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How to convert Word doc to PDF without losing formatting OR hyperlinks

Anonymous
2019-10-01T17:43:24+00:00

Hello! I need to convert my .docx document (word for macs) to a PDF that keeps the hyperlinks AND formatting I have created in the .docx file. Everything I have read solves one problem, but not both.

To keep the formatting... I can convert by file/print > save as> pdf >"best for printing" and all of the formatting is correct but I lose all of my hyperlinks.

  • or-

To keep the hyperlinks... I can convert by file/print > save as> pdf >"best for electronic use" and all of the hyperlinks are functional but all of the formatting is lost. 

How do I convert to PDF and not lose the formatting OR the hyperlinks?! I kind of need both... :)

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. John Korchok 231.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2019-10-01T22:46:20+00:00

    It's absurd that users must choose. BTW, the "formatting" problem you generalized about is that the fonts are not retained. Here is a Word for Mac User Voice suggestion that this be changed. Please add your vote to increase the liklihood of Microsoft resolving this: Why can I still not convert documents to PDF, while retaining hyperlinks AND font/formatting??

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  1. Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 435K Reputation points
    2019-10-01T18:08:56+00:00

    Exactly what are you referring to as the formatting that "is lost"... That's become a very broad-sweeping overused term. I'm not seeing anything of that nature when using the Best for Electronic Distribution option. This is just a simple example with the original Word document in the background & the PDF in the foreground - and the hyperlink in the PDF works as it should:

    Additionally, please go to Word> About Microsoft Word in the main menu to determine the present Version of your Office software & include that in your reply.

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-10-01T17:58:26+00:00

    Hi JamieWoodward! I'm Stephen, an Independent Advisor here in the Microsoft Answers Community.

    Try this one, go into page setup in Word, and create a custom paper size (I used the same size specs as A4, and set printable area to 0 in all 4 cases).

    The trick then is to make sure you apply this to each page of the document individually, specifying whether the given page is portrait or landscape orientation.

    Now go to convert by file/print > save as> pdf >"best for electronic use".

    Then the converted PDF should give you 100% printable area and still maintain the formatting of both portrait and landscape in the document.

    Let me know if this helps you. Please feel free to reply to this message. I'm willing to help you with your concern.

    5 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. John Korchok 231.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2019-10-01T22:48:21+00:00

    Hi Bob, If you use a third party font that doesn't come with Office or macOS, you'll see the issue right away. The font gets substituted with something else.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2019-10-03T00:15:25+00:00

    Hi JamieWoodward ,

    Does the solution in this link (from A.User) not work https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/fo...

    Can this workaround work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k2MzL-uYYI details in https://www.hustleandgroove.com/how-to-ensure-h...

    Thanks

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