iOS: Print > PDF > Save as PDF?

[RAMd®d]

Ok, there appears to be no such thing in iOS/iPadOS.

In MacOS, I often 'Print' online order receipts or web pages and save them as pdfs because it's just more efficient than firing up the printer for a sheet or two.

And I have no good reason to commit same to paper.

But this hasn't been easy or elegant in the iOSs.

I have to Share and then navigate to files or iBook or some place were it's saved as a pdf.

There's no reason for me to think Apple will have done this in iOS 17.

Assuming that is the case, which I do, am I missing some 'inside', more elegant way of saving a Print job as pdf?

[Tiangou]

Huh?

Print to PDF works just fine under iOS.

(Did you Google it??)

Save to a folder in the Files app. Or send it to any compatible app on your device or upload it to a server or AirDrop it or print it or whatever from there.

What's the problem??

[Forrest]

On an iPad, you select Markup, then Save to Files which will save the file to PDF

[RAMd®d]

What's the problem??


I stated the problem in a matter of fact manner, without rant or rage.

I asked if I had missed anything.

I didn't say it can't be done.

I didn't kick your cat or punch you in the throat, so please spare me the drama queen incredulity crap.

The problem as previously stated, is unlike macOS, there's no option to Save as PDF when selecting Print, as there is in macOS, as I said:

Print > PDF > Save as PDF [> Location]

I've done this several times and not seen that option.

I may have acknowledged that it can be done, but that wasn't what I was asking about.

I have to Share and then navigate to files or iBook or some place were it's saved as a pdf.

Ah, it seems I did acknowledge that in can be done, but that wasn't what I was asking about.

I was asking if I was missing the more linear option of macOS.

Apparently I'm not.

[Tiangou]

You didn’t Google it.

Go to print the page, then do a long press on the print–preview, tap the share-icon and save it or open it wherever.

[dk62]

I think the point (legitimate, in my opinion) is that it is not as intuitive as selecting pdf as a printer option, as it is on MacOS or even Windows. If I have not printed to pdf in a while, I may have to Google it again or spend some time trying to remember how it is done, and that is time wasted. No reason not to have it as a printer selection.

[S. Pupp]

Tiangou wrote:
You didn’t Google it.

I see nothing wrong with asking this iOS question on a Mac related forum.
Yes, a Google search might provide an answer on page one, but it might also become a colossal waste of time. You are under no obligation to respond to the question if you don’t want to.

[Tiangou]

I asked whether you Googled for it because your initial post wasn't clear.

Exhausting your own remedies, clearly and concisely stating the problem to the best of your ability, and stating the attempted resolutions -- including steps followed or issues presented as the result of a web-search -- is pro forma when requesting help on an online forum.

And if you had explained that you were unsatisfied with Google search-results, I could have looked at the results and tried to glean where they fell short.

With what you provided, 'could have been the print-to-pdf workflow, itself, that threw you.

Or could have been that you didn't know what to do to manage/sort/dispose-of the resulting pdf.

...So, now you know a couple of ways to save a pdf, including print-to-pdf.

Do you still have a problem at this point?

If so, what's the issue?

Is it that you don't like using the "Files" app? Are you looking to organize the pdf files, perhaps into folders on your phone? Or do you want to sync the pdf files back to your computer? Or something else??

Care to clarify?

[RAMd®d]

it is not as intuitive as selecting pdf as a printer option, as it is on MacOS or even Windows. If I have not printed to pdf in a while, I may have to Google it again or spend some time trying to remember how it is done, and that is time wasted. No reason not to have it as a printer selection.


This, all this, exactly this.

I was hoping there was a 'Print to PDF' option as in macOS.

There is not.

It's possible to get file saved as a PDF in iOS and have done so.

I was looking for something more linear i.e., more intuitive than what we're given, which has long been a very intuitive process in macOS, represented in the subject line.

Simple, direct, self-explanatory- intuitive.



Yes, a Google search might provide an answer on page one, but it might also become a colossal waste of time.


This has happened a few times, but I to try a search most of the time.

In point of fact, I had searched online for this information, but only ended up finding the Share sheet path, which I had been doing.

Nothing I found from the query 'how to print to pdf in iOS 16' gave an intuitive result, nor one that seemed accurate for iOS 16.5.

Lots of results for older iOSs that didn't apply to or work for iOS 16, if one followed the instructions exactly.

Three dots, what three dots.

Upper right, no lower left, no bottom center.

I don't recall of a long press was ever mentioned.

It's possible the results from DuckDuck and Google differ; I don't use Google.

The end result was a waste of time.

This started with my wanting to 'print' an AMZ invoice as a pdf, as I didn't see this as possible.

Eventually, I found that Sharing it to different places resulted it being saved as a pdf, but this was a non-intuitive accident.

The long press v tap of the invoice's Print this page... link ends up at the Share sheet, saving a click.

So I've learned that what I was asking about does not exist in iOS.

That's not the same as not being able to save a file as a pdf, I've done it, but am not pleased with how it's done.

Thank you everyone who contributed, it's appreciated.