Author: Offdrive

apple presentations

Tips for Getting Started When Using Keynote for Apple Presentations

Posted on | by Offdrive

Are you interested in using Keynote for an upcoming presentation? Many find that they prefer this presentation platform over others, but only once they’ve mastered how to use it. 

When getting started with this tool, there are some tips and tricks you should keep in mind to design your presentation with ease. If you want to learn how to use Apple presentations to create professional and polished slides, keep reading. 

1. Start Simple 

Keynote is made for those who want to create sleek and somewhat minimal slides. You will likely notice this right away, as the slide designs available are quite simple.

You don’t have to follow this design style if you don’t want to. However, it could help move your presentation creation along with ease.

The more simplistic slides, the less room for distraction. This also makes it easier for audience members to read and better understand your slide’s content. To make it easier on yourself, use the master Apple presentation slides option, which allows you to use themed slides for a cohesive presentation. 

You can use different slides from each theme for different content purposes. You’ll notice that each slide within a master theme has its own title which refers to its potential use.

For example, you’ll see a title slide, a slide for images, and a slide for bullet points. This allows you to plug in your content with ease. 

2. Explore Templates 

While Keynote does come with about 30 templates, you don’t have to limit yourself to them. If you can’t find a template that works for your presentation within Keynote, you can download templates elsewhere. Finding an external template could help you get a presentation design that is more in line with your personality or presentation style. 

Sources like Envato Element can help you find a more ideal template option for you, as they have other 5,000 template types available for download. These templates are made specifically for Keynote. For this reason, these external templates are just as easy to use as Keynote’s, allowing you to plug in your content quickly. 

These templates are expertly designed, making it easy for those who don’t have the time or knowledge to create slides from scratch. 

3. Utilize Available Graphics 

A great tool to utilize withing Keynote is its graphics and charts feature. It will allow you to easily incorporate professional visual aids when you need to show things like company growth, or demographic types.

These can be accessed on the right of the toolbar. Scrolling onto this tool will present you with tons of different options for data. You can drag charts from here and place them into your slides for the correct placement.

To enter data into your graph or chart, click into the graphic and type. There is also a table entry option that you can use to enter your data when necessary.

This tool is great because it is easy to customize, and also offer robust design. The graphics are made to be easy to read and understand, with clean lines. Experiment with this feature by using the 2-D and 3-D options as well as one of their interactive formats. 

Besides graphs and charts, there are also flowcharts and timelines available to plug into your slides. 

4. Nail Keynote Presentation Tools 

To make sure you can present as professionally as possible using Keynote, you should take some time to explore and practice the platform’s presentation tools. For example, you should test out the multiple presenter view tool, which can make it easier for you to present to your audience. You can add notes to your view and format them with tons of different layout options. 

When organizing your notes, consider using the outline or object list tools. These will allow you to see an outline of your presentation, allowing you to view what’s next for smooth transitions. 

When organizing your presentation, use the light table view. This view option will allow you to see all of your slides laid out at once. This can help you figure out the best flow of your presentation, as you can rearrange slides to areas where the ideas presented may feel more appropriate. 

It’s especially easy to access these tools, as they are all available from the view menu. Play around with different presentation tools and methods to find one that works best for you. 

5. Easy Sharing 

Keynote was made with easy sharing in mind. This allows for easy collaboration and allows you to access your presentation without needing a thumb drive. This is a great tool to use if your working with a team to create your presentation or if you hope to share your presentation with your audience to reference after your talk. 

There are many different share options, from email and text message to using Airdrop or a link to access the presentation file. Some of these options will also allow you to set special permissions to the file, such as who can edit and who can view. 

This is a great tool for anyone hosting a virtual presentation, as you can use the Keynote Live feature to invite up to 100 people to view your talk and your slides.

Tips for Master Keynote Apple Presentations  

As you can see, there are tons of reasons why using Keynote Apple Presentations is worth it. Keep these tips and tricks in mind when your first experimenting with this tool. Use the functions within Keynote to create a clean, professional, and successful presentation that is sure to impress. 

Are you looking for a free presentation file conversion tool? Explore our site for endless options today. 

file extensions

Most Commonly Used File Extensions

Posted on | by Offdrive

There are a lot of file extensions out there.

A lot.

EXE. PNG. PDF. DOCX. Just to name some of the most common.

If you aren’t sure what those acronyms mean, it can be pretty daunting to figure it out.

Luckily, most files tend to be one of just a handful of extensions. We’re going to break down a few of the most common extension you’ll run across.

What Is a File Extension?

A file extension is a small acronym at the end of a file’s name, that tells both the user and the device what kind of file it is.

A device can’t read a file without an extension, so you’ll find one of these on anything you do on a computer, phone, or any other device.

There are a lot of different file extensions out there, for pretty much anything you can imagine. We’re going to look at the most common types of files, and break down the most common extensions in each one.

Image/Video File Extensions

These are some of the most common file types around, and for good reason. Images and videos make up a huge chunk of our digital experience, particularly online. 

There are a lot of different types of these files, but there are a few common ones that will pop up regularly.

The two most common image files are PNG and JPG. These two extensions mean that the file you are looking at is a picture of some kind. Generally, PNG will be the more common of the two, but both are regularly found across the internet.

For video files, the most common types you will generally run into are MP4, WMV, and AVI. Of these, the MP4 and WMV are probably the most common.

The MP4 format is the default format used by Apple devices to store video data. The WMV format, on the other hand, is the most common video format for Windows devices.

In fact, WMV stands for Windows Media Video.

