How to Save Excel as PDF for Better Presentations

How to save Excel as PDF?

It’s a question that arises when professionals need to share polished, professional-looking spreadsheets. Excel files are excellent for editing and analysis, but PDFs provide a universal format that’s easy to view and print. Converting Excel to PDF keeps your data intact, regardless of the device or software used to open it.

PDF is one of the most widely used file formats globally. Over 80% of businesses rely on PDFs for official documentation. Sharing Excel files as PDFs helps prevent formatting issues and unauthorized edits. Whether it’s financial reports, project summaries, or client presentations, saving Excel as a PDF enhances communication and professionalism.

With Excel, you can convert files in minutes without needing additional software. This feature isn’t just about convenience; it’s about delivering information clearly and securely. Imagine sending an invoice or proposal, knowing it will appear exactly as you intended.

Learning to save Excel as a PDF can make a big difference if you’ve struggled with formatting inconsistencies. This change can streamline workflows and improve the way you share data.

Ready to learn how it’s done? Let’s transform your Excel files effortlessly into professional PDFs.

Table of Contents:

1. How to Save an Excel Workbook as a PDF?
2. Why Do You Need to Save Excel as PDF?
3. Who Converts Excel Workbooks to PDF?
4. How to Save Multiple Excel Sheets as One PDF?
5. How to Convert Excel to PDF with Adobe Acrobat PDF Maker?
6. How to Analyze Data to Create PDF file from Excel?
7. Wrap Up

First…

How to Save an Excel Workbook as a PDF?

Do you need to turn your Excel file into a polished, shareable PDF? It’s easier than you think! Let me walk you through the process step by step:

1. Open the file menu: Click the “File” tab in your Excel workbook.

2. Choose the save as option: Select “Save As” from the menu to explore your saving preferences.

3. Select PDF format: In the file format dropdown, look for “PDF.” Once you spot it, click it.

4. Save your document: Pick a location to save your file, and hit the “Save” button.

5. Your PDF is ready: Check out your newly converted PDF—it’s ready to share or print.

Why Do You Need to Save Excel as PDF?

Saving an Excel file as a PDF provides consistent formatting, easy sharing, and a professional look. PDFs reduce file size, protect against edits, and are universally accessible. This makes them ideal for secure, polished, and portable document sharing.

Why save your Excel file as a PDF?

• Preserves formatting and layout: PDFs keep your fonts, colors, and structure exactly how you designed them.
• Ease of sharing: PDFs are easy to share and compatible across all devices and software.
• Smaller file size: Converting Excel to PDF reduces file size and makes it easier to send and upload.
• Professional presentation: PDF gives your file a clean, polished look—ideal for reports or data presentations.
• Enhanced security: You can protect your PDFs from unauthorized changes with a password.

Who Converts Excel Workbooks to PDF?

Most people convert Excel workbooks to PDFs for polished reports, organized data sharing, or efficient automation. PDFs are a go-to solution for many:

• Business professionals and consultants: CEOs to freelancers use PDFs for creating polished, shareable reports, proposals, and client-ready documents
• Data analysts and number crunchers: Analysts turn data-heavy spreadsheets into PDFs to present results in an organized, fixed layout. This format is perfect for sharing insights without risking accidental changes.
• Administrative assistants, educators, and students: Admins use PDFs for clean schedules and forms. Teachers and students share assignments or projects in an easily readable format.
• Automated systems and tech solutions: Many rely on tools or systems to handle PDF conversions in bulk. This saves time, reduces errors, and ensures files are consistently formatted.

How to Save Multiple Excel Sheets as One PDF?

Want to save multiple Excel sheets as one PDF? It’s simple. Instead of saving each sheet separately, you can merge them into a single PDF file.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Select the sheets: Click on the tabs of the sheets you want to include. Hold down the Ctrl key to select multiple sheets.
2. Go to “File” > “Save As”: Click on the “File” tab in the upper left corner, then choose “Save As”.
3. Select PDF format: In the Save As dialog, select PDF from the dropdown list of file types.
4. Choose “Entire Workbook”: Under the “Options” section, select “Entire Workbook“. This ensures that all the selected sheets are included in the PDF.
5. Save: Hit Save, and your Excel sheets will be saved as one PDF!

How to Convert Excel to PDF with Adobe Acrobat PDF Maker?

Do you need a reliable way to convert your Excel file to PDF? Adobe Acrobat’s PDF Maker is a great tool that makes this process easy and efficient. Here’s how to do it step by step:

1. Install Adobe Acrobat: If you haven’t already, ensure you have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer. You’ll need this for the PDF Maker tool.
2. Open Excel: Open the Excel file you want to convert to PDF.
3. Access PDF Maker: Once your Excel file is open, you’ll find the Adobe PDF tab at the top. Click on it to open the PDF Maker options.
4. Choose “Create PDF”: In the PDF Maker menu, click on Create PDF. This will trigger the conversion process.
5. Select PDF settings: Before saving, you can adjust settings like page size or layout if needed, choosing options that fit your needs.
6. Save as PDF: Select where you want to save the PDF, give it a name, and click Save. Your Excel file is now a PDF.

How to Analyze Data to Create PDF file from Excel?

