How to Convert TXT to PDF? Top Ways!

Many document formats are available to save textual content and easily share it with colleagues and friends. Some examples of text document file formats are DOC, TXT, and RTF. The TXT (or text) file format is used to save textual data in plain formatting for quick editing in text software like Microsoft Notepad or Apple TextEdit. Many TXT file users look for solutions to convert their textual content into a reliable and robust format like PDF. This blog post explores the solutions to convert TXT to PDF, so read it till the end. 

Reasons for Converting Text File to PDF

There are many reasons Text file users wish to convert their text file to PDF, and this section explores some of them:

1. Content Formatting Preservation: The first reason TXT file users look to convert their data to PDF is formatting retention or preservation. TXT files are easily editable so there are chances of changing the content layout and formatting. PDF files keep the original formatting of TXT files, and do not allow any content editing across devices and operating systems. Additionally, converting TXT file data to PDF will make the content look professional and more readable.
2. File Security: Another reason to convert TXT to PDF is text security. TXT files are not secure and can be altered or even accessed unauthorized. That’s where PDF files excel with their two-level password protection and data encryption features. This will keep your sensitive data safe from malicious modifications and access.
3. Compatibility: TXT or text files may render differently across devices and platforms, so it’s necessary to convert them to PDFs. In this way, you can be sure that your content layout is intact and doesn’t require any special software.
4. Content Archival: Another reason why TXT file users look to convert their content to PDF is content archival or long-term storage. PDF files are less prone to corruption or format changes and so are the preferred format for long term content archival. Also, TXT files can get easily corrupted and are changed, which makes them an untrustworthy method to preserve content. 

After understanding why we need to convert TXT data files to PDF, we will learn the solutions in the next part.

Solutions to Convert TXT to PDF – Explained

We will explore the solutions to export text or TXT files to PDF in this section. Let’s start with some manual methods, followed by a professional solution.

Free Manual Method 1: Microsoft Notepad

You can directly convert Text to PDF using the Notepad app on a Windows computer. Follow these steps for the TXT file conversion process:

1. Open the TXT file on the Notepad app on your Windows computer.
2. Use the Ctrl + P shortcut to open the Print dialog box.
3. Click on the “Microsoft Print to PDF” option and click the Print button.
4. Enter a desired name for the PDF file and select a desired location.
5. Save the resultant PDF file by clicking Save.
6. Repeat the same process for other TXT files. 

Free Manual Method 2: Apple TextEdit

If you are an Apple computer user, you can use the TextEdit app to convert TXT to PDF on Mac. Let’s understand the entire data conversion process in the following points:

1. Open the TXT file on TextEdit and click on the File menu.
2. Select the “Export as PDF” option and enter the name of the PDF file.
3. Select the location under the “Where” drop-down menu.
4. Convert the opened TXT file to PDF by clicking the “Save” button.
5. Repeat the same process for other TXT files.

Manual Method 3: Online TXT to PDF Converter

You can also use an online file conversion website to convert Text to PDF. Some websites even offer limited batch file conversion. The following points explain the entire process to convert TXT file to PDF online: 

1. Open the online TXT file conversion website.
2. Add TXT file(s) using the Choose / Select button.
3. Click the Convert button to start converting the added TXT file(s) to PDF.
4. Download the converted file on your device.
5. Repeat the same process with other TXT file(s).

The same method can also be applied to convert ODT file to PDF on Windows & Mac system.

Shortcomings of the Manual Solutions

The manual methods mentioned above make it easy to export TXT file data to PDF format. However, they have certain limitations, and we will explore them here:

1. The process to convert Text to PDF using a desktop app like Notepad or TextEdit is time-consuming. It is because you have to convert the files individually.
2. Using an online converter tool poses security concerns if you want to convert sensitive TXT files.

We will now explore the professional solution for the TXT to PDF file conversion in the following section.

Professional Method to Convert Text File to PDF Format

Since the manual methods to convert TXT to PDF are ineffective due to their limitations, automated software becomes the best data conversion method. SysTools Document Converter Tool helps users convert their data to PDF with no formatting changes and intact content layout. This automated software helps you comfortably convert multiple TXT or text files to PDF. You can even apply a password to the resultant PDF file(s) with the software for increased data security. This automated utility works with all Windows and macOS computers for all versions.

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Step-by-Step TXT Conversion to PDF Using the Software

1. Download and open the software on your Windows or Mac computer.
2. Use the Add File(s) or Add Folder(s) button to add the TXT file(s).
3. You can view the content of the TXT file(s) by clicking Next and viewing it on the Preview panel.
4. Click the Next button and apply these settings: Page Layout, Font Settings, Header & Footer.
5. (Optional) Check the “Add Password on Output PDF File(s)” box to apply password to the resultant PDF file(s).
6. Click the Change button to select a preferred location for the resultant PDF file(s).
7. Start the TXT to PDF file conversion by clicking the Export button.
8. Open the destination location to access the resultant PDF file(s).
9. Open the Export Report file in CSV format to check the history of the conversion process.

Note: You can download the demo version for free to test the software’s performance. The demo version will convert five TXT files to PDF with the “SysTools” watermark. Purchase the full version to convert Text data files to PDF without the watermark in the resultant files.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we explored the solutions to convert TXT to PDF and the reasons behind the data conversion. The reasons mentioned here necessitate immediate conversion of the text files to PDF. The manual solutions explained in the blog make it easy toa implement the conversion process, but the limitations restrict their total usage. Hence, the automated software explored in this blog becomes the perfect data conversion solution with intact formatting.