Finally, AVI is another very common video format. Like the WMV format, it was created by Microsoft and comes standard on Windows devices, which makes it a commonly encountered type of video file.

The final format we’re going to talk about here is the GIF. GIF files can be viewed as a sort of mixture of the two.

While GIFs can be used to store still images, their most common use on the internet is for short, animated images. Most of the time, if you run across a GIF, it’s going to be an animation.

In fact, video files can even be converted to GIFs directly.

Audio File Extensions

Audio files are used to store bits of sound, music, and other audio.

There are as many formats for audio storage as there are for images. Thankfully, when it comes to audio, there are a couple that stand out above the rest.

The first of these is the MP3. Not to be confused with the aforementioned MP4, an MP3 file only stores audio, not video.

This is probably the most common audio file extension on the internet because it can be used on both Windows and Apple devices immediately. This makes it extremely widespread today, because it ensures the widest audience possible.

Still, there are other audio files in use. The other most common audio extension is the WAV file.

This file, which gets its name from the waveform data that it uses, is widely seen as well. It can be read by Windows Media Player and iTunes, which makes it another very common choice.

Text File Extensions

Text file extensions are generally the easiest to understand. These tend to be the kinds of files that people deal with the most often.

Still, there are several different extensions out there.

The simplest is the TXT file. Short for text, it is the simplest and most basic type of text file available. It is the default format that is saved by Microsoft Notepad, for example.

Because it is so simple, it can be read by most text editing software.

Next, we have DOC and DOCX files. Both of these come from Microsoft Word, but despite their similar names, there is a difference between the two.

If you see a DOCX file, that means it was written with a version of Microsoft Word from 2007 or later.

Before 2007, Word documents were saved as DOC files. But after Microsoft Word 2007, the extension was changed to DOCX, because of changes in the way they store data.

Finally, we have the RTF extension. Short for Rich Text Format, it is a common extension because it is compatible across many different platforms and operating systems.

Executable File Extensions

Executable files are what you click on when you open a program. They are the files that tell the computer what to run.

Generally, these are going to be the proprietary format for whatever operating system the program was designed to run on.

For Windows, that means EXE, short for executable. For macOS, that means APP, short for application.

However, there are a few other executable types, such as COM, which is used for DOS command files, or APK, an Android program file.

However, these extensions are relatively rare to see for most people. Generally, your executable extensions will either be EXE or APP files, depending on your operating system.

File Extensions Made Easy

This was a rundown of just some of the most common file extensions you’re likely to encounter. Going over every single extension that’s out there would take days, if it’s even possible.

This list should prepare you to better navigate and understand the most common kinds of files.

Of course, sometimes you need to convert a file from one kind to another, like converting a video to a GIF, for example.

Using our free file converter makes this process easy. And now that we’ve gone over what the extensions represent, the process is even easier.

So if you have a file you need to convert, use this knowledge and our converter to make your files work the way you need them to.

can't send or open a file

Time to Troubleshoot! What to Do When You Can’t Send or Open a File

Posted on | by Offdrive

So, you can’t open a file. 

This is truly one of the most frustrating experiences when you are using your computer. Not only can it be time-consuming to figure out why the file is not opening, but it can even be because of a small error. 

In some cases, if you cannot open a file, you may need to convert it. File conversion is in order when a file just will not send or open. It could be because it’s too large, or only a general error. 

Want to learn more? It’s time to troubleshoot! Here’s what you can do when you can’t send or open a file. Additionally, here is how to make this conversion and what other steps you can take. 

Can’t Send or Open a File? Know the Limits

In the case of file sizing in emails, size matters. 

If a file is too large, it will not be able to be sent to the recipient. This can cause miscommunication between you and the people on the other end. 

An excellent way to fix this is first to know the file limits for each email provider. Generally, the file limit is around 25 MB for Gmail and Ymail and under 20 MB for Outlook. 

For example, if you have Gmail and have a 23 MB image, it will not send to a recipient who is using outlook. 

So, what can you do in this situation?

You can always zip the file. Zipping a file allows for large content to be compressed, or for you to send a lot of data in one sitting. To zip a file, all you have to is right-click the file you wish to zip and select “Compress.”

This will convert your data into a zip format, and you should be able to send it.

Learn the Different Types of Document File Names 

On the flip side, sometimes you are the recipient and are unable to receive an email. Sometimes this can be due to an unknown file name. In this case, it is always best to familiarize yourself with different file types, so you know what you should be looking at. 

Some files require different software, and the reason you are unable to open it is that you do not have said software. In this case, always scrutinize what is being sent to you and make sure it is legitimate. 

Use Cloud-Based Services for Sending Large Attachments

Obviously, having the file saved locally is always optimal. 

However, cloud services are useful for sending data that is too large. For example, in Gmail, you can link your Google Drive and pull information from there into the body of the email. This allows you to send various files while avoiding the attachment limits. 

Additionally, software like Dropbox allows you to share large attachments with various people all in one streamlined setting. This is great because it will not take up space locally, and you can access it whenever you need to. 

Check Your Antivirus Software

Though antivirus software is great, it can also block information that is earnestly being sent to you. For example, if a person who has not emailed you before is sending you a file, your antivirus software may see that as a red flag and literally flag it on your computer. 

This makes it difficult to open, and even sometimes may end up in spam inbox. A good workaround is to change your permissions on the antivirus software and make sure that you can access large files being sent to you. 

In some cases, you may have to disable the firewall of protection altogether. If this is the case, just allow permissions for this file to be accessible, and then you can enable the firewall for your protection. 

