How to save an online article as a PDF? Step by Step Tutorial
The internet is full of fascinating and useful information, and there may be times when you want to save what you’ve found — whether you’re doing research for a school project, for your business venture, or for your own personal knowledge.
While nothing ever gets deleted forever from the internet, it can change over time. If you’re afraid this information might be hard to find again or that it will be altered, then you might be wondering how to save an article as a PDF.
Not only does taking this step make the article easy to find when you need it again, but it also means that you can access it from any device, whether you’re online or offline, and it can also be printed so that you can mark it up. Being able to convert a webpage to PDF is simple and easy, no matter what browser you use.
Here are the steps to turn any online article into a PDF.
How to Save an Online Article as a PDF Using Google Chrome
If you use Chrome as your main browser, these are the steps you’ll want to take to save online articles as PDFs.
Step 1: Open the webpage
The first thing you’ll need to do is go to the webpage you want to save as a PDF.
Step 2: Click on the three dots
These can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the page. They are on the same line as the address bar, right next to your profile picture, if you have one. If not, then you’ll see the outline of a person in a gray bubble.
Step 3: Click on “Print”
After you have clicked on the three vertical dots, this will open a dropdown menu where you will see a list of options to choose from. Look for the “Print” option, which is about halfway down the list. Click on this.
Step 4: Change the print destination
Once you have clicked on “Print,” it will open up a dialogue box that will show you all of your print options. The first one on the list should say “Destination,” and there will be a box with a down arrow.
Click on the down arrow and find the option that says, “Save as PDF.”
Step 5: Click “Save”
After you have changed the destination to “Save as PDF,” on the bottom of the dialogue box, you will see two buttons, one says “Save” and the other says “Cancel.” You want to click on the save.
Step 6: Choose the save destination and name your file
Clicking the save button will open another dialogue box that will show you the various places you can save your PDF. Choose the location, whether on your desktop or a special folder you created, and then choose a name for your file. After you have completed those tasks, you’ll then click save.
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How to Save an Article as a PDF Using a Google Chrome Extension
When asking how to save an article as a PDF, the steps listed above are the simplest and easiest way to achieve your goals. However, if you find that you need to create specific PDFs or need to customize the document before you save it, then you’ll probably want to add an extension to your Chrome toolbar.
You have several different options when it comes to deciding which webpage-to-PDF Chrome extension to use. Deciding which one to use will depend on exactly what you want to be able to accomplish with the PDF, and whether or not you want to pay to use the tool.
A webpage-to-PDF Chrome extension takes the conversion process to a different level and allows you to do more with the final file, which can be incredibly beneficial when asking how to save an online article as a PDF and how to change it for a variety of purposes. Again, whether you need the information for a school project, business endeavors, or personal use, you have total control of how your final product looks.
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How to Save an Article as a PDF Using Mozilla Firefox
If you use Firefox as your browser of choice, you can still convert a webpage to PDF. These are the steps you’ll follow when asking how to save an article as a PDF on Firefox:
Step 1: Open the page
The first thing you’ll need to do is open the exact page you want to convert into a PDF.
Step 2: Click the three lines
There are three horizontal lines that are located in the far-right corner on the same line as the address bar at the top of the page. Click on these to open up a dropdown menu.
Step 3: Choose “Print”
From the dropdown menu, you’ll want to choose the “Print” option. This can be found about one-third of the way up from the bottom of the list.
Step 4: Select “Microsoft Print to PDF”
After you have clicked on the print option, it will open up another window that shows the page in the Print Preview form. In the menu bar on the top at the far left is a “Print” button. You’ll need to click that, which will then open up a dialogue box that lists that various printer options.
Look for the “Microsoft Print to PDF” choice and highlight that. Then, click the “Print” button at the bottom of the dialogue box.
Step 5: Choose destination and file name
Clicking on the “Print” button will open up another dialogue box that will allow you to save the PDF to any destination folder of your choosing. You’ll also have to name the file so that you can find it when you need to access it later.
After deciding on the destination and file name, you’ll then click “Save.”
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How to Save an Online Article as a PDF Using Microsoft Edge
For users of Microsoft Edge who want to convert a webpage to PDF, these are the steps you’ll need to follow:
Step 1: Open the article
When asking how to save an article as a PDF, the first thing you need to do is open the webpage in your browser.
Step 2: Click the three dots
Once you have the article open, you will go to the upper right-hand corner, on the same line as the web address, and find the three dots. Click on those.
Step 3: Choose “Print”
Clicking on the three dots will open a dropdown menu, and you’ll want to choose “Print” from the list. It can be found a little over half-way from the top.
