how to use pages

How to Use Pages: Tips for a New Mac User

There are only 100 million people using Mac computers, compared to 400 million Windows 10 users. So, if you are one of the few who have switched to a Mac you might need some help navigating its features. 

Luckily, many of the applications are similar to Windows and are easy to learn. Read on to find out how to use Pages, Mac’s free document creator.

Using a Template

If you go through the Apple Pages tutorial using the help menu, the first option you will notice is the abundance of templates. 

You can also see these options when you open Pages and click on New Document. There are templates for letters, books, resumes, or a blank starting page. 

A great feature is a note-taking template that automatically adds the date, a title header, and subject line as well as a formatted outline for you to quick shorthand. This is perfect for college students to take organized notes.

Do you want Pages to automatically open a certain template when launching the application? Many people prefer to use a blank document instead of having to choose among several templates.

If you want to do the same, then go to the preferences tab on the Pages menu. Go to General > New Documents and choose Use Template. 

Customizing your Toolbar

A nice way to learn the functions in Apple Pages is to personalize your toolbar. This feature is unique to Mac, so take advantage of this customization option. 

Under the “View” menu choose “Customized Toolbar”. You can drag and drop the icons into your previewed toolbar just like on a smartphone. Remove options from the toolbar by dragging them to the app section.

If you want to change the toolbar back to its default setting then simply drag and drop the pre-made toolbar located at the bottom of the app page. 

Live Collaboration 

Available on a Mac or Pages for iPhone 11 or higher is a feature similar to Google Docs. It allows you to send a link to a document or invite people to view your document in live time. 

Choose whether your colleagues can edit or simply view your document. Remove these permissions at any time.

The only catch is that to use this feature you and your invitees must be signed in to your iCloud account. Changes made to the document will be saved on iCloud as well. 

Easily keep track of who is editing your document and what edits were made by clicking on the name of the participant. Or you can view the colored cursor or colored area to see who is making the change in real-time. 

You can then choose which version of the document you like best. If more than one version is saved then the most recent changes will show. Convert the document to either DOC or DOCX to share it with Windows users.

Adding Unique Bullet Points

If you have ever used the bullet point feature on Microsoft Word then you know that there aren’t many options. Everyone ends up using the dot, square, or arrow in their document or presentation. 

Mac Pages makes life more interesting with the addition of custom bullet points. You can use any image on your computer to create a unique bullet. Unfortunately, this feature isn’t available on the Apple Pages app. 

On the Mac, highlight the text that you want to bullet. Go to the Bullets & Lists section on the side toolbar. Click on the gray arrow to reveal more options. Choose Image from the first drop-down and Image Bullets from the next drop-down. 

Under “Current Image”, you will see many built-in bullets that you can customize. Or click on Custom Image to choose a saved picture from your computer. 

Setting Autocorrection Options

The backspace bar is the third most used key mainly due to spelling errors. Pages can help you eliminate the time consumed by fixing errors with its array of autocorrect features. 

Go to Pages>Preferences and choose auto-correction from the top menu.

You will see the first option is to turn on or off the auto-spelling and capitalization options. These are defaulted to stay on which will allow Pages to change commonly misplaced words and capitalize proper nouns.

Next to these options, you will see a great feature. You can tell Pages which words to ignore when spelling and capitulation are turned on. This works well if you have a company name that you don’t want Pages to correct. 

This menu also allows you to auto-format and replace text with common symbols without having to search for them. 

Easily Get More Help

No matter how overwhelmed you are when first use your new computer there is always the Mac Pages help menu to get your questions answered. 

You will also find keyboard shortcuts in the help menu to streamline your workflow. In addition, look for new features under the What’s New in Pages section. You will be able to see all the upgrades from past versions of Pages to explore.

How To Use Pages and Share With Windows Users

When you learn how to use Pages, the most important task is to make it sharable with your friends, family, colleagues, and the rest of the world. Just because you are the minority as a Mac user, doesn’t mean you have to isolate your work.

Learn why it is so essential to convert your Pages document so they are compatible with Word and other Microsoft programs. 

facebook profile picture

Facebook Profile Picture Size and Other Social Media Image Dimensions

Did you create a Facebook account for your business? Or are you an old-timer and you wish to update a new profile picture? Though uploading a profile picture is as easy as 1-2-3, there is a way to ensure that your photo comes in optimal size.

Your Facebook profile picture is like your physical representation in the virtual world. It is also your way of creating a first impression. 

This is crucial especially if you are job hunting. Studies reveal that your Facebook profile photo affects the decisions and responses of prospective employers.

Thus, you need to make the most of the available space but in the right way. But how do you do it? How do you optimize your social media profile images? What are the correct dimensions to follow?

Check out our comprehensive guide on using the correct picture sizes for your Facebook and other social media accounts.

Sizing: Why Does It Matter?

Apart from the clarity of your Facebook profile picture, its size also matters. Having a profile photo that is too big or too small can affect you in different ways.

Together with proper lighting, focus, and angle, the size of your picture is one of the four key factors behind a great profile picture. Whenever users look at your posts, they will see your profile picture on the side. By using the right dimensions, people can easily recognize your face or logo.

This helps in building your brand.

Do you want to post a picture of you during one of your trips to a historical landmark? It will work to your disadvantage if you’re not even as big as a quarter of the image’s total size.

Since you are too small in the picture, people will barely recognize you. They will have a hard time seeing your face. This is disadvantageous for prospective employers and business partners.

Your Facebook Profile Picture: Getting the Dimensions Right

Now let us discuss the dimensions of an optimized Facebook profile photo. There are guidelines that you need to consider before posting that profile picture. There are also reasons why you need to follow the right pixels.

Make sure that your picture is at least 180 x 180 pixels. Having a height that is below 180 pixels will affect your photo’s clarity. When you post your profile picture, it will appear on your profile page at 170 x 170 pixels.