The File Could Be Corrupt

In some cases, a file can be corrupted. This means that somewhere along in the saving or converting process, something went wrong and caused an issue. Sometimes this can be a simple fix, like having the sender see if it is visible on their end and then resend it to you. 

Other times, the file could have been corrupted way before you were on the receiving end. 

Check Your Computer or Applications for Updates

Software updates can sometimes be a cure.

Sometimes, your computer just needs an update. If a file is dependent on newer software, this could be the reason why it is not sendable or cannot be opened. Additionally, the application you are using may need to be updated as well. 

The best way to be sure is to check the settings of your computer and make sure it is on the latest software. By the same token, check the Gmail application or browser you are using and make sure that no cache or software glitch can be going on that could hinder the file from being sent or received. 

Fix Your File Issues

If you can’t send or open a file, with these tips and tricks, you are on your way to fixing your file issues. 

From knowing what type of files to look for and making sure your firewall is not blocking it, to understanding the limitations of file size, you now know the things to look out for when sending and receiving files. 

If you want to learn more about how to convert files or want to learn more about technology and software, check out our blog for more information.

pdf

PDF: The World’s Most Important File

Posted on | by Offdrive

For almost three decades, the Adobe Portable Document Format or PDF continues to be one of the most enduring file formats in the world. From private individuals to corporate entities, they all use PDF to create and share documents. 

People opened around 250 billion PDFs in 2018 alone. This unwavering popularity of the software proves that the PDF is here to stay for a very long time.

But how exactly did the PDF become the world’s most important file? What are the key benefits and advantages it offers to businesses of all sizes? 

Continue reading below as we take a closer look at the PDF and why you need it in your business.

Superb Security

Of the many qualities of the PDF file, the most appealing is the level of security it offers. For starters, you can assign a password to your PDF file. This is vital since hackers can steal valuable data from companies anytime they want.

Recent studies revealed that 43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses.

By assigning passwords to your PDF files, hackers will have a hard time stealing sensitive information from you.

Also, the PDF software lets you limit and restrict the people who can access your PDF files. You can assign the actions that they can perform on the files. You can set certain people to view and edit your files while others can only do the former.

Consistent Format

Another characteristic that makes PDFs appealing is its consistent format. This means the format of your files will not change whenever you send them from your computer to another. 

For example, when people send Word documents, the receiver who opens the file using their smartphone may see the Word document differently from its original format. When this happens, confusion from both ends will arise. 

This happens frequently when you send files containing graphs and graphics. Thus, when you use the PDF, the formatting remains the same across all receiving platforms.

It also allows the integration of content. You can add videos, graphics, animations, and images without messing up the format.

Additionally, you will enjoy this consistency when you print out the documents.

The PDF and Its Ubiquity

Apart from consistency in format, the PDF software also offers ubiquity. This means the format is available for creating and receiving wherever you may be.

It doesn’t matter if you’re sending the PDF files to a friend or receiving one from a business client. The PDF files are viewable and shareable with much ease.

Furthermore, the PDF works regardless of the operating system you are using. Are you a Mac or Windows PC user? Do you own an iPhone or an Android tablet? 

Expect your PDF files to work across all your devices. 

Smaller File Size

When it comes to efficiency, the PDF also excels. Compared to other popular formats, the PDF’s file size is smaller and more compact. This means it will not require that much in terms of hard drive space. 

The PDF can compress high-quality files into smaller ones. Since you have a more compact file in hand, it becomes easier to share anywhere without compromising its quality and integrity. 

This advantage works best if your business involves bulks of documents most of the time. 

Additionally, this will benefit individuals who have limited hard drive space. If you don’t have the budget to increase your hard drive space, using PDF files will not become a burden in your current predicament.

Enduring

As we mentioned earlier, the PDF is one of the most enduring file formats to date. And it is likely going to stay that way for a long time. Hence, investing in PDF software will give you a remarkable return on investment.

Because everybody uses it, it means the software and your files will not be in jeopardy of disappearing. 

The Different Uses of PDF

Now that we tackled the advantages of using PDF, let us now look at its different uses. First, you should use PDF when putting up online content. PDF is your best bet if you want to publish an online version of your latest product catalogs and manuals.

Because PDF retains the format of your high-quality documents, they will come out with the same look when you publish them online. Furthermore, the PDF software allows you to place bookmarks and table of contents. This feature will make your online documents more helpful to your audience.

Does your business involve ultra-sensitive files like legal documents and contracts? Then converting your files to PDF is paramount. Doing so will secure your documents and protect their integrity from any alterations. 

And in case the need arises, you can also convert your PDF files to Word and other file formats. 

PDF Editors to Consider

Sometimes, you will need to apply some minor tweaks to your PDF files. But how do you do it? By using some of the best PDF editors available. 

If you want a cloud-based PDF editor, Smallpdf is one of your best bets. It features a simple user interface that packs a punch. This editor lets you add images and texts to your PDF documents.

It also supports online signing and lets you add comments to your PDFs. Additionally; you can convert your PDF files to Word using this tool.

If you want something that comes with optical character recognition (OCR), go for the PDF-XChange Editor. This OCR feature is most helpful when working on a PDF document that is originally a photocopy. The OCR recognizes the characters, which you can edit in turn. 

But if you’re working in smaller PDF files, PDFescape is your best friend. The tool allows you to edit small PDF files either through a desktop or online.

It also lets you add clickable URLs and freehand notes to your documents.

Convert Your Files to PDF for Free, Today!

Now that you know the value of the PDF, you should start converting your files to PDF today. But if you’re looking for the best PDF converters, then you came to the right place. 

