How to Save Excel as PDF? Step-by-Step Guide

While working with data like presentations or reports in MS Excel, you might have come across a common task i.e. saving an Excel file as a PDF format. Converting Excel worksheet into PDFs ensures your data is safe, secure, and shareable across different platforms without any alteration of content. Thus, in this write-up, we will discuss a detailed guide on how to save an Excel file as PDF with multiple tabs or pages using simple and effective methods.

Why Save an Excel File as a PDF?

There are several advantages of converting Excel files to PDFs:

Preserve Formatting: Unlike other file formats, PDFs maintain the formatting, fonts, and layout followed in the original document, important for including data tables, charts, and graphs.

Universal Access: PDFs run smoothly on most devices, operating systems, and browsers enabling you to share the file without any compatibility problems.

Reduced File Size: Most of the time, when you convert Excel to PDF, the file size gets reduced, which can aid in emailing or uploading to the web.

How to Save an Excel File as PDF Using Microsoft Excel’s Built-In “Save As” Function

Converting an Excel document as a PDF is probably the most straightforward PDF conversion method. As there is a convenient “Save As” option found in Microsoft Excel. The process is as follows:

• Start Microsoft Excel and locate the workbook that needs to be converted to a PDF file.
• Click on the “File” tab.
  
• From the menu displayed, choose “Save As.”
  
• Next, click on Browse.
  
• In the dropdown labeled “Save as type”, choose “PDF (*.pdf)”.
  
• Indicate the folder you wish the PDF file to be saved to and its suitable name.
  
• In case you want to use some options, press on “Options” to check what pages, worksheets, or print areas you want to include.
  
• Check “Entire workbook” to export all sheets from Excel to PDF and click on OK.
  
• Press “Save.” The Excel document will be converted into a .pdf file format and saved into the folder indicated.
  

This approach is efficient and offers the user a minimal learning curve, as it offers all the essential functions of PDF conversion.

How to Export Excel to PDF

Another effective way to save an Excel file into a PDF is via the “Export” option in Microsoft Excel. Here is the procedure:

1. Open the Excel file you intend to convert.
2. Now at the top left, click on “File.”
   
3. Next, select “Export” (or More >> Export).
   
4. Simply select the “Create PDF/XPS Document” option available on the list.
   
5. Then in the dialog box “Publish as PDF or XPS” select the required settings for the range of pages and optimize for either standard or minimum file size.
6. Finally, click on “Publish” and you will get a PDF file.
   

What Is the Key Distinction between Exporting to PDF and Saving As PDF?

• Save As PDF: The selected option saves a current workbook immediately as a PDF file. The method is straightforward to convert the Excel file into a PDF format.
• Export Excel to PDF: This feature is also available in Excel, and it offers the same options as the ‘Save As’ feature, but there is more emphasis on the quality of the export.
• The main distinction between the two is the availability of other export formats. In Save As option, you get several other formats to choose such as Text, CSV, unicode, XML, template, etc. However, in Export option, you only get PDF & XPS as the conversion format.

How to Save Single Excel Spreadsheet as a PDF

1. Open the workbook in Excel.
2. Select the sheet you wish to save as a PDF.
3. Click File on the top-left corner.
   
4. Click Save As from the menu.
   
5. Select the location where you want to save the file.
   
6. In Save as type, select PDF (*.pdf).
   
7. Click on Options.
   
8. Under Publish what, choose Active sheet(s).
9. Click OK and Save.
   

How to Save Multiple Excel Sheets in a PDF

1. Open your Excel workbook.
2. Click on the sheets you want to include in the PDF while holding the Ctrl key.
3. Go to File option in the top-left corner.
   
4. Then click on Save As from the menu.
   
5. Choose where you’d like to save the file.
   
6. In the Save as type dropdown menu select PDF (*.pdf).
   
7. Click on Options.
   
8. Choose Selected sheets under Publish what.
9. Click on OK, then Save.
   

How to Convert Specific Areas or Cells in Excel as PDF

1. Open your Excel workbook.
2. Select the specific cells or area you want to save as PDF.
3. Click on File in the top-left corner.
   
4. Select Print from the menu.
5. Under Settings, select Print Selection.
   
6. In the Print dialog, set printer as Microsoft Print to PDF.
   
7. Hit Print.
   
8. Give a name to the PDF, select the location where to save the file, then hit Save.
   

How to Batch Convert Excel Files to PDF with Excel to PDF Converter?

If you are looking for more advanced options with more functionalities and the ability to convert multiple Excel files to PDF, you might like this section. In this part, we will be revealing the SysTools Document Converter has more features and advantages when carrying out the conversion. Some even implement batch processing, encrypting documents, or modifying multiple types of documents at once.

If you have several Excel files that you wish to convert to PDFs in less time, you might want to consider the conversion tool. Here, are some of the features of the tool:

• No need to install MS Office for document conversion.
• Supports popular input formats: Word, Excel, Libre, etc.
• Compatible with all output formats, including PDF.
• Supports Word formats: .docx, .doc, .dotm, .docm, etc.
• Compatible with Excel formats: .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm, etc.
• Tracks total conversions (successful and failed).
• Page layout, orientation, font, header and footer settings
• Built-in PDF Locker to secure PDFs
• 24/7 support available.
• Compatible with Mac and Windows OS.

Guide to Export Excel to PDF Using Software:

1. Start the software and click on Add Files button.
   
2. Select all Excel files from your system and add into the software.
   
3. Go to the next window and preview the added sheets.
   
4. Then, select Advance settings such as font, page settings, etc.
   
5. Finally, click on Export to batch convert Excel files into PDF format.
   

Tips for Formatting Excel Files Before Conversion

In case you need to convert your Excel file to PDF format, and wish it retains proper formatting within the container, kindly consider the following points:

• Show/Hide Gridlines: To show or hide gridlines in PDF, go to Page Layout > Print Tiles > Sheet > Gridlines.
• Print Area: Select the cells that you rather include in your Print Area and Click on Page Layout > Print Area.
• Margins and Orientation: Make Amends under Page Layout > Margins or set the orientation to Portrait or Landscape.
• Page Breaks: To eliminate unwanted page splitting, page breaks are…. well-set page breaks (go to View > Page Break Preview).
• Scale the Worksheet: If your data will fit in only one page, select Scaling options under Page Layout > Scale to Fit and do so.

These adjustments are important in enhancing the layout and readability of your content when exported to PDF.

Conclusion

Save an Excel file as a PDF is an important aspect for anyone who wishes to export in a shareable format. One can convert Excel to PDF simply by the use of inbuilt options of Excel or even third-party solutions. Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages depending on your project requirements. Therefore, you should select the technique that meets their needs most appropriately.