Most pieces of software have different methods of saving or exporting PDF files. You can find the steps to create PDF files in some common programs below. While the steps below are specifically for Mac, the process is generally the same on Windows machines.
Google Docs
- Click File at the top left of the Google Docs window
- In the resulting list, hover over the Download option
- Click PDF Document (.pdf); the PDF should download to your machine immediately.
Microsoft Word
- Click File at the top left of the Word window
- In the resulting list, click the Save As… option
- Click the currently selected file type next to FIle Format:
- In the resulting dropdown list, select PDF
- Click Export at the bottom right of the dialog
MuseScore
- Click File at the top left of the MuseScore window
- In the resulting list, click the Export… option
- In the Export Settings section of the resulting dialog, ensure PDF file is selected next to Format:
- Ensure All parts combined in one file is selected
- Click Export at the bottom right of the dialog
- Click Save at the bottom right of the resulting dialog
Other
Saving PDFs with the Print Function
Certain computer applications do not have the option to export documents or images as PDF files. However, it may still be possible to export a PDF from these applications using the print functionality built into many applications. This is the case for applications such as Google Chrome, Finale Notepad, and various others.
PDFs can be exported using the print functionality by taking the following steps:
- In your specific program, navigate to the File menu, then select Print (alternatively, press Command + P on Mac or Control + P on Windows).
- In the Print dialog box, look for the Printer dropdown menu and select Print to PDF (or any other PDF option available). If this option is not available, it may be a separate option elsewhere in the Print dialog box (such as at the bottom of the dialog box in Google Chrome, or in the Setup menu).
- After selecting Print to PDF, name your file and select a location in which to save it.
- Click Save.
- You can find your file in the location specified in step 3.