As a thumbnail, it will appear at 32 x 32 pixels. When users see your photo on their smartphones, it will appear in 128 x 128 pixels.

Thankfully, you don’t need to go through major adjustments if you’re putting up a Facebook business page. This is because Facebook now uses the same rules for personal and business accounts when it comes to the dimensions of the pictures.

Additionally, you need to upload a picture that has a 1:1 aspect ratio.

Your Cover Page

Apart from your profile picture, you also need to upload a cover image. For this one, the size must be 820 x 312 pixels. If you go anywhere below, it will only stretch your image, which is something you want to avoid.

But if you have no choice, the minimum size is 400 x 150 pixels.

Your cover image will appear at 640 x 360 pixels on smartphones. And if you wish to upload your company logo that comes with text, it is best to upload it as a PNG file. 

The good thing about PNG files is that you can open them on practically any kind of smartphone or computer. This means better accessibility in case you need to share the file with anyone.

And in case you wish to convert your Doc files to PNG, simply follow this guide.

How About Twitter?

If you’re also into Twitter and you wish to optimize your profile, upload a profile picture that is 400 x 400 pixels. Moreover, your maximum file size must only be 100 KB. This will appear at 200 x 200 pixels.

As for your header photo, the size must be 1500 x 500 pixels with a maximum file size of 10 MB. Before uploading any header photo, make sure it is creative and eye-catching. Also, it must be high-resolution. 

If you’re using Twitter for your business, make sure your header photo is in line with your tagline, logo, and branding. 

Lastly, upload a 440 x 220-pixel In-stream photo. Make sure not to go beyond 5 MB in size. If you wish to post an animated GIF, the maximum file size is 3 MB.

Your Instagram Too

Your Instagram profile photo need not be big. A clear photo that is 110 x 110 pixels will do. But make sure to maintain a 1:1 aspect ratio.

When it comes to your photo thumbnails, stick to 161 x 161 pixels. Like your profile picture, keep the aspect ratio at 1:1.

When it comes to your Instagram Stories, you can post videos with a maximum length of 10 seconds. As for the video size, it must be 750 x 1334 pixels.

Don’t Forget YouTube 

If you have a YouTube channel, take note that your channel’s cover picture comes in different sizes depending on the platform. Thus, you need to optimize your photos for each platform.

For mobile display, your photo will appear at 1546 x 423 pixels. For TV display, 2560 x 1440 pixels. For tablets, 1885 x 423 pixels.

When it comes to desktops, 2560 x 423 pixels. Choose a cover picture that gives your viewers an idea of what to expect from your channel.

For your channel’s profile pic, go for 800 x 800 pixels.

Convert Your Files the Right Way!

Uploading a Facebook profile picture in the proper size is essential in optimizing your account. It helps you connect better with users and strengthens your brand. But sometimes, you may need to convert your images to a different format to improve their quality.

Check out our tools and convert images and documents to different file formats. Don’t know where to begin? Read our other guides right here, like this one discussing how to convert HTML to JPG!

excel tips

5 Excel Tips to Make You Look Like a Pro

Growing up with Microsoft Office in school had a lot of focus on Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. What many of us did not learn, however, is how to use Microsoft Excel like a pro. This is most likely due to the fact that as students, Word and PowerPoint were used the most for projects, papers, and other tasks. 

There weren’t too many times when our teachers or professors asked us to use Excel to complete a project or gave us Excel tips. Because of this lack of use for the program, not many people are well-versed in using Excel. When Excel is needed, you might even feel anxious about using it, nervous, and intimidated. 

As much as you might want to avoid using the program, there are times when you have no other choice but to learn how to use Excel like a pro. You might need to use Excel for your job, for a college assignment, for your business, or something else. It’s time to learn how to become an Excel pro by learning these tips listed below!

1. Selecting a Full Data Set

There will most likely be times when you need to select and copy all of the data on your Excel sheet. When this time comes, you’ll want to use the quickest and simplest way of doing so. If you’re not already familiar with the Ctrl + A shortcut, then that is one way to do it. 

However, there’s another way of doing this that’s even easier! At the top of your datasheet, there’s a corner button that touches the first row and first column. It looks like an arrow pointing downwards. 

Clicking on this button will copy all of your data at once! Only need to copy data in one row or column? Use Ctrl + Shift to copy data depending on where your mouse cursor is. 

To copy all data in the column above the cursor, you’ll hit the up arrow after Ctrl + Shift. Hit the down arrow to copy all data below the cursor in the column and the left or right arrows to copy data to the left or right of the cursor in that row. 

2. Auto-Filling Columns 

When you need to fill in repetitive information such as dates or numbers, this could take you a lot of time. To speed things up, you can auto-fill columns. To do this, begin entering your series of data. 

Then, head to the bottom of the last cell and place the cursor over the fill handle on the lower-right part of the cell. The “+” sign should then appear. Click this and then drag to select all of the cells that you want to fill with this repetitive information. 

The cells will then fill themselves using the pattern you’ve started. The more of a pattern you have, the easier it’ll be for Excel to auto-fill for you, but you don’t always need a pattern for auto-fill. Even without a pattern, you can still do this and Excel will pop up a window with options for you. 

3. Opening Multiple Files at Once

When you need to work with multiple files within Excel all at one time, you’ll need a way to open multiple files at once. Doing so is much simpler than having to open each file individually, which takes up a lot of time. To open multiple files with only one click, you’ll first need to select the files you want to open and then hit the “Enter” key. 

All of the selected files will then open at the same time. 

4. Creating Your Own Shortcut Menu

Shortcut menus are a blessing when working with Microsoft programs, but what happens when the tool you use the most isn’t featured on the shortcut menu? The most common shortcut menu options that you’ll most likely find are “Save,” “Undo,” and “Repeat.”

