How to Convert Text to PDF

PDF files allow you to preserve the original formatting of your document, and allows the file to be read on nearly any operating system. Creating a PDF from a text file has gotten much easier over the years, as many programs have built-in...
Method 1 of 4:

TXT Files (Windows)

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    Download CutePDF Writer. This is a free program that creates a "virtual printer" on your computer. This "virtual printer" will create a PDF file instead of actually printing. You can use it in conjunction with Notepad to quickly create PDF files from TXT and other basic text files.
    1. Open a web browser and go to cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/writer.asp. Click "Free Download" and "Free Converter". This will download the two programs required to install CutePDF Writer.
    2. If you don't want to go through this process, and you have Word 2007 or later installed, you can copy the text into Word and make the PDF there. Click here for instructions.
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    Run the .CuteWriter.exe program. This will begin install CuteFTP Writer. Run converter.exe after installing CutePDF Writer to install the conversion software.
    1. The installer comes bundled with multiple browser toolbars. Read each window carefully and click Cancel when presented with the first offer. Click the "Skip this and all remaining offers" link that appears to skip the rest.
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    Open the TXT file in Notepad. You can also use this method to create PDFs from other basic text files, such as CFG or INI files.
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    Click the "File" menu and select "Print". This will open the Print window.
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    Select "CutePDF Writer" from the list of available printers. Click the Print button to create the PDF file.
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    Give the file a name and select where you want to save it. This window will appear a moment after you send the file to "print". Click Save once you have named the file and chosen a location, and your new PDF will be created.
Method 2 of 4:

TXT Files (Mac)

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    Open the text file in TextEdit. This is the default text editor for TXT and other text files on a Mac.
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    Click the "File" menu and select "Export as PDF". This option will only appear in OS X 10.7 (Lion) and later.[1]
    1. If you're using an earlier version of OS X, Click "File" → "Save As" and then select "PDF" as the file type.
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    Give the file a name and choose where to save it. Click Save to create the new PDF file.
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    Delete corrupt files if your new PDF files are blank. Some users have reported problems with creating PDFs with TextEdit, where sometimes the resulting PDF would be blank. Deleting a few system files seems to fix the problem:[2]
    1. Click the "Go" menu in finder and select "Go to Folder". Enter ~/Library/Preferences and press Return.
    2. Delete any com.apple.TextEdit.plist files. There may be multiple .plist files associated with TextEdit.
    3. Restart TextEdit and try to create the PDF file. It should work properly now.
Method 3 of 4:

Word Documents

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    Open the document in Microsoft Word. If you are using Word 2010 or newer, you can create PDF files directly from Word. If you are using Word 2007, you'll need to download the "Save as PDF Add-in" from Microsoft first.
    1. You can use this method for any text file you can open or copy into Word.
    2. If you are using Word 2003, you'll need to install a virtual printer like CutePDf Writer. See the instructions in the first section of this article and then follow the directions to create the PDF from the Print window in Word 2003.
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    Start the saving process. It's a little different depending on the version you are using:
    1. Word 2013 - Click the "File" tab and select "Export". Click the "Create PDF/XPS" button.
    2. Word 2010 - Click the "File" tab and select "Save & Send". Click the "Create PDF/XPS" button.
    3. Word 2007 - Click the "Office" button and select "Save to PDF". You'll need the Add-in installed first.
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    Choose your options. You can choose to optimize the file for publishing online, which will make it smaller but lower-quality. You can also click the Options... button and choose what pages you want to include and other PDF options. By default, the entire document will be turned into a PDF.
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    Give the file a name and set where you want it saved. By default, the file will have the same name as the original file.
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    Click the .Save or Publish. This will create your new PDF file.
Method 4 of 4:

Google Drive

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    Open the document that you want to convert to a PDF. You can convert any text documents on Google Drive to PDF through the Google Drive interface.
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    Click the "File" menu and select "Download as" → "PDF Document". The PDF copy will begin downloading immediately.
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    Copy text into a blank Drive document to quickly create PDFs. Because of how quickly you can create PDFs in Drive, it makes it one of the most efficient ways to create PDFs from text you have in other locations.
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