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.
T4 Fields
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 utilizes the browser's print functionality to create a document from all content within the main page area. The header, footer, and side navigation will be automatically removed. Elements that might display poorly when saved as a PDF or printed include Hero and Jumbotron elements, video elements, interactive elements, and more.
Helpful tips: 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.
Exceptions include the accordion content type and tables, which have 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 is for text-based resources that users may need to save or print, such as:
- Policies or governance documents
- Handbooks or procedural guides
- Reference materials for students, faculty, or staff
General Counsel's policy pages serve as a good example where a printable version can be helpful, 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 effort of maintaining content in two places—both as a webpage and PDF—while still meeting any 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.
Sample Content
The following sections include sample content for the printing demo.
Sample accordions for the save as PDF demo
This is a sample text within the sample accordion. How many times can we use the word "sample" in a sample content type? The answer may surprise you.
This is another sample accordion
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus viverra quam metus, at dapibus felis viverra vitae. Nullam lorem diam, egestas vel justo ut, vestibulum iaculis enim. Phasellus eu quam ut nisi gravida eleifend at a diam. Nam luctus imperdiet augue. Mauris volutpat, nulla congue efficitur maximus, neque arcu cursus massa, at euismod libero nulla eget metus. Curabitur ultrices nibh id ornare dictum. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam et risus orci. Donec ut sollicitudin turpis. Nullam molestie rutrum justo, nec eleifend ante porta sed.
Sample table for the save as PDF demo
| Table Header | Table Header | Table Header |
|---|---|---|
| Table Row | Table Row | Table Row |
| Table Row | Table Row | Table Row |
| Table Row | Table Row | Table Row |