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You can use the Office programs to save or convert your files to PDFs so that you can share them or print them using commercial printers. And you won’t need any other software or add-ins.
Use PDF format when you want a file that:
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Looks the same on most computers.
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Has a smaller file size.
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Complies with an industry format.
Examples include resumes, legal documents, newsletters, files that are intended to be read (not edited) and printed, and files that are intended for professional printing.
Important: Many programs, including Microsoft Word, have the ability to open and edit PDF files. Simply sharing something as a PDF is not sufficient to guarantee the recipient can’t edit the file.
To see step-by-step instructions, select an Office program from the drop-down list.
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Open the table or report you want to publish as a PDF.
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On the External Data tab, in the Export group, select PDF or XPS.
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In the File Name field, type or select a name for the document.
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In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf) .
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If the document requires high print quality, select Standard (publishing online and printing) .
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If file size is more important than print quality, select Minimum size (publishing online).
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Select Options to set the page to be printed, to choose whether markup should be printed, and to select output options. Select OK .
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Select Publish.
Note: You can’t save Power View sheets as PDF files.
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Select the File tab.
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Select Save As .
To see the Save As dialog box in Excel 2013 or Excel 2016, you have to choose a location and folder. -
In the File Name box, enter a name for the file, if you haven’t already.
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In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf) .
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If you want the file to open in the selected format after saving, select the Open file after publishing check box .
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If the document requires high print quality, select Standard (publishing online and printing) .
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If file size is more important than print quality, select Minimum size (publishing online) .
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Select Options to set the page to be printed, to choose whether markup should be printed, and to select output options. For more information on the Options dialog box in Excel, see More about PDF options . Select OK when finished.
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Select Save .
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Select the File tab.
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Select Export .
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Under Export Current , select what part of the notebook you want to save as PDF.
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Under Select Format , select PDF (*.pdf) , and then select Export .
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In the Save As dialog box, in the File Name field, enter a name for the notebook.
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Select Save .
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Select the File tab.
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Select Save As .
To see the Save As dialog box in PowerPoint 2013 or PowerPoint 2016 , you have to choose a location and folder. -
In the File Name box, enter a name for the file, if you haven’t already.
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In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf) .
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If you want the file to open in the selected format after saving, select the Open file after publishing check box.
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If the document requires high print quality, select Standard (publishing online and printing) .
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If the file size is more important than print quality, select Minimum size (publishing online) .
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Select Options to set the page to be printed, to choose whether markup should be printed, and to select output options. Select OK when finished.
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Select Save .
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On the File tab, choose Save As .
To see the Save As dialog box in Project 2013 or Project 2016, you have to choose a location and folder. -
In the File Name box, enter a name for the file, if you haven’t already.
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In the Save as type list, select PDF Files (*.pdf) or XPS Files (*.xps) , and then choose Save .
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In the Document Export Options dialog box, select a Publish Range , whether to Include Non-printing Information , and ISO 19500-1 compliance (PDF only).
Formatting tips
Project doesn’t support every PDF or XPS formatting feature, but you can still use some print options to change the look of the final doc.
Choose File > Print , and then change any of these options:
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Dates
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Orientation
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Paper Size
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Page Setup
In the Page Setup dialog box, you can change options on these tabs:
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Margins
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Legend
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View
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Select the File tab.
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Select Save As .
To see the Save As dialog box in Publisher 2013 or Publisher 2016, you have to choose a location and folder. -
In the File Name box, enter a name for the file, if you haven’t already.
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In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf) .
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If you want to change how the document is optimized, select Change . (Select Options in Publisher 2013 or Publisher 2016.)
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Make any changes you want to the picture resolution and non-printing information.
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Select Print Options to make changes to the printing options for the document.
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Select OK when finished.
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If you want the file to open in the selected format after saving, select the Open file after publishing check box.
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Select Save .
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Select the File tab.
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Select Save As .
To see the Save As dialog box in Visio 2013 or Visio 2016, you have to choose a location and folder. -
In the File Name box, enter a name for the file, if you haven’t already.
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In the Save as type list, select PDF (*.pdf) .
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If you want the file to open in the selected format after saving, select the Automatically view file after saving check box.
