I continue to work on guide specifications for the Architectural Woodwork Standards. The question has come up; What formats should we post them in. We plan to publish them in Word, is there a demand for Word Perfect? What about PDF editions. I would think a specifier would want an editable version.
To qualify for the specs icon on 4specs, the spec needs to be in Word (and I will accept an RTF). PDF’s sometimes can be cut and pasted, and you generally lose all the formatting.
Web designers somehow assume the architect and specifier will use the document verbatum and want to post just a pdf.
I’ll let others chime in on Word Perfect. I keep a copy (v 8) on my computer for printing some labels I have never been able to get Word to do.
Word is fine-- editable and most usable!
No .pdf!
Word (sigh)…although I’d prefer WordPerfect.
Word will do. Even we diehard Wordperfect users have had to become ept (as in the opposite of inept – somewhere short of “proficient”) w/ MS Word on account of its world domination.
WordPerfect, please!
Before this becomes too much of a WordPerfect “Lovefest”; let me say Word is fine.
Also when manufacturers format their own spec documents, it virtually never matches my setups(styles), even if I’m on straight MasterSpec. I usually have to reformat them to the correct styles and renumber them anyway.
Use *.RTF which every word processing program can use. Reformatting as noted by Rich in his post is always required.
Most sites I download from offer *.pdf and *.doc and sometimes *.rtf.
I am a proud Word Perfect user, but I have to own WORD just to keep the customer satisfied. Wish I did not because they sent me WORD documents from the Engineer to assemble into my Project Manual
Some of the Engineers specs print with the ARCOM hidden notes even though I do not see them when I open the file in WORD. Some do not.
Cannot figure out what setting needs to be changed?!!
Under “print”, there’s an “options” click button that allows printing - or not - of hidden text.
Under “tools” pull down - “options” tab - “view” tab, there’s a place to click to view hidden text.
Make sure your settings are what you want. I usually want to view hidden text, but not print it.
Oh yeah, and if you use the “print preview” you should be able to see what you will get (wysiwyg).
Lynn:
Thanks much. The Engineer that sent them to me had 2003 version of WORD and I had 2007 so he could not help.
Let’s hope there are no 20?? versions
Dick
After a rather painful week of getting files from various consultants into a universal format that could be opened by anyone I found that the safest way to pass WORD documents was to save them as .doc using “Open Office” rather than saving them using any of the various options in WORD. It appears to do the best job of importing and exporting old and new WORD versions and readily accepts Word Perfect files, although you have to copy and paste.
Has anyone found any problems with Open Office?
Nope, not as long as it’s saved as a .doc and not the one that Open Office wants to use - .cod, .ocd, .odc, - or whatever it is. Word doesn’t like that. (go figure)
How about posting a locked Acrobat.pdf file for a Guide Spec! You can not scan the file using OCR unless you print a hard copy first.
When I tried to send them an email to give them a hint to how stupid this was, I was expected to spend an hour filling out a marketing form that asked for everything but my Social Security number. It is quicker to vent on 4Specs and then find another supplier.