If you’d rather have shortcuts such as, “Copy,” “Paste,” or “Cut,” then you can create your own shortcut menu with these options. To do so, you’ll need to click on the following:

File>Options>Quick Access Toolbar. You can then add the shortcuts you’d like. When you’re done, hit, “Save.”

These options will then show in the shortcut menu, making your Excel experience that much better! 

5. Adding Multiple Rows or Columns at Once

Adding one new row or column to your datasheet is simple and doesn’t take a special tip to know how to do it. Adding multiple rows or columns at once can be a bit more challenging, however. Rather than spending the time adding each row or column individually, you can add multiple rows and columns at one time. 

To do this, drag and select how many rows or columns you’d like to add in a specific place on your datasheet. When done, right-click on these new rows or columns and select, “Insert.” The new rows will now be added!

Which Excel Tips Were Most Useful to You? 

Using Microsoft Excel can sometimes be a daunting task, but don’t let this program intimidate you. Use these Excel tips listed above to help you master Excel like a pro! 

Are you interested in more tech information such as learning how to convert files? Be sure to click here to learn more about formatting tips and tricks that can help you!

These tips will come in handy when needing to convert files for your business, school project, or personal life as well!

And when you need the help of conversion online, let us help you!

how much is g suite

How Much Is G Suite and Why My Business Should Use It to Manage Files

Google’s Gmail service is one of the most widely-used email services. It holds the second-highest market share, behind the iPhone. Many of those iPhone users use Gmail as their service anyway.

Gmail is a great service but having a generic email address isn’t ideal for a lot of businesses. Google’s G Suite service solves that problem by providing more professional email service along with many other features built for business use.

How much is G Suite and what does it offer? Let’s take a look.

What is G Suite for Business?

You’re probably familiar with Microsoft’s Office suite with apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. That combination was the standard office suite in most businesses for years but Google has started to chip away at Microsoft’s market share with its G Suite package.

G Suite includes word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software but that’s only the beginning. One of the most powerful G Suite benefits is its email system.

G Suite lets you create email addresses like [email protected] for all your employees using the same interface they’re likely already familiar with from Gmail.

On top of the email and office applications in G Suite, it also includes Google Drive, Google’s cloud storage service for managing your files. Each of your employees gets their own storage but it’s all owned by your company. If an employee leaves the company, you can turn off access to their files and transfer them to someone else.

Some of the other features in G Suite include:

  • Google Hangouts Chat and Meet instant messaging and meeting apps
  • Google Keep (an online notebook like Evernote)
  • Google Forms (create forms to collect information online)
  • Google Sites (a website builder)

The Product Formerly Known as Google Apps

The core apps in G Suite include Google Docs (word processing), Google Sheets (spreadsheet), and Google Slides (presentations). These were originally known as Google Apps but were rebranded as G Suite several years ago.

These apps give you similar features to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. And while G Suite is getting more popular all the time, MS Office is still the most widely used. Fortunately, G Suite can open and save files in the MS Office formats so you can collaborate with anyone using those apps.

If you need to work with files from another office package like Apple’s iWork suite, you may need to convert those files into a compatible format to use them in G Suite.

For example, if you have a word processing document created in the Pages word processor on a Mac, you can convert from Pages to Word then open the Word document in Google Docs.

Storage Limits in Google Drive

G Suite offers several editions:

  • Basic
  • Business
  • Enterprise

With the Basic plan, each user gets 30GB of cloud storage in Google Drive. The Business and Enterprise plans include 1TB of storage if you have 5 or fewer users and unlimited storage if you have more than 5 users in your company.

There’s an advantage to using Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides from your G Suite account though. Any files you create from within G Suite don’t count toward your storage limit. This can save you a lot of space compared to using files from an external app like MS Word or Excel.

G Suite’s Security Features

One of the biggest concerns about moving their documents to the cloud for most companies is whether it’s less secure than storing them locally. Google offers some of the strongest security of any cloud services company so you can rest assured that your data is safe.

G Suite is built on the Google Cloud Platform, which has a security-first mindset. Given that Google’s own business is completely online, they have a big stake in keeping their servers secure.

G Suite supports the latest encryption protocols, two-factor authentication (2FA), and you own all the data stored in your company’s account. The Business and Enterprise editions of G Suite include Google Vault, a backup system that archives everything in your account – files, email, chats, etc.

You can run audit reports on the data in Vault to track user activity and you can search the archives for your entire company. Vault also lets you set the data retention policies to determine how long your data will be stored. This is critical if you work in an industry that regulates how long data is kept such as healthcare or finance.

If you have employees using G Suite on mobile devices like Android smartphones or iPhones, its mobile management features are critical to the security of your data. Mobile devices are prone to theft or loss and if your business’ data is on them, that poses a serious risk.

G Suite lets you deactivate a device that’s connected to your account, wiping any sensitive information. If someone loses their phone or it gets stolen, your data will be safe from prying eyes.

Google’s Security and Compliance Whitepaper outlines G Suite’s security features in detail.

What Kind of Support Do You Get with G Suite?

Google’s service level guarantee (SLA) for G Suite offers 99.9% uptime. It’s typically higher than that but every online service will deal with downtime, even Google. Unlike some services, G Suite doesn’t have any regularly-scheduled downtime so you can get to your data anytime.

Google offers 24/7 support by phone, email, or online with all editions of G Suite. This is another big difference between G Suite and Google’s free consumer-grade services like Gmail. Those services don’t include any kind of official support through Google.

How Much Is G Suite?

After seeing all the great features and benefits of G Suite, you’re probably wondering “How much is G Suite?” That depends on the edition.

G Suite Basic is $6 per user per month. Business edition is $12 per user per month. And Enterprise edition is $25 per user per month.

All three editions get billed monthly and you can add or remove users as often as necessary. This is an easy process through your company’s Admin dashboard, where you can make changes to any of the users in your company.

