How to Print to PDF on Mac

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2024-09-19 14:12:38 • Filed to: Tips for PDF • Proven solutions

Wondering how to print to PDF on Mac? You can do so easily with or without a PDF printer. In this article, we'll explain how to print to PDF step by step.

If you need more features, such as editing and annotating PDFs, combining or splitting PDFs, or printing PDFs, get a professional PDF editor & printer - PDFelement for Mac.

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How to Print to PDF on macOS

macOS doesn't provide a straightforward Print to PDF feature as Windows, but macOS has built a system-level support for PDF creation. Printing to PDF on Mac basically means that you are saving your file to PDF format. If you are new to macOS, here's how you can print to PDF on Mac with the built-in printer.

Step 1: Begin by opening the document you want to print to PDF on your Mac.

Step 2: Once the file is open, click on the file menu and select "Print". You can also just hit CMD+ P on the keyboard.

how to print to pdf on mac

Step 3: In the Print dialog, navigate to the drop-down menu labeled "PDF."

how to print to pdf on mac

Step 4: Click on the drop-down menu to select the "Save as PDF" option.

how to print to pdf on mac

Step 5: Name the PDF file. Then click on "Save" in the dialogue box and select a destination folder to save the file.

how to print to pdf on mac

Step 6: 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. You can view the file later and even edit it as a PDF using a PDF editor like PDFelement.

Step 7: If you want to print the PDF to paper, open the PDF file, press Command + P, or click File > Print to print the PDF out.


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.

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Method 1: Print to PDF on Mac by Creating

On PDFelement, Go to the "File" menu and select the "New" option. You will see several options there.

Select PDF from File, select the file you want to print to PDF, and the file will be opened in PDFelement and saved as PDF immediately.

how to print to pdf on mac

Method 2: Drag the Document to Print to PDF

Another easy 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 opened in the program, ready for editing or saving in PDF format.

how to print to pdf on mac

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 easily manage the PDF files you create. 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, adding comments, or striking through text effortlessly.

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PDFelement comes equipped with tools to help you create, edit, save, and even print PDF files easily. It is a program that is like no other when it comes to PDF management and a must-have for people who work with PDFs regularly. It makes PDF creation very easy.

  • You can edit PDFs easily. Add and remove text, add and remove images, and even remove whole sections of the document. Annotation features also allow you to further customize the PDF.
  • Print PDFs easily. You even get the option to print double-sided PDFs and password-protected PDFs.
  • Despite having many useful features, this program isn't overly complex like some other similar software programs are. It is very easy to use and efficient.
  • You can export PDF files easily through email and other cloud storage options.
  • PDFelement supports macOS 10.14, 10.15 Catalina, and 11 Big Sur.


Print to PDF Not Working on Mac? How to Fix

Some users have reported that the Save to PDF suddenly stopped working on their Macs. This usually happens after a system or software update. If you run into a similar issue, there are some quick fixes you can try.

Solution 1: Boot into Safe Mode and create a PDF file. If you can save a file to PDF under safe mode, reboot your Mac and try the Save to PDF feature again.

Solution 2: Update or reinstall the printer. Go to System Preferences > Print & Fax. Update the default printer if there is a new version available. Or remove the printer and reinstall it.

Solution 3: If the Print to PDF feature is not working in your Chrome browser on Mac, clear the cache in Chrome and then restart the browser to try again.

If you still have trouble printing to PDF on Mac, try a third-party PDF application. PDFelement for Mac is an all-in-one PDF solution for macOS to create, convert, and edit PDF documents.

Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!

Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!

Buy PDFelement right now!

Buy PDFelement right now!


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Audrey Goodwin

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