pdfMB

Word to PDF

Turn a Word document into a PDF with its pages, tables and pictures. 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 document 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, opens your document and lays out every page the way LibreOffice Writer would.
  4. Fonts that are in the document but not in the converter are replaced: Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, Calibri and Cambria by fonts with exactly the same width, and Thai fonts such as Angsana New, Cordia New or TH Sarabun by Sarabun.
  5. If you tick “Use fonts installed on this computer”, only the fonts your document uses are read from this computer and given to the converter. They are not sent anywhere.
  6. The pages are written to a PDF with real, searchable text and embedded fonts. The converter is then closed, and its memory is freed.
In short
  1. Choose a Word file
  2. Press “Convert to PDF”
  3. Check the pages
  4. Download the PDF

How to convert Word to PDF

  1. Choose a .docx or .doc file, or drop it on the box. OpenDocument (.odt) and .rtf files work too.
  2. On a computer with Chrome or Edge, you can tick “Use fonts installed on this computer” to use the same fonts as Word.
  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 line breaks

  • Word lays out text with the fonts installed on your computer. pdfMB can’t ship Microsoft’s fonts, so it uses free fonts instead.
  • Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, Calibri and Cambria are replaced by fonts with exactly the same letter widths, so lines usually break in the same places.
  • Thai fonts from Windows and Office, and the TH Sarabun family, are replaced by Sarabun, which has different widths. A paragraph may wrap differently and a page may end a line earlier or later. Using the fonts on your computer avoids this.

When people use it

Sending a document that must look the same

A PDF looks the same on every phone and computer, while a Word file can shift when it is opened somewhere else.

Applications and forms

Many websites only accept PDF for letters, CVs and supporting documents.

Private documents

Contracts, payslips and personal letters are converted on your device instead of on someone else’s server.

Thai documents

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

What it can’t do

  • Fonts that are not in the converter are replaced, so line and page breaks can differ from Word. Using the fonts on your computer gets closest.
  • The first conversion needs to download the converter, and it needs a lot of memory. Older phones may run out of memory.
  • Tracked changes and comments are shown as LibreOffice shows them, which may differ from how Word prints them.
  • Password-protected documents must be unlocked in Word first.
  • Macros are not run.

Questions about Word to PDF

Is my document uploaded?

No. The converter runs inside your browser, and your file never leaves your device. You can check this in your browser’s network tools: after the converter has been downloaded, nothing else is sent.

Why does the first conversion take longer?

The converter itself has to be downloaded once. Your browser keeps it, so later conversions start straight away, even after you close the page.

Will the PDF look exactly like in Word?

Usually very close, but not always identical. Fonts the converter doesn’t have are replaced, which can move line and page breaks. On a computer, use the fonts installed there to get closest.

Does it work with Thai text?

Yes. Thai is laid out with the Sarabun font, and the text in the PDF can be searched and copied with all its tone marks.

Can I convert old .doc files?

Yes. Old Word files (.doc), OpenDocument (.odt) and Rich Text (.rtf) are supported as well as .docx.

Does it work on phones?

It works in recent browsers, but the converter needs a lot of memory, so large documents can fail on older phones. A computer is more reliable.