If you’re looking for a powerful and secure way to manage your company’s email, file storage, and document creation, G Suite is one of the best options available.

And if you have existing documents that you need to move into G Suite, OffDrive.com can help. Check out our free online file conversion tools to convert between the most common file formats.

powerpoint tips and tricks

9 PowerPoint Tips and Tricks to Make Your Next Presentation Shine

Standing up in front of a room full of people to give a speech can be intimidating. However, when you have a presentation tool like PowerPoint to help guide you through it, things are much easier. 

Using PowerPoint gives your audience something to look at intermittently, rather than just staring at you throughout the entire presentation. PowerPoint also guides you through your data, keeping you on track and gently nudging you if you get lost during your speech.

There’s a lot of room for error when it comes to designing a presentation, but the right PowerPoint tips and tricks can help. Keep reading for our best advice on how to keep your presentation clear, concise, engaging, and successful.

1. Be Prepared

Whether you’re looking for PowerPoint tips and tricks for a college presentation to be given in front of your class or a work assignment to be given in front of co-workers, you must be prepared. The more you know about the data (and the information behind the data), the smoother your presentation will go and the more confident you’ll be giving it.

Take time to rehearse the presentation in front of the mirror, using the slideshow exactly as you would during the real presentation. Then, take it a step further and perform a mock presentation to your family or friends. Maks sure you’re timing yourself so you know roughly how much time your presentation will take.

Finally, go into presentation day with a backup plan in case something doesn’t work. For example, if you used Keynote instead of PowerPoint, do you know how to convert the file? It never hurts to bring your own computer in, rather than depending on a portable hard drive and someone else’s hardware.

2. Know Your Audience

One of the most important PowerPoint tips and tricks reminds you to cater to your audience. Your presentation will only be as good as your audience perceives it to be. Don’t make the mistake of targeting your presentation towards the wrong audience.

Keep the following questions in mind:

  • Who are you presenting to?
  • What motivates them?
  • Is there room for comedic relief or is this not the time?
  • What do they value?
  • What is the overall goal or message you’re trying to get across?

Once you have a better understanding of your audience, you’ll be able to design your presentation more appropriately.

3. Use High-Quality Images and Graphics

Next, the right image, photograph, graph, or chart can be exactly what’s needed to keep people engaged and focused on your presentation. However, many PowerPoint users make the mistake of using low-quality media, which can detract from the overall effect.

Make sure all of your media files are the right size. You don’t want any blurry and/or unreadable images coming up. It makes the information they present useless and your presentation sloppy.

4. Use Imagery to Keep Things Interesting

While you need to be careful about the quality and content of media you use for a presentation, it’s incredibly important that you do. Most people easily become bored and distracted during slideshow presentations, even when they’re interested in the subject matter.

One of the best PowerPoint tips and tricks you can use to keep everyone’s attention is incorporating photos, graphs, charts, and other images. Additionally, studies have shown that information is much easier to remember through imagery.

5. Keep Things Simple

When you’re creating your PowerPoint presentation, remember not to overcomplicate things. Keep your word count down on each slide. Use headers rather than huge bodies of text and don’t use extravagant fonts.

Additionally, while the imagery is important, too much of it can be overwhelming. Keep your images and any graphics clean and simple. This includes using simple colors (no more than four).

Finally, when it comes to slide transition, keep it conservative and simple. Don’t use anything that will detract from the content of the presentation. This includes avoiding sound effects (for slide transitions, bullet points, etc.).

6. Don’t Rely on Your Text to Get Your Point Across

Finally, whether you’re using PowerPoint or Keynote, and are presenting to fellow students or co-workers, you don’t want to be a monotonous robot up there. If you’re simply reading slides or note cards to an audience, you’re going to lose them. They can read for themselves, that’s not the point of you standing up in front of them.

Use your voice to accentuate and highlight certain parts of your presentation. Don’t rely on exclamation marks and bold font to make people understand important points.

7. Use GIFs and Videos

When appropriate, use GIFs and videos in your presentation to help keep people engaged. This is one of the best PowerPoint tips and tricks for entertaining your audience. Gauge the types of GIFs and videos you use based on your intended audience.

For example, just because you’re giving a presentation on productivity and time management, it doesn’t mean you can lighten it up with some humor.

8. Connect With the Audience

One of the hardest parts of giving a presentation or speech is connecting with your audience. If you’re uncomfortable in the spotlight, it’s vital that you relax enough to give an organic presentation where you can look at audience members, engage with them, and keep their attention.

Start by slowing down. Don’t get in a rush to finish the presentation and sit down. Your audience will sense it and they won’t even have time to take in the information.

Make sure you’re continuously making eye contact (with different people) and are pausing after key points to let the information sink in. Encourage people to ask questions. Engage with the audience by asking their opinions, observations, etc.

9. Present Your Slide One Piece at a Time

Finally, make sure your slideshows aren’t presenting information ahead of you. This is another one of the top PowerPoint tips and tricks used by the pros. 

Almost always, your audience will start reading any text as soon as it’s displayed on the screen. They’ll be down to your last bullet point before you’ve finished presenting the first one.

Make sure the slides you create present one piece of information at a time. That way, the audience will be listening to you rather than reading ahead.

Looking for More PowerPoint Tips and Tricks?

If you’re looking for more advice on PowerPoint tips and tricks, be sure to check out some of the other articles in our blog. However, if you’re looking for a free source to help you convert your files, you’re already there! We can help you convert images, presentations, spreadsheets, documents, and more.

html vs pdf

HTML vs PDF: Which File Format Is Better for Displaying Documentation

The global usage of paper in 2017 was at least 400 million metric tons.

Companies further waste up to $3.5 million each year trying to recreate lost documents and searching for information. As such, businesses and institutions have been paying attention to digital documentation.

Within the last two decades, the Portable Document Format (PDF) and the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) have been great alternatives to paper documents. The choice of either PDF or HTML has been a constant debate in document representation. 