Analyzing and interpreting data in Excel is like searching for treasure without a map—it’s powerful but not always clear. Excel handles data crunching well but stumbles on stunning visuals.

That’s where ChartExpo steps in. It transforms raw data into eye-catching charts, making your insights pop. Pair it with creating PDFs, and you’ve got a winning combo for effortlessly sharing polished reports.

Here are the top 5 types of charts and graphs created using ChartExpo, showcasing its versatility and ability to visualize data effectively.

Progress Chart

Multi Axis Line Chart

Clustered Stacked Bar Chart

Likert Scale Chart

Sankey Chart

Let’s learn how to install ChartExpo in Excel.

1. Open your Excel application.
2. Open the worksheet and click the “Insert” menu.
3. You’ll see the “My Apps” option.
4. In the Office Add-ins window, click “Store” and search for ChartExpo on my Apps Store.
5. Click the “Add” button to install ChartExpo in your Excel.

ChartExpo charts are available both in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Please use the following CTAs to install the tool of your choice and create beautiful visualizations with a few clicks in your favorite tool.

Example

Let’s use the sample data below to show you how to create and analyze PDF files from Excel using ChartExpo.

Source (Level 1)	Category (Level 2)	Subcategory (Level 3)	Detail (Level 4)	Amount ($)
Total Budget	Venue	Rental Fees	Main Hall	5000
Total Budget	Venue	Rental Fees	Audio-Visual Equipment	2000
Total Budget	Venue	Decoration	Flowers and Lighting	1500
Total Budget	Catering	Food	Appetizers	2500
Total Budget	Catering	Food	Main Course	3500
Total Budget	Catering	Beverages	Soft Drinks and Water	1200
Total Budget	Catering	Beverages	Alcoholic Drinks	2000
Total Budget	Entertainment	Performers	Live Band	4000
Total Budget	Entertainment	Miscellaneous	DJ	1000
Total Budget	Marketing	Advertising	Social Media	1500
Total Budget	Marketing	Printing	Flyers and Banners	500

• To get started with ChartExpo, install ChartExpo in Excel.
• Now Click on My Apps from the INSERT menu.

• Choose ChartExpo from My Apps, then click Insert.

• Once it loads, choose the “Sankey Chart” from the charts list.

• Click the “Create Chart From Selection” button after selecting the data from the sheet, as shown.

• ChartExpo will generate the visualization below for you.

• If you want to have the chart’s title, click Edit Chart, as shown in the above image.
• Click the pencil icon next to the Chart Header to change the title.
• It will open the properties dialog. Under the Text section, you can add a heading in Line 1 and enable Show.
• Give the appropriate title of your chart and click the Apply button.

• You can disable the percentage value as follows:

• You can add the dollar sign with all values as follows:

• You can hide the Parentheses as follows:

• Let’s give colors to the nodes. Click the pencil icon at the top of the nodes and go to “Node“. Select the color and click the “Apply” button to save all changes.

• You can disable the Footer label as follows:

• Click the “Save Changes” button to persist the changes.

• Your final chart will appear as below.

Insights

• Venue & Entertainment: $7,000 allocated for rental fees and performers
• Catering: $9,200 for food and beverage services
• Marketing: $2,000, reflecting a smaller focus on promotional activities compared to logistics

Optimize Document Formatting in Save Excel as PDF with Visuals:

1. Open your Excel Application.
2. Install ChartExpo Add-in for Excel from Microsoft AppSource to create interactive visualizations.
3. Select Sankey Chart from the list of charts.
4. Select your data.
5. Click on the “Create Chart from Selection” button.
6. Customize your chart properties to add header, axis, legends, and other required information.

The following video will help you create a Sankey Chart in Microsoft Excel.

FAQs

How do you save an Excel sheet on a PDF page?

To save an Excel sheet as a one-page PDF, go to File> Print. In the print settings, select Fit Sheet on One Page under scaling options. Then, choose Save as PDF and save your file.

What is the shortcut key to convert Excel to PDF?

The shortcut key to convert an Excel file to PDF is:

• Press Alt + F to open the File
• Press E to select Export.
• Press Enter to choose Create PDF/XPS Document.

How do you convert Excel sheets into separate PDF files?

To convert Excel sheets into separate PDF files:

• Open your workbook.
• Go to File > Save As or Export.
• Choose PDF as the format.
• Select “Active Sheet(s)” and save each sheet individually.

Wrap Up

Saving an Excel file as a PDF is straightforward. First, open the Excel file you want to convert. Then, click on File in the top-left corner. Next, choose Save As from the menu options.

Once you select Save As you will be prompted to choose a location. Pick where you want to save the PDF file. In the Save as type dropdown, select PDF. This ensures your file is saved in the right format.

Choose the appropriate option if you want to save only part of your workbook. You can select just the current sheet or the entire workbook. Make sure to adjust the settings to fit your needs.

For a more customized output, click on Options. This allows you to select specific pages, scaling options, and more. Adjust these settings to get the PDF layout you want.

You can also select Fit to One Page if you want the entire sheet to appear on one PDF page. This is useful for fitting large spreadsheets into a smaller, readable format.

Once satisfied, click Save, and your Excel file will be saved as a PDF in your chosen location.

It’s that simple!