Would you like to save a web page as PDF online? What about the ability to save webpage as PDF with Chrome? It does not matter if you want to save a webpage as PDF via Firefox, Chrome or Android. Because saving a web page as PDF has never been this easy!
This article will teach you how to save a webpage as PDF on Mac or any device you have. The fact that, you will even know how to save a webpage as PDF on Safari browser. Again, if your device is a phone, you will learn how to save a webpage as PDF on Android or iOS. In brief, the procedures below will let you convert a web page to PDF or save a website for offline viewing. Be my guest!
Every day, you stumble upon interesting pages on the internet, right? At times, you are at the cyber café or the public Wi-Fi – so you are sure you won’t have it when you get back home. At other times, the Internet company switches your connection off because you have not paid enough of the bills yet.
So, you get to a frenzy of disappointment and only wish you knew how to save a website for offline viewing. But, when you open your PC browser, there is nothing saved. Then, Google Chrome browser brings you an obstinate game – Jumping Dinosaur!
While the Chrome Jumping Dinosaur game is a good way of keeping you busy waiting for webpages to load, it sends a chilling feeling especially if your Internet is slow. It is such a time that you wish you had saved the page as a bookmark. But, you realise that a bookmarked web page has nothing better to offer you when you have no Internet. It is a browser’s way of reminding you of cool web pages…but nothing more!
So, it is evident you need a way of saving the website for offline use. Nevertheless, you need a way to access information even where the Internet is not available. And admittedly, there are many instances when you need to access a web page offline. Have a look at some of the occasions when a saved web page is necessary:
- You are aboard on an aeroplane, economy class – and the crew yells ‘Switch off your phone’. You have a map and meeting notes to cram before the plane touches the ground.
- Your school Wi-Fi goes off just an hour to the exam. You have hardly any hardcopy notes and haven’t revised enough.
- You want to print out a web page for future reference.
Whichever the reason for saving a webpage from your browser is, make sure you have a plan to do it! It does not matter what browser you use. In fact, you can have the webpage saved from Chrome, Safari or even Firefox. Again, in other words, you can also save your webpage from Mac, Android or Windows.
Traditional Methods of Saving a webpage for offline viewing
Although, some of the most popular methods of downloading a webpage are ridiculous. But, a couple are worthwhile. For instance, you can save it directly or copy-paste the data on a text sheet. Let us not let the dogs out yet – here are some of the most popular methods of saving webpages for offline use.
Saving an entire webpage for offline use
At times, you are in a hurry and need to save the webpage as an HTML file on your memory. This method keeps other important features such as images too. Web sites and browsers that do not have the HTML5 technology end up downloading videos as well.
So, you need to head to your browser’s menu while you are on the page to save and choose ‘Save.’ This should prompt you to select the folder you want to place the webpage. And, that’s done! The webpage is stored on your device where you can view it anytime. In most cases, the page saves under the article’s title. But, you can change the name by entering your favourite title when saving the files on your gadget memory.
The process of using the browser menu to save a page may be hectic. However, the computer is never short of workarounds and shortcuts. So, you can save the webpage faster using the command ‘CTRL+S’ for Chrome. The shortcut works for Mozilla Firefox as well.
While Chrome brings HTML and Complete Page as the only options, Firefox has more. When you command the Firefox browser to save a web page, it will give you four options. One, Firefox asks whether you want to save the page as a complete page. Two, the browser lets you choose if you would love to save it as an HTML File.
The third option is saving the web page as a Text File. This option saves every detail of the Internet page in both text and HTML. In short, the page looks like editing an article on HTML plate for website publishing. Then, the last option is saving ‘All Files’. This allows you to save every feature on the web page. So, the fourth method is much like the first.
The method has backpedals, though. The method uses a large amount of your memory, and this could slow down your machine at times. Also, you cannot send the files on email – they are HTML! Again, the information on the offline pages cannot be viewed on other programs.
So, you must be ready to keep the browser running! Then notwithstanding, sometimes, when the saved web pages are loaded, they tend to look like a horrid weird site. A simple Facebook or Google+ share icon becomes a giant billboard that covers the entire screen! And, the JavaScript and other code features won’t work on an offline mode. Thus, you cannot play any online games offline on a saved page!
But, a few backpedals have never put a bike on reverse gear. So, the demerits of saving a web page for offline use should not deter you from keeping your favourite. Again, most of the websites have sophisticated coding to prevent downloading copyrighted videos. Besides, this method is so simple and quick – it is a perfect one-touch way to download a web page!
Copy and paste content
This is not in line with copyright laws. But, you can still have some information copied from a website and pasted into your text program. Oh, now you know how to do it already! It is a traditional method – but it works pretty well! So, just hold the keys ‘CTRL+A, CTRL+C, CTRL+V’ when using Windows.
NOTE: ‘CTRL+A’ and ‘CTRL+C’ selects and copies the content, while ‘CTRL+V’ pastes it.
