To print a page to PDF in Chrome on a computer, press Ctrl + P (⌘ + P on a Mac), choose Save as PDF next to Destination, and select Save. That’s all it takes. The rest of this page is for when it doesn’t work: Save as PDF is missing, the print window won’t load, or Chrome keeps picking PDF when you want paper.
The four steps
- Open the page you want as a PDF.
- Press Ctrl + P (Windows, Linux, Chromebook) or ⌘ + P (Mac).
- Next to Destination, choose Save as PDF.
- Select Save, then choose a folder and a name.
For phones, Chromebooks and what every setting in the print window does, see our complete guide to Chrome’s print to PDF.
Save as PDF isn’t in the Destination list
- Look under See more. If it isn’t in the short list, select See more to open the full list of destinations. Google’s Chromebook printing help uses the same See more step to find printers.
- Check whether printing is turned off. On a work or school device, an administrator can turn printing off. Chrome’s Enable printing policy says that when it is off, printing is removed from the three-dot menu, and you can’t print from Chrome at all. If your Chrome is managed by a school or employer, ask its IT team, or read what “managed by your organization” means.
The print window won’t load or the save fails
- Close the print window and try again after the page has finished loading.
- Update Chrome and relaunch it.
- Turn off your extensions to rule them out: select More > Extensions > Manage extensions and switch each one off, as Google’s extension help shows. If printing works, turn them back on one at a time to find the one that breaks it.
- If the save step fails, choose a different folder, such as your Downloads folder.
- On Windows, Mac or Linux, Chrome’s print window may also offer Print using system dialog. It opens your computer’s own print window instead of Chrome’s.
Chrome keeps choosing Save as PDF instead of my printer
Chrome selects the destination you used most recently. Once you save a PDF, Save as PDF stays selected the next time you print. Choose your printer under Destination once and Chrome will remember it again. Chrome’s print destination policy documents this “most recently used printer” rule; on a managed computer, your administrator can make Chrome use the system’s default printer instead.
Where did my PDF go?
Chrome saves the PDF where you chose in the save window. If you don’t remember, check your Downloads folder first, then search your computer for the file name you typed.