Step 4: Select “Microsoft Print to PDF”
After clicking on the print option, it will open the online article in a Print Preview window. In the left-hand corner on the menu bar, you will see a button that says, “Print.” Click on this; it will open a dialogue box.
Within the dialogue box, there should be a list of different printer options. Look for the one that says “Microsoft Print to PDF” and highlight that. You’ll then want to click the “Print” button at the bottom of the box.
Step 5: Name your file and choose a destination
Once you have clicked on the “Print” option, it will open up another dialogue box that will allow you to name the file and choose a destination folder. You can add it to your desktop or any other location that will make accessing it easy and convenient.
You’ll then click the “Save” button, and your PDF will be saved in the folder you specified.
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Accessing Your Converted PDF Article
Once you have completed the steps for how to save an article as a PDF, to access the article you converted to a PDF, find the folder you saved it to on your computer. Double click on the folder to open it, and then look for the PDF. You’ll then double click on the file, which should open the PDF and allow you to read the document whether you are connected to the internet or not.
Depending on the PDF reader you are using, you may even be able to add notes or highlight sections within the article. This will make it quick and easy to find the information you need within the text.
The Right Options to Save a Webpage as PDF Using Chrome on Android
The steps listed above for how to save an article as a PDF are helpful if you are browsing articles on a desktop or laptop computer. However, you may not always be on one of those devices when you come across an article that you want to save. Instead, you might be on your phone.
Luckily, there is a way to convert a webpage to PDF when you’re using your mobile phone. However, you have to make sure you have the proper options. To determine this, these are the steps you’ll need to take:
Step 1: Make sure you have the Print option
To ensure that you have the ability to save a webpage as PDF Chrome Android, you have to have the Print option available in your Share menu.
To check this, you’ll want to open Chrome on your phone. At this point, you can go to any webpage, but you might choose to go to the page you want to save as a PDF.
In the top right-hand corner, you’ll see three vertical dots. Touch these to access a dropdown menu. Look for the “Share” option, and touch that. This will open another menu on the bottom of your phone. There, you will see different ways to share the article.
If you have the Print option, you should see the icon of a printer, and you can go to Step 1 on How to Save a Webpage as PDF Chrome Android. If you don’t have this option, continue on to Step 2.
Step 2: Reset Chrome app flags
Should you find that you don’t have a printer icon on your phone, you’ll need to open a new Chrome tab on your phone and go to chrome://flags. Once you are on that page, touch the “Reset all to default” button on that page.
This should then add the print option to your phone.
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How to Save a Webpage as PDF Chrome Android
After making sure you have the print option on your phone, here are the steps to save a webpage as PDF Chrome Android.
Step 1: Open Chrome
On your Android, if you aren’t already in Chrome, you’ll need to go there. You’ll then open the webpage that you want to save.
Step 2: Open the menu and choose “Share”
Touch the three buttons in the upper right-hand corner to open the dropdown menu. Choose the “Share” option, which can be found about half-way down the list.
Step 3: Choose the Printer
After touching the “Share” option, this will open a menu on the bottom of your phone. Look for the printer icon, and then click on it. This will open the document in another window that will give you a Print Preview.
Step 4: Tap “Save as PDF”
At the top of the Print Preview screen, there will be an arrow that you’ll need to click. Under the options, you should be able to touch “Save as PDF.” Do this to save the webpage as PDF Chrome Android.
Step 5: Save to your phone
To ensure the document is saved to your phone, a blue circle with a downward pointing arrow and “PDF” will appear on your phone. Touch this to download the article onto your device.
You should then be able to find the converted article in the Downloads folder on your phone.
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Making it Easy to Access Information
The internet has made it possible to find a wealth of information, and you may discover that you want to keep certain articles for future reference. While it’s possible to bookmark the page or send the URL to yourself, you may not be able to access the information when you need it. This could be because you don’t have an internet connection or because the site was taken down.
When you convert a webpage to PDF, you’ll be able to keep the file for as long as possible. You even have the option of printing the information or making notes on the file. No matter which browser you use, it’s possible to convert online articles to a PDF.
If you are wondering how to save an article as a PDF, the steps are fairly simple and include:
- Go to the page you wish to convert
- Choose the print option from the dropdown menu
- Print to PDF
- Choose a file name and destination folder
You can even achieve PDF conversion using Chrome on your Android phone using the same steps. You can’t choose the destination folder, but you’ll always be able to find your PDFs in your Download folder.
There is so much information available online, and now you can save the most important articles to your personal PDF library.
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