Sending a document as a PDF: a practical checklist
Whether it is a request to an office, a job application or a signed form, a PDF is the format most people ask for. These steps help you send one that opens correctly and is as small as it can be.
Convert and check
- Finish the document in Word and read it once more.
- Convert it with the DOCX to PDF tool, or use Save as PDF in Word if table lines and exact layout matter.
- Open the PDF and check the page count, search for a word with diacritics (Ctrl+F) and look at images and tables.
Put the pieces together
- Annexes: add the main document first, then the annexes in the order the recipient expects. Merge PDF joins files in the order listed.
- Only part of a long PDF is needed: Split PDF extracts the pages you choose.
- Photos of documents: Image to PDF makes one page per photo. Photograph pages flat and in good light.
Name and size
- Use a clear file name, such as surname_request_2026.pdf.
- Check the size limit of the recipient or the portal. Large PDFs are usually large because of photos inside them.
- ReshapePDF does not create PDF/A, which some institutions require. Check the requirements before you send.
Check that a converter does not upload your file
For sensitive documents, check where they go. Open your browser's developer tools (F12), choose the Network tab and convert a file. On ReshapePDF you will see no request that carries your file, because the work happens in your browser. You can run the same check on any other converter.
Try the tools
DOCX to PDFTurn a Word document into a PDF without uploading it anywhere. The conversion runs inside your browser.Merge PDFJoin several PDFs into a single document. Nothing is uploaded.Image to PDFCombine pictures in different formats into a single PDF.Split PDFKeep only the pages you need from a PDF. Your file stays on your device.