I was asked to help someone create a pdf file.
They did not like using the one in docs.google.com or openoffice as they both ended up mangling the .xls file that was being converted.
We ended up using cutepdf. This allowed you to just print from the file as you normally would, but you end up using the cutepdf printer as the device you print to. This then creates the .pdf file wherever you want to put it on your hard drive.
My tip to you for today.