Everyone eventually comes across a webpage they need to save for offline research or sharing with others. You could just copy and paste the link, but sometimes it’s nice to have the page as an image you can view offline, mark up, or print. The most flexible solution is to create a PDF file you can view or send anywhere.
Let’s examine the most popular browsers and see how they save webpages as PDFs using step-by-step instructions. For more conversion options, however, we can also help you convert them to JPG, convert to EPUB, and convert to .docx.
Note: These instructions are accurate to the latest version of the respective browsers at the time of publication. Older versions may have slightly different methods, but should be broadly similar.
Desktop browsers
For most browsers, the Print function is the fastest and most effective way to save a webpage to PDF. We know choosing Save Page As… would be the logical choice, but that option is for saving pages in a web format, not as a contained file, like a PDF. The Print option is the tool you need.
Chrome
Step 1: Click the three-dot icon in the top right corner and choose Print… in the drop-down menu. Alternatively, press Ctrl + P.
Step 2: In the resulting pop-up window, click the down arrow to the right of Destination and select Save as PDF in the drop-down menu. You’ll see a preview generated in the left pane, as shown above.
Step 3: Click More Settings to change the paper size, scaling, and so on if needed.
Step 4: Once you make the necessary changes, click the Save button and select a destination on your PC. Click a second Save button to complete.
Microsoft Edge
This method applies to both the original version and the newer browser based on Chromium. You’ll use the same steps in both, though the appearances slightly differ. Below are screenshots pulled from the original version that currently still ships with Windows 10.
Step 1: Click the three-dot icon in the top right corner and choose Print in the drop-down menu. Alternatively, press Ctrl + P.
Step 2: In the following pop-up window, click the down arrow displayed under Printer and select the Microsoft Print to PDF option listed on the drop-down menu, as shown above.
Step 3: Go through any other options you may want to change, including margins and scale. You can narrow down the pages using the Pages tab. If you want to print the PDF after you are done saving it, there are several ways to do that as well.
Step 4: Once you make the necessary changes, click the Print button and select a destination on your PC. Click a second Save button to complete.
Note: Microsoft Edge has a Windows 10-themed sidebar that pops open when you choose to print. Older browsers, like Internet Explorer, will use a more traditional printer window. The options and steps should remain the same despite the “classic” appearance.
Safari
There are actually two ways to save a webpage as a PDF file:
Step 1: With Safari active, click File on the menu bar and choose the Export as PDF… option on the drop-down menu.
Step 2: On the following pop-up window, enter a filename, select a destination, and click the Save button. That’s it!
If you want a little more control over the PDF’s information, Safari provides a longer method:
Step 1: With Safari active, click File on the menu bar and choose the Print… option on the drop-down menu. Alternatively, press Command + P to open the printer window.
Step 2: On the following pop-up, click the down arrow located in the bottom left corner, as shown above. Select Save as PDF on the resulting drop-down menu.
Step 3: Another pop-up appears. Here you can enter a file name, title, subject, author, subject, keyboards, and set security options. When you’re done, select a destination and click the Save button.
If you want to edit the PDF further, we suggest taking a look at some of the best free PDF editors.
Firefox
Out of the four popular desktop browsers, Firefox is the only one that doesn’t include a built-in PDF printer. Instead, it relies on the Microsoft Print to PDF function in Windows 10.
Step 1: Click the “hamburger” icon located in the top right corner and select Print… in the drop-down menu.
Step 2: In the following window, click the Print button in the top left corner. As a quicker alternative, you can simply type Ctrl + P to open the print menu.
Step 3: Select Microsoft Print to PDF from the printer options and click the Print button when ready.
Step 4: Choose a name and save location and then click the Save button.
Alternatively, several extensions can give Firefox the ability to save to a PDF. Both PDF Mage and PDFmyURL are popular, well-liked options.
Extensions and web tools
Do you want more options for creating specific kinds of PDFs? Do you need to customize PDFs before they’re created? There are many online extensions and web-based tools that specialize in converting HTML to PDFs, with plenty of options for how the PDF looks and where it goes. These options are particularly useful for developers and businesses that need to convert multiple pages at once.
Paperplane: Paperplane is a developer-friendly conversion tool with a variety of options. For quick users, you can just drop in a link, specify the type of web content, and choose a page size and orientation to quickly create a PDF. Businesses may want to pay for a package that includes more options for in-depth PDF management (free trials available). Developers can also set up an API key with Paperplane code to include the tool wherever they need it!
PDFShift: PDFShift is a quick online tool designed for speed. For long-term use, all you need is a free account, or you can jump in and convert a link for free whenever you want. This adds a few extra options for casual users, but the real value is in the full set of tools that allow for mass conversions of HTML at high speeds for serious projects.
NovaPDF: NovaPDF provides business-friendly licenses for its PDF creator and manager. You can simply print to NovaPDF to automatically generate a PDF, and customize the “printing” job with NovaPDF’s option for appearance, watermarks, author, viewer application optimization, and more. It’s a good tool for more detailed work.
Adobe Acrobat: If you pay for a subscription to Adobe services (or you’re willing to start a free trial), there is an additional option. Adobe allows you to install a PDF toolbar in your browser. This creates a simple Convert button that allows for super-fast conversions on the fly. The toolbar works on Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox, and could be more convenient if you regularly use Adobe tools.
Mobile browsers
Safari for iOS/iPadOS
Apple now crams this ability into the iOS screenshot function, but it only works in Safari.
Step 1: Open the webpage in Safari and grab a screenshot. This method depends on your device.
Step 2: A thumbnail appears in the screen’s bottom-left corner. Tap it.
Step 3: On the following screen, tap the Full Page tab and perform any markups you want to include. Tap Done when you’re finished.
Step 4: Tap Save PDF to Files on the resulting popover. Select a destination on your device and tap Save to complete.
Chrome for Android
Step 1: Tap the three-dot icon located in the top right corner and tap Share… in the drop-down menu.
Step 2: A popup window appears on the screen. Tap the Print icon.
Step 3: Tap the down arrow next to Select a Printer and choose the Save as PDF option on the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Tap the orange PDF button, select a destination, and then tap Done.
We also suggest downloading the simple Convert Web to PDF app, which gives you a quick convert option with several basic editing options. You can choose to convert only the text or only the background if you want. You can also define a table of contents or quality levels if necessary.
There’s also an instant share option right after conversion if you want to quickly send the file. However, you must copy the URL, open the app, and paste it in, which is time-consuming compared to our other options.
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