Fix Missing Adobe PDF Creation Command in Excel on macOS Catalina
Question details
The user is unable to find the Adobe Acrobat PDF creation command in the Microsoft Excel top menu, preventing them from creating PDFs from multiple worksheets.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel, Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Device & OS
- macOS Catalina
- Scenario
- Attempting to create a single PDF file from multiple Microsoft Excel worksheets using Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- Observed behavior
- The Adobe Acrobat command or PDFMaker add-in is entirely missing from the top menu ribbon in Microsoft Excel.
Ensure that you have an active subscription for Adobe Acrobat Pro and verify that both Microsoft Excel and Acrobat are updated to their latest 64-bit versions to ensure compatibility with macOS Catalina.
Enable or Reinstall the Adobe PDFMaker Add-in in Excel
Check if the Adobe add-in is disabled in Excel's settings or requires a repair installation of Acrobat to restore functionality.
The Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker add-in integrates directly with Office applications. If it was disabled during an update or is experiencing a glitch, re-enabling it or repairing Acrobat will restore the missing command.
Open Microsoft Excel, navigate to 'Tools' in the top menu bar, and select 'Excel Add-ins'. Look for 'Acrobat PDFMaker' in the add-ins list.
If the Acrobat PDFMaker is listed but unchecked, check the box next to it and click 'OK'. Restart Microsoft Excel to see if the Adobe tab appears.
If the add-in is missing entirely, open Adobe Acrobat Pro, go to 'Help' in the top menu, and select 'Repair Installation' or 'Check for Updates' to restore the Office integration files.
Use macOS Native Print to PDF Feature
If the Adobe add-in remains incompatible, use the built-in macOS print dialogue to quickly save multiple worksheets as a PDF.
Easily Export Multiple Sheets to PDF Natively with WPS Office
Skip the hassle of missing third-party add-ins. WPS Office features a built-in, highly reliable PDF converter that allows you to seamlessly export entire workbooks directly into high-quality PDFs without needing Adobe Acrobat.
- 1. Open Your File in WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your existing Excel workbook containing the multiple sheets you want to convert.
- 2. Access the Export Tool: Navigate to the 'Menu' or 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and select the 'Export to PDF' option.
- 3. Select Multiple Sheets: In the export dialog box, choose the 'Entire Workbook' option or manually check the specific worksheets you wish to include in the document.
- 4. Save the PDF: Click 'Export' or 'Save' to immediately generate your PDF document locally without relying on external plugins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Acrobat PDFMaker tab disappear from Excel after updating to macOS Catalina?
macOS Catalina requires all applications and plugins to be 64-bit. If your Acrobat PDFMaker add-in or Office version was 32-bit, Catalina automatically disabled it. Updating both Microsoft Excel and Adobe Acrobat to their latest 64-bit versions usually resolves this.
Can I combine multiple Excel sheets into one PDF without Adobe Acrobat Pro?
Yes. You can use the native macOS 'Print to PDF' feature. Select multiple sheet tabs by holding Command while clicking them, go to File > Print, and choose 'Save as PDF' from the PDF dropdown menu at the bottom left.
How do I use the Adobe Document Cloud PDF add-in in Excel for Mac instead of PDFMaker?
To use the cloud service, go to Insert > Get Add-ins in the Excel ribbon. Search for 'Adobe Document Cloud' in the Office Store and click 'Add'. Once installed, you will need to sign in with your Adobe credentials to generate PDFs through the cloud service.
