How to Create a PDF from Scratch (Blank Document)

Here's something that trips people up more than it should: you want a PDF, but you don't have a document yet. No Word file to convert. No Google Doc to export. Just... nothing. You need to create a PDF from scratch, starting with a blank page.

Most people's instinct is to open Word, type something, then "Save As PDF." It works, sure. But it's like driving to the grocery store to buy water when there's a tap in your kitchen. There's a more direct path, and once you know about it, you won't go back.

Why Would You Create a Blank PDF?

Fair question. There are actually a lot of reasons this comes up:

Forms and templates. You're building a custom form — maybe an invoice, a sign-in sheet, or a feedback form. Starting in a PDF editor means you can add form fields, text boxes, and signature areas right from the start instead of wrestling with Word's form tools (which, let's be honest, are terrible).

Presentations and one-pagers. Sometimes you need a single-page document that looks polished — a flyer, a product sheet, a quick reference card. PDF editors give you more precise control over layout than a word processor.

Annotations and markup. You want to sketch something out — maybe a wireframe, a quick diagram, or notes for a meeting. A blank PDF is basically a digital whiteboard you can save and share.

Legal and compliance documents. Some industries require documents in PDF format from the start. Creating them natively in PDF avoids formatting issues that pop up during conversion.

The "Convert from Word" Problem

The standard advice online is: open Word, create your document, then export to PDF. And sure, that works. But here's what nobody tells you about the conversion process:

Fonts sometimes shift. That carefully formatted header? It might look different after conversion, especially if you used a font that doesn't embed cleanly. Tables occasionally break. Spacing gets weird. And if you used Word-specific features like SmartArt or certain text effects, they can render unpredictably in the PDF.

None of this is a disaster, but it's annoying. If your final output is always going to be a PDF, why not just start there?

How to Create a PDF from Scratch Online

The fastest way to make a PDF from nothing is to use an online PDF editor. No software to install, no account needed (for basic use), and you can do it from any device with a browser.

Here's the process using OnlyDocs:

Step 1: Open the editor. Head to onlydocs.net and open the PDF editor. You don't need to upload anything — you can start with a blank canvas.

Step 2: Set your page size. Choose A4, Letter, Legal, or whatever size you need. This matters more than people think. If you're creating something that'll get printed, picking the wrong page size means margins and content will be off when it hits paper.

Step 3: Add your content. This is where it gets fun. You can:

• Type text anywhere on the page with full font control (size, color, family)
• Draw shapes, lines, and boxes for layouts
• Insert images by dragging them onto the page
• Add signature fields if you're building a signable document
• Create multiple pages for longer documents

Step 4: Export as PDF. When you're done, hit export. Your blank-canvas creation is now a proper PDF file, ready to share, print, or upload wherever it needs to go.

The whole process takes maybe two minutes for a simple document. Even something complex like a multi-page form usually takes under ten.

Other Ways to Make a PDF from Scratch

Online editors aren't the only option. Here are a few other approaches, with honest assessments:

Google Docs (Free, But Limited)

Open Google Docs, create your document, then go to File → Download → PDF Document. It's free and accessible. The downside? You're working in a word processor, not a PDF editor. You can't add form fields, you have limited control over exact element placement, and you're still doing the "create then convert" dance.

Best for: Simple text documents where formatting doesn't need to be pixel-perfect.

Adobe Acrobat (Expensive, Full-Featured)

Acrobat Pro lets you create blank PDFs and has every feature imaginable. The catch is the price — $22.99 per month for Acrobat Pro. That's $275 a year to do something you can do for free elsewhere. If you're a professional who works with PDFs eight hours a day, it makes sense. For everyone else, it's overkill.

Best for: Professional environments where the company is paying for Creative Cloud anyway.

LibreOffice Draw (Free, Desktop Only)

This is the open-source option. LibreOffice Draw lets you create documents and export to PDF with decent control over layout. The interface feels dated and there's a learning curve, but it's genuinely free — no usage limits, no watermarks, no catch.

