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Method to Print PDF on a Mac

July 31, 2023 998 views

Printing to PDF is an easy way of saving information in its original layout. Thinking of it as “printing” helps explain the feature. Although you’re not physically printing anything, printing to PDF saves a file that looks exactly like what would have come out from a real printer. 

The major advantage of printing to PDF is that it makes it easy for your files to be saved and/or shared with someone else. You don’t need special app functionality for exporting to PDF – you’ll notice that Print to PDF (which is also sometimes known as Save as PDF) is usually included by default.

In this guide, we’ll explain just it is easy How to printing (or saving) to PDF on iOS or macOS can be.

How to print to PDF on Mac

Using mac OS, you can Print to PDF from any app that supports printing. For this example, we’ll once again show how to save a web page within Safari.

Step 1. Click File in the menu bar

Step 2. Click Print

Step 3. Preview 
Consider the formatting and margins, just as you would for a normal physical print job 

Step 4. Make any adjustments needed 
Select your desired page range, colour style (i.e. monochrome), how many pages per sheet etc. Every change you make here will be reflected in the PDF you save. 

Step 5. Press the PDF button 
You’ll find this in the lower-left corner of the window. Clicking this will reveal a sub-menu of options. 

Step 6. Click Save as PDF…

Step 7. Choose a location to save your file

Once you’ve done this, your PDF is saved in your chosen location. If you’re printing to PDF for the purpose of uploading to iCloud, emailing as an attachment, or sending via iMessage, you can save some time by selecting these alternative shortcut options at Step 6.

How to Print to PDF on Mac with PDFelement

There are two ways to print to PDF in PDFelement. After downloading and installing the program on your Mac, select one of the following methods to print to PDF on Mac.

Method 1: Print to PDF on Mac by Creating

Go to the "File" menu and select the "New" option. You will see several options there. They are as follows:

Step 1. Create PDF from File: make a PDF from the file on your computer.

Step 2. Create PDF from Window Capture: you can generate a PDF from the window you have opened on Mac.

Step 3. Create PDF from Selection Capture: you can create a PDF by selecting an area of your Mac desktop to capture.

Step 4. Create PDF from Screen Capture: you can make a PDF file from a screen capture of your Mac computer screen.

Step 5. Blank Document: make a blank PDF file using this option.

Method 2: Drag the Document to Print to PDF

The third option to print to PDF on Mac using PDFelement is to simply drag and drop the file into the program window or onto the PDFelement icon. The file will now be open in the program, ready for editing or saving.

While it is easy to print to PDF on Mac, creating PDF files can be more of a challenge. If you're looking for more options when creating PDF files, your best bet may be PDFelement. Not only will this program allow you to easily print to PDF on Mac, but it will also allow you to manage the PDF files you create easily. You can also easily combine multiple files in multiple different formats to create a PDF file. This is a feature that is unique to the program and helps to save a lot of time. Annotate your file by highlighting text, marking up content, add comments, or striking through text effortlessly.

Considerations when creating PDF in different browsers

The examples we have given have been based on Safari. If you’re using another browser or app, the share button may be located in different locations.

However, as long as the app supports printing, you’ll be able to follow similar steps.

If the app you’re using does not support printing, an alternative is to take a screenshot. If you’re unsure how to do this, Apple offer guides on how to take a screenshot on a Mac, or how to take a screenshot on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch(covering different models where methods will vary). This will save what you see on your screen as a photo which you can then send or share.

How to Print to PDF on Mac using the Built-in Printer

Printing to PDF on Mac basically means that you are exporting or converting your file to PDF format. Although this process might sound complicated, it isn't. Here's how you can print to PDF on Mac with the built-in printer.

Step 1: Open the document you want to print to PDF on your Mac. Once the document is open, click on the file menu and select "Print". You can also just hit CMD+ P on the keyboard.

Step 2: in the lower-left corner, you should see the PDF button. Click on the drop-down menu to select the "Save as PDF" option. Click on "Save" in the dialogue box and select a destination folder to save the file.

FAQS

How does PDF work on Mac?

On a Mac computer, the native Preview application opens a PDF when downloaded if a separate application is not otherwise indicated as the default viewer.

Why can't I Print a PDF on my Mac?

Go to Finder>Apple Menu>System Preference>Printers&Scanners> Control + Click in the left side printer list> Reset Print System, then re-add your preferred printer as mentioned above(Finder>Apple Menu>System Preference>Printers&Scanners> Add>Select your printer from the list).

Why Choose WPS

Your file will now be saved as a PDF and the original file will still be available on your Mac. You can make sure that the file has been saved as a PDF by locating it using Finder or another app. Besides printing, WPS Office can do any PDF task, from editing and annotating to merging and password-protecting PDFs. Trusted by millions of people and awarded by Apple, it’s a go-to PDF app for Mac.

WPS is an office software that supports online editing. Now go to the official website to download WPS Office you can also experience free membership features, receive 7 days membership access, free to use all the editing features inside. Mastering a variety of PDF document merging and conversion methods are very useful for later work, I believe it will also become the best assistant for your office.


15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.