Save as PDF

The Save as PDF content type is a convenient way to convert your webpage into a PDF for saving or printing. The button utilizes the browser's printing capabilities and uses print styles to create a formatted output. The content type allows customization of margins, page numbering, and other features.

Name: Name of the Save as PDF content type instance

Margin: Text box to enter custom margin for the resulting document, and is required to follow that exact format.

• Defaults to 1 inch (1in)
• Custom options are available (e.g. 4cm, 2in, 0).

Font: Choose between Sans Serif (Arial) and Serif (Times New Roman)

Include page numbers: Option to include page numbers at the bottom. Omits numbering the first page.

Use Cases

The Save as PDF button uses the browser's print functionality and will create a document from all content placed within the main page area. The header, footer, and side navigation will be automatically removed.

In addition, because the Save as PDF content type overrides print settings, examples of elements that will be hidden when saving and printing this page include Heros and Jumbotrons, video elements, interactive elements, and more.

Helpful tips:

• Keep it simple.
• If the page is easy to recreate in a word processor, it will likely convert well to PDF. If the content relies heavily on interactive or visual elements, the page may not be suitable for printing, and it will remove those elements.
• Note: The formatting used by the Save as PDF button also applies when a user prints the page directly using Control+P (Windows) or Command+P (Mac). The browser will use the same print styles to generate the printable layout.

One exception is the accordion content type, which has been intentionally reformatted to display clearly in the generated PDF.

Try it yourself:

• Select the “Save as PDF” link above to see how it works. We’ve added sample accordions on this page so you can preview how accordion content is reformatted and displayed.

When to Use the Save as PDF Feature

This content type works best for text-based resources that users may need to download or print, such as:

• Policies or governance documents
• Handbooks or procedural guides
• Reference materials for students, faculty, or staff

Examples include General Counsel's policies or Human Resources handbooks, where a printable version may be useful while the webpage remains the primary source of information.

By maintaining the accessible webpage as the source of truth and generating the PDF from that content, teams can reduce duplicated work while still meeting any legal printing or archiving needs.

Accessibility

Accessible webpages are typically easier to use across devices and assistive technologies than PDFs. Webpages are responsive, work well on mobile devices, and are more easily interpreted by screen readers. For this reason, SCU recommends publishing information as accessible webpages whenever possible and only using PDFs when there is a clear need for a printable document. 

See When Not to Use PDFs for additional guidance.