Then, your entire web page will be copied. But, it is recommendable to highlight the article using your mouse. At least, the mouse does not go picking everything on the site – it is content specific! Next, paste it onto a text or Word Document software. Microsoft Word is everyone’s favourite, isn’t it?
The copy and paste method also saves the images and other features of the web page. The number of images depends on the strength of your Internet signal, though. Of course, videos on the website do not appear in the text document. Also, the coded features are not executable in a text program.
Offline browser caches
Android is a fantastic OS to have, do not you agree? If you are Android user, caches for the websites you load are saved automatically. Thus, even if you switch off your phone, the content will still be available for you when you open it.
Also, you can go back to the websites you had visited. This works as long as you do not clear your browsers or phone caches. Again, you will find your web pages intact as long as you do not flash your phone or change the Android launcher.
The latest versions of Chrome and Firefox can store these caches in case the browser goes off unexpectedly. In most cases, when your device shuts down due to unanticipated power outage or hardware malfunction, the browser can restore the pages. But, it is not a guarantee that all your web pages will load offline.
Take a screenshot
If you want to have an image file of the content on your desktop or device screen, take a screenshot. Although this method does not allow copying of text content, high-quality snapshots are worthwhile. The snapshot method lets you store your web page in the form of an image file.
So, you will have the page saved as a PNG, JPG or JPEG file. Again, the screen shot can be altered on photo software to fit your needs. So, you can edit the image on Adobe Photoshop or Windows Paint.
To take a screenshot of a web page on Mac, you need to use ‘Command+Shift+3’. The command takes a snapshot of the entire page. But, the command only snapshots the current web page. If you want to select an area for shooting, key in ‘Command+Shift+4’. The +4 control lets you focus your screenshot on a specified area of the web page. Then, paste the image file on an image-processing program. Next, save it on your memory folders!
The +4 control lets you focus your screenshot on a specified area of the web page. Then, paste the image file on an image-processing program. Next, save it on your memory folders!
On Windows, there is no straightforward way to take a screenshot. Again, there is no shortcut in Windows like there is on Mac. So, you will need to take an actual snapshot. For snapshotting a web page on Windows OS, open the Snipping Tool and click on the ‘New’ tab at the top left corner.
The Snipping Tool will provide you with a cursor to choose the area you want to be taken. Then, use the cursor to demarcate the part you want to save. Make the selection by left-clicking and dragging the mouse. Afterwards, save the image by clicking the ‘Save As’ option on the ‘File’ menu at the top left. Choose the memory folder where you want to save the web page…and you are ok!
Now, how do you take a screenshot on Android? If your OS is Android, most devices need you have to swipe down your screen to take a screenshot. But, the snapshot process varies depending on the device. The surest way to save a webpage as an image file on Android is to use the buttons.
On a simultaneous dial, hit the sleep mode button and the volume down key. Then, a flash should appear confirming that a snapshot of the web page is ongoing. To find the file, head to your gallery, screenshot folder. This method is viable for almost all Android devices. So, most Android phones and tablets should allow this method of saving a web page for offline viewing! But yes, the process of taking snapshots on Android varies – too.
If your Android has a home button, you need to hold the power button and home button simultaneously until the screen flashes. Capturing screen on Android is a matter of trying the combination of buttons; one method will work for sure – no matter whatever Android device you have. Also, there are Android snapshots apps available on Google Play Store that you can search.
Like any other method, taking a snapshot of the web page has its ups and downs. First, it is a quick method, especially on Mac and Android OS. But, screenshots may be slow on Windows because you have to open other programs. To use this method on a long web page, you need to take several snapshots. Then, the screenshot only saves the files as images. Thus, it is not as clear as saving the web page as a PDF. Because most enlarged images could are blurred.
The Browsing History Page
While the browsing history page is not the ideal option, it is worthwhile in some cases. If you have the Internet but cannot remember the URL to a web page, find it in your browser history. The browser saves all the browsing information – it only leaves out links opened in the private or incognito window.
So, you only need to remember a few keywords to search it out. Also, if you can remember the date or time you opened the page, finding it is quite easy. Thus, this method is viable for people with good internet connection, and do not want constraints on their memory. The browsing data exists as long as you do not clear or delete it.
If you want to find your browsing history on Chrome, head to the menu. Find Google Chrome’s menu at the top right corner – the three dots. Tap it and find a list of menu options. In most cases, History is the fourth option. Click on it, and you will find all your browsing history arranged according to time. Also, you can get to Chrome’s browsing history page using the shortcut CTRL+H.
On Mozilla Firefox, you can find the browsing history page by clicking on the menu at the top right corner. Click on the three lines, and it will open the menu – history should have a clock face as its icon. Open the history option, to find all the pages you have browsed since installing the browser. Like in Google Chrome, navigate the History Page by entering the shortcut ‘CTRL+H.’
The browsing history is an ideal alternative to Bookmarking. But, it is a little more hectic to find the web pages from a long list. Also, it is an inconvenient method when your Internet connection is weak. Thus, there is a need for a better way to save a web page for offline use.
