How To Save a Google Doc as a PDF

Google Docs have become a go-to tool for teams everywhere. They’re easy to use, accessible from any device, and perfect for working on the same file at once, without ending up with version chaos or endless email threads. And when it’s time to share or print, saving your document as a PDF is just as simple.

How To Convert a Google Doc to a PDF

Here's what you'll do to convert your Google Doc to PDF in seconds:

1. Open your Google Doc.
2. Click “File,” “Download,” and then “PDF Document (.pdf).”
3. Or use the “Print” option under “File” and select “Save as PDF.”
4. Your PDF downloads instantly to your computer.

Let's walk through each method in detail.

How To Convert a Google Doc to a PDF Using Download

This is the most direct way to convert your Google document to PDF.

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. Under “File,” click “Download.”
3. Choose “PDF Document (.pdf)” from the options.
4. Double-check that the file looks right.

How To Convert Using the Browser Print Dialog

Sometimes the Print dialog gives you more control over your PDF output. Here's how:

1. Open your Google Doc.
2. Click “File,” then “Print” (or press Ctrl+P).
3. In the print dialog that appears, find the “Destination” setting.
4. Click the dropdown and select “Save as PDF.”
5. Click “Save” to download your PDF.

Tip: This method works in Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox. And it’s perfect for when you need to adjust margins or page orientation before converting.

How To Convert a Google Doc to a PDF Using Smallpdf

When your Google Doc has complex formatting that needs to stay perfect, convert through Smallpdf. To start off, save the Google doc as a .docx file by going to “File” and then clicking “Download.” Once you've downloaded the document, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Smallpdf Word to PDF tool.
2. Drag and drop the .docx into the field.
3. Hit “Download” to save your PDF or continue editing.

We don't directly support Google Docs files, but when it comes to Microsoft Office documents, Smallpdf is the most popular online Word to PDF converter. Consider it a clever switch between programs while you convert your work to the required PDF format.

You can take advantage of our free tool to quickly save your Google doc as a PDF. You can also import files directly from cloud storage services, including OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox, by selecting the option in the drop-down menu instead of dragging and dropping a file.

Benefits of using Smallpdf:

• Maintains perfect formatting
• Converts DOCX and DOC files
• Works smoothly with a Google Drive integration
• Works with images and tables

How To Convert a PDF Back to a Google Doc

Google Drive also offers the option to convert PDF to a Google doc. Google uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to make your PDF editable again. Just drag your PDF to Google Drive, right-click, and select “Open with Google Docs.”

If this doesn't work, head back to our converter, save your PDF back to Word format using the OCR option, and then try to export it as a Google doc again.

Remember, sometimes complex layouts might need some adjustments after OCR conversion.

Start Your Free Trial To Access All Smallpdf Tools

Ready to convert, edit, and manage all your PDFs with ease?

Smallpdf offers 30+ tools to handle every PDF task—from converting Google Docs to merging, signing, and compressing files. You can use Smallpdf for other Google documents too, including presentations and spreadsheets. There is a tool for each file type on our website: Excel to PDF, PPT to PDF, and even JPG to PDF.

As an online site, you can convert your file from your Chrome, Safari, or Edge browsers. As a bonus, our integration with Google Drive lets you save your documents back to the cloud storage system directly. That means you won't have to download files to your local drive first. Nice, right?

FAQs About Converting Google Docs to PDF

Why doesn't my PDF look right after converting?

Although it's simple to convert files from Google Drive to PDF documents, sometimes the export isn't 100% accurate. Scanned content, especially, can be the cause of many a formatting nightmare. If this happens, you can convert a Google doc to a .docx file and then use our converter to change it to a PDF with the formatting intact.

How do I convert a Google Doc to PDF on iPhone or Android?

On mobile, open your Google Doc and tap the three dots menu, then select “Share & export” and “Save as PDF.” The PDF will download to your device's download folder.

Can I convert multiple Google Docs to PDF at once?

Google Docs doesn't support batch conversion, but you can download multiple docs as DOCX files, then use Smallpdf's batch processing feature to convert them all at once.

How do I save a Google Doc as PDF directly to Google Drive?

After converting to PDF using either method above, you can upload the PDF back to Google Drive or use the print dialog to save directly to your Drive folder as the destination.

What's the difference between downloading as PDF vs printing to PDF?

Both methods create the same PDF file, but the print dialog gives you more control over page settings like margins, orientation, and paper size before converting.

At Smallpdf, your documents are always secure with TLS encryption and automatic deletion after processing. We make PDFs easy, and safe. Check out our Privacy page for more information on this.