How to Remove New Section and Page Text from a OneNote PDF Export
Question details
The user wants to prevent Microsoft OneNote from adding section names and page information to the footer when exporting notes to a PDF document.
- Product
- Microsoft OneNote
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Exporting or printing a note page or section to a PDF file.
- Observed behavior
- OneNote automatically embeds the section name and page text as a footer in the final exported or printed PDF file.
Before exporting your OneNote page, ensure your page formatting is finalized, as altering print settings may slightly adjust the overall document layout.
Disable Footers via Print Preview Settings
Modify the default print settings in OneNote to remove headers and footers before saving as a PDF.
OneNote's export function uses the application's underlying print mechanism to generate PDFs. By modifying the header and footer settings within the Print Preview menu, you can successfully remove unwanted section and page text from your final exported document.
In OneNote, click on 'File' in the top-left corner, select 'Print' from the sidebar menu, and then click on 'Print Preview'.
In the Print Preview dialog box, locate the 'Footer' dropdown option on the right side of the window and change it to 'None'.
Close the Print Preview window to save your preferences, then proceed to export or print your OneNote page or section to PDF. The resulting file will no longer display the section and page text at the bottom.
Edit Your Exported PDFs Easily with WPS Office
If you frequently export notes to PDF and need to make further adjustments, WPS Office is an excellent, fully-featured alternative. It allows you to seamlessly edit, annotate, and manage PDFs alongside your daily Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Install WPS Office for free on your Windows, Mac, or mobile device.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS PDF and open the OneNote PDF file you just exported.
- 3. Edit and Adjust: Use the 'Edit PDF' tools in the top ribbon to easily crop pages, remove stray footers, or add custom annotations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I permanently disable footers for all future OneNote PDF exports?
Yes. OneNote remembers your most recent Print Preview settings. Once you set the footer to 'None', it will remain disabled for subsequent prints and PDF exports until you manually re-enable it.
Why does OneNote add section and page names to PDFs by default?
OneNote is designed to keep your physical and digital prints organized. By default, it adds section names and page numbers as footers to help users easily identify and reorder multiple pages if they are printed on physical paper.
How can I remove the footer if I have already saved the PDF and deleted the original note?
If you only have the exported PDF left, you will need a dedicated PDF editor to remove the footer. You can open the file in WPS PDF, select the 'Edit Text' tool, and simply delete the footer text from the bottom of each page.
