• How to print a PDF with a home or office printer
• How to edit and print a PDF
• What to do if you need to print a PDF, but you don’t have a printer 

PDFs work very well when you want to print a physical version of a document, as they’re designed to preserve formatting. While many document editors have a “Print to PDF” option, some that may not, or they may have limited conversion features.

PDF.Live is an online service that can convert Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and even image files to PDFs. Once converted, you download the PDF and print a physical copy using your device’s printing functions. PDF.Live offers PDF editing capabilities in case you want to adjust the content of the PDF. We cover PDF editing in a separate post. 

Step-by-Step: Printing a PDF on Any Device

To print a PDF with a home or office printer, you’ll need to connect your computer to the printer directly or wirelessly. If your printer is connected to the same network as you, this is usually pretty easy. 

Step 1: Connect your printer 

Connecting a printer from a Windows computer:

1. Type Printers & Scanners into your search bar. 
2. Click Add device, which will search for available printers. Your computer and printer need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. 
3. Click the printer you want to add. 

Connecting a printer from a Mac computer:

1. Under the Apple menu, select System Settings.
2. Select Printers & Scanners.
3. Select Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax…
4. Look for the printer you want to add; it must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Click Add.

Step 2: Print the PDF

Printing a PDF from a computer:

Once you’re connected to your printer, open a PDF in your web browser or PDF reader of choice. Click the Print icon or press Ctrl + P (Cmd + P on a Mac) on your keyboard.

Under the destination menu, select the printer that you’ve connected to your PC. This is also where you would Save a document as a PDF. 

As long as you’re connected to a printer, your PDF should begin printing.

Printing a PDF with an Android smartphone:

Similar to the above steps, make sure your printer and your smartphone are connected to the same network. 

1. With a document open on your smartphone, tap file or the three vertical dot menu, depending on how you view PDFs on your device. 
2. Tap Print. 
3. Set your Destination to a printer. Your device will search for printers on the same network. If your printer has Bluetooth, you may also be able to connect your smartphone to it that way. 
4. Print your PDF.

You’ll also see that you can save your documents as a PDF on your smartphone device. If you don’t have a laptop or a desktop nearby, this can be a handy way to quickly convert documents to PDFs. 

Printing a PDF with an iPhone:

Make sure your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your printer. 

1. Open the PDF on your iPhone.
2. Select the three horizontal dots and locate the Print option (it tends to be toward the bottom of the menu).
3. Select Print, select the printer, and tap Print. 

Common Questions About PDF Printing

What does virtual PDF printing mean?

Virtual PDF printing refers to the process of creating a digital PDF file instead of printing a physical copy. When you select “Print to PDF” from your computer’s print dialog, you’re using a virtual printer—software that generates a PDF version of your document instead of sending it to a physical printer. Some tools, like PDF.Live’s Doc to PDF converter, achieve a similar result by converting your file directly into a PDF without using a print command.

Do I need special print-to-PDF software?

No. Most modern programs — including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Docs, Sheets, and Adobe applications — can already create PDFs without additional software. You can usually choose File > Save As or File > Export and select PDF as the format.

Alternatively, you can go to File > Print and choose Save as PDF instead of a physical printer. All of these methods create a PDF version of your document, so dedicated “print-to-PDF” software isn’t usually necessary.

How can I print a PDF if I don’t have a printer?

If you don’t own a printer, or need to print a larger document and don’t want to use up your supplies, many office supply stores and business service centers (UPS Store) offer printing services (see list of retail printers below). There are also some online services, if you’re not in a hurry, to whom you can email your PDF, and they’ll print the document and ship it back to you.

Why send a PDF to be printed by someone else?

• You need color and your home printer does only black and white.
• You need a high-quality printed version of your PDF.
• You have a large document to print, and it might be too much for your home printer.
• You need it printed on special paper or a size that your printer can’t handle.

