Using default browser-specified styles when creating a web page

[JeremyD]

I'd like to create web pages in Word using the default HTML styles (e.g. <H1>, <H2>, <STRONG> etc), preferably so it's backward compatible down to html version 1 or 2.

I don't want to specify the font etc that the user's browser uses to display these styles -- I want the pages to be displayed using the browser's default styles, which can thus be set by the user

My reasons for doing this are that this produces the smallest possible web pages to reduce download time, and it allows the reader to use whatever font is easiest for her/him to read

Is there an easy way of doing this in Word, or will I end up having to type the html code myself?

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Jeremy

To get really pure HTML code from Word, follow these steps:

1. Use Word's built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2 etc). These
will convert to <H1>, <H2> etc when Word saves to HTML.

2. In later versions of Word, choose Tools > Options > General. Click
Web Options. In the list of browsers, choose IE3. Un-tick all the
options except "Disable features not supported by these browsers".

3. Use as little direct formatting as possible. Use bold and italics for
a word or two, but in general avoid direct formatting.

4. When you save your file, choose File > Save. In the Save as Type box,
choose Web Page Filtered. This gives the smallest HTML file that Word
can manage. But you won't be able to round-trip back to Word and retain
all Word's complex formatting.

5. Having saved the file, do Tools > Options. On the General tab, tick
Update automatic links at Open. Now, re-open the HTML file. When given
the choice, choose to open as a text file. Clean up any messy code you
don't need.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word
Melbourne, Australia

I'd like to create web pages in Word using the default HTML styles

I don't want to specify the font etc that the user's browser uses to

display these styles -- I want the pages to be displayed using the
browser's default styles, which can thus be set by the user.

My reasons for doing this are that this produces the smallest possible

web pages to reduce download time, and it allows the reader to use
whatever font is easiest for her/him to read.

Is there an easy way of doing this in Word, or will I end up having to

type the html code myself?

 

[JeremyD]

Thanks for that. It's a bit more complicated than I was hoping for, but still easier than typing all the html tags in a text editor.

Just one correction to your suggested procedure. In step 5. one needs to tick the "Confirm conversion at Open", not "Update automatic lnks at Open".

Thanks again.