You wrote it in Google Docs. The final form needs to be a PDF — for distribution, for signature, for archive. Docs exports to PDF straightforwardly. Doing it cleanly so the result is editable in Flint after takes a couple of small tweaks.
The basic export
File → Download → PDF Document (.pdf). Google generates the PDF and downloads it. Open it in any PDF reader — same layout as the Doc.
This is the right command for most cases. Where it goes wrong: custom fonts that don't embed, margins that look different than expected, missing form fields.
Font embedding
Google Docs uses Google Fonts, which embed cleanly. Custom uploaded fonts may or may not survive — test by opening the exported PDF on another machine. If text appears in a different font, the export didn't embed it. Stick to Google Fonts for guaranteed fidelity.
Editing the exported PDF in Flint
Open Flint, drag the exported PDF in. Text edits work because the PDF has a text layer (born from Docs, not scanned). Click any text to edit. Add signatures via the signer. Merge with other PDFs for a final pack.
Headers, footers, page numbers
Docs' headers, footers, and page numbers export to PDF as separate text elements. Flint can edit them individually. Useful for fixing typos in headers without re-exporting the whole Doc.
FAQ
Will Docs export form fields as interactive PDF fields?
No. Docs exports static documents. For interactive PDF forms, you need a tool that authors form fields specifically (Acrobat or specialised form builders). Flint can edit existing form fields but doesn't create new ones.
Does the exported PDF respect Docs' margins?
Yes — File → Page setup margins translate to PDF margins. Adjust before exporting if you need specific dimensions.
Can I export only certain pages?
Not directly from Docs. Export the full doc, then use Flint to split or delete pages you don't want.
Export from Docs, polish in Flint. Clean workflow.