Check out our tools and start converting your documents to PDF for free! You can also read up about more conversion procedures, like this one tackling how to convert Google Docs to Word.

Posted in PDF
converting pdfs to images

Converting PDFs to Images in 9 Simple Steps

Posted on | by Offdrive

Did you know that over 2.2 billion PDF files are on the public web?

If you’re using PDF files too, you’ll be quite familiar with its versatility and ease of printing. But for whatever reason, you might need to convert PDFs to images. If you have no experience in doing conversions, you’ll end up botching it.

Don’t feel discouraged yet. We’re here to show you the ropes.

With this guide, you’ll start converting PDFs to images with our converter. Read on and learn how:

1. Go to Our Homepage

The conversion process will start when you access our homepage. Here, you’ll see a lot of conversion methods. We arranged these file conversions by file type, whether it’s converting images to PDF or converting PDF to images.

With this, you’ll have a one-stop-shop for all your file conversion needs. Don’t hesitate and bookmark our website. That way, you can pull it up whenever you want to convert file types.

2. Select Convert PDF to JPG

In this guide, we’re going to use the JPEG format for the resulting image. To access this file converter, look for the “Convert PDF to Images” section. There, you’ll see the PDF to JPG option.

Click on that if you want your resulting file to be a JPEG image. This file type is a bitmap compression format, which sees common use for lossy compression. Its ratio of compression can range from 10:1 to 20:1.

You can adjust the compression ratio when using JPEG for your files. It’s a great feature since you can choose how the storage size and quality get balanced. That’s why it’s a common format used by photo-sharing devices and digital cameras.

JPG vs. PNG

PNG is a file extension often seen in browsers and various operating systems. Unlike JPG, this file format supports lossless compression. It’s a raster graphics format, designed to work best in online viewing apps like web browsers.

Compared to JPG, you can adjust the transparency or opacity of PNG images. The former will retain either a white or blank background as its default. For PNG, it supports both 24-bit RGB and 32-bit RGBA colors.

Even as lossless compression, PNGs appear smaller when viewed on the web. It’s because its common use is for simple images like illustrations. That’s why if your PDF file depicts an artwork, not a photograph, PNG is the better choice.

3. Upload the File

After getting to clicking the option, you’ll get transferred to the next page. Here, you’ll see a green Browse button. Click on it and find the file name of your desired PDF before pressing Open.

4. Pass the Captcha System

Captcha is a system created at Carnegie Mellon University in 2000. It’s an acronym for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”. Its primary function is to protect websites from spamming bots and other underworld computer practices.

A person with enough coding skills can write programs that can sign up millions of accounts in a single day. With Captcha, it’s preventable since computers aren’t as good as humans when reading warped text. According to Google, people solve around 200 million Captchas each day.

The good news is that our Captcha system can be as easy as clicking a checkbox confirming that you aren’t a robot. When prompted for puzzles, complete them before you can start the conversion process.

5. Click Convert File

After accomplishing the Captcha check, this button will appear. Click on it to start converting the file. It will show you the progress bar for your file conversion. The good news is that the conversion will only last for a few seconds.

6. Save File As

When the conversion completes, you’ll get a message saying that the conversion is successful. You’ll see two buttons: Download Now and Convert More Files. Choose the former to automatically download the JPG version of your PDF file.

7. Convert More Files

Clicking this button, you’ll return to our homepage. With this, you can start converting to other file types once more. That way, you can also try converting your PDF file into PNG and see whether it looks better than JPEG.

8.  Running Into Errors

Our file converter can convert files as long as you choose the right conversion method. Otherwise, you’ll get error messages. But the good news is that it’s easy to rectify this since all you need is to press the “Start Over” button to restart the process and pick either the right file type or conversion.

9.  Got No Space?

If you’re having problems with your file conversion, it might be because of low disk space. In this case, consider cleaning your hard drive. Take note, the complexity and flexibility of computers mean that lots of data can end up on your hard disk.

Here are some tips on how to clear out your hard drive:

Empty Your Trash

It seems obvious for most people, that’s why it’s the first step. In case you forgot to clear out your recycle bin, now is the time to do so. It’s possible to free up enough space for your converted file, but it’s unlikely to solve the entire problem.

Clear Your Download Folder

Regardless of your PC, download folders often get clogged by the files you hoard. If you have files you don’t need anymore, it’s time to let them go. It’s especially important if you have backups of it in social media or cloud storage anyway.

It’s easy to do since your File Explorer has a shortcut for your Downloads folder. Look through these files and toss them out. If you use the internet all the time, you’ll likely get surprised by the number of files you can delete.

Start Converting PDFs to Images Today!

These are the steps necessary when you’re converting PDFs to images. Use these to make your file conversion process easier.

Did you find this guide informative? If so, read our guide here and learn how to convert Google Docs to Word. It’s a comprehensive guide if you’re using both platforms for your word processing needs.

Posted in PDF
how to create a powerpoint presentation

How to Create a Powerpoint Presentation That’ll Wow Your Audience

Posted on | by Offdrive

Do you have an upcoming PowerPoint presentation for your class or job? If so, then you’re probably looking for ideas on how to make it stand out above the crowd.

You want something that’s going to draw everyone in. Something that will keep your clients, classmates, employees engaged while you spit out the facts.

Luckily, there are several things you can do to create a powerful presentation that will help people retain the information. The more info they process, the more successful it will be.

Here’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation that people will enjoy. All your spectators will sing high praises after you’re finished!