It is crucial to understand HTML vs. PDF file formats to know what would work for you. Keep reading to know the features of these two file formats and which is preferable. 

What Is PDF?

A PDF refers to the display of documents in an electronic format, which is independent of the operating system, software, or hardware you view the document on. 

Adobe Systems pioneered PDF as a compatible file. This format is recognized universally as a standard way of exchanging information and other materials.  

Currently, PDF is under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which has made it an open standard. The PDF file format is useful in different fields. Companies use PDF files to maintain consistent customer records, client invoices, or even sending memos. 

Benefits of PDFs

If you’ve been in a fix when it comes to HTML vs. PDF, these benefits will shed more light on why PDF can be an excellent choice for documentation.

1. Maintain Document Format

A PDF file remains with the original formatting even when sent through multiple channels. Any alterations made of a PDF file leave electronic marks showing that the document has some changes. Using this format gives the recipients confidence knowing that they have the original documents.

Fortunately, you aren’t limited when it comes to converting PDF files. Tech companies love to convert PDF to GIF due to the role it plays in branding, revenue increment, and user-friendly. 

While you can’t edit the content of a PDF, you can change it into a different format that resonates with your company. 

2. No Limitations on Operating Systems 

Whether you’re on a Mac or a PC, you can use PDFs comfortably. The format also applies to mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS. You don’t have to worry about the recipient’s ability to view the document.  

3. PDF File Format is Universal

PDF has been embraced globally because of the optimal functionality. With PDFs, you can view a document and share it regardless of where the other user is receiving the file. 

PDF is a safer mode, and it gives you confidence that your document will reach the recipient in the intended format.  

4. Password Protection

About 60% of companies go out of business after a cyber-attack. 

Businesses hold sensitive information, such as customer records and the company’s details. If such information leaked to malicious people, a business can make losses or even collapse.

Fortunately, you can use PDF files, which allow password-protection. For one to access the files, they would need the password. This move ensures that unauthorized people can’t prey on important company information. 

Drawbacks of PDF Files 

One of the primary limitations of a PDF file is that it doesn’t support editing. The initial aim of developing PDF was document sharing without changing the content of a document. As such, you can’t edit a PDF file. 

If you want to share a ‘live document’ where people can share their ideas on the file, PDF might not be ideal. Besides, you should ensure that all your recipients can access PDFs before sharing such file formats. 

What Is HTML?

HTML is a programming language that formats web pages. 

A typical HTML file contains text but can also reference multimedia and images. It further allows Cascading Style Sheets for JavaScript and layout for interactive functionality.

HTML can format different web page elements such as headings, links, images, page layout, and text. You can convert HTML to JPG with just a few clicks. Other than that, HTML has several advantages that make it a desirable publishing option. 

Benefits of HTML format

One of the most notable advantages of HTML is the ease of learning. 

What’s more, editors are still releasing HTML pages, which are getting easier with each new development. As such, you don’t need to be tech-savvy to maneuver through HTML.  

HTML further presents graphics and texts in a decent layout. The introduction of CSS has made it even better. With HTML, you can read a file without any special software. 

A standard HTML page accommodates several plug-ins, which allow you to include video, audio, and other special files. When you click the link, you play or view a file. Besides, you can share a link with your employees or colleagues.

Contrary to PDFs, HTML has a smaller file size. With the rising concern on data space, this file type is ideal. Besides, it is easy to deliver even the most complex pages on your screen. 

One of the drawbacks of HTML is the fact that it isn’t supportive of scientific notation, which limits notated documents from HTML use. With the increasing developments in the field, the solution to this issue might be imminent. 

HTML vs. PDF: Which Is the Best for You?

The choice of either PDF or HTML depends on the type of file format you want for your document. 

PDF is preferable for in-depth reading as it allows users to access content while offline. It is easy to consume, navigate through the document, save, and print.

Conversely, HTML allows the discovery of new content, information sharing, and immediate learning. HTML has universal updates; you can publish instantly to a URL. As such, users can read current information simultaneously. 

Notably, PDF and HTML are not mutually exclusive. You can link a PDF from or to an HTML page or an HTML page to a PDF. However, the authoring environments for PDF or HTML are distinct. 

Maintenance of content between HTML and PDF can be time-consuming and complicated. 

As such, an author must specify the best format for the content. Based on the pros and cons of the two types of file formats, choosing either of the two is plausible. 

The Choice Between HTML Vs. PDF Is Not As Easy

Both HTML and PDF file formats have their benefits and drawbacks. If you’re looking to convert your files into either format, you need to assess HTML vs. PDF keenly. The capabilities of each file format should guide you on the best choice. 

Visit our page for assistance on different file conversions.

Posted in PDF
how to convert google doc to word

How to Convert Google Doc to Word: Everything You Need to Know

As of July 2018, Google Drive was creeping closer and closer to one billion users

It makes sense — the online application has multiple capabilities. You can create Slides for a presentation, calculate figures in a Sheet or type away in a Doc. And everyone working on a particular project can edit and contribute, to boot. 

But Google Docs isn’t the be-all, end-all when it comes to word processing. So, you want to download your cloud-based creations and make them into a tangible Microsoft Word document. 

There’s only one problem — you don’t know how to convert Google Doc to Word. And you’re not alone. The process isn’t quite as intuitive as the rest of the Drive. 

Here’s how to do it. 

Downloading From Your Google Drive

You’ll find a list of all of your Google files in the Drive. Locate the documents you’d like to download to Word and begin your Google Doc conversion from there. 

Search for the Doc you want to download and click on it once you locate it. If you need to convert multiple files, click Ctrl each time you click files on your PC. You can select more than one Doc on a Mac by pressing Command, then clicking. 

Once you have your files highlighted, right-click on them. In the menu that appears, you will see an option to download. Once you click, your computer will automatically convert the files for you. 

