If you want to share data from Excel without sharing the Excel file, you can export selected cells or the entire workbook as a PDF. The result is a very user-friendly document that you can share in any way you like.
Export a range of Excel cells as PDF on Windows
If you have a specific range of cells that you want to export to PDF, you can do it in just a few steps.
Select the cells you want to export. You can do this by dragging the cursor over adjacent cells, or by holding Ctrl while selecting non-adjacent cells.
Be aware that if you select nonadjacent cells, they may appear on separate pages of the PDF document.
Click the “File” tab and select “Export” on the left. On the right, select “Create PDF/XPS Document” and click the “Create PDF/XPS” button.
When the Publish as PDF or XPS window opens, choose a location to save the file. Change the file name if necessary, and make sure PDF is selected in the Save As Type drop-down list. Then select Options.
In the “Options” window, select “Select” in the “Publish” section. Click OK in the Options window and then Publish in the Publish as PDF or XPS window.
Navigate to the location where you saved the PDF to access the file.
Export Excel workbook as PDF on Windows
Perhaps you want to export the entire book as a PDF file. You can do this by following the same basic steps as above for exporting a range of cells.
Before you start, keep in mind that you won’t have the option to pre-select page breaks. By default, sheets with a lot of data are moved to other pages. If you need one sheet per page, check out our instructions on how to insert page breaks in Excel first.
When you’re ready to export your Excel workbook, go to the “File” tab and select “Export” on the left. On the right, select “Create PDF/XPS Document” and click the “Create PDF/XPS” button.
Choose a file location, change the file name if necessary, and make sure PDF is selected in the Save As Type drop-down list. Then select Options.
In the “Post What” section, select “Entire Book”. To ignore any print areas you have configured in the workbook, be sure to check this box in the same section. You can then use the page range and other areas and options as needed.
Click OK in the Options window and Publish in the Publish as PDF or XPS window. Then navigate to the location where you saved the PDF file to open it.
Save Excel to PDF on Mac
Just like on Windows, you can turn a set of cells or a workbook into a PDF on a Mac. The steps are slightly different from those described above.
When you open a workbook, select a sheet and select cells if you want to export a range of cells. To save the entire book as a PDF, simply open it.
Choose File > Save As from the menu bar. When the window appears, select a location and change the file name if necessary. Then select “PDF” from the “File Format” drop-down list.
To export a range of cells, choose Select, which displays the selected cells for confirmation. To export the entire book, select Book.
When you’re done, select “Save” and then navigate to your chosen location to access the PDF file.
Whether you want to share a part of your Excel sheet or back up a specific version of a workbook, exporting it to a PDF file is a solid option.
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