1. Focus on Content First

It might sound silly, but the harsh reality is that too many people focus on the slides on their PowerPoint presentation, and not enough on the actual content in them. Doing so can create a slideshow that feels monotonous or generic.

The focus of creating a powerful PowerPoint slideshow should always be to deliver groundbreaking content. Consider your presentation like a hot dog. People don’t eat a hot dog for the bun, the eat it for the tasty ballpark frank that’s in between.

Perform a thorough research on your content, then configure different ways to present that content. You can use things like pictures, videos, and infographics to pair with the copy on each slide. 

The more you diversify your content, the more engaged your audience will be throughout the presentation. Focusing on your content before creating your slides is one of many helpful PowerPoint tricks to guarantee a successful presentation.

2. Keep the Same Theme

While you want to make sure and diversify your content delivery, the one thing you don’t want to change is your presentation’s theme.

Using the same background is imperative because it manages the expectations of your audience from slide to slide. Constantly changing the theme can become a distraction for your presentation.

Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. If you’re watching a PowerPoint presentation and the background changes on a new slide, will you be focusing on the new background or the content that’s on it? Most likely you’ll focus on the former.

Find a theme that gels well with your presentation, then use it for the entirety of your slideshow. You might consider creating your theme to capture the right tone.

3. Integrate Questions to Ask Your Spectators

Have you ever had a college professor that was constantly picking different students and asking them questions? Why do they ask their students easy questions that they already know the answer to? Because they’re trying to keep you engaged.

Many people have this same philosophy when creating their PowerPoint presentations for clients, students, and coworkers. It encourages conversation in the room. It also takes less of the pressure off of you.

If you want the room to start raising their hands and ask questions as you go along with your slideshow, then asking them questions can break the ice. Then everyone will understand that you’re looking to generate conversation, not just present facts.

4. Stay True to Yourself

If you’re truly looking for a way to help your presentation wow your audience, then you’ll want to keep a personable tone. The best way to keep the tone personable is by constructing the presentation as you would normally talk.

This will also help you avoid using industry jargon that will confuse your audience more than it helps them. Using terms your audience won’t understand is as helpful as teaching a group of 5-year-olds about mutual bonds… it won’t accomplish anything.

There’s a reason your boss, professor, or client asked you to do the presentation. They want to hear your thoughts and learn about the research that you’ve found… not the thoughts and research of Wikipedia.

If you step up to the podium and start presenting your PowerPoint in a tone or manner they don’t recognize, it will seem disingenuine. Keep the tone relatable and light. Try to install some humor in your presentation as well to take the edge off!

5. Control The Amount of Content Per Slide

Remember, just because the PowerPoint slide is a certain slide, doesn’t mean it’s meant to be completely filled with your content. You’d rather have more slides with less content, than more content with fewer slides.

If you put too much content on one slide, it will overwhelm your audience and turn them off. It’s almost like when you receive a text that’s paragraphs long. You don’t want to read it, and even if you do, you don’t process everything the person said.

For that reason, it’s crucial to aim for 5 or 6 lines maximum on each slide. Be sure to give it proper spacing so that each line is clear and concise.

You’ll also want to limit the copy content so that you can integrate things like pictures, videos, and infographics. If there’s a portion of your copy that you want to ensure your audience retains, then place it on a separate slide.

How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation That Blows Your Audience Away

Now that you’ve seen how to create a PowerPoint presentation that will take your class or business by storm, it’s time to get to work!

Be sure to read this article on how to convert PDF to Word, as well as other formats, for the content on your presentation.

Whenever you need help converting files quickly and efficiently, be sure to use our services for the best results!

saved files

Where Are My Files? 7 Tips For Finding and Storing Saved Files That You Don’t Want to Lose

Posted on | by Offdrive

Picture the scene: you’ve been looking for those saved files for a long time, you need them for work, and this is seriously hampering your productivity. That’s not a situation anyone needs.

Maybe you’re looking for those perfect pictures or that .doc you converted to a .pdf. It doesn’t matter what kind of files you’re looking for: we can help you find them. 

If you’re tired of looking for those files that you’re sure that you know you saved, keep reading. We’ve got the solutions you need.

1. Check the Default Save Destinations

All applications have a location where they save their files. This is where you should begin your search. For example, Microsoft Word will automatically save documents to the “My Documents” folder. 

If you don’t normally go to these folders, you can change the default save location in moments. This way, you can set the program to save to your folder of choice, instead of the default.

If you’d like to save somewhere specific, remember to use the “save as” command, located in the drop-down File menu. This will let you save your document wherever you like and in a variety of formats.

2. Take Advantage of the Search Feature

If you’re having trouble finding a specific file, we recommend using the search bar. Located in the bottom-left of the screen on Windows 10, you can use the search function to find any file on your computer.

Note that you will need to know the name of your file or at least one or two words from it if you hope to find it. 

On macOS, you can use the Spotlight feature to find individual files. 

3. Look at Recent Documents

If you’re looking for spreadsheets, documents, or slideshows, your office software can help you. Under the File command, you will see an option for loading recent documents.

On Microsoft Office, this comes under the dedicated “recent” button on the file menu. On other office software, like LibreOffice, you should see a “recent documents/spreadsheets/etc” function under the file menu. 

If you were recently working on the file in question, this will be able to help you find it.

4. Pin Useful Folders

On Windows 10, you can bookmark folders that you often go back to, making them quicker to access. This feature, called Quick Access, can save you a lot of time when you’re searching for a particular folder.