It’s not just Google Docs that will turn into Microsoft Word documents. Downloading a Google Sheet will create an Excel file, while Google Slides become Powerpoints. 

Make sure your browser allows for downloads before you get started. That way, nothing gets in the way of you getting the files in the format you need. 

Downloading From Google Docs Editor

Perhaps you’ve got an open file on Google Docs. From the text editor interface, you can start converting to Word, too. 

It’s quite simple to do. Click the File tab in the upper left-hand corner of the text editor. Then, press the Download As option.

From there, you can choose from several different file types to use when downloading your Google Doc. Of course, Microsoft Word file will be one of your options. 

Google Drive will automatically download your Microsoft Word-ready documents as .docx files. If you have an older version of Word, this could render your files unreadable. So, brush up on the difference between .doc and .docx files before you start downloading.

Regardless, this feature can be useful to you in more ways than one. For instance, you can convert Google Docs to PDFs quickly. As such, anything you save to the Drive can become a PDF — a great resource to have, especially because we think PDF is a better format in general.

Downloading All of the Files At Once

The Google Takeout site gives you the ability to back up all of your Google data for your privacy or use elsewhere. 

You can use this platform to convert all of your Docs to Microsoft Word Files, too.

Once you log in, you’ll find a list of data available for download. All of the Google-based apps will be selected at first, meaning your browser will download all of your stored info. So, start by clicking Deselect All at the top, so you don’t transfer unneeded files. 

You’ll want to find Drive on the list and click to make sure it’s set to download. Then, customize the downloads to make sure they come in the format you need. 

Click the button that says Multiple Formats beneath the Drive header. In there, you’ll find .docx to be the default download format for Docs. You can customize the file types for drawings, Slides, Sheets and more under this tab, too.

Once you’re ready, click the Next button at the bottom of the page. From there, you can customize your Takeout service. For instance, you can choose to download your data once a year, or you can make it a routine back-up.

The website will automatically create .zip files from your downloads, or you can opt for .tgz instead. You can pick how big you want the resulting .zip or .tgz to be, ranging from 1 GB to 50GB. 

Downloading a File — and Leaving It in Drive as a .docx

Now, once you’ve started downloading Docs as Word files, you might still want access to them through your Google Drive. 

Unfortunately, you can’t edit your Word files through your web browser unless you download a web extension

If you don’t have the extension, you can still keep your Word files close to hand. Once you download them to your computer, re-upload the .docx files to your Drive. That way, you’ll have them stored in the format you need, accessible wherever you may need them. 

Your Drive will keep up with the types of files you upload. Anything compatible with Word will be open to download, but you won’t be able to select .docx or another Office-compatible file type. That’s because the site knows that what you have is already Microsoft-ready.

Now You Know — How To Convert Google Doc to Word

The great thing about Google Drive is its user-friendliness. With the above tips, that fact becomes even clearer. It’s simple to download your Docs as Word files, whether you’re in the text editor or browsing your list of files. 

Bookmark this page so you can come back any time you forget how to convert Google Doc to Word. And be sure to check back with our blog any time you have questions about Google Drive or any other file type on your PC or Mac. 

pdf file format

The Top 7 Benefits of Converting Your Docs Into a PDF File Format

Data breaches cost businesses more than 1.4 billion in losses in the year 2018. 

With the increase in the cases of data loss, companies must continuously seek new ways of curbing authorized access to their information. 

The form in which you store your data affects the security and safety of your information.   

With the changing dynamics around data safety, there have been calls to review the documentation approach among companies. One of the prominent arguments relates to the need to convert current documents to PDF file format. 

Businesses can derive a wide range of benefits by adapting to this new approach to documentation. 

Have you been wondering how critical PDF file format is in your documentation process? Here are all the benefits you ought to consider.

1. Password Protection 

As a business, handling sensitive customer information is not a new thing. 

You have loads of confidential documents in digital copies that would put various stakeholders in trouble in case of infiltration. The fact that your systems are consistently accessed by third parties and employees for various reasons puts your data at risk.

Having a single layer of protection is essential to keep your documents safe. However, most times, document formats such as word don’t have the option of password protection. This is one of the reasons why you need to consider changing your documents to PDF files format.

Having a password the protection option that comes with using PDF documents means that you no longer have to worry about unauthorized access to your most critical documents. 

2. PDF File Format Is Compatible Across All the Operating Systems 

Most file formats have a limitation when it comes to their use across multiple operating systems. 

You’ll often end up having to deal with the incompatibility of some of these files, depending on whether you are using a PC or a Mac. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing that a vital document won’t open because of compatibility concerns.

Such concerns are unheard of when using PDF file formats. PDF files offer a unique compatibility that allows you and other users to access them through IOS or Android operating systems. 

You no longer have to worry over whether your file formats can be accessible across different operating systems. With PDF files, anything goes.

3. PDF Formats Are Here to Stay 

Most times, your business is concerned about the long-term use of specific file formats. 

You aren’t sure whether such files will still be useful tomorrow or in the foreseeable future. Such concerns are mainly because of the changing technological landscape.

Are you looking for a file format option that will stand the test of time? Then it would help if you considered going for the PDF file format. 

This option is not likely to face probable overhaul any time in the future. It would have to take a fundamental shift in computing for the current PDF file format to be outdated. 

An investment in PDF conversion software would be an essential consideration for any futuristic business. You have the guarantee that in the long-run, your PDF formatted files will still be useful even in the next decade of business operations. 

Such assurances are critical for a going concern.

4. It’s Easier and More Accurate to Make PDF File Conversion Online

Most of the modern businesses are finding significant relevance in their operations online. 

As such, it’s essential to have a reliable and accurate file conversion software to ensure easy conversion of the files you download online. 

In the past, this process has either been complex or marred by security concerns.

