Python: Convert Word to PDF

Nowadays, digital documents play a significant role in our daily lives, both in personal and professional settings. One such common format is Microsoft Word - used for creating and editing textual documents. However, there may come a time when you need to convert your Word files into a more universally accessible format, such as PDF. PDFs offer advantages like preserving formatting, ensuring compatibility, and maintaining document integrity across different devices and operating systems. In this article, you will learn how to convert Word to PDF in Python using Spire.Doc for Python.

• Convert Doc or Docx to PDF in Python
• Convert Word to Password-Protected PDF in Python
• Convert Word to PDF with Bookmarks in Python
• Convert Word to PDF with Fonts Embedded in Python
• Set Image Quality When Converting Word to PDF in Python

Install Spire.Doc for Python

This scenario requires Spire.Doc for Python and plum-dispatch v1.7.4. They can be easily installed in your Windows through the following pip command.

pip install Spire.Doc

If you are unsure how to install, please refer to this tutorial: How to Install Spire.Doc for Python on Windows

Convert Doc or Docx to PDF in Python

Spire.Doc for Python offers the Document.SaveToFile(string fileName, FileFormat fileFormat) method that allows to save Word as PDF, XPS, HTML, RTF, etc. If you just want to save your Word documents as regular PDFs without additional settings, follow the steps below.

• Create a Document object.
• Load a sample Word document using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Save the document to PDF using Doucment.SaveToFile() method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *

# Create word document
document = Document()

# Load a doc or docx file
document.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\input.docx")

#Save the document to PDF
document.SaveToFile("output/ToPDF.pdf", FileFormat.PDF)
document.Close()

Convert Word to Password-Protected PDF in Python

To convert Word to a Password-Protected PDF, you can utilize the Document.SaveToFile(string fileName, ToPdfParameterList paramList) method, where the ToPdfParameterList parameter allows you to control the conversion process of a Word document into a PDF format. This includes options such as encrypting the document during the conversion. Here are the specific steps to accomplish this task.

• Create a Document object.
• Load a sample Word document using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Create a ToPdfParameterList object, which is used to set conversion options.
• Specify the open password and permission password and then set both passwords for the generated PDF using ToPdfParameterList.PdfSecurity.Encrypt() method.
• Save the Word document to PDF with password using Doucment.SaveToFile(string fileName, ToPdfParameterList paramList) method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *

# Create a Document object
document = Document()

# Load a Word file
document.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\input.docx")

# Create a ToPdfParameterList object
parameter = ToPdfParameterList()

# Specify open password and permission password
openPsd = "abc-123"
permissionPsd = "permission"

# Protect the PDF to be generated with open password and permission password
parameter.PdfSecurity.Encrypt(openPsd, permissionPsd, PdfPermissionsFlags.Default, PdfEncryptionKeySize.Key128Bit)

# Save the Word document to PDF
document.SaveToFile("output/ToPdfWithPassword.pdf", parameter)
document.Close()

Convert Word to PDF with Bookmarks in Python

Adding bookmarks to a document can improve its readability. When creating PDF from Word, you may want to keep the existing bookmarks or create new ones based on the headings. Here are the steps to convert Word to PDF while maintaining bookmarks.

• Create a Document object.
• Load a Word file using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Create a ToPdfParameterList object, which is used to set conversion options.
• Create bookmarks in PDF from the headings in Word by setting ToPdfParameterList.CreateWordBookmarksUsingHeadings to true.
• Save the document to PDF with bookmarks using Doucment.SaveToFile(string fileName, ToPdfParameterList paramList) method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *

# Create a Document object
document = Document()

# Load a Word file
document.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\input.docx")

# Create a ToPdfParameterList object
parames = ToPdfParameterList()

# Create bookmarks from Word headings
parames.CreateWordBookmarksUsingHeadings = True

# Create bookmarks in PDF from existing bookmarks in Word
# parames.CreateWordBookmarks = True

# Save the document to PDF
document.SaveToFile("output/ToPdfWithBookmarks.pdf", FileFormat.PDF)
document.Close()

Convert Word to PDF with Fonts Embedded in Python

To ensure consistent appearance of a PDF document on any device, you probably need to embed fonts in the generated PDF document. The following are the steps to embed the fonts used in a Word document into the resulting PDF.

• Create a Document object.
• Load a sample Word file using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Create a ToPdfParameterList object, which is used to set conversion options.
• Embed fonts in generated PDF through ToPdfParameterList.IsEmbeddedAllFonts property.
• Save the document to PDF using Doucment.SaveToFile(string fileName, ToPdfParameterList paramList) method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *
        
# Create a Document object
document = Document()

# Load a Word file
document.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\input.docx")

# Create a ToPdfParameterList object
parameter = ToPdfParameterList()

# Embed fonts in PDF
parameter.IsEmbeddedAllFonts = True

# Save the Word document to PDF
document.SaveToFile("output/EmbedFonts.pdf", parameter)
document.Close()

Set Image Quality When Converting Word to PDF in Python

When converting a Word document to PDF, it is important to consider the size of the resulting file, especially if it contains numerous high-quality images. You have the option to compress the image quality during the conversion process. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Create a Document object.
• Load a sample Word file using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Set the image quality through Document.JPEGQuality property.
• Save the document to PDF using Doucment.SaveToFile() method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *
        
# Create a Document object
document = Document()

# Load a Word file
document.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\input.docx")

# Compress image to 40% of its original quality
document.JPEGQuality = 40

# Preserve original image quality
# document.JPEGQuality = 100

# Save the Word document to PDF
document.SaveToFile("output/SetImageQuality.pdf", FileFormat.PDF)
document.Close()

Apply for a Temporary License

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