To find Quick Access, load up File Explorer. On the left-hand side, you’ll see a little blue star icon: this is Quick Access. Windows automatically puts folders that you go to a lot into this section, so check here for any lost saved files.

If you want to pin a certain folder to Quick Access, it couldn’t be easier. Navigate to the folder in question and right-click on it. Then click “pin to Quick Access.”

To remove it, right-click on it again, and click remove.

This tool also keeps a selection of recent files and folders handy. Click on Quick Access and you’ll be greeted with a selection of recent files and folders. Not bad, huh?

5. Use Cortana

Don’t forget that with Windows 10, you have a virtual assistant who can help you find those lost saved documents and other saved files. Whether you’ve set Cortana up for voice commands or whether you’ll need to type, she can help you.

Click on the Cortana icon next to the Windows icon on your taskbar. Then start typing or speaking and ask her to find you the files. Some voice commands you can use include:

  • Show me photos from last week
  • Show me the last document I worked on
  • Show me my spreadsheets

Cortana, while sometimes finicky, can be a better tool than the search bar. You just need to know what to ask her.

6. A Note On Finding Saved Files in the Cloud

Have you backed up files to a cloud storage system like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox? If you’ve saved your files here, it can sometimes be a little tricky to find them.

Each of these cloud systems will show you recent files but they can be a little obtuse. Luckily, they all also contain a search function. You should know where you saved the files to, which will make finding that folder a little easier.

We would recommend storing backups of your files in the cloud for security, recordkeeping, and continuity purposes. Let’s take a look at what you need to do if you’ve lost your files.

7. How to Get Saved Files Back

We’ve shown you how to find saved files on your computer, but what if something goes wrong? Let’s talk about the importance of backups.

You shouldn’t just be saving files on your hard drive. You should also be storing them on external storage devices like USB drives and/or in cloud services like the ones we mentioned above. Hard drives fail often and if you lose your hard drive, you lose your files.

This can be devastating for personal and business reasons. 

The best way to back your files up is to create a comprehensive file system on your back up medium of choice. Name your folders logically and keep similar files together. Make sure that you back up photos, documents, spreadsheets, and anything else that you wouldn’t want to lose.

If your hard drive fails, once you’ve got Windows set up on your new machine, it’s just a matter of restoring the files. From USB storage, you can just drag and drop folders across from your drive into your hard drive. From the cloud, right-click a folder and download it.

Make sure you back your files up. Otherwise, you’ll lose your saved files for good.

How Converting Files Can Help

Knowing where you kept your saved files is just one part of good recordkeeping. We would also recommend converting your files to the best format for storage. 

Converting files can have a lot of advantages when it comes to file size, security, and compatibility. Take a look at our blog post on converting Pages to .docx for more info!

history of html

The History of HTML: Guide Explaining the Development of the Language

Posted on | by Offdrive

There are more than 6 billion pages indexed on the Web, most of which use HTML coding. Without this standard markup language of the World Wide Web, who knows what the internet would look like today.

Let’s take a look at the history of HTML.

What is HTML?

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. Hypertext is text that contains embedded links to other parts of the text. On the Web, this means the links you click to go to another page, called Hyperlinks.

The theory behind hypertext predates the internet though. It goes back to the 1940s with the publishing of the short story The Garden of Forking Paths. It’s considered one of the earliest inspirations for the idea of hypertext.

HTML’s design was as a successor to SGML, or Standardized General Markup Language. There’s no firm answer to the question “When was HTML invented” but it was somewhere around 1989, by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN.

HTML is easier-to-understand than SGML. It used a set of structured tags that had specific meanings in how the text and other content on the page gets displayed.

One of its principles is to specify how you should lay a page out without regard to the type of display it’s viewed on. This turned out to be an important component as smartphones, tablets, and other devices got more popular. Pages work on any size screen, even if they didn’t exist when the page was originally created.

You can convert HTML to JPG or another image format if you want to see how it looks on a particular display but the page will load on any device.

HTML Version 1

While Tim Berners-Lee started work on HTML in 1989, the first official version wasn’t released until 1991. It went public alongside the World Wide Web and the web used HTML as its foundation.

The first version of HTML supported simple formatting like bold and italic text and it let you link from one web page to another but it was extremely limited compared to what we have today.

Pages were very plain, with little ability to create custom layouts. Web pages looked like printed pages, only on a computer screen instead of paper.

HTML Version 2

HTML 2 launched several years later in 1995. It added support for queries so web pages could support things like keyword searches.

It also added support for forms, giving websites the ability to collect information from visitors and send the responses to the server. This opened doors for more commercial pursuits since companies could use forms for lead capture, customer questions, and customer feedback.

HTML Version 3

Work began on HTML 3 in early 1995. It was a major upgrade from version 2, with a focus on formatting and layout features.

HTML 3 added support for CSS or cascading style sheets. CSS is another markup language, completely separate from HTML, that contains information about how to format the content of a web page.

Web pages started to look less like a wall of text and more like the web we see today. Site navigation, text formatting, fonts, and other layout options gave designers a lot more creative control.

The CSS code was embedded in each page on a website though, making it fairly inefficient. Every page typically used the same CSS code so it would get multiplied by the number of pages on a site.

HTML Version 4

HTML 4 was released in December 1997. It cleaned up some of the loose ends from version 3. One of the biggest changes was support for external style sheets.

Instead of repeating the same CSS code on every page, that code could go in a separate file and included with a single line of code. This reduced the size of the pages and helped speed up many websites.

HTML 4 also added support for more advanced frames, scripts, and embedded objects. Table and form support also got much more powerful. While HTML was still a text markup language at its core, it was moving towards more multimedia and interactivity.

