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Microsoft Word QUICK TIPS

Video: The Fastest Way to PDF a Word Document

By Deborah Savadra

Converting a Word document to PDF is an essential Word skill, especially if you’re dealing with courts that require e-filing. Make that frequent task a one-click operation by adding Publish as PDF to your Quick Access Toolbar.

Customize Your Toolbar to Quickly PDF a Word Document

Re-saving a Word document to PDF usually involves several steps

Clicking on the File tab, choosing Save As, selecting the PDF file type, etc. Adding the Publish as PDF command to the Quick Access Toolbar condenses these multiple steps into a single click.

The Quick Access Toolbar by default sits above the Ribbon in Microsoft Word and in other Microsoft Office applications. In versions 2010 and above, you can add and rearrange commands on this handy toolbar by clicking the downward-facing arrow on the end.

The Publish as PDF command isn’t in the short list available here, so click “More Commands” to access the full list. That’ll take you to the Word Options dialog box. Here, under Choose commands from, choose either All Commands or File tab. Either of those lists will contain the Publish as PDF command.

To add Publish as PDF to your Quick Access Toolbar

Click the Add button in the middle. You can re-order commands on the Quick Access Toolbar using these up-and-down arrows on the right. Click OK to save your changes.

From here on out, all you have to do to save your current document as a PDF is click this button. Word automatically invokes File > Save As and chooses the PDF file type for you.

If your court requires your documents to be PDF/A compliant

Click Options in the Publish as PDF dialog box and check that box. Click Publish to save your document as a PDF.

By the way, this doesn’t just work in Word. You can add Publish as PDF to the Quick Access Toolbar in any Microsoft Office application except Outlook. So take a moment to customize the Quick Access Toolbar and make this daily task just a little bit easier.

Click here to read Deborah’s Microsoft Office tips.

Illustration ©iStockPhoto.com

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Categories: Lawyer Productivity, Lawyer Tech Tips, Legal Technology, Videos
Originally published June 12, 2022
Last updated July 11, 2023
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Deborah Savadra Deborah Savadra

Deborah Savadra spends a lot of her time explaining technology to lawyers, mostly as editor and chief blogger at Legal Office Guru, which features Microsoft Office video tutorials and other content especially for legal professionals. Watch her quick tips videos here, and follow her on Twitter @legalofficeguru.

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