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If the document requires high print quality, select Standard (publishing online and printing) .
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If file size is more important than print quality, select Minimum size (publishing online) .
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Select Options to set the page to be printed, to choose whether markup should be printed, and to select output options. Select OK .
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Select Save .
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If the file was previously saved, select File > Save a Copy.
If the file is unsaved, select File > Save As. -
Select Browse to choose the location on your computer where you want to save the file.
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In the drop-down list, select PDF.
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Select Save.
Select More Options > Options to customize your PDF.
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To make a PDF file from only some of the pages in your document, choose an option under Page range.
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To include tracked changes in the PDF, under Publish what, select Document showing markup. Otherwise, make sure Document is selected.
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To create a set of bookmarks in the PDF file, select Create bookmarks using. Then, choose Headings or, if you added bookmarks to your document, Word Bookmarks.
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If you want to include document properties in the PDF, make sure Document properties is selected.
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To make the document easier for screen-reading software to read, select Document structure tags for accessibility.
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ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A) This option outputs the PDF document as version 1.7 PDF, which is an archiving standard. PDF/A helps to insure that a document will look the same when it’s opened later on a different computer.
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Bitmap text when fonts may not be embedded If fonts can’t be embedded into the document, the PDF uses bitmap images of the text so that the PDF looks the same as the original document. If this option isn’t selected and the file uses a font that can’t be embedded, then the PDF reader might substitute another font.
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Encrypt the document with a password To restrict access so only people with the password can open the PDF, select this option. When you select OK, Word opens the Encrypt PDF Document box, where you can type and re-enter a password.
Open and copy content from a PDF with Word
You can copy any content you want from a PDF by opening it in Word.
Go to File > Open and browse to the PDF file. Word opens the PDF content in a new file. You can copy any content you want from it, including images and diagrams.
To save your file as a PDF in Office for Mac, follow these easy steps:
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Select File.
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Choose Save As.
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Select File Format at the bottom of the window.
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Choose PDF from the list of available file formats.
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Give your file a name, if it doesn’t already have one, then select Export.
Note: When using Best for printing, the hyperlinks may not convert correctly. This is a known issue in Word for Mac.
Important:
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When using Online Service , only font that Microsoft has the legal rights to can be used. If the documentation contains custom font, it will be substituted and may cause problems. This can be avoided by embedding the fonts into the document.
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Learn more about embedding fonts by visiting:
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Benefits of embedding custom fonts
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Some of your fonts can’t be saved with the presentation
You can use Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote for the Web to convert your doc into a PDF.
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Select File > Print > Print (in PowerPoint you will select one of three formats).
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In the dropdown menu under Printer , select Save as PDF and then select Save.
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Then in the Explorer menu that opens you can name the PDF and choose where to save it and then select Save.
This will generate a basic PDF that preserves the layout and format of your original document.
If you need more control over the options for your PDF, such as adding bookmarks, use the desktop app to convert your doc to a PDF. Select Open in Desktop App in the toolbar of PowerPoint and OneNote to start using the desktop app, and in Word select the Editing dropdown first and then select Open in Desktop App .
If you don’t own the desktop app, you can try or buy Microsoft 365.
To export your Word document or Excel workbook to PDF format on iOS tap the File button at the top left, choose Export and then PDF.
Portable Document Format (PDF) preserves document formatting and enables file sharing. When the PDF format file is viewed online or printed, it retains the format that you intended. The PDF format is also useful for documents that will be reproduced using commercial printing methods. PDF is accepted as a valid format by many agencies and organizations, and viewers are available on a wider variety of platforms than XPS.
XML Paper Specification (XPS) is an electronic file format that preserves document formatting and enables file sharing. The XPS format ensures that when the file is viewed online or printed, it retains exactly the format that you intended, and that data in the file cannot be easily changed.
Important: Most modern web browsers can open and display a PDF file. If you have an older operating system, however, you may need a PDF reader installed on your device such as the Acrobat Reader, available from Adobe Systems.
See also
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Edit or make changes to a PDF file
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Create accessible PDFs
Need more help?