Retail printing services

• Definition: In-person or online printing offered by office supply stores, retail shipping centers, and business service providers. You can upload your PDF online for pickup or bring it in on a USB drive.
• Examples: CVS Photo, FedEx Office, Office Depot, Staples, The UPS Store
• Good for: Medium to large print jobs that exceed home or office printer capacity; quick same-day printing needs

Online printing services

• Definition: Professional, mail-order printing companies that specialize in high-quality, full-color prints such as marketing materials, brochures, and flyers.
• Examples: Vistaprint, Uprinting, GotPrint, Shutterfly
• Good for: High-quality, professional printing of marketing materials, business cards, or bulk orders

Free or low-cost public printing 

• Definition: Community-based printing options, often supported by public institutions or local organizations, offering basic black-and-white or color prints at little to no cost.
• Examples: Public libraries, community centers, university libraries, coworking spaces, local print kiosks
• Good for: Simple, low-volume document printing when cost is a concern

Can I print a PDF using PDF.Live?

To print from PDF.Live, download your PDF to your device and follow the steps above to print from whatever device you are using. 

Can I print a password-protected PDF?

Yes, you can print a password-protected PDF if you have the password to it. Once the PDF is “unlocked” with the correct password, you’ll be able to open it using your web browser or any other PDF reader of your choice. Read this post on how to lock, unlock and password protect a PDF.

Can I print only specific pages?

Yes. If you only want to print a specific page or a specific range of pages, you can do this from the print menu with your PDF open. Under the Pages option, you’ll see a dropdown with a few options.

This is how it can look on a Windows computer:

This is how it can look on a Mac:

• All prints all pages in the PDF
• Current prints only the current page you have open in your browser/PDF reader
• Odd prints the odd pages (1, 3, 5, etc.)
• Even prints the even pages (2, 4, 6, etc.)
• Custom (Windows) and Range (Mac) print a custom range (10 to 20, for example)

• Selection on a Mac allows you to Cmd + click to select only specific pages.

The post Printing PDFs Made Easy: From Your Computer, Phone or Online appeared first on pdf.live.

Imagine that you’re packing your car for a trip and need to bring 3 tents and 4 lawn chairs. In the normal world, you’ll need to carefully position these objects so you can fit everything in your car. However, imagine that instead, you could compress the 3 tents down to a single dense object called “T”. You would similarly compress the lawn chairs down to an object called “L”. You’ve saved a lot of space doing this, but need to know how many tents that T contains and how many lawn chairs that L contains. So, you call the first object T3 and the second object L4, so when you’re unpacking, you know how many tents and lawn chairs you have. If only we could compress objects in real life!

This is, in effect, how data compression works. A program looks for repeated patterns or data strings, and other information that it can then store in a simpler format that gives “instructions” of what it is when it’s unpacked. The resulting compressed archive is a ZIP file, and it saves a lot of memory space so it’s easier to send and download across the internet. When you receive a ZIP file, you’ll need to unzip it to access the information inside. 

That’s the technical explanation. The short, simplified answer is: A ZIP file is a squished version of larger files, and it could be one file or several files that have been highly compressed and changed into a new file format with a .zip extension.

Zip vs Compressed PDFs: What’s the Difference?

A compressed file retains its original format, but the data is reduced or reorganized to make it smaller, often without losing any information (see Lossy Vs. Lossless File Compression). When you compress a PDF, for example, the file format is still a PDF. When you zip a PDF, it becomes a compressed archive with a .zip extension. 

A ZIP file is not a compressed PDF; it’s just a container for information. The result is that ZIP files work with a lot of file types. Documents, images, and videos, for example, can all be compressed into a single ZIP file. The size savings will vary, but a ZIP folder is a great way to “package up” several files or file types into a single folder for storage or sharing. 

Another great part about using ZIP files is that you can easily make one using your computer, online, or on a mobile device. Other file types may require specialized software for compression or reduce their size.

Can you just zip a PDF for easier sharing?

Yes, you can technically zip a PDF, instead of compressing it, but zipping and compressing a PDF aren’t exactly the same thing. Zipping is a type of compression. 

• ZIP file: A container that bundles one or more files together and compresses them for easier sharing. The files inside keep their original formats.
• Compressed file: A single file that’s been reduced in size — sometimes by removing or simplifying data — but it stays the same file type (for example, a smaller .pdf). 

