Converting Documents to PDF

Several options for converting your Word Document to PDF file format are explained below.

Adobe Acrobat is available on computers in GW Libraries and computer labs across campus.

Word for PCs

If you use Word for PCs, make sure the fonts are embedded in the document prior to conversion to PDF. Embedding the fonts ensures the formatting in the word document will be preserved when the document is converted to a PDF.

Word for PCs: Embedding Fonts in MS Word 2010 & 2016 (706.64 KB)

Options:

1. Create your Adobe PDF in MS Word.
   • If the Acrobat tab is not available in Word, please visit Get the Adobe Acrobat Tab to Appear (MS Support) for assistance.
   • PDF Accessibility (Source: WebAIM): Discusses creating accessible PDFs in Adobe Acrobat.
   • Acrobat PDFMaker Troubleshooting Guide for MS Windows. (Source: Adobe Acrobat Help)
2. Open and save your document to PDF using Adobe Express Premium software.
3. Upload your final word document using the tool in the ProQuest ETD Administrator site.

Word for MACs

Whatever method you choose, be sure to review your PDF for formatting and readability issues prior to uploading or saving the document to the ETD Administrator site.

Options:

1. Upload your final Word document using the tool in the ProQuest ETD Administrator site. (Recommended)
2. Open and save your document to PDF using Adobe Acrobat.
3. Create your Adobe PDF in Word.
   • Known issue: If your document contains section breaks, the Word software will convert each section into individual .pdf documents.

InDesign

Please consult LinkedIn Learning for information on this topic.

ETDs written in LaTeX

Students writing their ETDs in LaTeX may wish to use an editor for Windows computers such as WinEdt. The advantage of using WinEdt is that it can compile a document using PDFLaTeX, which generates a PDF as the final output.

The procedures are very simple within WinEdt:

1. Open your .tex file
2. Save your document in .pdf archival format
3. Click on the PDFLaTeX icon
4. The PDF appears.

Convert Web Pages to PDF

• Adobe User Guide for converting webpages to PDF using a number of internet browsers and Adobe Acrobat.
• Step by step instructions for converting webpages to PDF (Adobe Acrobat) (600.77 KB)

Check Page Margins in Acrobat

Defining Page Margins in Adobe Acrobat (64.34 KB): instructions for checking PDF manuscript page margins.

Ctrl + R: Displays a ruler at the top and left hand margin of the page.