Saving a File and Changing Formats
File Formats: Mac vs. Pc
The file format determines which program will open the saved document. This also determines how the document will look. A ClarisWorks document will save the document with a .cwk extension, and will require ClarisWorks to open it. Microsoft Word saves a document with a .doc extension and requires Word to open and read it. These two file formats are not interchangeable.
There are, however, formats that BOTH PC's and Mac's can read. These are .rtf (rich text format), .html for web pages, and .txt (text) formats. However, text files do not preserve such things as font, font colors, paragraphs, table formatting, italics, underlines, etc. If formatting is not an issue, you can use this extension with confidence that your reader can open them regardless of if they are on a Mac or a PC. Rich Text Format does preserve text formatting, but not table or column formats. This is why email is always sent in RTF format; it can be read by anyone. When you save a document as a web page (.html format) all formatting and pictures are preserved, and html code is added so that the page can be read by your web browser.
I have a PC, and I cannot open documents sent to me in ClarisWorks. I need to convert it to another format first. (I do this by sending it to my husband via email because he has a Mac. I then go to his computer, open the email and the file, convert it and email it back to myself.) However, you can save a ClarisWorks document with a different extension so that it can be opened and read on a PC (and my husband will thank you!)
Type your newsletter or document, or create your file. When you are ready to save your file, go to the Menu Bar and click on "File." Saving a file is basically the same whether it is a ClarisWorks document on a Mac, a Word document on a PC, or any kind of file created in a program. All files are saved in the same way. In the menu bar, click on "File" and from the drop down menu, choose "Save As..."
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We choose "Save As" instead of Save because this is the first time we are saving this file. We need to give this file a name! Notice, in the title bar, the name of the unsaved file is Document1 (on a PC). On a Mac, it is called "untitled." We will use the "Save As" choice. When you click on "Save As," the Save As window will appear. You will need to do three things:
After the file has a name, you can hereafter just click on "Save" to save any new changes. (More on this below.) |
Choose a File Format
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By default, a Word document will be saved with a ".doc" file extension, and "Word Document" appears in the format field. To choose a different format for a document on a pc, click on the little arrows (circled in red above) in the field labeled "Save as type". This will appear:
Choose the format by clicking on it, and when you then click on the "Save" button, the .doc extension will automatically be replaced with .rtf, or .html (web page), or other file extension of your choice. You will notice that the file's icons will look different, and will open the document in different programs:
I could open the newsletter in any of these formats. |
By default, a ClarisWorks document will be saved with a ".cwk" file extension and "Appleworks" appears in the file format field. To choose a different format for a document on a pc, click on the little blue arrows (circled in red) in the field labeled "File Format." This will appear:
To save the document in a format that I can open, choose HTML, RTF, Text, or the last choice, Word Windows 97, 200, XP, 2002. I have windows XP, so this is my preferred choice. However, if you do this, unlike the PC which automatically puts on the new extension, you will need to do this MANUALLY:
This is an extra step for you. You must type in the name of the document, and THEN ADD the dot-doc (.doc, or .rtf, or .txt, or .html) in the "Save As" box at the top. |
Name your File
In the "Save as" window, we see the box to put the File Name. It is located on the bottom of the window in a PC, or the top for a Mac. By default, a Word document (PC) uses the first sentence as a file name, but you should give it a name that reflects what the file is about. ClarisWorks will just call it "untitled." File names are usually short, but they don't have to be. They DO help you know what the file is about without having to open the file to figure it out. We could name this page "Saving files" or "How to save a file." Type in your new name. If necessary, delete the default name first by clicking at the end of default file name and backspacing until the name is gone. When your file has a name, click on the Save button. Your file will now be saved in your My Documents folder (or a different location of your choice).
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