How to Print to PDF in Windows 8: Methods and Tools

Printing to PDF in Windows 8 has become an essential task for many users, especially those dealing with documents, web pages, or images. This guide will walk you through the process and introduce alternative methods using other tools such as Cute PDF Writer and PDFtk.

Using the Built-in Method in Windows 8

To print to PDF in Windows 8, you can utilize the built-in Microsoft Print to PDF feature. Follow the steps below for detailed instructions:

Open the Document: Start by opening the file you want to convert to PDF, such as a Word document, web page, or image.

Open the Print Dialog: Press Ctrl P or navigate to the File menu to find the Print option.

Select Printer: Within the print dialog, choose Microsoft Print to PDF from the list of available printers. This will serve as a virtual printer that converts your document into a PDF file without needing a physical printer.

Configure Settings: If needed, adjust any print settings such as orientation, pages to print, and margins.

Print: Click the Print button to start the printing process. The document will be converted and saved as a PDF file.

Save the PDF: After the document is converted, you will be prompted to select a location to save the PDF file. Enter a file name and choose the desired location. Click Save to complete the operation.

Using Cute PDF Writer for Flexibility

If you prefer a more flexible approach, you can use the Cute PDF Writer. This is an off-printer driver that allows you to select the pages to print and save them as a PDF file. Here’s how to use it:

Select Pages to Print: Choose the pages you want to print just as you would with a real printer.

Click Print: After clicking the print button, the program will create a PDF file and ask you to select a location to save it.

Printing Multiple Documents: In the most recent versions of Cute PDF Writer, you can even print multiple documents into the same PDF file by merging the print jobs.

Creative Approach: Using Google Chrome

As a final alternative, you can use a creative approach by leveraging the features of Google Chrome. Here’s how:

Print from Microsoft Office: First, print the whole document in PDF from Microsoft Office.

Open the PDF in Chrome: Open the generated PDF file in Google Chrome.

Print from Chrome: Try to print the document directly from Google Chrome, which will prompt you to save the PDF.

Note: This method may not work perfectly for all documents, and the results might vary depending on the content and format of the original document.

Advanced PDF Manipulation with PDFtk

For more advanced PDF manipulation, you can consider using the PDF Toolkit (PDFtk). PDFtk is a free tool that allows you to merge, split, and manipulate PDF documents. While a user-friendly version for Windows is available, the free version is quite limited in functionality. However, if you need the capability to merge multiple PDF documents into one, PDFtk can be very useful.

To use PDFtk, you would need to download and install it, then follow the command-line instructions to merge or manipulate your PDFs. For example:

Example usage of PDFtk to merge multiple PDF files.

For a more user-friendly experience, you might prefer the Graphical User Interface (GUI) version available for Windows. This version simplifies the process and makes it accessible to users who are not comfortable with command-line instructions.

In conclusion, there are several methods and tools available to print to PDF in Windows 8, each with its own advantages. Whether you prefer the built-in Microsoft Print to PDF, the flexibility of Cute PDF Writer, the creativity of using Google Chrome, or the advanced functionality of PDFtk, you can choose the one that best fits your needs.