Open the PDF designer
Open Documents, choose Export and select PDF. The PDF designer is separate from the writing surface, so the draft can stay comfortable to edit while the finished pages have their own design.
Compose creates the PDF on your device. It does not send your document elsewhere to convert it.
Set the page size, orientation and margins
Choose the page size, Portrait or Landscape orientation, and Normal, Narrow or Wide margins. You can also set PDF typography or copy the editor typography as a starting point.
The editor itself stays continuous. Use the PDF preview, not the editor canvas, when you need to judge final page breaks and line endings.
Add a cover when the document needs one
The cover can include details such as title, subtitle, author and date. You can also add a logo, choose its position and set a heading colour for the PDF.
Keep the cover as simple as the document allows. A report may need clear identification and branding, while a draft sent for review may need little more than a title and author.
Build the table of contents and running elements
Turn on the table of contents and choose how many heading levels to include. This works best when the document uses Heading 1, Heading 2 and other heading levels consistently.
Running title and page-number controls let you choose what repeats on pages and where those elements appear. They apply to the finished PDF rather than the writing view.
Use sections and columns from the document
Page Breaks and Section Breaks carry into the PDF. A section can change orientation, start on a new, odd or even page, use one to three columns, and continue or restart page numbering.
Column Breaks move following content to the next column in a multi-column section. Add these breaks in the document, then check the exact result in preview.
Check images, tables and citations
Images, tables, links, charts and supported rich content are mapped into the PDF. Citations and the bibliography or reference list follow the citation settings in the document.
For local images, Compose can use the original image when it is available. This means the PDF is not limited to the smaller copy used while editing.
Preview the exact PDF before saving it
Choose Open preview and inspect the generated pages. Check page breaks, the cover, table of contents, images, tables, notes and any changes of orientation or columns.
Preview is available on Free and is the best place to catch layout problems before saving the PDF.
- Open the PDF preview.
- Check the first pages, table of contents and any section changes.
- Inspect pages with large images, tables or charts.
- Return to the designer or document if something needs changing, then preview again.
When a PDF may need the internet
PDF generation itself happens locally. An image linked from a web address can still need a connection so Compose can retrieve it.
Compose first tries to load an image from its web address directly. If the browser blocks that, a signed-in user can let Compose retrieve it through its image service. Images stored in the document do not need that service.