How To Convert MS Word Files To PDF format

All of us are writers and have the need to submit our articles or stories to different publishers. These days with the advent of online submission, the job has become much easier, but the catch is most publishers and agents require that the submissions be made in PDF format.

There are many conversion software available online, but most are for a cost. The free ones usually add their own watermark to the converted document. You can do it for free by doing some work yourself, here is how.

(1) If you have Adobe Acrobat reader, skip to step 2. Else install adobe acrobat reader available free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

(2) Now we need to install a postscript printer. Actually we just need the driver. It does not matter whether the printer is actually connected or not. You can go to start/printer and faxes and then click on Add printer. Follow the steps and choose local printer and then HP color laser jet 8500PS when asked. Make sure that the chosen printer port is File.

(3) That’s it. Now you need to download and install two free programs. Ghostscript and GSview (both available at http://www.ghostscript.com ) Essentially for windows user you have to make sure that you choose to download .exe files. These are gs862w32.exe for Ghostscript and gsv49w32.exe for GSview. The files are also available at http://www.softsea.com )

(4) Now that everything is ready, you can start the conversion process. Open your word document that you want to convert to pdf and give the print command. Select the post script printer, in this case the 8500PS and click OK. A filename box will open. Enter the name of the file without any extension and click OK. Remember where you stored the file. Open the folder and check if the extension is .ps. If not just delete the extension and type ps instead. Ex test.prn to be made test.ps. this file is the post script version of your file.

(5) Now, open GSview and open the saved post script file. Once the file is opened in GSview, click File/Convert. You will see a dialogue box. Choose ‘pdf write’ and the highest resolution. Select OK. A new dialogue box will open asking you to name the file. Name the file but give the extension .pdf (test.pdf)

(6) Your file is now converted and you should be able to see the adobe pdf icon next to the file name. Double clicking on this, will open the file in Adobe acrobat reader.

Congratulations you have converted your word document into a PDF format for free.