How to convert a text file (.txt) to PDF, free and private

A plain text file is the most portable document there is, until you need to send it to someone who expects a PDF. A form wants an attachment, a client wants something that looks the same on every screen, or you simply want a file that prints predictably.

Converting text to PDF should take seconds. Most "free converter" sites ask you to upload the file first, then wait, then download the result. For a shopping list that is harmless. For meeting notes, a draft contract or anything with names in it, sending the text to an unknown server is a poor trade for a formatting change.

Here are two ways to do it without uploading anything: an online notepad that saves the PDF on your own device, and the print-to-PDF feature already built into your computer or phone.

Convert a .txt file to PDF in your browser

The NoteDraft notepad turns text into a PDF inside your browser tab. The text never leaves your device, there is no watermark and no account.

1. Add your text Open notedraft.com and paste or type your text. To convert a file, drag the .txt onto the page: it opens as a new note.
2. Tidy it up if you like The first line becomes the title. Add headings, bold or a checklist if the PDF should look like more than plain text.
3. Save it as a PDF Press Download at the top and choose PDF. In the print dialog, set the destination to Save as PDF, pick the paper size, and save.

The result is a real PDF with selectable text, not a picture of your text, so the person you send it to can search it and copy from it. It works for every language and script, because your browser does the typesetting.

Convert text to PDF with tools you already have

Every major operating system can "print" to a PDF file instead of paper. It is less configurable, but it is built in and works offline.

Windows: Notepad to PDF

1. Open the file in Notepad.
2. Choose File → Print (or press Ctrl+P).
3. Select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer and press Print.
4. Choose a name and folder for the PDF and save.

Mac: TextEdit to PDF

Open the file in TextEdit and choose File → Export as PDF. Alternatively press ⌘+P, open the PDF menu at the bottom of the print dialog and choose Save as PDF.

Phones and tablets

On Android, open the text, choose Print from the share or options menu and pick Save as PDF as the printer. On an iPhone or iPad, choose Print from the share sheet; the print preview can then be shared or saved to Files as a PDF.

Which method should you use?

If you want to tidy or format the text first, or you are on a computer where you cannot install anything, use the notepad. If the file is already on a Windows or Mac computer and needs no changes, the built-in print dialog is just as good.

Tips for a clean PDF

• Put code and space-aligned tables in a code block. It prints in a monospace font; in a proportional font, columns that lined up in the text file drift apart.
• Keep blank lines between paragraphs. Plain text has no paragraph spacing of its own; a blank line is how the PDF knows where one ends.
• Check the page size. A4 is standard in most of the world; Letter is standard in the US and Canada. The wrong one prints with odd margins.
• Leave out the page header. In the print dialog, untick Headers and footers (under More settings in Chrome) so the date and web address do not appear on the page.