3 Ways to Convert Files to PDF for Free

Whether you're ordering printing online or walking into a local copy shop, most printing companies prefer (and typically require) a PDF file in order to print your job.

Luckily, these days, most software and design tools make it very easy to export or save your file as a PDF without the need for third-party programs, extensions or extra steps. For example, if you designed your document in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and many other formats, we have an easy guide on how to save your files as PDF.

Combining multiple PDFs into one consolidated file is also useful in preparing your job for print. Due to the additional work and potential for error, we must charge $9.95 if you need us to combine 10 or more files for you. Luckily, Adobe offers a free tool for this.

But there's a catch:Adobe's free PDF combiner is only free when combining PDF files. What about when you're working with other image types, such as .PNG, .TIFF, or .JPG? If you don't have Acrobat Pro, combining multiple files of various formats into one master PDF file can be a little trickier.

Fear not! We've prepared another guide on how to manage these files. Read on to learn more.

Security notice: the FBI released a notice to users warning about malicious free online file converters which can cause a security threat. While the options we list below are deemed safe as of the date of publication, this does not guarantee that certain tools will not be compromised in the future. We recommend all users perform due diligence before downloading any programs or using free online tools for file conversion.

1. Use CloudConvert

CloudConvert is a free online tool that will let you convert nearly any compatible file to PDF (as well as other formats).

Pro: It's free and you can convert multiple files at once.

Con: The downloaded files are not combined into a single PDF (but this is easy to do).

Here are the steps for using CloudConvert to convert images to PDF:

1. In the top bar, select the file type you're trying to convert, then select PDF for the format you want to convert it to.




2. Click Select File and locate the file(s) you want to convert. Then click Convert. If you're converting multiple file types, the tool should automatically recognize this.




4. Once the files are converted to PDF, a preview window will come up. If everything looks OK, click Download in the lower right corner.




5. If there are a lot of files to download, click Close instead, then click All Files » Download All. This will download all files in a compressed ZIP file.

Please note that the files must be removed from the ZIP file before they can be merged into one PDF or uploaded to our site.



2. Download GIMP

GIMP is a free software with similar functionality to Adobe Photoshop. Once you've installed the program on your computer, you can open your image(s) in GIMP and save them as PDF.

Pro: It's free.

Con: You can only convert one file at a time. Exported PDFs will be in the RGB format, while printers use CMYK.

Here are the steps for using GIMP to export images as PDF:

1. Open your file in GIMP.
2. Go to File » Export As...
3. Navigate to the folder where you want to save your PDF.
4. Change the extension in the file name to .PDF and click Export.
5. In the next dialog box, click Export again.



3. Use Canva

Canva is a free online design tool (with upgraded options in their paid version). This is very popular with non-professional designers.

Pro: It's free and supports multiple file types, including Word, Powerpoint and JPG. You can also convert the files to an editable Canva design if you need to do additional design work or editing.

Con: It can only convert one file at a time and has a limit to how many conversions you can do for free.

To use Canva's free PDF converter, follow these steps:

1. Click Upload your file, or drag and drop the file from a separate browser window.




2. Your image will load up in their design tool. You can add text or make other edits if needed.

3. When ready, click Download in the top right.

4. Click the Down Arrow next to PDF Standard, then select PDF Print. Then click Download.




Putting it all together...

Once you have your files converted to PDF, it's a great idea to merge them into one combined PDF. This is especially useful if you have a lot of different sections or separate files to upload. If we need to combine 10 or more files for you, there is a $9.95 charge. While that's not a huge fee, we do hope it encourages customers to prepare their own print-ready PDFs, which speeds up the processing of your order and helps avoid any potential formatting errors.

Click here to use Adobe's free PDF combiner.