windows 10 PC open the document you want to create a PDF file from.
2. Depending on the type of program use the correct procedure to run the Print command. (In most cases it’s the Ctrl + P keys that initiate the process.)
3. From the available list of printers in the Select Printer frame of the Print box click to select Microsoft Print to PDF.
4. Click Print when selected.
5. In the File Name field of the opened Save Print Output As box type a name for the PDF file you are about to create.
6. Ensure that the PDF Document (*.pdf) option is selected from the Save as type drop-down list.
7. Browse for the location where you want to save the created PDF file.
8. Click Save when done.
9. Wait until the PDF file is created before you open it in your preferred PDF viewer program.