How to convert a blog post into a PDF for free

I wanted to share a cool free tool called Printer Friendly.  It's super simple to use and allows you to convert a blog post into a PDF.  This is a fantastic way to help with your SEO by sharing your PDF's into document sharing sites.  It's also a great way to create content for giveaways and content downloads.  Content downloads are a fantastic way for growing a list.  I'll be sharing some tips and diving into this in much more detail in the future. I’ve made a quick video below which shows you how easy it is to do, and you can see for yourself what it looks like too.

How to convert a blog post into a PDF for free

You also have the ability to customise how your PDF looks.  You can delete blocks of text, choose whether to include images or not and change the font size. Try it out for yourself here and start creating PDF's in no time! Let me know what you think and please do share this post if you found it useful.

Why Your PDF File Size Matters More Than You Think (And How to Control It)

Most tutorials stop at "export and download," but the file size of your converted PDF will directly affect whether anyone reads it. I have sent PDF lead magnets to my list that were over 8MB and watched download rates drop by nearly 40% compared to a leaner version of the same document. People on mobile data, or with slow connections, simply abandon the download. A blog post converted to PDF should realistically sit between 200KB and 1.5MB. If yours is coming out heavier than that, something in the process needs fixing before you share it anywhere.

The single biggest culprit is embedded images. When you convert a blog post that contains stock photography or screenshots, the tool often pulls in the full-resolution version of every image. Before you convert, go back into your blog post and manually compress every image using Squoosh (free, browser-based) or ShortPixel. Aim for JPEG quality at around 70 to 75 percent. You will see almost no visual difference in a PDF, but the file size reduction can be dramatic, sometimes cutting the total size by half or more.

Font embedding is the second issue nobody mentions. Certain free conversion tools, including some browser print-to-PDF methods, will embed the entire font family into the file rather than just the characters used. If your blog post uses a custom Google Font, switch the PDF conversion to use a standard system font like Georgia or Arial before exporting. You can do this temporarily in your browser's developer tools by overriding the font-family in the CSS, then printing to PDF. It is a small step that can shave another 200KB to 400KB off the final file.

Here is a practical checklist I run through before finalising any blog-to-PDF conversion:

• Compress all images to under 150KB each before converting
• Remove any embedded video thumbnails or GIFs, replace with a static image
• Strip out comment sections and sidebar widgets using the browser reader view or a tool like Print Friendly before exporting
• Check the final PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader's "Document Properties" panel, which shows you exact file size and confirms whether fonts are embedded or not
• Run the finished PDF through Smallpdf's compress tool as a final pass if you are still over 1.5MB

One honest opinion here: the free tier of Smallpdf is perfectly adequate for occasional conversions, but if you are repurposing blog content into PDFs regularly as part of a content strategy, the compression limits on free tools become frustrating. In that case, spending a few pounds a month on a tool like PDF Compressor Pro or simply learning the "Reduce File Size" export option inside LibreOffice Writer will save you more time than any workaround. The goal is a PDF that downloads in under three seconds on a standard mobile connection, because that is the threshold where most readers will not even notice there was a wait.

The short version: Converting a blog post into a PDF is easier than most people think, and you can do it without spending a penny. Tools like Google Chrome's print-to-PDF feature, Microsoft Word, or free online converters like Smallpdf and ilovepdf.com let you save any blog post as a polished PDF in minutes. Once you have your PDF, you can use it as a lead magnet, a downloadable resource, or a piece of content to repurpose across different platforms.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest free way to convert a blog post into a PDF?

The easiest method is to open your blog post in Google Chrome, press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on a Mac), and select "Save as PDF" as the destination. This costs nothing and takes about ten seconds, making it the go-to option for most bloggers.

Will the PDF look exactly like my blog post?

It will be very close, but some formatting elements like pop-ups, sidebars, and navigation menus may show up in the PDF. To get a cleaner result, use a free tool like Smallpdf or paste the content into Google Docs first, then export it as a PDF.

Can I convert multiple blog posts into one PDF?

Yes, you can paste multiple blog posts into a single Google Doc or Word document and then export the whole thing as one PDF, which is a great way to create a free ebook or content bundle.

Are free PDF converters safe to use?

Reputable tools like Smallpdf, ilovepdf.com, and Google Docs are safe for most content, but avoid uploading sensitive or confidential information to any third-party website just to be cautious.

Related reading: How to Repurpose One Blog Post Into a Week of Content.