With PDF formatting options, you no longer have to worry about the process of converting the files you download online. This option guarantees you a safe and effective file conversion process devoid of any complications or inaccuracies. 

5. Easy Preservation of Visual Elements 

There are instances where you want to use graphic content in your documents.

However, you worry that such documents may eventually be distorted considering the inability by most file formatting options to retain the originality of content.  

Fortunately, with PDF file formats, you can easily navigate from JPEG to PDF or other file formats without worrying about the probability of not retaining the original graphics.  

6. Easy to Share Files

One of the unique aspects about PDF file formats is the fact that one can easily share the files. 

In the age of mobile offices and globalized enterprises, having a file formatting option that is easily shareable is essential.

With PDF file formats, you can easily share files with colleagues. This option is safe and secure on top of also guaranteeing you fast upload and download time. 

Are you looking to share critical data and information with workmates without geographical limitations?  

You can now trust the use of PDF file formats to share highly-confidential files across multiple platforms. You no longer have to worry about sharable files with this easy and secure alternative.

7. High Graphical Quality

Most of the file formats that provide the benefit of downloading graphical content have a limitation related to the level of quality of such images after conversation. 

Sometimes the level of graphical quality you need for specific content is very high. 

Converting such images presents the potential of missing out on the level of quality you desire.

You can convert numerous images from PDF to other formats and back to PDF but still retain the same level of quality.

PDF File Format Is the Future of Documentation

Now that your documentation database is growing steadily, there will be instances where safety, security, and quality of the file formats you use will come to question. 

If you’re keen about keeping your internal documents up to date and easily shareable with workmates, then you need to find a robust file format.

With a PDF file format, you get to enjoy all these benefits and more for your business.   You should consider converting all your documents to PDF files and sit pretty as all your concerns about documentation are resolved.

Converting docs to pdf is easy. Visit our page and learn everything there is to know about file conversion.

Posted in PDF
adobe reader alternatives

The Best Freed Adobe Reader Alternatives in 2019

In 2018, people opened about 250 billion PDFs in Adobe products. PDFs have been around since the 1990s, and their popularity keeps increasing every passing year. 

But why do PDFs seem to be everywhere?

Well, first of all, one can open a PDF using any operating system using various Adobe reader alternatives. Secondly, PDFs are quite easy to attach to a website or email. Also, it’s not easy for anyone to alter a PDF beyond what the original creator intended for it. 

A person looking to simply read PDFs can usually do it using their preferred web browser. However, if you’d like to do something more than just read the PDF, you’ll most likely require a dedicated PDF reader. Such a reader is useful if you’re looking to:

  • Edit or sign documents
  • Merge PDFs
  • Convert between different document formats 

The good news is that you can always find a free PDF reader to suit your needs, whether you’re using Windows or Mac. In this guide, we discuss six of the top free Adobe readers in the market today.

Read on to learn more.

Top Free Adobe Reader Alternatives In 2020

With the current proliferation of free adobe readers today, it’s not easy to decide which one is worth your time. To make the job easier for you, we’ve compiled some of the best PDF readers for you.

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

One of the first things you’ll notice about this free PDF reader from Adobe is that it isn’t as lightweight as other readers you may already be familiar with. However, this software does lots of things remarkably well.

The PDF reader can easily open multiple large files simultaneously. You can thus read through thick files and annotate them without the program crashing on you. The reader layout neatly arranges PDF documents in a tab view, enhancing your reading experience. 

The Adobe Acrobat Reader DC has all the annotation tools you’d want in a PDF software. You can highlight text in the document, add comments, and even fill or sign forms. If you’d like the software to read PDF documents out aloud, you can switch to text-to-speech mode.  

For those who already make use of other Adobe products, it’s easy to connect this free reader to Adobe’s storage cloud. 

Foxit Reader

For many people, Foxit Reader is the best alternative to Adobe Reader. Any thorough Foxit reader review will tell you that this software is a lot more than just a PDF reader. Why?

Well, Foxit Reader allows you to create PDFs from scratch. You can also turn a document in Microsoft Word into a PDF. Using the software, you can also scan a document and convert it into a PDF. 

This software is reasonably easy to navigate, though it may seem a bit intimidating at first. It’s easy to access the tools for signing, editing, commenting, and highlighting. If you’d like to split or merge PDFs, you can always download free add-ons. 

Another impressive benefit of Foxit Reader is that it’s highly secure.

Slim PDF

Perhaps the most notable feature about this Adobe reader alternative is how incredibly lightweight it is. The software is less than 1.5 MB in size. It’s the perfect choice for those with limited hard drive space. 

Slim PDF is impressively fast when it comes to opening and loading documents. Since it leaves out toolbars that can distract you when reading a document, this software is extremely good at its job as a true PDF reader. Slim PDF is also the best PDF reader for people who frequently print PDFs.

Of course, there’s a downside to the small size of Slim PDF. The software is quite basic, lacking the tools you need for filling, signing, highlighting, or commenting. Besides searching and rotating documents, you can do little.

Nitro Reader

This free PDF reader is one of the most powerful in the market today. The software comes with a touchscreen mode, which sets it apart from many PDF readers. The touchscreen mode is particularly helpful for people who love to read e-books on their tablets, as it makes it easy to flick pages.

Nitro Reader doesn’t let you fill or sign PDFs. However, the software is magnificent when it comes to collaboration. You can annotate documents using strikethroughs, highlighting, or underlining. 

The PDF reader also lets you convert TXT to a PDF file. The software’s menu is straightforward to navigate.

Expert PDF Reader

Like Slim PDF, Expert PDF Reader is relatively lightweight. What sets this software apart, however, is that it packs a load of tools.

With Expert PDF reader, you can fill, sign, and add comments to documents. The software has many predesigned markup annotations as well. With the software, you can attach extra documents to PDFs and create note-style comments. 

