How to make a PDF file on mobile?
“Let me know if you have a PDF version of that document.”
It’s likely that you have heard this phrase from a co-worker who is in college or has recently begun working at a desk job. There is something so appealing about PDF, whether it is its security or the convenience of looking at a document.
Despite being one of the most preferred document formats, not all of us can create these, for a variety of reasons. For instance, not everyone knows how to make PDF files with a mobile device.
The process is relatively easier on a computer as you have various ways to do so. Also Google Drive’s “Basic Download Format” is by default PDF, so that helps a lot. It is, however, a bit harder to do on the mobile device or, to put it bluntly, it is more complicated.
This article is all about making PDF files from mobile devices – or to be more precise, making these files from Android mobile devices. But first, let’s look at what a PDF is and what it can do for us.
What is a PDF file?
A PDF or Portable Document File is a file format that is used to save files that cannot be modified but can be printed. So essentially if you turn a document into a PDF, people can only view and print it.
It is useful for distributing Read-only documents to preserve the layout. They are frequently used to distribute application forms for e-books and print publications.
What are the benefits of using a PDF file format?
There are several reasons why PDF files are used so widely in informal offices. From what we’ve said so far, one of the advantages of PDF is that it can’t be altered. You have full control of what happens in the file document once you send it unless someone is going to spend hours manually copying and editing your work.
It also has a few other benefits, which include:
1. Maintains Graphic Integrity while being compact
- In this file format, you can store multiple kinds of texts and graphics together.
- On top of that, the files are compressed without affecting their quality.
- You will be able to integrate standard graphics (including animations and videos) with text into one file without the additional weight.
2. Convenient and secure
- PDF files are rather easy to create.
- Just select the appropriate application and boom, you can create your own PDFs.
- No need of installing additional softwares as modern computers and smartphones come with a PDF reader built-in
- Besides being a convenient format and small in size, PDF files are also secure as they are semi-read-only.
- If you don’t want your PDF file to be printed, you have the option to make it read-only with just a few additional steps.
How do you make a PDF file on Mobile?
Now we have reached the crux of the matter here – how to make a PDF file on a mobile phone. Based on your needs and accessibility, there are four ways to create a PDF file on mobile. They are:
- Scanning from Google Drive
As we mentioned previously, Google Drive offers PDF files as a download option. But you can also scan the physical documents and create PDF files using Google Drive. To do this you will have to:
- Open Google Drive
- Tap the Plus sign on the right corner of the main screen
Here you will see the “Create New” menu
- Tap on the “Scan” option
Upon clicking this, your camera will open so you can scan the document or, more accurately, take a picture of it
- Take the photo of your document
- Tap the check icon
After selecting this, you’ll see a few basic editing options, as well as a “retry” option. This button can be used if you are not satisfied with the image you have clicked.
- Tap on the Save button to save the file as a PDF to the Drive
Once you complete the process you will be able to save your document in PDF format to Google drive. Look how easily you created the PDF files using Google Drive on mobile. Later, you can download that file from Drive.
2. Using App
Making PDF files on a mobile device is possible through a number of apps. In contrast to scanning a physical document, this method is much easier to use to convert documents into PDFs that you already have. Although different apps have different ways to convert existing files into PDF format, the general idea is:
- Open the file
- Tap the file icon on your phone
- Tap print Option
- Select “Save as PDF” on the drop-down list
- Choose your location and tap on “Save”
This process is similar to using the “Save As” menu on computer applications used in documents.
3. From Ms. Office
It is easy to make a PDF file on your mobile device if you have Microsoft Office installed. However, it is technically converting an existing file, not making it. But regardless, we’ll still discuss this since you’ll still be converting a non-PDF to a PDF. Using Microsoft Office on your phone, you can convert documents into PDFs by:
- Open the file
- Tapping on “Options”
- Tapping on “Share and export”
- Tapping on Print
The default format for printing a document is PDF, so you won’t be printing it but rather converting it.
- Tap on “Save as PDF”
- Select the file orientation
- Tap on Save
Following these steps, you will be able to convert office files into PDF files. The types of files that can be converted are Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Documents.
4. From Web page
This can be considered the simplest way to make a PDF file on mobile. Technically, it downloads PDF files, but it also generates a PDF document from a website. Here’s what you need to do to create a PDF file this way:
- Tap the option button
- Select “Share”
- Tap “Print”
You will see a preview of this webpage
- Select the parts of the webpage you want to turn into a PDF file
- Tap on “Save”
This will allow you to create a PDF file on your mobile device using a web browser.
Before we Go,
As you may have noticed, you can make PDF files using several different methods on Mobile. The majority of these methods include simply converting the existing file into PDF format, but it still counts.
I hope you found this helpful. Please let us know your suggestions in the comments below. I appreciate you reading this article all the way through.
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