Remember, a ZIP file is a way to conveniently move large files and programs across the internet. Similarly, when you convert a .doc, .docx, or other file to a PDF, you’re putting it in a format that preserves your formatting settings. Single-page PDFs rarely have large file sizes, so you probably won’t ever need to ZIP a single PDF. If you’ve got an ebook in the form of a PDF, then zipping it makes it easier to share.

However, if you’re moving multiple PDFs at a time, it can sometimes be convenient to put the PDFs into a single file and then ZIP that folder to be sent out in a single email. PDF.Live offers PDF compression services for free, but this simply reduces the size of the PDF; the output is still a .pdf file. 

Give it a try: To compress PDFs, drag and drop your PDF into our Compression Tool. 

If you uncompress a ZIP file and find a .doc or .docx file within, you can also use PDF.Live’s Conversion Tool to convert the files to a PDF. 

If you put PDFs into a ZIP file, you do not need a convert ZIP to PDF tool, as you just need to follow the above instructions to uncompress a ZIP file. You do not need special software to unzip a standard ZIP file on Windows or Mac. Also be aware that ZIP files can contain many kinds of data, not just files that can be viewed as PDFs. Trying to convert a ZIP file directly to a PDF would be like trying to camp without first unpacking those tents and lawn chairs.

How to Send Large Files by Zipping Them 

Zipping a file is easy to do on both Windows and Mac. Both systems can zip files without external programs. These steps will actually work with any file type, including PDFs or a mix of files like JPG, PDF, DOC, and more. 

Zip a PDF on Windows 

To zip a PDF or other large file into a folder on Windows:

• Click and drag the files that you want to compress into a single folder.
• Right click that file or folder and select Send to and then Compressed folder.
• You will see a folder with a “zipped” icon in the same location.

Zip a PDF on a Mac

To zip files into a single folder on a Mac:

• Click and drag the files that you want to zip inside a single folder.
• Control-click or right-click the folder and then choose Compress from the shortcut menu.
• You will see a compressed file with the same name appear in the same location. 

Alternatively, you can select multiple files from your desktop or file manager, right-click and select Compress. Note that the ZIP file defaults to the name Archive.zip. 

Alternative to zipping a PDF

If you have a single, large PDF that doesn’t need zipped but is too large for sharing, you can easily compress the file online using PDF.Live:

• Head to PDF.Live’s PDF compression tool.
• Upload your PDF.
• Select the level that you want your file compressed to (higher compression may affect the quality of the PDF).
• Click Compress PDF.

How To Open a Zip File on Any Device 

To open a zip file, you can use any Windows, Mac, or mobile device without extra software (the ability is built into most modern devices).

Windows

• Locate the zipped folder you want to extract.
• Right click the folder, select Extract All and choose a location for the extracted files to be located.
• Note that a zipped file can contain multiple files, which is why unzipping a file produces a folder.

Mac

• Locate the zipped folder.
• Double-click the ZIP file.
• Unzipping rebuilds the file, so the larger it is, the more time it takes — usually it’s within seconds. 

iPhone

• From the Files app, tap the ZIP folder.
• Your iPhone will unzip it and put the contents in a new folder.
• Open the folder to view the ZIP file’s contents.

Android

• In the Google Files app, tap the zipped file.
• Tap the Extract option.
• You’ll see a preview of the files in the ZIP folder. Select Done to place them in a new folder.

FAQs About Zipping Files

What’s the fastest way to zip larger files?

The fastest way to ZIP a large file or folder is using a PC or Mac computer, which offer greater processing and disk speed. Beyond this, the time it takes to ZIP several files into a folder depends on the compression level, the number of files, and the size of the individual files. In other words, higher compression means smaller files but longer processing time. 

Is zipping files the same as compressing them?

A ZIP file is a compressed file, but it also acts as a container. ZIP formats compress data to reduce file size and can package one or many files into a single archive while preserving their original structure and integrity.

Why is my ZIP file still large after compression?

Images, videos, and graphics in particular can bloat the size of a ZIP file. Some PDFs will have images in them, so consider splitting the PDF into multiple files and zipping them separately. Many media files are already compressed, so zipping them may not reduce them much. For very large files, especially with graphics and video, consider using a cloud sharing solution.

Can I password-protect a ZIP file? 

