pdfMB

Excel to PDF

Turn an Excel spreadsheet into a PDF, using the print settings saved in the file. The conversion runs on your device, so the file is never uploaded.

The converter is LibreOffice, compiled to run in your browser. Source code, licences and changes (MPL-2.0)

  • No uploadYour file stays on this device.
  • Your original stays as it isYou download a new copy. Your file is never changed.
  • Free, no sign-upNo account and no daily limit.

What happens to your file

Everything below happens inside your browser, on your own device. Your spreadsheet is never uploaded, so nobody else, including us, can see it.

  1. The first time you open this page, your browser downloads the converter: LibreOffice, the free office suite, compiled to run inside a web page. It is stored on your device, so it is only downloaded once.
  2. Each download is checked against a fingerprint (SHA-256) before it is used, so a damaged or altered converter is never run.
  3. When you press “Convert”, a fresh copy of the converter starts in the background and opens your spreadsheet the way LibreOffice Calc would.
  4. Every sheet is printed with the page setup saved in the file: paper size, orientation, margins, print area, scaling and repeated rows.
  5. Calibri, Arial and Cambria are replaced by fonts with exactly the same width, so column contents fit the same way. Thai fonts are replaced by Sarabun.
  6. The pages are written to a PDF with real, searchable text. The converter is then closed, and its memory is freed.
In short
  1. Choose an Excel file
  2. Press “Convert to PDF”
  3. Check the pages
  4. Download the PDF

How to convert Excel to PDF

  1. If the result should fit on fewer pages, set the print area, orientation or “fit to page” in Excel first and save the file.
  2. Choose the .xlsx or .xls file, or drop it on the box. OpenDocument (.ods) and .csv files work too.
  3. Press “Convert to PDF”. The first time, the bar also includes downloading the converter.
  4. Look over the first pages, then download the PDF.

About fonts and column widths

  • Excel sizes columns and rows for the fonts on your computer. pdfMB uses free fonts with exactly the same widths for Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New and Cambria, so numbers fit the same way.
  • Other fonts, including Thai fonts such as Tahoma, Angsana New or Cordia New, are replaced by similar fonts. Text in a narrow column may then be cut off or a number may show as ###. Using the fonts on your computer avoids this.

When people use it

Sending figures that can’t be changed by accident

Invoices, price lists and reports are easier to read and harder to edit as a PDF.

Printing

A PDF prints the same pages on any printer, with the page setup you saved.

Private numbers

Budgets, salaries and accounts are converted on your device instead of on someone else’s server.

Thai spreadsheets

Thai text is printed with a Thai font, and copying from the PDF keeps every tone mark.

What it can’t do

  • The page setup saved in the file decides how sheets are split into pages. pdfMB doesn’t change it, so a very wide sheet can run over many pages.
  • Fonts that are not in the converter are replaced, which can cut off text in narrow columns.
  • Some newer Excel features, such as certain chart types, may look different or be left out.
  • Password-protected files must be unlocked in Excel first. Macros are not run.
  • The first conversion needs to download the converter, and large spreadsheets need a lot of memory.

Questions about Excel to PDF

Is my spreadsheet uploaded?

No. The converter runs inside your browser, and your file never leaves your device.

Are all sheets included?

Yes. Every sheet that would be printed is included, in order, using the print settings saved in the file.

How do I fit a sheet on one page?

In Excel, open Page Layout, set “Fit to 1 page wide”, save the file, and convert it again. pdfMB uses the settings saved in the file.

Why do I see ### in a cell?

The replacement font is a little wider than the original, so the number no longer fits the column. Use the fonts installed on your computer, or widen the column in Excel.

Can I convert CSV files?

Yes. A .csv file is read as a single sheet and printed on standard pages.

Why does the first conversion take longer?

The converter has to be downloaded once. Your browser keeps it for next time.