OpenOffice & RTF Format

smsarber · Jun 11, 2009

I have a question I may just be not "tech-minded" enough to figure out.

I use OpenOffice, and I like it. But it saves in ODF format by default. A lot of submissions need to be DOC or RTF. So I started saving in RTF from the get-go. But when I do that I get a message that says the document may contain some formatting that is not compatable with RTF. After I save it I always look over the text, and it looks fine. But I had problems before with RTF doubling my quotation marks, and a couple other minor things. i found this out by sending a piece to a friend who is an English teacher, and she was like "WTF?" So I'm like, "WTF!" lol I just want to know if anyone knows what things aren't compatable, and how to get around it.

dclary · Jun 11, 2009

For the quotes, most likely if you turn off "smart quotes" (which are the indented ones, as opposed to vertical ones) in Open Office's autoformatting options, you'll avoid that problem.

Most of the things that aren't compatible are the macro-based things. Tables will become flat (no longer updatable), you'll lose "style" information (they'll just be saved as individual font values, etc.). Things like that. I'm not sure how RTF handles headers and footers either.

I'd say you're a lot better off, if you use things like that, saving to the word format (.doc) which supports all those features. RTF is lot like HTML... it's just text, font, color.

EFCollins · Jun 11, 2009

I love OpenOffice. But, if you must save as anything, go for .doc with it. The RTF always messes up for me too.

smsarber · Jun 11, 2009

I'll switch to .doc, the only thing I do use that might not work is the header, I did turn off the smartquotes, that's probably why when I do save it in rtf it looks fine now. But I don't usually add my header until I've written three or four pages, so I haven't noticed if that stays formatted or not. Thanks guys!!!

Clair Dickson · Jun 11, 2009

If OpenOffice is anything like MSOffice in regards to changing file formats, the message is default. I've gotten the message when saving a plain text (nothing fancy at all) doc to another format, such as RTF, or more commonly when I convert at Word2007 doc to the Word2003 format. And I *know* there's nothing there that might be a problem.

ChristineR · Jun 11, 2009

Open Office completely trashes my .doc files. That is, when I save as .doc, close and reopen, the files are entirely wrong. They are also wrong when I open them in Word, so I know the problem is that OO is unable to save .doc files properly.

smsarber · Jun 11, 2009

When I just opened the little short I saved in .rtf it opened up in MS Word. Problem is, my trial expired eons ago. I can't cut and past, or save in another format. Luckily the document was only 224 words long at the time, and I could print it. So what's another good processor? I can't afford Word, OO is free. I like all the aspects of OO but this one little thing. It is only a problem when I need .rtf or .doc, a lot of magazines I've submitted to want the short story embedded in the e-mail, which works fine, of course. I just hope I haven't looked like some clueless amateur when the ones I did send out as .rtf got opened.

Miguelito · Jun 11, 2009

I love OpenOffice. But it always screws up rft files so I've given up using it for that. AbiWord is much better at it, but it doesn't handle novel-length manuscripts all that well.

ChristineR · Jun 11, 2009

Open Office will open and save .rtf. Windows is set up to open .rtf files with Office (it does that). Try right-clicking on a .rtf/doc document, choose Open With, find OO and set it to open with OO.

If it saves and reopens and still looks right, you're probably good to go. But if if doesn't work, a lot of PCs now come with Microsoft Works Sponsored Edition. I guess you can't get it for yourself though. Works regular is $40. Or try buying an old copy of Word off of someone who's upgraded.

Clair Dickson · Jun 11, 2009

smsarber-- have you upgraded to the most recent version of OpenOffice? Maybe that bug has been worked out a little bit? (I only use it occaisionally on my U3 thumbdrive. I'm part of the Microsoft Collective. =)

Or copy and paste from OO into WordPad when you go to make RTF docs. (That's how I make RTFs, anyway. To help strip out any goofiness that might happen in conversion.) All Windows computers (should!) have WordPad hidden back in the Accessories folder. It's default format is RTF.

smsarber · Jun 11, 2009

Yeah, I just upgraded yesterday, actually. I have a plan, though--I think, emphasis on think, if I cut and paste the document into Works Word Processor, save that in .doc it might work. Or it might not. I would like to get a laptop (netbook or regular) soon, but I may have to put that off to buy Word first.

Kila · Jun 22, 2009

I'm just upgrading as I write. I really, really hope that Oo 3.1 can handle either rtf or doc format properly, because if it cannot then that is the end of Linux for me

Many editors insist on rtf for submissions, including my favourite markets. Imagine my shock when I got feedback that headers (author/title/pagenumber) had been stripped and line spacing had been lost. The submission was utterly unprofessional and I'm frankly amazed that the editor took the time to read the story anyway. No wonder I tend to receive my form rejections so soon after submitting!

It's a shame that we can't use TeX (except for print submissions, obviously). It looks like I need to get Microsoft Works, and that means installing XP on my sweet little EeePC

Had the editor not given me feedback, I would never have known. The documents look just fine when opened with Oo

Kila · Jun 23, 2009

Upgraded and failed. Open Office does not support rtf.

My problem was that the documents looked fine when opened in OO, but the formatting is stripped when they are subsequently opened with anything else. OO should come with a health warning: do not use it to format standard manuscripts unless you know that this is what the editor uses as well.

Abiword is indeed better. It preserves the indents and spacings, but the header (and page numbers with it) is stripped, so it will still not do for submission to markets that demand SMF.

smsarber · Jun 23, 2009

It's a conspiracy to get us all to buy the hugely overpriced Microsoft Word program. Time to start saving my pennies.

OpenOffice & RTF Format

smsarber

Coming soon to a nightmare near you

dclary

Unabashed Mercenary

EFCollins

World Class Rambler

smsarber

Coming soon to a nightmare near you

Clair Dickson

A dark core to every cloud

ChristineR

What happened?

smsarber

Coming soon to a nightmare near you

Miguelito

Filled with optimism. And scotch.

ChristineR

What happened?

Clair Dickson

A dark core to every cloud

smsarber

Coming soon to a nightmare near you

Kila

Kila

smsarber

Coming soon to a nightmare near you