Save Webpage as PDF
After looking at the various methods of saving a web page for offline use, it is clear that none of them is perfect. While keeping the entire website as HTML file is easy, it hides too many features. Again, this method distorts most of the content arrangement.
Taking a snapshot from a web page is worthwhile, but it only saves it as an image. Bookmarking and web page history need you to have an active Internet. In short, all the methods have their demerits. This calls for you to convert Web Page to PDF.
Advantages of saving webpage as PDF over other methods
- All the content (including links and images) is saved in PDF form, without distorting
- Again, the content is clear and not blurred like in the snapshot case
- The PDF document is editable – so, you can copy or add content at will
- The PDF doc is light and occupies less memory space
- Also, the PDF file can be emailed to friends
- Nonetheless, you can save a web page as PDF for offline use
Now that you know how handy a wepage saved as the PDF can be, it is high time to know how to do it. Be that as it may, it is an easy hack – below you go with how to do it.
How to save webpage as PDF Chrome
Did you know it is possible to print that Wikipedia web page as a PDF document on Chrome? The browser has features that convert the HTML web page into PDF too.
This is good news for students and the people who love to revisit web pages offline. There are two ways to save a web page as PDF in Chrome. One is manual, and the other needs Chrome extensions. It depends on your taste!
Save web page as PDF Chrome manually
If you want to convert a website page as a PDF or MHT doc, head to the Chrome menu at the far right corner. In the drop down menu, find ‘Print’ and click on it. You can also get to the printing menu using the shortcut ‘CTRL+P‘. It should lead you to an option to do original print or send to OneNote – if you have installed Microsoft Office.
The print preview pop-up also allows you to change settings such as the layout and destination folder. So, select ‘Print to PDF’ on the ‘Destination’ option. Hit the blue ‘Save’ button at the top and choose your PDF folder. That is all!
Save web page as PDF Chrome using extensions
Noteworthy, Google Chrome has inbuilt features to save web pages as PDF. So, you do not need extensions. If you want other PDF conversion features on your Chrome browser, however, then you can use the Chrome add-ons.
These are extensions made to harness the conversion of web pages to PDF. And, there are several extensions to do this. For instance, you can use Save as PDF or BullZip PDF Printer. If you decide to have Save as PDF, then you will need to follow the following steps.
- Sign up for an account at PDFcrowd.com
- On the Chrome menu, find ‘More Options’ and click on ‘Extensions.’ Search for an add-on named ‘Save as PDF’
- Install the extension. You can activate premium features if necessary
- Open a webpage you want to save
- The extension will download the web site upon your request
- The extension creates the PDF
How to save web page as PDF Firefox
As like Chrome, Firefox has an inbuilt feature to convert a web page into a PDF file. In most cases, the browser will only prompt the conversion to PDF if you have Adobe Reader installed. If you do not have the PDF reader, you will have to turn to the extension method.
Save web pages as PDF in Firefox using extensions
If you need a good Firefox PDF add-on, try CutePDF Writer, Save as PDF or BullZip PDF Printer. The process of installing and using the extension is similar to Chrome’s case.
Save web pages as PDF on Firefox manually
But, if you have your PDF software installed on your OS already, then you don’t need the extensions. Instead, you can save it manually. Go to your Firefox menu and tap on ‘Print.’ You can also print using the shortcut ‘CTRL+P.’ Then, on the ‘Name’ option, choose ‘Save as PDF.’ Set your landscape and copies, and then save the PDF file to your folders.
How to save web page as PDF Internet Explorer 9
You can save the web page manually on Internet Explorer 9 using the ‘Print’ option at the top bar. Also, you can navigate there using the shortcut ‘CTRL+P.’ Whichever route takes you there, the newest version of Internet Explorer lets you choose how to. For instance, Explorer browser will prompt you to ‘Append to existing PDF’ or ‘Convert to Adobe PDF.’
How to save web page as PDF Mac
Apart from using the snapshot method mentioned above, Mac allows you to install software to download web pages in the form of PDF. So, you can use the Read it later on Mac. Using the app, you can get back to all pages you want even when your internet connection goes off. This makes it a must have software!
Also, Read It Later allows you to create lists of pages you’d like to read offline. To use Read it Later, sign up at their website. Then, right-click on a webpage, anytime you want to read it later. Read it Later also helps you to save webpages as PDF on several OS and browser. Besides Mac, you can also use it for Windows. Again, you can try it in Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox.
Final thought
In brief, anytime you stumble upon a great article that deserves more than sharing and bookmarking, save it as PDF. This article has addressed nearly all the ways to do this. Instead of taking a snapshot, saving the entire page contents or bookmarking, try downloading in PDF form.
In the end, many benefits come along with converting a webpage to PDF. And, these benefits manifest in all browsers and operating systems. Thus, there is no excuse to stay idle when your Internet connection goes off. Save a webpage as PDF for offline viewing and stay active!
If there are ideas, you would like to be added to the article, feel free to join the discussion in the comment section.
Top/Featured Image: By EsaRiutta / Pixabay
