How to Make a Cover Letter PDF

Job applications almost universally request cover letters in PDF format. PDFs preserve your formatting (the recipient sees what you wrote), work on every system, and prevent accidental edits. Here’s how to produce a clean cover letter PDF.

Step 1: Write the cover letter

Use whichever tool you’re comfortable with:

Word: most common; full formatting control.

Google Docs: free, browser-based, autosaves.

Apple Pages: Mac/iOS, clean templates.

Markdown: if you’re comfortable with it, write in plain markdown and convert.

Plain text in a text editor: simplest but limited formatting.

Keep the letter to one page. Hiring managers read many cover letters; a tight one-page letter respects their time.

Step 2: Use a standard structure

Most cover letters include:

Your contact info at top (name, phone, email, optionally address)
Date
Recipient’s info (name, title, company, address)
Salutation (“Dear Hiring Manager,” or specific name if known)
Opening paragraph: who you are and what you’re applying for
Body paragraphs: why you’re qualified
Closing paragraph: call to action (e.g., asking for an interview)
Sign-off: “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” plus your name

Use clear paragraphs (not one massive block). Use standard professional fonts (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman at 11-12pt).

Step 3: Save/export as PDF

Word: File → Save As → PDF format.

Google Docs: File → Download → PDF Document.

Pages: File → Export To → PDF.

Markdown: use Markdown to PDF.

Plain text: use TXT to PDF.

For pre-existing Word documents that should be PDFs: DOCX to PDF.

Common mistakes to avoid

Generic letters: addressed to “Sir or Madam” when the company name and possibly hiring manager are known. Research the recipient.

Bullet point overload: cover letters should read as flowing prose. Bullets work in some sections but a fully bullet-pointed cover letter feels lazy.

Repeating the resume verbatim: cover letters should add to the resume, not summarize it.

Too long: keep to one page. Hiring managers have limited time.

Generic file names: name the file something professional like John_Smith_Cover_Letter.pdf (not untitled.pdf or coverletter_final_v3.pdf).

Forgotten signature: many cover letters end with a typed name but lack a signature space.

Adding a signature

For a handwritten-look signature:

Method 1: Image of signature:

Sign a piece of white paper
Photograph it
Convert to image with transparent background using AI bg removal (like Remove.bg)
Insert into document above your typed name

Method 2: Tablet/iPad signature:

Use Notes app, Procreate, or Adobe Sign on tablet
Sign with finger or stylus
Export as image with transparent background
Insert

Method 3: Digital signature service:

Adobe Sign, DocuSign, SignNow — they let you create a signature once, reuse it
Some are free for occasional use

For most cover letters, a typed name is sufficient. Signatures matter more for contracts and legal documents.

File naming convention

Use a professional naming pattern:

FirstName_LastName_CoverLetter.pdf
LastName-FirstName-CoverLetter-CompanyName.pdf
Smith_John_CoverLetter.pdf

Avoid:

untitled.pdf
coverletter.pdf (generic)
coverletter_FINAL_v2_use-this-one.pdf (looks unprofessional)

Combining with resume

Some applications request a single PDF with cover letter + resume:

Save cover letter as PDF
Save resume as PDF
Use PDF Merger to combine
Name the result: FirstName_LastName_Application.pdf or similar

Other applications want them as separate uploads. Read the instructions.

Length considerations

Length: cover letters should be one page. 250-400 words is typical.

File size: a one-page text PDF is typically 50-200 KB. If yours is much larger:

You might have embedded images at high resolution — compress with PDF Compressor
Or you have an unnecessary high-resolution signature image

Templates and tools

Word/Pages: have built-in cover letter templates.

Canva: many free cover letter templates with modern designs.

Google Docs Template Gallery: free templates.

Specialized cover letter sites: Resume.io, Zety, Novoresume — free with paid tiers.

For most jobs: a simple text-based cover letter in standard formatting beats fancy designs. Reserve creative designs for creative industries.

ATS compatibility

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan PDFs for keywords:

Plain text-based PDFs (from Word, Google Docs) — ATS-friendly
Image-based PDFs (scanned cover letters) — bad for ATS; the text isn’t readable
Heavy graphics, multi-column layouts — risky; ATS may not parse correctly

For ATS-friendly cover letters:

Use standard fonts
Single-column layout
Don’t use text in images (header decoration is fine, but the letter text should be selectable)
Keep formatting simple

TL;DR

Write in: Word, Google Docs, Pages, or markdown
Save as PDF: built-in export in every tool
One page, professional fonts, clear paragraphs
Name the file: FirstName_LastName_CoverLetter.pdf
Combine with resume if needed: PDF Merger
For ATS: stick to standard layouts; avoid text-in-images
For markdown writers: Markdown to PDF for clean output