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We actually automate the saving process that Microsoft Office uses to save to PDF. When you drag and drop your DOCX file, our digital “worker” carries out this task! Don’t worry, all uploaded files are deleted one hour after processing. If you want to share the output file with someone, you can share the file via email, or even create a downloadable URL on the result page. Otherwise, no one will ever have access to your document.
Can I Revert the Change?
Yes. You can use the PDF to Word tool to change the file back to its original formatting and file type. If you need to switch it back to a DOCX file from a PDF, it’s no problem at all.
Is the Tool Free?
Yes, it is! All of Smallpdf’s tools are free to use—up to two tasks a day. Besides converting DOCXs to PDFs, we can also save your files to JPEG, Excel, and PPT formats and convert older Word files, such as the legacy .doc format.
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All file transfers are fully encrypted. Our servers will also automatically detect and remove your files from our system after one hour. We only keep them online this long for you to have enough time to download them!
What Else Can I Do?
The PDF format is much more versatile when compared to other file formats such as .docx, vector graphics, or spreadsheets. PDFs are accepted by most operating systems and their content can’t be edited easily.
Furthermore, they’re not dead ends. Whenever you receive a PDF, you can always convert it to a different file format or edit it using our suite of free PDF tools. Here’s a list of just some of the things you can do to enhance your PDF:
- eSign — add an electronic signature to your PDFs
- Protect — encrypt your files with a password
- Edit — add text, images, or annotations
And much more, you’ll find all our tools on our homepage. You can also convert DOCX to PDF on your mobile using the Smallpdf Mobile App. With the mobile app, you’ll get access to your favorite PDF tools so you can get your work done from anywhere. Try it out!
To convert a Microsoft Word Document to a PDF, open the document in Microsoft Word, then go to File > Save As and select PDF from the available formats. You can also use Google Drive or LibreOffice to convert a Word Document to a PDF.
PDFs are handy for distributing documents so that they’re seen the same way by all parties. Typically, you’ll create documents using another app and then convert them to PDF. Here’s how to convert a Microsoft Word document to PDF.
If you have the desktop version of Microsoft Word installed on your Windows PC or Mac, the easiest way to convert your document to PDF is right in Word itself.
Open the document you want to convert and then click the “File” tab.
On the backstage screen, select “Save As” from the list on the left.
Next, from the Save As screen, select where you would like the PDF to be saved (OneDrive, This PC, a particular folder, or wherever).
Click the dropdown arrow on the right side of the “Save As Type” box and select “PDF (*.pdf)” from the dropdown menu.
If you want to, you can change the filename at this time. When you’re ready, click the “Save” button.
After saving the PDF, you’ll be returned to your Word document, and the new PDF will open automatically in your default PDF viewer.
If You Don’t Have Microsoft Word
If you don’t have Word, but need to convert a document someone sent you to PDF, you do have a few options:
- Google Drive: You can upload a Word document to Google Drive, save it as a Google Document, and then convert it to PDF. This works well enough if you have a simple, mostly text Word document without much formatting (and if you already have a Google account).
- A Conversion Website: There are a lot of sites out there that offer to convert Word documents to PDF for free. We recommend freepdfconvert.com. It’s a safe site, it works fast, and it does a pretty good job on Word documents with even a modest amount of formatting. And it really is free if you just need to convert the occasional Word document to PDF. A paid subscription gets you additional features like unlimited conversions (multiple documents at once), and the ability to convert more types of files.
- LibreOffice: LibreOffice is a free, open-source office app that offers a lot of the same features as Microsoft Office. You can even open Microsoft Word documents, and convert them to PDF.
RELATED: How to Print to PDF on Any Computer, Smartphone, or Tablet
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How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. Since we launched in 2006, our articles have been read billions of times. Want to know more?
This tutorial shows how to convert Microsoft Word files to PDFs. There are several ways to accomplish this task in Microsoft Word, so today we will focus on the method I believe is the most user-friendly.
In the final section, we will also briefly discuss the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker add-in and look at how to use it. (The Acrobat PDFMaker add-in is not required to follow the steps in the main section below.)
Do you need to convert a PDF to a Microsoft Word file? Please see my other tutorial titled “How to Convert PDFs to Microsoft Word Files in Adobe Acrobat.”
