Chrome can turn any web page into a PDF without extra software. On a computer, press Ctrl + P (⌘ + P on a Mac), set Destination to Save as PDF, then select Save. This guide covers every device and every option in Chrome’s print window, so you get the PDF you want the first time.
Save a page as a PDF on Windows, Mac or Linux
- Open the page, image or file you want to save.
- Press Ctrl + P on Windows and Linux or ⌘ + P on a Mac. You can also select More (the three dots at the top right) > Print.
- Next to Destination, choose Save as PDF. If it isn’t in the list, select See more.
- Change any settings you need (see the list below).
- Select Save, pick a folder and a file name, and save.
These are the steps in Google’s Print from Chrome help. Chrome remembers the last destination you used, so the next time you print, Save as PDF may already be selected. To switch back to your printer, choose it under Destination.
Save as PDF on a Chromebook
A Chromebook uses the same print window. Press Ctrl + P, select the down arrow next to Destination, choose Save as PDF (select See more if you don’t see it), then select Save. Google’s Chromebook printer guide describes the same Destination menu for real printers.
Save as PDF on an Android phone or tablet
- Open the page in the Chrome app.
- At the top right, tap More (three dots) > Share.
- Tap Print.
- At the top, where the printer is selected, choose Save as PDF. To change paper size or other settings, tap the down arrow.
- Tap the Print button, then choose where to save the PDF on your device.
Google’s Android printing help has these steps.
iPhone and iPad
On an iPhone or iPad, Chrome prints through Apple’s AirPrint: open the page, tap Share at the top right, then tap Print. Google’s iPhone and iPad printing help covers only printing and does not describe a Save as PDF option in Chrome, so use the options that the Print screen offers you.
What each print setting does
On a computer, the print window shows these settings. Some only appear after you select More settings, and some depend on the destination.
- Pages: All, or Custom to save only some pages. Type ranges such as
1-5, 8, 11-13. - Layout: Portrait or Landscape. Landscape helps with wide tables.
- Paper size: for example Letter or A4.
- Pages per sheet: fits several pages on one PDF page.
- Margins: Default, None, Minimum or Custom.
- Scale: Default or Custom. A custom scale can be from 10 to 200 percent. Lower it if text is cut off at the edge.
- Headers and footers: adds Chrome’s small header and footer lines to each page. Turn it off for a cleaner PDF.
- Background graphics: keeps background colors and images. Turn it on if the PDF is missing colored boxes or shading.
- Selection only: if you highlighted part of the page before opening the print window, saves just that part.
The option names above are the labels in Chrome’s print window. On a work or school computer, an administrator can lock some of them; Chrome then says the settings are enforced by your administrator.
Save a PDF you are already viewing
If the page is already a PDF open in Chrome, you don’t need to print it again. In the Chrome PDF viewer, select Download and choose With your changes or Without your changes. You can also select Save to Drive at the top right to store it in your Google Drive (not available in Incognito or a Guest profile). Both options are described in Google’s Manage PDFs in Chrome help. To mark up the PDF before you save it, see our guide to Chrome’s built-in PDF tools.
If Save as PDF is missing or won’t save
Our short guide on how to print to PDF in Chrome covers the fixes: a missing Save as PDF option, a print window that won’t load, and a printer setting that keeps switching to PDF. If your printouts on paper are the problem, see how to fix Chrome printing problems.