Person interacting with the HP Envy 6055e home printer
Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek
To print to PDF on Windows 10, click the print button, press Ctrl+P, or go to File > Print. Then, select "Microsoft Print to PDF" when prompted to choose a printer.

On Windows 10, you can print a document to PDF from any application, thanks to the built-in Print to PDF feature. You no longer have to use the old XPS Printer or install a third-party application.

How to Use Microsoft Print to PDF

To get started, open the document you want to print to a PDF file. Find and open the Print dialog box in the application. Where this is located will vary by program, but you can usually go to File > Print, or just click a printer icon.

When the “Print” window opens, click “Microsoft Print to PDF” in the “Select Printer” section. Then, click “Print” at the bottom of the window.

When the “Save Print Output As” window appears, type a file name, and then select the location in which you want to save the file (such as Documents or Desktop). When you’re done, click “Save.”

The "Save Print Output As" window.

The printed document will be saved as a PDF file in the location you chose. If you double-click the file you just created, you should see it the way it would appear if you printed a hard copy.

A PDF document printed to PDF.

From there, you can copy your file, back it up, or save it for later reference.

Profile Photo for Benj Edwards Benj Edwards
Benj Edwards is a former Associate Editor for How-To Geek. Now, he is an AI and Machine Learning Reporter for Ars Technica. For over 15 years, he has written about technology and tech history for sites such as The Atlantic, Fast Company, PCMag, PCWorld, Macworld, Ars Technica, and Wired. In 2005, he created Vintage Computing and Gaming, a blog devoted to tech history. He also created The Culture of Tech podcast and regularly contributes to the Retronauts retrogaming podcast.
Read Full Bio »
Profile Photo for Nick Lewis Nick Lewis
Nick Lewis is a staff writer for How-To Geek. He has been using computers for 20 years --- tinkering with everything from the UI to the Windows registry to device firmware. Before How-To Geek, he used Python and C++ as a freelance programmer. In college, Nick made extensive use of Fortran while pursuing a physics degree.
Read Full Bio »