How to convert Excel file to PDF with Python

Describes how to convert an Excel sheet to PDF using Python.
There seem to be many libraries for manipulating Excel files in Python, but this time I will use a module called win32com.

win32com can handle Windows COM objects. Just like using COM objects in Excel VBA.

Environment

• Windows 10
• Microsoft Excel 2016
• Python 3.6.2

Install

win32com is not included by default, so install it.

pip install pywin32

Now you can do import win32com.

Convert Excel file to PDF

I prepared the pre-conversion Excel file (I just brought an Excel template).
One sheet is a calendar for one month, and there are 12 sheets (one year).
Convert this to a single PDF file.

To convert an Excel file to PDF, simply operate Excel from win32com, open the file and save it as PDF.

The following is a sample program.

import win32com.client
from pywintypes import com_error


# Path to original excel file
WB_PATH = r'C:\hoge\fuga\YearCalendar.xlsx'
# PDF path when saving
PATH_TO_PDF = r'C:\hoge\fuga\YearCalendar.pdf'


excel = win32com.client.Dispatch("Excel.Application")

excel.Visible = False

try:
    print('Start conversion to PDF')

    # Open
    wb = excel.Workbooks.Open(WB_PATH)

    # Specify the sheet you want to save by index. 1 is the first (leftmost) sheet.
    ws_index_list = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
    wb.WorkSheets(ws_index_list).Select()

    # Save
    wb.ActiveSheet.ExportAsFixedFormat(0, PATH_TO_PDF)
except com_error as e:
    print('failed.')
else:
    print('Succeeded.')
finally:
    wb.Close()
    excel.Quit()

All 12 sheets are specified and exported to a PDF file.

The output PDF is as follows.

I was able to create PDF more easily than I expected.
It is interesting that there are many other possibilities.

Reference

See also

• Worksheet.ExportAsFixedFormat method (Excel)
• Excel VBA reference

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