Using EPS images in Word 2007 (or later?)

Microsoft Word 2007 does not use the same graphics filter for eps (Encapsulated Post-Script) files as Word 2003 and earlier versions did. Does it matter? YES!

Earlier versions of Word showed a ‘preview’ of an eps image file (assuming one had been generated when the file was created). It wasn’t particularly clear, but that didn’t matter as printing or creating a PDF used the actual image and not the preview.
Word 2007 is different. When you glance at the Word document, you might not notice much of a difference: you will still see a low-resolution preview. It’s when you come to print your document or create a PDF that you run into difficulties – because the image doesn’t look any better than the the preview did. How bad is it? Well, any text on the image may be quite hard to read and the general appearance is that it is very ‘fuzzy’.
I have found:

• If the images were inserted using Word 2003 in the first place, I can still create a good PDF (using Word 2003), even if I’ve worked on the document using Word 2007 in the meantime.
• If the images were inserted using Word 2007, there is nothing I can do.
• It doesn’t matter how the images were inserted into the document, I cannot (usually) successfully create the PDF using Word 2007. (I say ‘usually’ because I did manage once – but the image file was nearly 0.5MB for a 2cm x 1cm image!!)

If you have documents containing images in eps format and are now using Word 2007, create some sample output to check everything is OK.

You can't prepare documents for professional printing using Word, can you?

Many of my technical authoring colleagues will be throwing their hands up in horror at the mere thought, but the honest answer is “Yes, you can... if you know what you are doing!”

Why use Word?

If someone asks me to create Word templates for documents that are going to be professionally printed, I always ask why Word has been chosen.
Although Word can be used, there are a lot of other options out there that are better in many cases. The only sound reason (in my opinion) for using Word instead of a dedicated layout programme (Adobe's InDesign, Quark, Serif's PagePlus or even another Microsoft programme, Publisher) is because you're going to be frequently updating the content.

A lot of PCs come with a version of Word pre-installed and many people are familiar with it...but very few of them are experts. Your beautifully formatted document will go horribly wrong if you don't follow a few simple principles.

So how do you get started?

You need to plan your document carefully and create a template that contains all the styles you want – and then you need to use them!

If you're asking “What are styles?”, you need to read some of the built-in help that the people at Microsoft have provided.

Making numbering work

Numbering in Microsoft Word can be stable — but you have to go about it the right way.

First rule — unless you're just creating a quick note to stick on the side of the fridge, or something that you are going to print out and never change, do NOT use the 'helpful' numbering and button icons on the toolbar (the two on the left in the image below).

So, how do you make numbering work for longer, more complex numbering sequences? You link them to styles. Follow my step-by-step guides (written for Word 2007 and Word 2003) and your numbering schemes will work as you expect.