Mac makes converting a Word document to PDF straightforward — you can do it directly from Word, from Pages, or from the print dialog without any additional software. Here's how each method works and when to use which.
How to Convert Word to PDF in Microsoft Word on Mac
Open the document in Microsoft Word. Go to File > Save As, then click the Format dropdown and choose PDF. Pick a save location and click Export. Word generates the PDF immediately and saves it alongside the original .docx file.
Alternatively, go to File > Export and select Create PDF/XPS — this dialog gives you a few extra options, including the ability to optimize for screen or print quality. For most sharing purposes, the default quality setting is fine.
How to Convert Word to PDF Using Print on Mac
Any Mac app that can open a Word document can print it to PDF. Open the file, press Cmd + P to open the print dialog, then click the PDF dropdown in the bottom-left corner and select Save as PDF. This method works even if you're using TextEdit, Pages, or any other app that can read .docx files — not just Microsoft Word.
The print-to-PDF route also lets you control the page range, paper size, and orientation before exporting — useful if you only want a subset of pages or need a specific paper size for the output.
Converting Word to PDF in Pages on Mac
If you use Apple Pages instead of Microsoft Word, go to File > Export To > PDF. Pages gives you image quality options — choose Better for most documents, or Best for documents with high-resolution images that will be printed. The export also lets you set a password on the PDF if you want to protect it before sharing.
Converting Without Microsoft Word Installed
If you've received a .docx file but don't have Word or Pages, WukongPDF's Word to PDF tool converts it directly from the browser. Upload the .docx file, convert it, and download the PDF — no software installation needed. This is particularly useful for one-off conversions on a Mac where Microsoft Office isn't installed.
Google Docs also handles .docx-to-PDF conversion — upload the file to Google Drive, open it with Google Docs, and go to File > Download > PDF Document. The formatting fidelity is generally good for standard documents, though complex layouts with custom styles may shift slightly.
Checking the PDF After Conversion
After converting, open the PDF in Preview and scroll through it to check that fonts, images, tables, and page breaks look right. Word-to-PDF conversion preserves formatting well on Mac, but headers and footers, track changes, and comments don't always translate as expected. Accept all tracked changes and remove comments in Word before converting if you want a clean final document.
If the resulting PDF is larger than expected — common with documents containing embedded images — running it through a PDF Compression tool brings the size down without affecting text quality or layout.