Expert PDF supports email documents. This enhances collaboration. The program has a straightforward user interface, making it remarkably easy to navigate.

What’s missing in this software, however, is that it doesn’t allow conversion between different file types.

Google Drive

Google Drive allows you to open PDF files without using external tools. It works just like your web browser, offering you an online PDF reader. 

This PDF reader also provides you with a place to store your information, view your documents, and share them with the relevant people. In case you’d like to add functionality to Google Drive, you can opt to connect it with external Chrome apps. You could also open a PDF through Google Docs, then convert it into an editable format. 

Choose the Ideal PDF Reader for You Today

As you can see, there’s a variety of remarkable free Adobe reader alternatives you can choose from. Your decision, of course, will depend on your need and how you intend to use the software. 

If you’d like software that has as many features as possible, then you can opt for full-fledged readers such as Acrobat DC, Nitro, Foxit, or Expert. But if a simple, lightweight reader works for you, then you can go for Slim PDF. An online PDF reader like Google Drive is best for those who’d like to avoid the hassle of installing a dedicated PDF reader on their device.

Are you looking for the best PDF reader for you? Check out the solutions we provide.

Posted in PDF
pdf to word

How to Convert PDF to Word and Into Other File Formats

Do you have PDF files that you can’t open on your device?

PDFs are a driving force in the workplace. They make it easier for you to move your documents around and send them to other users. Its versatility also makes it the perfect file format for different documents, from legal documents to the rules of a game.

They’re also important to streamline business procedures, making them a vital part of an efficient company. However, some issues make it impossible for you to open a PDF file. When this happens, you need to convert your PDF to Word, PNG, or Excel file formats.

What’s great about PDFs is that you can convert them to more file formats to suit your situation. Read on to learn how you can convert your PDF to a compatible file format.

1. Converting PDF to Image Files

Some PDF files only contain images to view. This is a perfect way to view these images, but they often load slower. This is because individual images remain compressed until you view their pages for the first time since opening the file.

This makes it a good idea to convert them into a PNG file. Doing this will make it easier to manipulate the images and use them on other documents. PNG is also the most common image format on the Internet, meaning it would be easier to take and place images to and from websites.

You can use Adobe Acrobat to convert your PDF file. All you need to do is open the file in the program and click on the “Tools” tab. You then select “Export PDF” and click on “Images”, you can select the PNG format from there.

You can also use online converters to get the job done. Websites like Offdrive and freepdfconvert are good resources to use.

If you have a JPG image file, it won’t be as useful as PNG. The good news is that it’s as easy to convert JPG to PNG. You can save the image as a PNG after editing it in Windows and you can use the Preview app on a Mac.

2. Converting PDF to GIF

There are many reasons for you to convert PDFs to GIFs for your business. Converting them to GIFs isn’t easy, though, as you need to go through many steps. The first step is taking a screenshot of the page containing the media you want to turn into a GIF.

Find the image in your explorer and open it using the Paint software. You can also use any photo-editing software if you’re not familiar with MSPaint. You must then crop the image to ensure that you don’t have any blank space in the GIF.

You then save the file as a GIF file when you click “Save As”. The procedure is simpler on a Mac. All you need to do is export the file and change the format on the dialog box that appears. Save the change and the file will become a gif.

You can also use online converters to make your job easier. Offdrive and Zamzar are great tools because of their simple interface.

3. Converting PDF to HTML

Converting to HTML allows you to view files on web browsers with no compatibility issues to deal with. It also allows you to view a website’s content even while you’re offline if you saved it on your device beforehand.

Once again, converting these using online tools is the easiest way to do so. Check out websites like Offdrive to convert your PDF with ease.

If you don’t have the luxury of being online, though, then you can use programs like Adobe Acrobat and DocSmartz to convert the PDF file. All you need to do is rename the file into an HTML file.

Doing this will allow you to view the content as if you were online. This is a great way to collect data for others to see, too.

4. Converting PDF to Word Documents

This is the most common conversion you will do with PDFs. This is because most PDFs have slight errors that you can correct. Since you can’t edit a PDF, you need to convert it to a text document to edit it.

You can convert it online with the help of online tools. You only need to upload your document and the rest will do itself.

If you want a more hands-on conversion, you can use programs like Adobe Acrobat. Exporting the PDF and selecting your desired Word file format will be enough to convert the file.

You can also do this in MS Word. All you need to do is open the file using Microsoft Word. Doing this will cause a dialog box to pop out.

This dialog box will let you know that MS Word will try to convert the file into an editable Word document. You can then save it as a Word file or convert it to PDF again with the same program.

5. Converting PDF to TXT

If you need to edit a small chunk of text on your PDF, then it’s best to convert it to a TXT file. This is because converting to a TXT file is the easiest thing you can do with Adobe Acrobat. Text programs like Notepad are also faster to launch than MS Word.

You can rename the file to TXT to convert it. Doing this means you won’t have a backup file anymore, though. You can use Adobe to export the file into the format, instead, to preserve a copy of the file.

You can also make this easier by using online tools to convert them. You will only need to upload the file and wait for it to become converted if you do.

6. Converting PDF to EPUB

With e-books becoming popular among mobile device users, it is beneficial to know how to convert a PDF to EPUB files.

There’s a program dedicated to converting files into the EPUB format. Calibre is compatible with all major operating systems. It also allows you to convert many PDFs in quick succession.

All you need to do is click on the “Add Book” button on the main interface. Add the PDFs you to convert and click the “Convert Books” option. The software will then ask you about the format you want to use.

The EPUB format will allow you to open these files on most devices. Some online tools can also convert your PDF into an EPUB file with ease.

Convert PDF to Word and Other File Formats Today

Your PDFs need not remain incompatible with your device. Learn how to convert PDF to Word and other file formats to make them useable today!

Why do you need to convert your PDFs? Check out this guide to know the importance of converting to Docx and other Doc files.