Convert Excel to PDF
Your spreadsheet as a PDF anyone can open, without changing a cell.
Turn an Excel spreadsheet into a PDF to send a budget, an invoice or a report that nobody can change by accident and that opens on any phone. Every sheet is included, with the results of its formulas, its colours, borders and charts. It works with .xlsx and with .xls files from older versions of Excel, with no sign-up and no watermarks.
How to convert Excel to PDF
- Select your Excel files, .xlsx or .xls (up to 3 at once).
- If you want to read it on screen, check “Each sheet on a single page”; leave it unchecked to print on A4.
- Click “Convert to PDF” and wait a few seconds.
- Download the PDF or, if you converted several spreadsheets, the ZIP with one PDF for each.
What the PDF includes
- Every visible sheet, in the order of the workbook. Hidden sheets are left out.
- Formulas show their result, as on screen in Excel: whoever opens the PDF sees the figures, not the formulas.
- Formats: number formats, currencies, dates, fonts, colours and borders.
- Charts and images placed on the sheets.
- The text stays as text, so it can be selected and searched.
How the pages are laid out
Out of the box, each sheet is laid out as when you print it from Excel: on A4 pages, using its print area, orientation and scaling if the file has them. A sheet wider than the page continues on extra pages, just as it would on paper.
You have two ways to avoid that:
- For printing: in Excel, choose Page Layout › Width › 1 page before converting. The whole width of the sheet then fits on an A4 page, slightly reduced.
- For reading on screen: check “Each sheet on a single page”. Each sheet goes on a single page as big as the sheet, without splitting columns or rows. A very long sheet gives a very tall page, comfortable to scroll but not to print.
Limitations
- Up to 3 spreadsheets at once, 50 MB each and 100 MB in total; each PDF can have up to 300 pages.
- Files protected with a password to open them can’t be converted: remove the password in Excel (File › Info › Protect Workbook) first.
- Macros are never run.
Frequently asked questions
Are all the sheets of the workbook converted?
Yes, every visible sheet, in the same order as in Excel, in a single PDF. Sheets you have hidden are not included.
Why is my sheet split across several pages?
Because it is wider or longer than an A4 page, and it is laid out as when printing. Set Width to 1 page in Excel’s Page Layout tab, or check “Each sheet on a single page” to get the whole sheet on one page.
Does the PDF show the formulas or their results?
Their results, as you see them on screen in Excel. The PDF is for reading and printing, so the formulas themselves are not visible or editable in it.
Are charts included?
Yes. Charts and images placed on the sheets appear in the PDF where they are in the spreadsheet, with their titles and legends.