Some tags were marked as deprecated, or not recommended, in version 4. They were still supported and continued to work but it was a sign that they were living on borrowed time. Using them for new web designs was a bit risky.

HTML Version 5

HTML 5, which is the current major version, launched in October 2014. It has much stricter syntax requirements and many of the tags marked as “not recommended” in version 4 aren’t supported at all.

HTML 5 also has better multimedia support and improved scripting support for languages like JavaScript. The modern web uses these technologies for web apps like Google Docs and Office 365 and having them directly supported in HTML helps with both stability and performance.

Version 5 also added new elements that make the code easier to understand.

The World Wide Web Consortium

The World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C, was founded in 1994 to oversee the development of HTML and other web technologies. Its mission is “To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure the long-term growth of the Web.”

The W3C helped standardize HTML across the web, no matter what web browser or operating system you use. In the early days, several large companies were planning to create their own custom versions of HTML and without the W3C, the web we know today might not exist.

You might have had to use different browsers to view web pages from different sites or macOS users might not have been able to view pages intended for Windows.

The History of HTML is Ongoing

The internet is still a relatively new platform and the history of HTML is still being written. As new technologies come along, HTML will keep evolving to keep up.

And while HTML is one of the most widely-supported document formats, people use many others in day-to-day computing. And if you need to send a document to someone else, there’s no guarantee they can open it.

Fortunately, you can convert a lot of those formats to another type of file. OffDrive.com offers free online file conversion between many popular filetypes. Visit our site today to convert files for home, school, or work.

jpg files

How to Open, Edit, and Convert JPG Files

Posted on | by Offdrive

Do you want to know how to use and edit JPG files? 

Approximately 69% of online content posted on social media are images. The second-most popular type of content posted on social media is updates or text posts.

It’s common to see JPG files, however, not everyone has the means to access them. Keep reading to find out what JPG means and the difference between JPEG. In this guide, we also have instructions on how to open, edit, and convert JPG files. 

1. What Are JPG Files?

Before we delve in, let’s first talk about what a JPG file is. As you know, you can save files on your computer in various file formats. JPG is one of the most common formats for saving image files.

JPG is one type of raster image extension. This means a series of pixels form the JPG file. They also have a defined proportion based on their resolution, which becomes blurry when stretched. 

You may also know of the JPEG extension, which is a format so similar it’s almost the same as JPG. Both JPG and JPEG reduce the size of the image file. However, JPEG can reduce the quality of the image too.

The reduce size makes it ideal to send, store, or display the image on websites. The other extensions for image files also include JPE and JFIF, but they are not common. The many other image file formats include TIFF, BMP, RAW, and more.

Both the terms JPG and JPEG stand for Joint Photographic Experts Group.

If you must use JPG files, make sure you save the file at the exact dimensions you need it for. If you plan to print something out on letter-sized paper, make sure the image file can fit it in real-life. Otherwise, you end up with a blurry or unclear image. 

2. Opening a JPG File

Out of all image formats, JPG is the one that’s most accepted by all viewing devices. This means all image viewers and image editors support the JPG file format. That includes the built-in image viewers on your PC, Mac, or smartphone.

If you’re on a computer, you’ll have a built-in program to view and open JPG files. On a Microsoft PC, you have programs like Paint, Microsoft Windows Photos, and/or Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer. On a Mac computer, the typical JPG file opener solutions are the Apple Preview and Apple Photos.

You can also use web browsers like Chrome or Firefox to open JPG files. Right-click on the image and select “Open with” to open it on your browser. You can also drag the file onto the browser window to access and view the JPG file.

If you have image-viewing and/or image-editing software, you can use them to access JPG files too. The typical programs include Adobe Photoshop and GIMP. You can also use online services like Google Drive to access JPG image files.

On mobile, it’s simple and easy to open a JPG file. You only need to use your built-in image-viewing app like the Gallery. Your smartphone also supports opening JPG files through email or text.

3. Editing JPG Files

Let’s say you want to post a photo of you taken via a camera on Instagram. However, you want to crop out a bystander in the background. Before you post the photo online, you can still edit it so it portrays your best look.

Before you go to Photoshop to edit your photo, remember that JPG files are difficult to edit. They are especially challenging to fix when they’re already saved in low resolution. If you want to edit JPG files, make sure it’s saved in the resolution for the final use.

Now, let’s talk about JPG file editors and how you can edit your JPG photo without losing quality.

You get various outputs depending on where you’re editing your JPG file. Making big edits on a computer versus editing on a smartphone give different results.

Built-in programs like Microsoft Paint have some of the most basic tools. Some of the most common actions done on MS Paint include cropping, resizing, and skewing an image. You can also add shapes, brush on the image, or add text.

On Mac, you need to update the Photos application. Photos, like Paint, is the built-in tool to edit images with on Mac computers. It has a few more features that Paint doesn’t have like Filters.

If you’re on mobile, your default photo-viewing application has photo-editing features too. You can do as much as use brushes and filters. However, the smaller screen makes editing more challenging.

4. Converting JPG Files

While they’re commonplace, JPG files aren’t always what you need in certain situations. There are also times when you need to use JPG files rather than other file formats for easier file storage. In this segment, we’ll teach you how to convert JPG files into other formats and vice versa.

JPG conversion is easy if you visit our main page. There, you’ll find various conversion tools for JPG to other file formats. At OffDrive, we present free online conversion for JPG, PPT, and more to JPG.

As an alternative, you can use image-editing programs to save a file as a JPG image.

