Converting a Word document to PDF is one of the most common document tasks in business, education and personal use. PDF is the universal standard for sharing finished documents because it preserves your exact formatting โ fonts, layout, margins, tables, images โ regardless of what device, operating system or software the recipient uses to open it.
When Should You Convert Word to PDF?
- Sending CVs and cover letters: A PDF guarantees hiring managers see your document exactly as you formatted it, not with fonts substituted or paragraphs reflowed by a different version of Word.
- Sharing contracts and agreements: PDF prevents accidental or intentional edits. Use Protect PDF to add a password after converting for an extra layer of security.
- Submitting academic papers: Universities and journals typically require PDF submissions to ensure consistent rendering across all reviewers' systems.
- Sending invoices: PDFs maintain your invoice layout perfectly and are the expected format in professional billing contexts.
- Publishing documents online: PDFs are more compact and universally readable than .docx files, making them ideal for website downloads.
What Gets Preserved in the Conversion?
The tool uses LibreOffice to perform the conversion, which supports the full Open XML (.docx) specification. The following elements are preserved:
- Text formatting: bold, italic, underline, font sizes and colours
- Tables with borders, merged cells and background colours
- Headers, footers and page numbers
- Embedded images and their positioning
- Bullet points, numbered lists and indentation
- Paragraph spacing and margins
Very complex documents using advanced Word features like macros, custom themes or linked external objects may require minor adjustments after conversion.
Protecting Your Converted PDF
After converting to PDF, consider adding protection. Use Protect PDF to add a password so only authorised recipients can open it. Use Watermark PDF to add a CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT overlay. Or use Redact PDF to permanently remove sensitive information before sending.
Going Back: PDF to Word
If you ever need to convert in the other direction, use PDF to Word to turn a text-based PDF back into an editable .docx document. For presentation files, use PowerPoint to PDF or PDF to PowerPoint.