Best file format for wide distribution

[Iconoclast]

I would like to make a Word 2002 document available to a large number of
persons. Many of these people do not have MS Word on their computer. What
would be the best file format to distribute this document in?

Plain text would not be suitable because I would lose bookmarks, besides, it
is difficult to read.

How about .rtf. ? (I guess, I would have to insert bookmarks before I
convert the .doc to .rtf). Can anyone with a basic word processor open an
..rtf file with bookmarks?

Thanks for any input

 

[Rob Schneider]

I would like to make a Word 2002 document available to a large number of
persons. Many of these people do not have MS Word on their computer. What
would be the best file format to distribute this document in?

Plain text would not be suitable because I would lose bookmarks, besides, it
is difficult to read.

How about .rtf. ? (I guess, I would have to insert bookmarks before I
convert the .doc to .rtf). Can anyone with a basic word processor open an
.rtf file with bookmarks?

Thanks for any input

Take the plunge, buy Adobe Acrobat, and distribute as a PDF file. Most
every machine can read PDF files.

 

[Iconoclast]

Thanks, Rob

Adobe Acrobat is "only" $ 455. I might consider using it, but I can't even
find out if it will preserve bookmarks when converting from .doc to .pdf.

 

[Rob Schneider]

I'm inferring from your domain that you are in California USA. Amazon
has Adobe Acrobat Standard available for $274. I'm sure that there are
also good deals at the computer stores in California which I know are
huge and well stocked.

Acrobat will install macros into Word which give a whole lot of things,
including translating Headings and cross references into links in Adobe.
My hunch is it's exactly what you want. Frankly, I'm not sure what
you mean by "bookmarks" only because bookmarks are things that cross
references "point" to. I think you mean you want cross references. See
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatstd/main.html for details.

There are less expensive ways to get a tool to make PDF files. Search
this newsgroup for "Adobe" for where this has been discussed before.
Some just make PDF's with little bells and whistles.

 

[lostinspace]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Iconoclast" <>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.word.docmanagement
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 3:41 PM
Subject: Re: Best file format for wide distribution

Thanks, Rob

Adobe Acrobat is "only" $ 455. I might consider using it, but I can't even
find out if it will preserve bookmarks when converting from .doc to .pdf.

There's a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro/tryout.html
Also, someplace there is a page to convert other file types to Acrobat for
free. Thought I had it bookmarked, unfrotuantely, canot find it.

 

[Tsu Dho Nimh]

I would like to make a Word 2002 document available to a large number of
persons. Many of these people do not have MS Word on their computer. What
would be the best file format to distribute this document in?

PDF ... it is platform independent and the readre is free.

How about .rtf. ? (I guess, I would have to insert bookmarks before I
convert the .doc to .rtf). Can anyone with a basic word processor open an
.rtf file with bookmarks?

I think that RTF strips the bookmarks and macros and fields - you
should try one and see what happens.

It depends on the recipient ... they might not be running Windows
or have any word processing software at all.

Tsu Dho Nimh

 

[Tsu Dho Nimh]

Thanks, Rob

Adobe Acrobat is "only" $ 455. I might consider using it, but I can't even
find out if it will preserve bookmarks when converting from .doc to .pdf.

Take a better plunge: www.openoffice.org has an office package
that can write PDF files.

Cost: $0.00 (free, open source, GPL!)

I believe that bookmarks can be presreved: I haven't tried it.

Tsu Dho Nimh

 

[Chuck Davis]

Do a search for win2pdf. It's free and it works. It will
create a final page on your document stating that the pdf
was created by Win2PDF.

 

[Rob Schneider]

Take a better plunge: www.openoffice.org has an office package
that can write PDF files.

Cost: $0.00 (free, open source, GPL!)

I believe that bookmarks can be presreved: I haven't tried it.

Tsu Dho Nimh

I use OpenOffice. It makes great PDF files, and both Open Office and
it's way of making PDF files are good. However, Open Office does not
have the capability to include all the cross references *pointing* to
bookmarks that the OP apparently wants.

Another good free way to make PDF files from Word is Ghostscript. It
makdes higher quality PDF's than Acrobat, in some cases. However, it
does not have the extra functionality to integrate with Word to create a
PDF with all "bells and whistles" that OP seems to want.

(Bookmarks by themselves are invisible in Word and don't export to
anything ... it's the pointers to Bookmarks I think OP wants).

 

[Rob Schneider]

Win2PDF doesn't, far as I know, including the "bells and whistles" of
Acrobat's Word integration (provided as a Word Macro) that the OP is
looking for. Win2PDF sells a version for $35 which does not have the
marker. Win2PDF seems to provide capability only to make a PDF file.
That's easy. Many ways to do it and do it free without the 'marker'.
The harder thing thing to do is make a doc with Adobe PDF booksmarks,
cross references, etc. automatically, from Word and that is only
available (far as I know) with Adobe Acrobat. I've been tempted to
write and sell/release one myself, but it would be way to much work and
would have to charge too much money (and thus not be competative) to
recoup investment.