Convert Google Docs Spreadsheet to PDF or Excel: Benefits and How-To

It’s incredibly simple to convert a Google Sheets spreadsheet to either a PDF or an Excel file format, and there are several benefits to doing so. Let’s explore why you might want to convert your Google Sheets and how to do it.

Why Convert Google Sheets to PDF?

PDF files are read-only, making them ideal for sharing documents that you don’t want others to edit. There are a few other reasons why you might choose to convert your Google Sheets to PDF:

• Legal requirements: Some legal documents must be submitted in PDF format.
• Cross-platform compatibility: PDF files can be opened on any operating system using a free PDF reader.

Why Convert Google Sheets to Excel?

While Google Sheets is a powerful free spreadsheet application that meets the needs of most users, Microsoft Excel offers additional features and customization options. Here are a few advantages of converting your Google Sheets to Excel:

• More features and customization: Excel has a wider range of features and customization options, particularly when it comes to charts and pivot tables.
• Offline access: Excel is an offline program, allowing you to access and edit your spreadsheets even without an internet connection.
• Speed: Excel is generally faster than Google Sheets, especially when working with large spreadsheets.

However, it’s important to note that Google Sheets offers unique features such as Regex and Query, which can be extremely useful for specific tasks. Additionally, Google Sheets allows for easy collaboration, enabling multiple people to work on the same spreadsheet simultaneously and leave comments and suggestions for each other.

Ultimately, whether to convert your Google Sheets to PDF or Excel depends on your specific needs. If you need to share a document in a read-only format or comply with legal requirements, converting to PDF is a good option. If you require features or customization options not available in Google Sheets or need offline access to your spreadsheets, converting to Excel is the better choice.

How to Convert Google Sheets to PDF

Converting a Google Sheets spreadsheet to PDF is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Sheets spreadsheet you want to convert.
2. If you want to repeat the header row(s) on each page, follow these steps:
   • Click the View menu and select Freeze.
   • Click the row(s) you want to repeat on each page.
3. Click File > Download > PDF (.pdf).
4. In the Print settings dialog box, select the following options:
   • Export range: Choose the sheets or ranges of cells you want to export.
   • Paper size: Select the appropriate paper size, such as Letter or A4.
   • Orientation: Choose between Landscape or Portrait.
   • Margins: Set the margins for the PDF file.
   • Scale: Adjust the scale of the PDF file.
5. Click Export.
6. The PDF file will be downloaded to your computer.

How to Convert Google Sheets to Excel

Converting a Google Sheets spreadsheet to Excel is also a simple process. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Sheets spreadsheet you want to convert.
2. Click File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).
3. The file will be converted and downloaded to your computer.

Conclusion

If you want to allow others to convert your Google Sheets file to either PDF or Excel, you need to share it with them. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Open the Google Sheets file you want to share.
2. Click the Share button in the top right corner of the window.
3. Enter the email address of the person you want to share the spreadsheet with.
4. Select Viewer to give them viewer access.
5. Click Send.

The person you shared the spreadsheet with will receive an email with a link to the spreadsheet. They can click the link to open the spreadsheet in their browser.

To learn more about Google Sheets and its features, visit Crawlan.com.