How to Save Excel Files as PDF: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Saving Excel files as PDF is a common and essential task for professionals, students, and businesses alike. PDFs provide a reliable way to share data while preserving layout, formatting, and structure across different devices and operating systems. Unlike Excel files, PDFs prevent accidental editing and ensure that your worksheets appear exactly as intended to recipients.

In this comprehensive guide, you will learn how to save Excel files as PDF using different methods, how to customize the output, handle common issues, and apply best practices for professional results. Whether you are preparing financial reports, invoices, charts, or printable worksheets, this article will walk you through everything you need to know.

Why Save Excel Files as PDF?

Before diving into the steps, it’s important to understand why PDFs are often preferred over Excel files in many situations.

Key Benefits of PDF Format

• Universal compatibility – PDFs can be opened on almost any device.
• Preserved formatting – Layout, fonts, charts, and page breaks remain intact.
• Improved security – PDFs can be password-protected or restricted from editing.
• Professional appearance – Ideal for reports, submissions, and presentations.
• Print-ready – Consistent print results regardless of printer or platform.

Because of these advantages, converting Excel worksheets to PDF is widely used in business reporting, accounting, education, and documentation.

Method 1: Save Excel File as PDF Using “Save As”

The simplest and most commonly used method is the built-in Save As feature in Microsoft Excel.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open your Excel workbook.
2. Click File in the top-left corner.
3. Select Save As.
4. Choose a location on your computer.
5. Click the Save as type dropdown.
6. Select PDF (*.pdf).
7. Click Save.

Excel will instantly generate a PDF version of your file with the default settings.

What Gets Saved?

• By default, all worksheets or the active sheet (depending on settings)
• Visible content only
• Existing page layout and print settings

This method is ideal for quick conversions without additional customization.

Method 2: Export Excel File as PDF

Excel also provides an Export option, which offers slightly more control.

Steps to Export as PDF

1. Open your Excel workbook.
2. Click File.
3. Select Export.
4. Choose Create PDF/XPS Document.
5. Click Create PDF/XPS.
6. Choose a file location and name.
7. Click Publish.

The export feature works similarly to Save As but emphasizes document sharing rather than file storage.

Choosing What to Save in the PDF

Excel allows you to control which parts of your workbook are included in the PDF.

Save Entire Workbook

• Includes all worksheets
• Ideal for reports with multiple tabs

Save Only the Active Sheet

• Exports only the currently selected worksheet
• Useful for sharing specific data

Save a Selected Range

1. Highlight the cells you want to export.
2. Go to Page Layout.
3. Click Print Area → Set Print Area.
4. Save or export as PDF.

Only the selected range will appear in the final PDF.

Adjusting Page Layout Before Saving as PDF

Proper page layout is critical for professional-looking PDFs.

Key Page Layout Settings

• Orientation – Portrait or Landscape
• Margins – Narrow, normal, or custom
• Scaling – Fit sheet on one page or across multiple pages
• Page breaks – Control where pages split

How to Adjust Page Layout

1. Go to the Page Layout tab.
2. Modify margins, orientation, and size.
3. Use Print Preview to review the layout.
4. Make adjustments before exporting to PDF.

These steps ensure that your PDF does not cut off columns or rows unexpectedly.

Saving Excel Charts as PDF

Charts often require special attention when exporting.

Best Practices for Charts

• Resize charts to fit the page
• Place charts on a separate worksheet if needed
• Use landscape orientation for wide charts

Export Chart-Only PDF

1. Click on the chart to select it.
2. Go to File → Save As.
3. Choose PDF.
4. Save the file.

Excel will export only the selected chart into a standalone PDF.

Customizing PDF Options in Excel

Excel offers advanced PDF options for better control.

Access PDF Options

When saving or exporting as PDF:

1. Click Options before saving.
2. Customize the settings.

Common PDF Options

• Publish what: Entire workbook, active sheet, or selection
• Include document properties
• Ignore print areas
• ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A) for archiving

Using these options helps tailor the PDF to specific needs, such as compliance or long-term storage.

How to Save Excel as PDF on Mac

The process on macOS is slightly different but equally straightforward.

Steps on Excel for Mac

1. Open your Excel file.
2. Click File → Save As.
3. Choose PDF from the file format list.
4. Select Workbook, Sheet, or Selection.
5. Click Save.

Excel for Mac also integrates with macOS printing features for additional layout control.

Saving Excel Files as PDF Using Print Option

Another reliable method is using the Print feature.

Steps

1. Click File → Print.
2. Select Microsoft Print to PDF (Windows) or Save as PDF (Mac).
3. Adjust print settings.
4. Click Print.
5. Choose a save location.

This method is especially useful when you want to preview exactly how the document will look when printed.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Issue 1: Content Cut Off

Solution:

• Use scaling options like “Fit All Columns on One Page”
• Switch to landscape orientation

Issue 2: Small or Unreadable Text

Solution:

• Adjust scaling percentage
• Increase font size before exporting

Issue 3: Extra Blank Pages

Solution:

• Check print area settings
• Remove unnecessary rows or columns

Issue 4: Incorrect Page Breaks

Solution:

• Manually insert or remove page breaks
• Use Page Break Preview mode

Best Practices for Professional PDF Output

To ensure high-quality PDFs, follow these best practices:

• Always preview before saving
• Set print areas intentionally
• Use consistent margins and alignment
• Rename worksheets clearly
• Avoid unnecessary gridlines
• Include headers and footers for context
• Save a copy of the original Excel file

These steps help maintain clarity and professionalism in shared documents.

When Should You Use PDF Instead of Excel?

PDF is ideal when:

• Sharing final reports
• Sending documents externally
• Submitting assignments or forms
• Archiving completed work
• Preventing data modification

Excel is better when:

• Data needs to be edited
• Formulas must remain dynamic
• Collaboration is ongoing

Understanding when to use each format improves workflow efficiency.

Conclusion

Saving Excel files as PDF is a powerful and practical skill that enhances how you share and present data. Excel’s built-in tools make the process simple, flexible, and reliable, whether you are exporting a single chart or an entire multi-sheet workbook. By mastering layout adjustments, print settings, and export options, you can produce professional-quality PDFs that meet business, academic, and personal needs.

As part of your broader Excel skill set, knowing how to convert Excel files to PDF ensures that your work is accessible, polished, and ready for distribution in any environment.