PDF file conversion from Excel

Question

I cannot save my excel worksheets to a PDF file. I am logged into my Microsoft account and subscribed to Adobe Acrobat. This is the third time in the past few weeks that I have had to contact support in order for my PDF file conversions to work.

Answer 1

Try Excel’s built-in PDF export instead of relying on the Adobe add-in.

1. In Excel, open the workbook.
2. Select File > Save As or Save a copy.
3. In Save as type, select PDF (*.pdf).
4. If needed, choose:
   • Standard (publishing online and printing) for higher print quality
   • Minimum size (publishing online) for a smaller file
5. Select Options if specific pages or output settings are needed, then select OK.
6. Select Save.

Important checks:

• Excel can save directly to PDF without any other software or add-ins.
• If the workbook contains internal spreadsheet links, those links are lost during PDF conversion and should be verified afterward.
• Saving to another format such as PDF can cause some formatting, data, or features not to be preserved.

If the failure happens specifically when using the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker add-in, there is a documented issue where Excel can crash after creating the PDF when the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Addin and the Master Data Services (MDS) Add-in for Microsoft Excel are both installed. That issue is resolved by the SQL Server cumulative updates listed in the Microsoft article.

If the PDF itself needs edits after export, make the changes in the original Office file and then save to PDF again.

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• Save or convert to PDF or XPS in Office Desktop apps
• Save a workbook in another file format
• KB4022895 - FIX: Excel crashes when you save a workbook as a PDF file by using the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker add-in if the MDS add-in for Excel in SQL Server is also installed
• Edit or make changes to a PDF file

Answer 2

Yes, this solved my problem.