Yes, you can password-protect a ZIP file. On a Windows device:

• Right click the ZIP file and select Advanced. 
• Under the Compress or Encrypt Attributes tab, select Encrypt contents to secure data.
• Set a password. Make sure that the password is memorable but not easily guessable, as the data inside the ZIP file won’t be accessible without the password, even for you. 

Note: macOS doesn’t have a simple built-in option for password-protecting ZIP files. You can use a third-party app such as Keka or The Unarchiver if you’re on a Mac.

Can I unzip files directly in Google Drive or Dropbox?

In a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox, you can open a ZIP folder. By double-clicking your ZIP file, you’ll see a preview of the contents. If you want to open the ZIP folder, you can select Open With and then a third-party app will be suggested for opening the ZIP file. This makes it so you don’t have to download the ZIP file – just the individual file you need within the zipped folder.  

The post How to Create a Zip File — Windows, Mac and Online appeared first on pdf.live.

This post explains:

• How to scan a document with an iPhone app to PDF (using PDF.Live’s DocScan app).
• How to scan a document with an Android phone.
• How to scan a document using a printer/scanner (basic, not device specific).

If you’re wondering how to scan a paper to PDF, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s walk through the best way to scan paper to PDF. 

How to Scan a Document to PDF on iPhone

For scanning a document to a PDF on iPhone devices, we recommend DocScan, available in the Apple App Store. This app scans physical paper documents with your iPhone’s camera and converts them to a PDF for use wherever you need it. DocScan also works with Word documents and images by converting them to PDFs.

DocScan is free to try. 

How to scan from an iPhone:

1. Download and open DocScan and select the red +. To scan a new document, select Camera. Otherwise, select Photo Library or Files to convert an existing scan to a PDF. 

2. Take a picture of your document. You can also do this directly from the home page if you select Scan Document. 

3. DocScan converts your image into a PDF. You’ll find a PDF version of your document available in the app. 

What else can DocScan do?

The DocScan app also has the following capabilities:

• AI upscaling for a low-resolution scanned document
• PDF sharing capabilities connected to your phone contacts
• Document storage
• Optical character recognition (OCR) for converting pictures of text to an editable digital format
• Signature tool for signing scanned documents

Does DocScan work with iPads?

Yes, if your iPad has a camera, you can use DocScan with it. Of course, newer iPhone and iPads will produce higher quality scans, as the cameras are newer. DocScan can help clear up lower quality scans with the AI upscaling, though. 

How to Scan a Document on an Android or Non-Apple Device

To scan a document using an Android or non-apple smartphone, we recommend the Genius Scan PDF Scanner, which is available on the Google Play Store. Using this app, you can scan paper documents and convert them to PDFs. Genius Scan detects documents and can even create multi-page PDFs. 

Genius Scan is free to use as a document scanner, but most of the premium features are behind the annual premium paywall. This includes faster scanning, an OCR, cloud storage, and more. 

How to Scan:

1. Download and open Genius Scan on your Android or non-Apple device. 

2. Select the + icon, which will access your phone’s camera. 

3. Follow the prompts to take a picture of your paper document to scan it to a PDF. 

Once you’ve scanned a document with Genius Scan, the Documents tab will be populated with the PDF version of your document. You can then download it on your phone for use as you need it. 

What else can Genius Scan do?

Genius Scan comes with: 

• Document cleanup, including background removal, distortion correction, and shadow removal
• PDF encryption
• Some document storage

The premium version of Genius Scan offers:

• Cloud storage
• OCR capability to convert pictures of documents to an editable text format
• Biometric unlock for the app
• Document backups

How Can I Convert Other Formats to PDFs?

If you have an existing Word doc, PowerPoint, or Excel file that you want to convert to a PDF, you can make use of PDF.Live’s PDF conversion tools:

• Word doc to PDF conversion
• Excel to PDF conversion
• PPT to PDF conversion
• JPG to PDF conversion

That last one may sound similar to a document scanner, as it converts pictures to a PDF, but you may need to use PDF.Live’s OCR tool, in conjunction with the JPG to PDF scanner to make the text in the converted PDF editable. 

The post How to Scan a Document to a PDF Using Your Phone appeared first on pdf.live.