LibreOffice has a native export to PDF. And, if you use (almost) any Linux, you have a PDF printer included.
Comment on Word.
Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 day agoI used LibreOffice Writer for my coursework the past semester, and when I used my spouse’s Windows computer to double check the images were correctly placed before submitting a paper they were on completely different pages. This was when I saved it as a .docx, because the only two options accepted were .docx or pdf. I wound up doing everything as a pdf if I needed images, but I think LibreOffice doesn’t have a save as pdf option? Or if it did I missed it, I just used Google Docs to save it as a pdf.
bufalo1973@piefed.social 1 day ago
CannedYeet@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Even better, you can create a “Hybrid PDF” which embeds a second copy of the file in ODT format inside the PDF. This makes it re-editable.
Word supports ODT but it doesn’t support reading these ODT files embedded in PDFs though.
Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Hello! Thanks for the tip!
Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
I am on Linux but haven’t needed to use office software in nearly 20 years, how do you access the pdf printer? Is that different from saving as a pdf through the menu?
wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world 1 day ago
You literally ‘print’ to pdf. Instead of a physical page appearing from the demon box, it will give you a prompt of where to ‘print’ your file. Windows has it too, though I always use the pdf export and not the print. But in a pinch it’s good.
bountygiver@lemmy.ml 11 hours ago
export is typically better as it preserve selectable text, if you print as pdf it will be as flat as a real paper
exu@feditown.com 1 day ago
You hit print and select the PDF output. It probably works everywhere you can select a printer.
Windows also has that, but you have to navigate your way out of OneDrive folders.
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 1 day ago
The PDF printer would be accessed via the Print functionality. It’s a virtual device that renders output to a file instead of a physical printer.
nabladabla@sopuli.xyz 16 hours ago
There’s a button in the toolbar to export to pdf
theorangeninja@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
IIRC you have to use the “Export as” option instead of the “Save as” for a .pdf file.
Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
Good to know, at the time my brain was absolutely fried so it doesn’t surprise me that I missed it, lol
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 12 hours ago
PDF is one of those weird “not for editing” formats, like STL. Hence why it’s often in an Export As dialog rather than a Save As.
It used to be even hackier. You’d have to get some separate PDF authoring software which would present to applications like a printer driver, so to create a PDF version of your document you’d start with the Print command, not Save or Export, then instead of your printer you’d select your PDF authoring software, then when you clicked Print it would create a file on your hard drive instead of hosing data down a parallel or USB cable to one of Satan’s Own Favorite Contraptions.