Best way to save web pages to PDF on Windows 11
December 19, 2024 10:00 AM Subscribe
In my work I often save web pages as PDF files. This helps me organize the data on the page and ensure it will stay available. Unfortunately, Windows 11 often creates PDFs that are just screen images. I can't search, select, or copy text from them. What's the best, cheapest way to make print-to-pdf work well on Windows.
On the Macintosh this is trivial. You can save a PDF from the Print dialog, and the PDF includes the text of the document or web page you printed. It just works.
On Windows it just doesn't work. The Print dialog offers "Microsoft Print to PDF", but it is unreliable. When I use it from Chrome it always produces PDFs that are nothing more than images of the web page. For a while I was able to use MS PRint to PDF from Edge and get PDFs that included the text, but now that is often failing.
I don't want to pay $13/month for an Acrobat subscription.
Is there some way to fix this on Windows 11, or is there a free or inexpensive print-to-pdf driver that I can install? It's hard to believe that this is the state of the art for people who buy Windows computers in 2024.
I've starting taking the stopgap step of saving web pages as mhtml files, but that's not a good long term solution for multiple reasons.
TIA for any help you can offer.
On the Macintosh this is trivial. You can save a PDF from the Print dialog, and the PDF includes the text of the document or web page you printed. It just works.
On Windows it just doesn't work. The Print dialog offers "Microsoft Print to PDF", but it is unreliable. When I use it from Chrome it always produces PDFs that are nothing more than images of the web page. For a while I was able to use MS PRint to PDF from Edge and get PDFs that included the text, but now that is often failing.
I don't want to pay $13/month for an Acrobat subscription.
Is there some way to fix this on Windows 11, or is there a free or inexpensive print-to-pdf driver that I can install? It's hard to believe that this is the state of the art for people who buy Windows computers in 2024.
I've starting taking the stopgap step of saving web pages as mhtml files, but that's not a good long term solution for multiple reasons.
TIA for any help you can offer.
PDF24 has a free option to try
Foxit has a paid option but some of their products have a trial option.
posted by soelo at 12:01 PM on December 19 [1 favorite]
Foxit has a paid option but some of their products have a trial option.
posted by soelo at 12:01 PM on December 19 [1 favorite]
Have you tried reinstalling the print to PDF option? Windows 11 produces selectable text pdfs for me from both Chrome and Edge, so it may be some sort of odd glitch in your system.
posted by gemmy at 12:13 PM on December 19
posted by gemmy at 12:13 PM on December 19
FWIW, I can't search or select text on a pdf printed from Firefox, Chrome or Edge opened in Foxit PDF or Edge in Win11. I wonder what the difference is for folks who can.
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 1:38 PM on December 19
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 1:38 PM on December 19
Firefox on Windows has an extension (add-on) you can install called Print Friendly & PDF. I use it a lot. Its magic power is that you can edit out things you don't want in the PDF before you actually create the PDF. I am typing this on Windows 11 and as this is my main computer all of the PDFs I save for reference are produced this way (except when I think the Web page is simple enough and "Print to PDF" will work). Just another option you may want to try, but don't use it if the above answers have solved your use case.
posted by forthright at 7:57 PM on December 19 [3 favorites]
posted by forthright at 7:57 PM on December 19 [3 favorites]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by kschang at 10:30 AM on December 19 [1 favorite]