Save an Excel Workbook (.xlsx) or Google Sheet as a PDF

Written by

Editorial Team

Reviewed by

Laura Tsitlidze

Last updated on August 27, 2023

This tutorial demonstrates how to save an Excel workbook or Google spreadsheet as a PDF.

save as pdf excel

Save Excel File as PDF

Save by Exporting

Say you have the following data in an Excel file (.xlsx) and want to export and save it as a PDF.

save excel as pdf initial data

  1. In the Ribbon, go to File > Export.

save excel as pdf export

  1. Click Create PDF/XPS Document on the left, and click Create PDF/XPS to the right of the Export menu.

save excel as pdf export 2

  1. In the browser window, enter a (1) name and a (2) destination for the file. Then click (3) Publish. By default, the PDF file has the same name and destination as the original Excel file.

save excel as pdf export 3

Finally, a new PDF file is saved from the Excel file. By default, Excel exports the current sheet only.

excel workbook pdf file

Save a Copy

Another option to achieve the same result is to change the file type while saving.

  1. In the Ribbon, go to File > Save a Copy ( or Save as).

save excel as pdf file save

  1. Choose file type PDF (*.pdf) and click Save.

save excel as pdf file save 2

The result is the same as with the previous approach: A new PDF file is saved from the Excel worksheet.

Note: You can also save an Excel file as a PDF using VBA code.

Save Google Sheets File as PDF

Just like an Excel workbook, a Google Sheets file can also be saved as a PDF.

  1. In the Menu, go to File > Download > PDF document (.pdf).

google sheets save as pdf

  1. In the Print window, change Paper size to Letter and Page orientation to Portrait. Then click Export.

google sheets save as pdf 3

A PDF file with the Google Sheets file’s data is now saved with the same name in the Downloads folder.

Other Formats

AI Formula Generator

Try for Free

See all How-To Articles