If you want to convert certain JPG files into other file formats, we also offer that service. Check out our main page to find out a JPG to PDF converter.

5. Reasons to Convert Files to JPG

Do you remember how human beings are visual creatures? A study says that the collective global attention span is narrowing. This is because of the massive amount of information we receive and see every day. 

If you want to get a point across or highlight something, use images. They’re not only faster for us to digest, but they also present data in a more attention-grabbing and creative way.

Why be specific and bother converting image files to JPG?

Convenience is the answer. The JPG file format is one of the most common image formats in use. Thus, it’s more likely for you to encounter files in JPG than other image file formats.

Plus, JPG supports 24-bit color and up to 16 million colors. This is why it can compress and encode digital images with high resolutions.

Also, as we mentioned earlier, JPG files compress files so you end up with a file of a smaller size. It’s perfect for storing your files. Smaller file sizes also make it easier to upload and send image files via email.

Understand JPG Files Better

The JPG file format is one of the most useful, widely-used, and convenient formats to date. It’s also accessible on a wide array of programs and devices. Thus, you must know how you can use it.

We hope our guide on how to use and edit JPG files helped you understand them better. 

Do you want to learn how to convert pages to DOCX files? Check out our page and tools here for a variety of conversion tools for every file type. 

freemium isn't free

Freemium Isn’t Free: A Guide to How Internet Web Apps Make Money

Posted on | by Offdrive

The internet has come a long way over the last 30 years. At that point, it was just a tiny footprint in the world, used primarily by government and academic institutions.

Nowadays, the internet rules just about every aspect of our lives. It’s also become a great way to make money.

You’ve probably noticed that there are dozens of business models online. Rarely does a website offer a free service. If they do, there’s a good chance that it’s freemium.

You’ll soon realize that freemium isn’t free. Do you want to know how freemium sites make money?

Read on to learn what freemium is and how these web apps make money.

What Does Freemium Mean?

Let’s start with the basics. What does freemium mean? Freemium is a combination of two words: free and premium.

Look around and you’ll find dozens of examples of freemium software. Spotify is an example of a freemium service. There’s a free account and then there’s a premium level that costs about $10 a month.

Slack is another example of a freemium service. With Slack, there’s so much value there, you don’t really need to upgrade your account. You could choose to upgrade to more features, but you don’t need to.

Freemium is a type of business model that businesses of all shapes and sizes use. The main reason why they offer two-levels of the same product is to lower customer acquisition costs.

Instead of investing a ton of money into marketing a premium product that asks people to spend a lot of money upfront, the go for the freemium model.

The freemium model gives more people a chance to try out the software with very little risk. Companies have lower marketing costs and more customers. For businesses, it’s much easier to keep and upgrade a freemium customer than a customer who pays from the outset.

Those premium customers are much more costly to replace, too.

How Do Freemium Apps Make Money?

The freemium model isn’t limited to two-tiered premium and free versions of a product. There are a lot of ways that a freemium web app can make money. Let’s take a look at some of the common business models of freemium sites.

In-App Purchases

Sites can make money through the use of in-app purchases. This is used a lot with mobile gaming apps, where players can purchase coins or more plays to keep playing.

It can also be used in other ways. Let’s say that you wanted to convert a JPG file to a GIF file. Some sites would let you do that a couple of times and then charge you if you wanted to use the program again.

A la Carte Features

There are developers that try to be committed to keeping the costs as low as possible for customers. What they’ll do is that they’ll have a base level product, which is free.

They’ll then offer a full menu of features, but each feature costs more money. That’s usually fine if you want one or two features, but if you need five, the costs can skyrocket.

That model is kind of like the airline business. You have a base cost for your flight. However, if you want more during your flight, you’ll have to pay for everything individually. A pillow a few bucks, a meal costs money, checking luggage costs money.

That only works when the customers know what they’re getting themselves into. Otherwise, it’s just a frustrating experience because the customers can feel like they’re being nickel and dimed for every little thing.

Advertising

There are apps that would much prefer to have their software available for free. That makes it much simpler for users.

Yet, there has to be a way to fund improvements and future development and support. Advertising is a good way to do that. The product or service is still free for customers to use and the developers are rewarded for their work.

We touched upon this earlier when talking about Spotify. Spotify actually has several ways to make money. They make money when people upgrade to a premium membership.

For those who don’t want to upgrade, they have to listen to music with ads. Spotify is going to make money one way or another.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a good way to fund the initial development of the business. The thing to remember is that the money is going to run out eventually unless the developers are constantly crowdfunding.

That’s not a terribly sustainable model for the long term.

Leave the App Alone

You’ll see this a lot with mobile apps, where the app developer releases the app hoping to make money off of ads and upgrades.

Since they didn’t make money right away, they stopped developing the app and stopped supporting it. An app that’s supported is going to be vulnerable to hacking. That will leave end-users dealing with potential device viruses.

Freemium Isn’t Free

When the internet first became a thing, it seemed like everything was free. That had to change as business costs increased to develop and support software.

Businesses of all kinds have had a hard time trying to meet customer expectations to keep costs low while running a profitable business. The best way to bridge this gap was to offer freemium software.

While freemium sounds free, you have to know that freemium isn’t free. Good software is worth something and you have to realize that people are running a business. There are many ways that freemium providers make money.

They can crowdfund their software, make money from ads, offer upgrades, or you have to pay a la carte for certain features.

Now that you know more about how freemium software works, give this freemium site a try to convert any document or file. Not sure what to try? Try converting a PDF file to DOCX file. After all, it’s free.