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How to get PDF files into MS Office documents?

MadDog
Registered: Jan 14 2008
Posts: 4

I'm in the process of having a number of different marketing materials created for me by a graphic designer using a Mac. We figured the easiest way to use them in creating MS Office documents (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Publisher) would be to save them as a PDF, so that all of the properties would be preserved.

I'm finding out today that apparently, this doesn't work since MS Office doesn't appear to correctly handle PDF files. Is this correct?

For example, what I was trying to do today was trying to lay 8 or 10 business cards on a page so that I could send that for printing on heavy cardstock on an interim basis without wasting a lot of paper (8 or 10 per sheet instead of 1 per sheet). I tried starting in Publisher, then Word, and found that neither could directly handle importing a PDF. I tried inserting it somehow and it looked horrible.

My graphic designer is going to be sending me more graphic design elements, such as my logo, things that I can use to create letterhead, report covers, Powerpoint presentations, etc.

1) If this is correct and PDF doesn't work in MS Office, what format should I have my designer save these elements in so that I can EASILY bring them into MS Office documents while preserving the properties, and use them? I don’t want to waste his time, or mine for that matter.

2) How else would I get these design elements, created on a Mac, into Word, Publisher, and PowerPoint?

Thanks in advance for the help.

My Product Information:
Reader 8.1.1, Windows
carrimak
Team
Registered: Dec 13 2006
Posts: 165
First of all, I hope that your Mac person has a copy of Office for Mac. If so, the files saved in office programs will be usable in Windows AS IS.

If the design work is being done in another Mac program, they may be able to be saved as a BMP, JPG, TIFF which should open in any other program that can handle those files on your computer, for instance Adobe Elements (which is Photoshop lite)

If you are looking for a PUB extension for publisher, that's not going to work well at all.

Do a Google search for Mac to Windows converter for some more ideas...

Hope this helps....

Acrobat is probably the program I use most often and I'm learning more every day.

MadDog
Registered: Jan 14 2008
Posts: 4
Well, maybe. I'm not sure if he has Word for Mac, but I'll find out.

I'm not sure what the problem is here, but when I print the file directly from Adobe Reader, it's perfect, just like it's supposed to be. However, if I go into an MS Office app (Word or Publisher) and then go Insert > Object, and insert my file that way, the small print is very blurry and has a bad case of the jaggies. Why is this happening?Thanks.
carrimak
Team
Registered: Dec 13 2006
Posts: 165
Hi again. I'm not sure why it is happening, but I am pretty sure Insert>object was not to be used for a PDF. It's to be used for charts and tables made by another MS Office program.Publisher is not a heavy duty graphics program; it's fine for small businesses, etc; but you should be originating your business cards in Publisher for them to work well. You should be able to pretty much do that by asking your designer what fonts he used; etc; and trying to duplicate the design in Publisher, starting from scratch. Publisher is not going to import PDFs and make a publisher file out of it.

Hope this helps....

Acrobat is probably the program I use most often and I'm learning more every day.

MadDog
Registered: Jan 14 2008
Posts: 4
Honestly, I don't want to be "originating" my business cards anywhere. My graphic designer does all that. They look awesome. I was just trying to generate some print options using Publisher or Word for the PDF.

He sent me over some .tiff files today and they turned out great. So, unfortunately, it was the .pdf format that MS Office didn't like. My designer also verified that he has the same issue trying to use a .pdf in Office for Mac.

Thanks. I'm now good to go.
carrimak
Team
Registered: Dec 13 2006
Posts: 165
Yup, PDF files are their own "thing" and don't want to be included in something else. Glad the .tiff option worked out for you......

Acrobat is probably the program I use most often and I'm learning more every day.