How to Save a Webpage as PDF in Google Chrome

Google Chrome has a built-in "Save as PDF" destination in its print dialog. It works on any webpage, requires no extension, and runs entirely in the browser — the page is rendered to a PDF locally and saved to your device. This guide walks through the exact steps in Chrome 120+ on desktop and mobile, explains every print-preview setting, and shows where IXPDF can help after the PDF is saved — all locally, with no uploads.

How to save a webpage as PDF on desktop Chrome

1. Open the webpage you want to save in Google Chrome. Wait for it to finish loading — Chrome prints what is currently rendered, so a half-loaded page produces a half-loaded PDF.
2. Open the print dialog: press Ctrl+P (Windows and Linux) or Cmd+P (macOS). Or click the three-dot menu ⋮ in the top-right and choosePrint….
3. In the print preview that opens, find the Destinationdropdown (top-left). Click it and select Save as PDF. The preview updates to show what the PDF will look like.
4. Set the page options (see the next section for what each does):
   • Paper size: Letter (US) or A4 (rest of world) are the common choices.
   • Margins: Default, None, Minimum, or Custom.
   • Scale: 100% default; shrink to 80% if content is cut off.
   • Headers and footers: toggle to include the URL, date, and page numbers.
   • Background graphics: toggle to print background colors and images (off by default).
5. Click Save. Choose a location and filename in the save dialog. Chrome writes the PDF to disk — the file stays on your device.

Print preview settings explained

Paper size

Letter (8.5 × 11 in) is the US default. A4(210 × 297 mm) is the default almost everywhere else. Pick the size that matches what your printer uses if you intend to print the PDF later; otherwise either is fine for digital archiving.

Margins

• Default: ~0.4 in (1 cm) on all sides. Safe for most content.
• None: zero margins. Content goes edge to edge. Use for full-page screenshots or designs.
• Minimum: the smallest margin Chrome can produce without cutting content.
• Custom: drag the margin handles in the preview to set each side. Useful when content is just barely overflowing.

Scale

Scale shrinks or enlarges the page content. Default(100%) fits content to the page width. If a table or code block is being cut off on the right, drop the scale to 90% or 80%. If the text is too small to read, increase the scale and use a larger paper size.

Headers and footers

When on, Chrome adds the page URL (top-left), date (top-right), page title (bottom-left), and page number (bottom-right) to every page. Turn this off for a clean PDF — most people do not want the URL printed on an archived article.

Background graphics

Off by default, which means background colors and images are dropped. For a webpage with a dark theme or colored callout boxes, turn thison or the PDF loses the visual structure. The toggle is under "More settings" in the print dialog.

Saving only part of a webpage

Chrome cannot directly save a selected region to PDF, but you have two options:

• Selection only: select the text or content you want with the mouse, then press Ctrl+P. In the print dialog, under Pages, chooseSelection only (this option appears only when text is selected). Chrome prints just the selected content.
• Specific pages: if the content spans multiple printed pages, use the Pages field to print only certain pages (e.g., 1-3 or 2,4,6).

Saving a webpage as PDF on mobile Chrome

The flow on Android and iOS is similar but the menu paths differ.

Android

1. Open the webpage in Chrome for Android.
2. Tap the three-dot menu ⋮ (top-right) → Share….
3. Tap Print in the share sheet.
4. At the top of the print screen, tap the dropdown that shows your printer and select Save as PDF.
5. Tap the PDF icon or Save, choose a location, and tap Save.

iOS

1. Open the webpage in Chrome for iOS.
2. Tap the three-dot menu ⋮ (bottom-right) → Share….
3. Tap Print in the share sheet.
4. Pinch out on the print preview (or tap it) to open the PDF view.
5. Tap the Share button in the PDF view → Save to Files to write the PDF to your iOS Files app.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting to turn on Background graphics. Without it, dark-theme pages and colored callouts lose their background — the PDF looks broken. Turn it on under More settings.
• Saving before the page finishes loading. Lazy-loaded images and infinite-scroll content may not be in the PDF. Scroll through the whole page first, then print.
• Leaving Headers and footers on. The URL and date in the header are rarely useful in an archived PDF. Turn them off unless you need them for citation.
• Using Default scale for wide content. Wide tables and code blocks get cut off. Drop the scale to 80% or use Landscape orientation (under More settings) for wide content.