Sending a spreadsheet as a PDF keeps the numbers readable on every device and stops anyone from changing a cell by accident.
Steps
- Open the Excel to PDF tool.
- Add your .xlsx, .xls or CSV file.
- Choose A4 or Letter paper.
- Press Convert and download the PDF.
Every sheet in the workbook becomes a clean table, and wide sheets are placed on landscape pages.
What is kept and what is not
- Kept: text, numbers, rows and columns, each sheet in order.
- Not included: charts, pictures and special formatting such as conditional colours.
If the charts matter, take a screenshot or export them as images first, then add them using the image to PDF tool and combine the files with merge PDF.
Avoid cut-off columns
- Hide columns nobody needs before converting.
- Keep column headings short.
- If a sheet has too many columns to read on one page, split it into two sheets.
Keep the file small
A long spreadsheet turns into many pages. If the PDF has to be emailed, use compress PDF to reduce the size afterwards.
Before you share
Check the first and last page. Make sure no private columns (such as phone numbers or salaries) are included, because a PDF is easy to forward.