Export a canvas to PDF

Export to PDF when a page canvas needs to become a stable file: an offline review copy, an archive, a client handoff, a meeting record, or a single package that replaces many screenshots and source files. The PDF follows the canvas page structure, selected page scope, page sizes, folded-page state, loaded media, visible theme, and quality setting at the time the export starts.

PDF export is not a backup of the editable canvas — it does not preserve edit history, live comments, roles, or the ability to rearrange content. Use Share a canvas when people need live access inside ALLO, Embed when the canvas should stay live in another website, and Download all images when the team needs image assets instead of a page-based document.

Availability

Before exporting

A PDF is a snapshot, so small canvas issues become durable file issues. Before you start:

• Check page order in the slide rail or overview — the PDF follows the page sequence.
• Unfold pages that should appear, and keep folded the ones that should stay out (facilitator notes, backups, old versions).
• Review page size, which affects PDF shape, margins, scaling, and mixed-size output; use Resize all canvas pages if every page should share one shape.
• Wait for large images, files, thumbnails, and previews to finish loading — export after the canvas looks correct, not while placeholders change.
• Check sensitive content. A PDF can leave ALLO, so remove private notes, internal pages, and customer data that should not travel with the file.

Export all or selected pages

Open the canvas header menu and choose Export to PDF, or open Share and use the Export tab. The form starts with All pages selected; keep it for the whole visible page flow, choose a quality level, confirm the recipient email list, and select Send.

For part of a canvas (a client-facing section, a handout, an appendix), uncheck All pages and enter print-style page numbers and ranges in the Pages field using the numbers people see in the page flow — for example 1-3, 1-3, 5, or 1-3, 5, 7-9. Values ALLO cannot read are ignored, and if the field is blank or none of the values are usable, the export falls back to all pages. The range is based on page numbers, not titles, so if the page order changes before you send, confirm the range again.

ALLO queues the PDF job and delivers it when processing finishes; larger canvases can take a few minutes, and you can watch progress in the canvas. The exported file name is based on the canvas name, so set a clear name before exporting an archive copy.

Choose quality

Use High for most review, archive, and handoff work; Maximum for dense diagrams, fine text inside images, or material that will be zoomed or printed; Standard when speed, file size, or email delivery matters more. Quality changes the rendered output but does not repair blurry source images, low-resolution screenshots, broken thumbnails, expired files, or text that was already too small on the canvas.

Links, access, and delivery

PDF export keeps useful links clickable where the object type and PDF reader support it — file objects, embeds, link buttons, and sub-canvas objects can create clickable areas. Treat clickable links as a convenience, not the only copy of important source material: they depend on file availability, workspace settings, plan and retention limits, destination permissions, and the recipient's PDF viewer. For formal delivery, include source files separately.

Treat the exported PDF as its own file. Once it leaves ALLO, access is governed by wherever it is stored or forwarded, and changing canvas permission later does not erase a PDF someone already received — so share a PDF with sensitive content only with people who should have that copy. A link inside the PDF can still require permission at the destination, so an exported PDF can stay readable while a linked ALLO file no longer opens because access changed, the file was deleted, retention removed it, or a signed download link expired. Email download links can expire; an Inbox Download PDF action can request a fresh path for users who still have canvas access, but the Inbox row alone is not permission to download again after access was revoked.

Delivery can appear as an email with a download action, an in-app notification when the PDF is ready, an Inbox item for users who can still access the canvas, or a failure notification. The export runs server-side after the request is accepted, so the modal can close, but keeping the canvas open helps you see progress and recover if the job fails.

Troubleshooting

• Export to PDF is missing. Check whether the canvas is a freeform whiteboard (no page-based export); if it is a page canvas, check permission, plan support, and workspace download restrictions. If the Export tab is missing from Share, the canvas may support sharing but not PDF export.
• The PDF is missing a page. Check the selected page range, folded pages, and page order. Unfold pages that should appear, then export again.
• A page looks cropped or scaled. Check page size, mixed page dimensions, automatic height, and whether the page was too wide or tall for the output.
• Images or previews look wrong. Confirm media finished loading or processing; export does not fix unfinished uploads or broken thumbnails.
• A link in the PDF does not open. Check destination permission, deleted or expired files, plan or retention limits, and the PDF reader. Open the canvas or file directly to confirm the source still exists.
• A recipient cannot download from email. The link may have expired or been blocked by their email client; ask them to open ALLO and check Inbox if they have access, or resend.
• Export fails. Retry once after refreshing and waiting for media to load. If it fails again, see Fix a failed canvas export and send support the canvas link, export time, page range, quality, app, and whether the failure affects all pages or one page.