11/26/23, 7:52 PM How to Download PDFs: 13 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

How to Download PDFs

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Travis Boylls
Last Updated: November 17, 2023 Tested

Do you need to download a PDF file you've found online for later reference? PDF
stands for "Portable Document Format" and it is one of the most common formats used
to digitally store and transfer text and image documents. This wikiHow teaches you how
to download PDF files you find online so that you can reference them later.

Quick Steps

1. Open the webpage of the PDF you want to download.

2. Right-click (or Command-click) the contents of the PDF document.
3. Click Save as….
4. Select a save location and click Save.

Method Method 1 of 2:
1
Downloading Your PDF
Download a free PDF reader. You will need a PDF reader to open the
1 PDF files once it has been downloaded. You can download Adobe Reader
for free from the Adobe website.
Alternatively, you can open PDF files in most browsers, though they may
lack some features.
Go to https://get.adobe.com/reader/ and click Install now to download
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
There is also a variety of third-party PDF readers, such as Foxit Reader,
Nitro PDF Reader, and PDF XChange Editor that you can download for
free.[1]
Since Adobe created PDF, their tools are usually the most powerful when it
comes to working with PDFs.[2]

Find the PDF that you want to download. There are lots of websites that
2 have information in PDF format. These websites usually display the PDF
within the web browser.

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Make sure that the PDF file opens full screen as part of its own page. Not
as part of another page.
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Right-click inside the PDF. This displays a pop-up menu where you right-
3 click on the document.
Alternatively, some web browsers may have an icon that resembles a
floppy disk (Microsoft Edge), a page with an arrow inside (Firefox) or a line
with an arrow pointing down over it (Google Chrome). This is the "Save"
icon.
If you are using Safari on Mac, click File in the menu bar at the top of the
screen.

Click Save As or Save Page As . It's in the pop-up menu that appears
4 when you right-click inside the PDF. This opens a file browser you can use
to save and select files.
Some websites will have links to downloadable PDF files much like any
other downloadable file. To download these files, click on the link, then
select where you want to download the file and click Save.

Choose the location where you want to save the file. Use the file
5 browser to navigate to where you want to save the PDF. You can click the
Quick Access folders in the left-side bar of the file browser to select a location.

Type a name for the PDF (optional). If you want to change the file name
6 of the PDF, type a new name bar next to "File Name:".

Click Save . It's in the lower-right corner of the File browser window.
7 This will save the PDF file to your hard drive in the location you have
specified.

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Method
Method 2 of 2:
2
Opening a PDF File
Open your PDF reader. Double-click the app icon to open the PDF reader.
1 If you are running it for the first time, it may need to complete the setup
process. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.
To find the PDF reader on Windows, click the Windows Start menu in the
lower-left corner and type the name of the PDF reader application.

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To find the PDF reader on Mac, click the icon that resembles a magnifying
glass in the upper-right corner. Type the name of the PDF reader
application in the search bar.

Click File . It's in the file menu at the top of the application or in the
2 menu bar. This displays a drop-down menu.

Click Open . It's usually near the top of the drop-down menu that
3 displays when you click File. This opens a file browser you can use to
navigate to the PDF file you saved.

Navigate to the PDF file and click it. Open the folder the PDF is saved to
4 and click it to select it. You can use the Quick Access folders on the left
side of the file browser window. Typically, files you download to your computer
can be found in your "Downloads" folder.

Click Open . It's in the lower-right corner of the file browser. This opens
5 the PDF in your PDF reader.
You can also open the file by navigating to it using Windows Explorer, or
the Finder on Mac. Then double-click it to open it.

Start reading the PDF. Browse through your PDF document as you would
6 normally do with other files. PDF readers to do not allow you to edit PDF
files. Use your mouse wheel to scroll up and down through the tabs, or click
and drag the tabs on the left side of the screen. If you want to alter the PDF
you'll need to use a program that can edit PDF files or you can edit PDF files
online using a safe, secure website.
You can also open and edit PDFs in Microsoft Word. Just open a PDF the
way you would a Word document and give it a few minutes to convert the
PDF. [3]

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Community Q&A

Question

How do I download a PDF file from Google?

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

To download a PDF file from your Google Drive, open the file in Google Docs
and then go to the “File” tab. Navigate to “Download as” and select “PDF
Document (.pdf)” from the list of options. The document should save to the
Downloads folder on your computer.

Question

How can I download PDF files for free?

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Generally, it’s free to download PDF files unless they’re on a paid website,
such as Scribd or a paywalled academic journal. However, to open the file,
you will need a PDF reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader is the most popular free
app for opening PDFs.

Question

How can I make a document a PDF?

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You can easily do this with Microsoft Word and other programs in the Office
suite by simply saving the document as a PDF. If you don’t have Word or
Office, you can also do this through Google Docs. Use the “Print” menu to
save your document as a PDF file.

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Tips

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References

1. https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-pdf-reader
2. Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.
3. https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/edit-or-make-changes-to-a-pdf-file-
5a316914-6901-470a-9dcd-fe87a51ceed4
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