How to Save a SOLIDWORKS Drawing as a PDF

Saving a SOLIDWORKS drawing as a PDF is one of the most common handoff steps for manufacturing, quoting, purchasing, and design review. The cleanest method is usually File > Save As with PDF selected as the file type. That keeps the export inside SOLIDWORKS instead of relying on a separate PDF printer.

Before exporting, rebuild the drawing and check the sheet scale, revision block, notes, dimensions, and sheet format. A PDF is often the version other people will actually use, so treat it like a released output rather than a quick screenshot.

Save the drawing as a PDF

1. Open the drawing file in SOLIDWORKS.
2. Review the drawing sheets and rebuild if needed.
3. Click File > Save As.
4. Choose the folder where the PDF should be saved.
5. Set Save as type to Adobe Portable Document Format (*.pdf).
6. Click Options if you need to choose sheets, export color settings, or adjust PDF preferences.
7. Click Save.

Choose which sheets to export

If your drawing has multiple sheets, open the PDF export options before saving. Depending on the SOLIDWORKS version and drawing setup, you can export all sheets, the current sheet, or a selected sheet range. This matters when you only want to send a quote sheet, a customer drawing, or a manufacturing sheet without the rest of the drawing package.

After saving, open the PDF and confirm the number of pages. This quick check catches the most common mistake: accidentally exporting only the active sheet when the shop or supplier needs the full drawing set.

Save As PDF or Print to PDF?

For most SOLIDWORKS drawings, Save As PDF is the better first choice because it is the native export route. It produces a PDF directly from SOLIDWORKS and is easier to repeat in standard procedures or PDM tasks. Print to PDF can be useful in some office setups, but it depends on the installed PDF printer and print settings.

If a drawing contains raster images, shaded views, or unusual line weights, compare both methods once and keep the one that gives the clearest result for your template. For normal manufacturing drawings, start with Save As PDF, then adjust export options if the line quality or colors are not right.

Check the PDF before sending it

Do not assume the PDF is correct just because the export completed. Open it in a PDF viewer and check the important details at normal zoom and at a closer zoom. This is especially important for dimensions, tolerances, hole callouts, revision notes, and title block fields.

• Confirm all required sheets are included.
• Check that the title block, revision, and drawing number are correct.
• Zoom into small dimensions and note text to make sure they are readable.
• Verify line weights are not too faint or too heavy.
• Make sure shaded or image-based views still look clear.
• Confirm the file name matches your project or revision naming rule.

Troubleshooting PDF export problems

If the PDF looks wrong, start with the drawing itself. Rebuild the drawing, update views, and check for dangling dimensions or missing model references. If the issue is visual, try PDF options, drawing color settings, or print-to-PDF as a comparison.

• Only one sheet exported: return to Save As options and select all required sheets.
• Text is too small: review the drawing sheet scale and annotation standard.
• Lines look faint: check line weights, colors, and PDF viewer settings.
• Views are out of date: rebuild the drawing and update drawing views before exporting again.
• File is hard to find: save to a controlled project folder instead of the last used random folder.

For related drawing cleanup, see SOLIDWORKS detailing and drawing techniques and how to create a SOLIDWORKS hole table.

Reference: SOLIDWORKS Help documents saving drawing files as PDF files and using PDF-related export commands in current SOLIDWORKS workflows.