Making a PDF on Windows in 2026 takes about ten seconds and uses tools already on the machine. Microsoft Print to PDF covers most cases. For combining images into a PDF or polishing afterward, the browser fills the gap.
From any app: Microsoft Print to PDF
Ctrl+P in any app. In the printer dropdown, choose Microsoft Print to PDF. Click Print. Pick a location. The file lands as a PDF wherever you save it.
Works in Word, Excel, Outlook, Edge, Chrome, any app that prints. Universal answer on Windows for 'turn this into a PDF'.
From Office apps directly
Word, Excel, PowerPoint all have File → Save As → PDF, which gives more fidelity than Print to PDF (better hyperlinks, embedded fonts, metadata). Prefer Save As when available; fall back to Print to PDF when not.
From multiple images
Windows doesn't have a built-in 'combine images to PDF' action. Flint's image-to-PDF converter takes a folder of JPG, PNG, or HEIC and outputs one multi-page PDF. Useful for receipts, scans, screenshots.
Polishing after creation
Made the PDF, now needs cleanup. Merge several PDFs into one. Reorder pages if the order's wrong. Compress if it came out huge. Sign before sending.
FAQ
Why does my created PDF have weird margins?
The source app's print settings determine margins. Open the print dialog, check page setup, adjust as needed. Some apps default to wide margins for paper printing — fine on paper, ugly in PDF. Adjust before saving.
Will fonts embed?
Save As PDF in Office apps usually embeds fonts properly. Microsoft Print to PDF varies by source app. If font embedding matters (designed documents, branded materials), test the result on another machine.
Can I make a fillable form PDF on Windows?
Creating interactive forms with declared fields needs specialised tools — Acrobat, or open-source options like LibreOffice (which exports form fields). For 'forms' that are just text overlays, Flint and Word are enough.
Made a PDF, now polish it. Open Flint — edit, merge, compress, sign.