An error message – it’s the worst thing you could experience when converting an important document. It’s probably happened to you before. You have a deadline to meet. You’re creating the document in your favorite word processor. It has to be converted to PDF before you hand it in or email it to your client. You convert the file. You try to open it. Failure. What do you do now?
Open The Original Document
Sometimes, it’s best to go back to the beginning. When you originally converted the document, it saved the original for you automatically – just in case. Well, now it’s time to go back to the drawing board and try it again. Open the original document.
Save As RTF
Select “file” in your word processor. Save the document as an RTF document. Why RFT? Because rich text documents tend to convert well. You can rename the file to almost anything you want from here.
Reopen The Document
Open the new RTF document you just created. Select “file” from the programme’s menu. Select “save as.” Another box should pop up. If you have the option to “save as” any document type, select “any file.”
Save As The Desired Document Format
Now it’s just a matter of manually typing in the file format you want. If you want to save a document as a PDF file, for example, you would type in “yourdocumentname.pdf.” The document should convert to the format you want.
Use A File Converter
A low-cost outsourced option is a file conversion service. These services are usually hosted online. One of the most well-known services is Zamzar, though there are several quite capable services out there. The only drawback is that conversions take time, there’s no guarantee as to when your document will be done, and you can’t store the document on the company’s servers.
You also might have trouble getting the file converted to the format you want. While many file types are supported, there are a few gaps that might prevent you from benefiting from the free service.
Use A Document Service
If you just can’t get things to work for you, it might be time to use a document management solutions company. These companies will scan your documents for you, convert them to the file type you want, and then give you access to the file anywhere you need it though a cloud-based storage system. Alternatively, you can use your own networked hard drive to store and access the finished file.
In most cases, the cost is minimal compared to the time you’ll spend dealing with a finicky word processor. Document services also make your life easier by organising every document you send them. They can add character recognition too – something that might be difficult for you to do on your own.
Character recognition, also known as OCR, allows your or someone else to edit, scan, and search the document after it’s been converted. This is handy when you’re creating a PDF file but want the ability to highlight text, or input fields after the document is saved.
Eric Jones has a passion for business productivity. He is a business technology consultant and his articles mainly appear on business blogs.
