Creating a “Save as PDF” Keyboard Shortcut in MacOS Ventura
If you work with a lot of PDF files, you’d probably appreciate having the ability to press a keyboard shortcut to save files, webpages, and documents as PDF files on the Mac. You can set that up rather easily, and we’ll walk through the process.
If you have long been using the old trick to create a Save as PDF keyboard shortcut and recently updated to MacOS Ventura, you may have noticed your old keyboard shortcut doesn’t work anymore. This is because Apple has renamed the menu title for the action, so if you’re using the old keyboard shortcut it will not register. But with a little adjustment you’ll be able to use the Command+PP trick again for saving as PDF in no time.
How to Create a “Save as PDF” Keyboard Shortcut in macOS Ventura
In MacOS Ventura 13.0 or later, use the following trick to create and use a keyboard shortcut for Save as PDF:
- Click on the Apple menu in the upper left corner, and choose “System Settings”
- Choose “Keyboard” from the left side menu options
- Click on the “Keyboard Shortcuts” button
- Select ‘App Shortcuts’ from the menu options, then click on the [+] plus button to add a new shortcut
- For “Menu Title” type exactly “Save as PDF…” and yes it must include the three periods … on the end
- Now click into “Keyboard Shortcut” and press Command + P
- Click on “Add” to add the keyboard shortcut and you will see it in the list under All Applications
- Close out of System Settings
Now the ‘Save As PDF’ keyboard shortcut is set and it’s ready to be used.
You keyboard shortcut sequence you press will actually be very slightly different from what you set, in that you’ll press P twice. So despite setting Command+P, what you will actually press Command+P+P – just press the P key twice in a row quickly to activate the keyboard shortcut to Save as PDF.
This trick works because once you’re in the “Print” dialog box, hitting Command+P again will bring up the Save as PDF menu. So by pressing Command+P+P you are telling MacOS to go directly to the Save As PDF menu item.
Try it out yourself, on this webpage or from a document or iMessage window, hit Command+P+P and you will bring up the “Save As PDF” dialog box.
And there you have it, you’re now printing as PDF and saving PDF files through a keyboard shortcut on MacOS Ventura. Easy!
If you like this keyboard shortcut, you might also appreciate the ability to set a Save As keyboard shortcut on Mac like what used to exist in the old days of Mac file saving. You can also easily create a variety of other custom keyboard shortcuts through the Keyboard Shortcuts settings panel, so have at it.
Hi thanks for this but I have an issue with this new version… previously it would automatically have the webpages original title in it however now it is different and says “Creating a “Save as PDF” Keyboard Shortcut in MacOS Ventura”
how can we get it to automatically title the webpage its on? thanks
Is there a keyboard shortcut if we want to send a pdf in mail? Since you can no longer do that in Ventura, I was wondering if we can open the print screen and instead of saving it, we can make it pick send PDF in mail.
Thanks
I still have “Send in Mail” as an option in the pdf menu of the print dialog box. Was that perhaps a share option and not a print option?
Just as a side note: If you work in a language other than English you need to fill in the exact title as it appears in your menu under step 5. So e.g. in German it would be “Als PDF sichern…”
It didn’t work for me at all. I tried several times, but no luck. I have no idea why.
Doesn’t work for me either…
Ironically, using Monterey and Safari, I make a lot of PDFs from articles just like this – I change into reader mode so it’s not cluttered with adds, etc, and then Print/Save as PDF. Especially with this site, not all the graphics end up in my PDF, just the top ones under the title, making the saving of it pretty useless. I cannot see other settings that would enable all the graphics in the article make it into the PDF. Sorta defeats the purpose of saving it.
Ian, what you are experiencing is likely the result of a data saving mechanism in place with the serving of web images called “lazy loading”, which is that not all images on the page will appear until the article has been scrolled through. Assuming that is the case, then to print a PDF of the full article with images; scroll through the article first so they load in your active web browser window, and then place it into Reader Mode, and then save as a PDF.
Hope that helps!
Hi Paul – thanks for your reply. I do as you explain, wait for the images to load, but when I select print, then in the preview, the images are not shown, nor do they print. It seems to me that this issue is relatively recent, like the last couple of OSs – I cannot remember it as in issue previously. I’m wondering if maybe I’ve got too many tabs open in Safari.
Do you use any content blocking plugins? That could be messing with things too.
With webpages that use lazy-loading images (as most do), usually it’s necessary to scroll all the way to the bottom of the webpage so that everything loads into cache, then place the site into Reader Mode. Some things can get a little wonky if you have too many tabs open in any web browser and there’s an issue with available memory, but that shouldn’t cause the images not to load, and if/when it does the entire browser is really struggling at that point.
I’m using Chrome at the moment, and I can definitely replicate what you describe if I don’t scroll and pause at the bottom of the webpage for the images to lazy-load completely.
I will poke around with this and try to replicate the issue with Safari.
Thanks SO much for this fix, because I did notice this keyboard shortcut no longer worked since the Ventura update and I missed it very much. This tip made my Wednesday. 😊
Never mind it works, and here is a suggestion:
Step 7. Click Done
Step 7a. Click ADD or + button to see the command
Then Step 8 and remainder
Great Tip, much appreciated.
Dan Johnson
Realized there was a closed carrot so found it Thanks!
I love this, but there is no ADD button….not on my screen nor on your screen shots….I’d add a picture but this site doesn’t allow.
Any help appreciated !
Thanks
Only a Done button for me not a plus and it never saves. Is it not because command P is already a universal shortcut in all apps?
There is no “Keyboard Shortcuts” button, in your step 3.
I assure you there is a “Keyboard Shortcuts” button in the Keyboard preference panel of MacOS Ventura, though because of the redesign of System Settings from System Preferences, many users are unable to locate commonly used settings (myself included sometimes!). It is frustrating, I know.
Look again, closely.
It Works!
I use this technique for adding or changing shortcuts globally and for individual applications.
To make it easier, I use TextSniper to copy the menu item text, since you have to get it right.