Have you ever had a boss or a friend ask you to complete a form and send it back as a PDF file?
If you're in your office, this can be pretty simple, depending on what tools of the trade your company has. But if you're at home or working for yourself, you may be frantically Googling "how to change a file type."
In this article, we'll review some of the simplest ways to change file types so that you can send over glossy PDFs every time.
And with 3.8 billion people using email, now has never been a better time to learn how to quickly and effectively convert file types.
The Simple "Save As" Feature
One straightforward way to change the format of a document or a photo is by saving it as the file type you want. On many programs, like photo and video editing software, you can choose what file type you want to save the item as.
You can either select the file type you want to save it as or add the extension to the end of the file name.
For example, if your file is called girl.jpg, you can save it as a gif by simply calling it girl.gif.
This only works across the board in some programs but only in those supporting different file types. For example, you won't be able to open a file once you've saved it and changed the file type. You'll have to do this in a program.
If you have a file you want to change the extension for, open the file in the program that allows you to change the extension. When you're ready, hit "save as" and save it under your chosen wing.
Using Word
Using a Word document is more primitive than other programs, but it works just as well, significantly when changing to a PDF file. Word supports several different format types, including PDF. Therefore, anything you type up can be saved as a PDF file.
While you can't expressly change a JPG into a PDF using this method, you can insert the JPG image into the Word format. You can also use PDFCreator to convert a JPG to a PDF; learn more here: https://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator. Once it is there, you can simply "save as" and ensure you use the PDF extension.
From there, you can send the PDF form to whoever needs it.
While Word costs to subscribe to, you can use the basic format in your web browser for free.
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is one of the leading PDF readers, though you do have to pay to use it. With Adobe Acrobat, you can quickly and easily turn almost any document into a PDF file, including JPGs and other photo files. This is fantastic for the person who needs to send high volumes of PDF files to work or for personal use, especially a PDF editor for mac.
This program also lets you sign PDF files and edit them without printing them. Unless you can edit them or use a third-party app, you'll have to print them out, sign them by hand and then scan and return them. Often, bosses or companies will send contracts over in PDF form.
While this only takes a little bit of time, it can be a pain to take so many steps to do something that can be done in just a few minutes and will save paper.
If you work from home or handle high volumes of PDF files, it is worth it to purchase a subscription. Otherwise, it might be more money than it's worth.
Translating Code
Sometimes, you'll need to send samples of code to clients or your boss, which may need to be in PDF format. This can be difficult, primarily as most PDF converters don't necessarily support ASPX or ASP.NET files.
But, there are specialized converters only for code, and they are a lifesaver for those looking to get the files in the correct format for the right people.
You can learn more about some technology and applications that allow you to do this without fuss.
Other Resources
There is a myriad of free online resources that allow you to convert files cheaply or even for free. The cost is one of the most significant barriers to many more extensive programs. If you need to convert a file once every month or a few months, paying $20 a month for a subscription to a service isn't worth it.
How to Change a File Type
If you need to be computer literate, figuring out how to change a file type can feel infuriating and impossible. But, with a bit of research, you can do it cheaply or even for free and get that professional and sleek look you want.
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