How to Convert Word Documents into PDF format

So, you want to convert your Word documents into PDF, right? Well, it's not as tough as it might have appeared to you. It is fairly simple. In a few steps the work gets done without much wasting time and effort. But before we actually learn about the conversion process, let's begin understanding that what is a PDF and why do people want to opt for PDF though there are many ways to share documents. First we'll talk about what exactly are PDF.

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format that is commonly used for sharing Word documents amongst the readers who may not have Word installed on their systems. The format conserves the layout of the document and checks against editing the document when opened using Word. Word by itself does not allow you to save documents in this format. Third-party tools and plug-ins software allow the conversion of Word documents to PDF and convert PDF into a Word document.

Why PDF? Well, the answer is portability on various operating systems without the risk of document being edited and altered. By portability I mean that a document saved in this format can be read on every machine and portable device including Pads. All you need to do is to download Adobe's free reader, and your PDF file can be read on almost any computer. If you want that your file be read on all portable devices, all you need to do is to save your file into a PDF format.

Let us now look at how to create a PDF. There are numerous ways in which you can create your PDF. But the official way is to purchase Adobe Acrobat that is the only authentic tool that will allow you to create, read, edit, and search a PDF with little or no effort. After you install Acrobat, you will notice that it also installs a number of tools, along with a Word macro that makes PDF creation as easy as clinking a button. Alongside, a Windows printer driver is also installed that allows you to create PDF from any printing application. Sounds great, isn't it?

You may also create a PDF online by using the Adobe's on-line solution called Create Adobe PDF Online . You need to subscribe but with a free trial that is on offer you can create your first five PDF for free. Moreover, if you conduct a Goggle search, you may also get a list of a number of programs that offer the same facilities as Adobe and are available either as freeware, shareware or paid. These software vary in the number of features they offer and hence their costs and rating. To select the one that suits your needs the best, it is better to try some.

Another way is the Open Office which is a free suite of office applications, very much like MS-Office, that includes a Word processor like Word . Open Office allows you to read Word documents and also to create PDF. Here the feature set looks quite similar, a bit different from Word and Acrobat, hence there may be issues with compatibility. But it is a well supported open source application with an active and helping user community. Professionally, Adobe is by far the best choice whether you want to convert your Word document into a PDF or convert PDF back to Word format.