This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.
Watch more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.
The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016. The steps will be similar in Word 2013 and Word 2010.
How to Convert a Microsoft Word File to a PDF
- Open the Word file (.docx file) you want to convert to a PDF.
Pro Tip: Windows users can use the keyboard shortcut f12 or fn + f12 to open the Save As dialog box and skip to step 5.
- Select the File tab in the ribbon.
- Select the Save As option in the Backstage view.
- Select the Browse option.
- Select the location where you want to save your PDF in the Save As dialog box.
- Select PDF (*.pdf) from the Save as type menu.
- (Optional Step) Select the Options button if you want to select additional options.
- (Optional Step) Select additional options from the Options dialog box, such as converting only a specific page range.
After making your choices, select the OK button.
- (Optional Step) Select Optimize for Standard or Minimum size.
Pro Tip: The Minimum size option is helpful if the standard (original) size is too big to email. However, the recipient of the email will not be able to convert the PDF back to the original file size.
- (Optional Step) Deselect Open file after publishing if you do not want the PDF to open in a compatible application, such as Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Reader, or a web browser after the conversion process is complete.
- Select the Save button.
What Is the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker Add-in?
Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker is a plug-in (which Microsoft calls an add-in) that allows you to streamline the process of converting PDFs in Windows.
Acrobat PDFMaker comes with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, Adobe Acrobat 2020, and Adobe Acrobat 2017. By default, it will be added to your Office applications upon installation of Acrobat. In Word, it will normally appear in the Home tab of the ribbon.
It will also appear in the Backstage view.
How to Use the Acrobat PDFMaker Add-in
- Open the Word file (.docx file) you want to convert to a PDF.
- Select the Home tab and then select the Create and Share Adobe PDF button (see figure 11).
Alternatively, select the File tab (see figure 1) and then select Save as Adobe PDF from the Backstage view (see figure 12).
- Select the Yes button in the alert box stating that your file must be saved. (This alert box won’t appear if your file was recently saved.)
- Select the location where you want to save the PDF in the Save Adobe PDF File As dialog box.
- (Optional Step) Uncheck View Result if you do not want the PDF to open in Adobe Acrobat or another compatible application after the conversion process is complete.
- (Optional Step) Select Restrict Editing if you want to set security restrictions.
- (Optional Step) Select security choices from the Adobe PDFMaker Security dialog box:
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- Set a password to open the PDF.
- Set a password to edit or print the PDF.
- Select restrictions for editing, printing, or copying content.
After making your choices, select the OK button.
- (Optional Step) Select the Options button for additional options.
- Select additional options from the Acrobat PDFMaker PDF Options dialog box, including choosing to convert a specific page range.
After making your choices, select the OK button.
- Select the Save button.
Related Resources
How to Combine Files into One PDF in Adobe Acrobat
How to Insert PDFs into Microsoft Word Documents (PC & Mac)
How to Redact PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Pro
How to Export PDF Tables from Adobe Acrobat to Excel (PC & Mac)
Updated February 27, 2023
Questions and Answers
How can I convert Word files to PDF?
- Use the file selection box to select the Word files you want to convert to PDF format.
- Start the conversion of your Word files by clicking the Convert button.
- Save the converted Word files as PDF by using the download button.
Is it secure to use PDF24 Tools?
PDF24 takes the protection of files and data very seriously. We want our users to be able to trust us. Security aspects are therefore a permanent part of our work.
- All file transfers are encrypted.
- All files are automatically deleted from the processing server within one hour after processing.
- We do not store files and do not evaluate them. Files will only be used for the intended purpose.
- PDF24 is operated by a German company, Geek Software GmbH. All processing servers are located in data centres within the EU.
- Alternatively, you can get a desktop version of the PDF24 tools with the PDF24 Creator. All files remain on your computer here, as this software works offline.
Can I use PDF24 on a Mac, Linux or Smartphone?
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You can also install PDF24 as an app on your smartphone. To do so, open the PDF24 Tools in Chrome on your smartphone. Then click on the «Install» icon in the upper right corner of the address bar or add PDF24 to your start screen via the Chrome menu.
Can I use PDF24 offline without an Internet connection?
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