The quick way: a browser tool
The simplest method works the same on every device. Open the Text to PDF tool, paste your text, choose a font, size, page size and margins, and press Save as PDF. Your browser opens its print window; choose Save as PDF as the destination and confirm.
Because the page prepares the PDF through the browser’s own print function, three good things follow:
- Nothing is uploaded. The text stays on your device from start to finish.
- Every language works. The PDF uses the fonts already installed on your phone or computer, so Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Thai, Arabic and Cyrillic text prints correctly.
- No watermark, no account, no limit. There is nothing to pay for because nothing runs on a server.
If you received the text on another device first, you can bring it across with the online clipboard, then convert it where you need it. The guide on sending text from a phone to a PC explains that step.
On Windows without any website
Windows 10 and 11 include a printer called Microsoft Print to PDF. Open your text in Notepad, press Ctrl + P, pick that printer and press Print. Windows asks where to save the file. The result is plain: Notepad prints in one font and does not let you set margins in a friendly way, so for anything you will send to someone else a tool with font and margin choices gives a better-looking document.
If you use Word or Google Docs, paste the text there, tidy it up and use File, Save as, PDF in Word, or File, Download, PDF document in Google Docs. That is the best route when you also want to add a heading, a logo or a table of your own.
On a Mac
Open the text in TextEdit (or paste it into any app), press Command + P, and use the PDF drop-down at the bottom left of the print window, then choose Save as PDF. In Safari you can also use File, Export as PDF for a web page. The browser tool above works in Safari, Chrome and Firefox on a Mac in the same way.
On an iPhone or iPad
iOS has no “Save as PDF” button for plain text, but it has a trick that works in almost every app:
- Open the print options (the share button, then Print).
- In the print preview, spread two fingers over the small page thumbnail. It opens as a full-size PDF.
- Tap the share button and choose Save to Files (or send it by mail or message).
Using the browser tool in Safari follows the same steps after you press Save as PDF.
On Android
In Chrome, press the button on the tool page, then in the print window choose Save as PDF as the destination and tap the PDF button. Other apps have Share, Print, Save as PDF in their menus. The file lands in your Downloads folder unless you choose another place.
Choosing the right settings
- Font: a serif font suits letters and long reading, sans-serif suits notes and lists, monospace keeps columns of text and code aligned.
- Size: 11 or 12 pt is standard. Use 10 pt to fit more on a page, or 14 to 16 pt for easy reading.
- Margins: normal margins (about 2.5 cm or 1 inch) look professional. Narrow margins fit more text, and wide margins leave room for handwritten notes.
- Page size: A4 or US Letter, depending on where the file will be printed.
PDF, Word or plain text?
Choose PDF when the text must look the same everywhere and should not be edited by accident. Choose Word when someone needs to edit it; the guide to converting text to Word shows how. Keep a plain .txt file when you only need the words, for instance to paste into another app. If your text uses Markdown symbols for headings and lists, see how to convert Markdown to PDF so the formatting is kept.
Privacy and safety
If the text is private, check where the converter runs before pasting. A tool that processes text in your browser, such as the one linked above, never sends it away. Tools that “upload your file” work on someone else’s server and may keep a copy. For contracts, medical or financial notes, always prefer a converter that runs locally, and remember that the PDF you save is an ordinary file on your device that you should delete when you no longer need it.