Best for: People who prefer desktop software and don't mind a steeper learning curve.

macOS Preview (Mac Only, Basic)

If you're on a Mac, Preview can create PDFs, though it's limited. You can combine images into a PDF or create basic documents. It's not really a blank-canvas PDF creator, but it works in a pinch for simple stuff.

Best for: Quick one-off tasks on Mac when you don't want to open a browser.

Tips for Better PDFs (From Someone Who's Seen Too Many Bad Ones)

After seeing thousands of user-created PDFs, here are the things that separate good ones from the messy ones:

Pick your fonts early and stick with them. Two fonts max for most documents — one for headings, one for body text. Three if you absolutely must. More than that and your PDF starts looking like a ransom note.

Use consistent margins. Nothing screams "amateur" like text that's crammed against one edge of the page while there's a mile of white space on the other side. Set your margins first, then work within them.

Think about file size. If you're adding images, they don't need to be 4000×3000 pixel behemoths. Resize them before adding them to your PDF. A 10MB PDF that takes 30 seconds to load is a bad experience for whoever receives it. Aim for under 2MB for standard documents. You can always compress your PDF after the fact if needed.

Test your PDF on different devices. Open it on your phone before sending it. A surprising number of PDFs that look great on a 27-inch monitor become unreadable on a 6-inch phone screen. If mobile readability matters, increase your font sizes and simplify your layout.

Add metadata. Title, author, subject — these fields exist in every PDF and they matter for organization, accessibility, and search. Most online editors let you set these during export.

When a PDF Isn't the Right Choice

I know this is a blog post about creating PDFs, but honesty matters: sometimes a PDF is the wrong format.

If the document needs frequent editing by multiple people, use Google Docs or Word Online instead. PDFs are meant to be finalized documents. Collaborating on a PDF is like trying to remodel a house after the concrete has set — technically possible, but painful.

If you're creating something that's purely for screen reading (never printed), consider whether a web page or a shared doc might work better. PDFs don't reflow text for different screen sizes, which makes them frustrating on mobile.

If the content changes regularly — like a price list or a team directory — a live document or webpage is almost always better than a PDF you have to regenerate every time something changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a multi-page PDF from scratch?

Yes. Most online PDF editors, including OnlyDocs, let you add as many pages as you need. You can add blank pages, set different sizes for different pages, and arrange them however you want before exporting.

Is there a free way to create a blank PDF without signing up?

Absolutely. OnlyDocs lets you create and export PDFs without creating an account. Free users get 3 exports per day, which is plenty for most people. Other options include Google Docs (requires a Google account) and LibreOffice Draw (requires installation but no account).

Can I add fillable form fields to a PDF I created from scratch?

Yes — this is one of the biggest advantages of starting in a PDF editor instead of converting from Word. You can add text input fields, checkboxes, dropdown menus, and signature fields directly. This is huge for things like job applications, intake forms, or any document that other people need to fill out.

What's the best page size for a PDF?

It depends on where the document will be used. Letter (8.5" × 11") is standard in the US. A4 (210mm × 297mm) is standard in most other countries. If your PDF will only be viewed on screens and never printed, the size matters less — but sticking with A4 or Letter keeps things predictable.

Wrapping Up

Creating a PDF from scratch is one of those tasks that sounds harder than it actually is. You don't need expensive software, you don't need to go through a Word-to-PDF conversion, and you don't need any technical skills beyond basic point-and-click.

Open an online editor like OnlyDocs, start with a blank page, add your content, and export. That's genuinely it. The whole "create in Word then convert" workflow made sense in 2010. In 2026, there are better options.

If you're building forms, templates, or any document where layout precision matters, starting directly in a PDF editor saves time and avoids the formatting headaches that come with conversion. Give it a shot — you might wonder why you ever did it the other way.