Downloading and sharing PDFs

In this article we will look at how to convert and download a Qwilr page into a PDF.

Qwilr is designed to shine on the web, offering an interactive experience that everyone loves. However, we understand that your clients might occasionally need a PDF for printing or archiving. That's why we've created a PDF generation tool, allowing you to save PDFs in A4 or Letter sizes and in portrait or landscape orientation.

Keep in mind that web pages don't always translate perfectly to print, so some aspects of your Qwilr Page might change slightly to fit better in a PDF format. Whenever possible, we always recommend sharing the web version to provide your clients with the full interactive experience that Qwilr Pages are known for.

Accessing the PDF Downloader

You can access the PDF Downloader from 2 places.

Method 1: On your Dashboard, click the More Actions icon (3 dots) next to the page title. Then choose Create PDF from the drop-down menu.

Method 2: While you're editing your Page, you'll see a Download Icon near the top right corner.

Formatting the PDF

In the PDF preview, you'll be able to see how your PDF will look. You can also change a number of settings in the sidebar.

Page Size and Orientation

You can choose between A4 and US Letter sizes. You can also choose a portrait or a landscape format.

Image quality

Here's where you can choose your PDF file size. There are 3 different compression settings:

Archive will be the smallest file size, but the greatest amount of compression, so images won't look as sharp.
Email is a balance between file size and image quality, and optimized to use as an email attachment.
Print offers the least amount of compression and highest image quality, but will result in a larger PDF file.

Compact or Presentation layout

Qwilr can format your PDF in two different ways:

Compact will combine the blocks of your page into fewer PDF pages. It compresses Splash Blocks with no text to a smaller height. It also makes the font sizes smaller and line spacing tighter overall. This is a great option if you need a shorter PDF document.
Presentation makes each block on your Qwilr Page a separate PDF page. Font sizes and line spacing will also be larger and closer to the on-screen display. This results in a longer PDF document that's useful for presentation.

Exporting Options - what to include

You can choose whether to include page numbers in your PDF, as well as placeholders for any videos or embedded content. (See the section below for more details on how those will look.)

Downloading a PDF

When you have all the settings as you like, click the Download PDF button.

Your browser will display a message letting you know when the download is successful.

Linking to a PDF

In the PDF Preview page you'll see a URL and a Copy button. You can use this in a couple of ways:

You can copy the URL to send to your client in an email or other message.
If you want your clients to be able to download a PDF from within the Qwilr Page itself, you can use this URL. You can add it to a text link or add a clickable button. Then your client can click to download.

How Embedded Content Appears in your PDF

If your Page contains an Embed Block and you decide to include it in the PDF, the graphic below will display. Clicking View Online in the PDF takes your client to the live Qwilr Page to see your embedded content.

If your Page contains a Video Widget or a Video Block and you decide to include it in the PDF, you'll see a placeholder and any text you've added to the Block. The video itself won't play in the PDF, but your client will have a link to play the video in the live Qwilr Page.

If you've used video as a Splash Block background, the video's thumbnail image will display in the PDF.

Caution Regarding Large PDF Downloads

If you receive a 'Download Failed' message it could be due to the size of your Qwilr document. While there are occasional instances when larger documents can be downloaded successfully—there are a bunch of factors that play into this. It can be impacted by the size of the document, the number of blocks, the number of images, or even how complex the quote is.

Additionally, it can also be affected by the load on the Qwilr servers at the time of download. Therefore, we don't have a clear metric for determining a max size.

Our recommendation:

If you need a PDF copy, we recommend cloning the document and shortening it before downloading. Alternatively, our Agreement feature allows you to generate a plain text summary, which can be saved or shared more easily.

Note: If you need help tuning up the layout of your PDF, this page has lots of tips.

If you'd like to ask some questions, reach out to help@qwilr.com!