CV Once

How to save your CV as a PDF (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, phones)

Every modern browser can save a clean, text-based PDF from its print dialog. These are the exact settings to check, browser by browser.

PDF is the safest format for sending a CV: it looks the same on every device, and a PDF made from a web page keeps real, selectable text that applicant tracking systems can read. You do not need any extra software. Every current desktop and mobile browser can save a PDF from its print dialog.

CV Once uses exactly this route. When you choose PDF export in the builder, it opens your browser’s print dialog with the CV laid out on the paper size you chose. The steps below cover what to set in that dialog.

Before you start: three settings that matter everywhere

Whatever the browser, check these three things in the print dialog:

  1. Destination is “Save as PDF” (or the equivalent), not a physical printer and not a “Print to image” option.
  2. Paper size matches your CV: A4 or US Letter. See A4 vs US Letter.
  3. Headers and footers are off. Otherwise the browser adds the date, page title, web address and page numbers in tiny type at the edges of each page.

Keep scale at 100% (or “Default”) and check the page count in the preview. If you use an accent colour, turn on background graphics so coloured rules and shading appear.

Chrome (Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS)

  1. Press Ctrl+P (Windows, Linux, ChromeOS) or Cmd+P (Mac), or use the PDF export button in the builder.
  2. Set Destination to Save as PDF.
  3. Open More settings.
  4. Set Paper size to A4 or Letter.
  5. Untick Headers and footers.
  6. Tick Background graphics if your template uses colour.
  7. Leave Scale on Default and Margins on Default unless the preview looks wrong.
  8. Click Save and choose a file name.

Microsoft Edge (Windows, Mac)

Edge is built on the same engine as Chrome, so the dialog is very similar.

  1. Press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on Mac).
  2. Set Printer to Save as PDF. On Windows you may also see “Microsoft Print to PDF”; either works, but “Save as PDF” keeps the browser’s own layout options together in one dialog.
  3. Under More settings, set Paper size, untick Headers and footers, and tick Background graphics if needed.
  4. Click Save.

Firefox (Windows, Mac, Linux)

  1. Press Ctrl+P or Cmd+P.
  2. Set Destination to Save to PDF.
  3. Set Paper size (open More settings if you do not see it).
  4. Under Options, untick Print headers and footers.
  5. Tick Print backgrounds if your template uses colour.
  6. Leave Scale at 100%. Use “Fit to page width” only if the preview shows content cut off at the side.
  7. Click Save.

Safari (Mac)

You have two routes. The print dialog gives more control, so use that one.

  1. Press Cmd+P.
  2. If you only see a short dialog, click Show Details.
  3. Set Paper Size to A4 or US Letter.
  4. Untick Print headers and footers.
  5. Tick Print backgrounds if your template uses colour.
  6. At the bottom left, open the PDF menu and choose Save as PDF.
  7. Choose a name and location, then click Save.

(File > Export as PDF also works, but it offers fewer options.)

iPhone and iPad (Safari)

The exact wording changes a little between iOS versions, but the route is the same.

  1. Tap the Share button.
  2. Scroll down and tap Print.
  3. In the print options, choose the paper size if offered.
  4. Tap the Share button at the top of the print options screen, then Save to Files. On older iOS versions, pinch outward on the page preview to open it as a PDF, then share it to Files.
  5. Open the file in the Files app to check it.

The share sheet also has a PDF option under “Options” at the top, but it may not use the print layout and paper size, so Print is the more reliable route for a CV.

Android (Chrome)

  1. Tap the three-dot menu.
  2. Tap Share, then Print (on some versions, Print is directly in the menu).
  3. At the top, tap the printer selector and choose Save as PDF.
  4. Tap the small arrow to expand options and set Paper size.
  5. Tap the round PDF download button and choose where to save.

Firefox for Android also has a print option in its menu that leads to the same Android print screen.

Check the PDF before you send it

Open the saved file and spend thirty seconds on these checks:

  • Search for your surname with Ctrl+F or Cmd+F (or the search option in your phone’s PDF viewer). If it is found, the PDF contains real text, which is what job portals and ATS need. If nothing is found, the PDF contains an image of your CV; re-export using the steps above rather than a screenshot or “print to image” option.
  • Select and copy a bullet and paste it into a plain text editor. It should paste in the right order, without words jumbled between columns.
  • Check the page count and page breaks. No heading should sit alone at the bottom of a page.
  • Check the edges for leftover headers, footers, web addresses or page numbers.
  • Click your email and links to make sure they work.

Watch out: Some online “PDF converters” upload your file to a server. You do not need them. The browser’s print dialog creates the PDF on your own device.

Name the file properly

Recruiters download dozens of files called “CV.pdf” or “Resume_final_v3.pdf”. Make yours easy to find:

Before: CV new FINAL (2).pdf

After: Priya-Nair-CV.pdf

Use Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf in most countries, or Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf for US and Canadian applications. Avoid spaces and special characters, which some upload forms handle badly. If an employer asks for a specific naming pattern, such as including a job reference number, follow it.

When a PDF is not the right format

Some job portals ask you to paste your CV into a text box or upload a Word file. For text boxes, use the builder’s plain-text export, which strips formatting and keeps a clean structure. If an employer insists on Word, export Markdown or plain text and paste it into a simple document. See ATS formatting pitfalls for what tends to break.

Next: A4 vs US Letter and the CV checklist.