Changing file types

[Spiffy McMoron]

Hey all!

I'm sending out job applications, and a lot of places want the application files done electronically. Most (all, actually) of my references are paper copies, so I went to a friends house to use his scanner. I saved all of my stuff in .pdf format, and it's all good.

Except...

One place that I really want to work for won't accept .pdf attachments for their application process. They prefer .txt and (I think) .wdp and another one I can't remember right now. Any way to convert a pdf file to a txt or something else, so I don't have to go back and mooch off my buddy?

[Broomjockey]

Is it a searchable pdf? If so, you can just highlight the text and copy/paste it to notepad.

Barring that, try this (found it on a google search, so be wary) http://www.pdfpdf.com/pdfconverter.html

[Dips]

You want to find out how the document was created. You said it was scanned. Was it run through an optical character recognition (OCR) program to convert it to text before it was brought into Adobe?

If it was, it should be very easy for your friend to save the same file from the OCR program into .txt or another text-based format.

If it wasn't processed through an OCR, then the .pdf doesn't have text, it has a picture of text. Not all is lost, though.

If you google "pdf to text" you will find many programs which can do the conversion job for you. My customers and co-workers have reported decent results with PDF Transformer, made by AABBY. It costs money, though. There seem to be quite a few free ones as well, but I have no knowledge of how they work.

I hope that helps.

Edit: It looks like BroomJockey beat me to it.

[Broomjockey]

yeah, but you went way more in-depth, Dips. If between us he doesn't have it figured out, I'll go smack him. I can do that. I know where he lives

[draggar]

Since your friend could save it as a PDF chances are they have Acrobat (not just the reader) - that might be able to save it in a TXT file or worse, wps (what kind of company only uses MS works??)

[Spiffy McMoron]

Is it a searchable pdf? If so, you can just highlight the text and copy/paste it to notepad.

No dice--I need to have the official letterheads and signatures to show that this stuff s legitimate.

If you google "pdf to text" you will find many programs which can do the conversion job for you.

And therein lies the rub--the stuff I have is fairly personal/confidential. I don't trust randomly Googled programs for this stuff. Looks like I'm biting the bullet...

[JLRodgers]

I don't suppose your adobe program has a "save as..." or "export as..." option does it? My (paid) version does, and allows it to be saved differently (even as an image).

Some photo programs (especially Adobe ones) allow you to import a PDF as an image. Is the WPD a "windows media photo"? That's what I found online....


Although it sure is weird this company wants files in a certain format -- and don't except the standard ones that are technically able to be read and created on any OS.

edit: if you have openoffice -- there's apparently an "PDF Import Extension" that will allow you to open it and save as another format.

[Chromatix]

If what you're trying to deal with is reference documents, rather than your CV (or resume), then that kind of thing won't go in TXT format. It just doesn't convey enough information to be useful. TXT format won't convey the letterhead, for example.

Instead, you should simply mention in the text that you *have* reference documents, perhaps mentioning the company they are from, which you can forward by some suitable means on request.

[MrSmiley]

Probably the best way to convert PDF -> TXT is actually to copy & paste it. You won't get ALL the information but you can usually add what's missing from the letterheads manually and also do some spacing voodoo to make it readable again. I personally seem to have a pretty good luck with copying things to text about it keeping the "shape" of the paragraphs and text structure, even if a lot of the actual coding for things (underlines, bullet points, indentation) is lost. TXT applications are actually common because although the formatting is lost, they can be searched and sorted electronically and all kinds of information grepped and logged into appropriate fields of a database.

WPD is WordPerfect which is fine, an industry standard but signifigantly less popular than Microsoft Word (oh how Corel has fallen...). I don't know any easy way to convert to it from PDF unless whatever you have that makes PDF files can also SAVE AS to that format. Strange though, since PDFs are a lot safer, a lot more standard and a lot more common than WPD but... so it goes.

Then there's always plan C.... capture your document into an IMAGE FORMAT (jpeg, gif, png) and email that to them. You can probably make a smaller size (especially in jpeg) by upping the compression without any signifigant cost to the reading ease.

Furthermore, plan D.... putting your resume up on the web somewhere (hopefully on your own controlled space that you can easily delete and manage... and hide... especially before the google spiders get to it either as HTML/XML/CSS, PDF or an image.... and then just directing the employer to access it with a simple URL.

[JLRodgers]

Well if this isn't interesting.... if the wpd format is Wordperfect (which other sites say it is -- don't know what was up with the original one I found that didn't have it listed... maybe I had a typo)....

Anyway.... Wordperfect x4 has the ability to import and export PDF files! Of course I don't know what version that company has... but it's possible they could even view those without effort more ways than one.

[Naaman]

Foxit is a very good program that'll allow you to select text from a PDF and paste it into another bit of software, it'll probably need tidying up but the meat will be there. Foxit is free but the add-ons come with the Pro (paid) version but most will download and install for a 30 day trial

[digilight]

If they want a true Text type document then you can do it but it would take a multi step process and still be clunky. If you just need something in a DOC/WPD/ETC format then you can import the PDF into the document itself.

Otherwise you would need to download a TIFF printer (don't worry, this is free if you find the right one). This works as a printer but instead of printing a paper document it "Prints" a TIFF (image) file of the document. You can then import the image into the document. Or you can use a OCR program to convert the image into true text (can be a messy pain in the ass).

I would actually recomend calling them and finding out which method they truely prefer, chances are they just would need a document file with a image inserted into it.

[MrSmiley]

Otherwise you would need to download a TIFF printer (don't worry, this is free if you find the right one). This works as a printer but instead of printing a paper document it "Prints" a TIFF (image) file of the document. You can then import the image into the document. Or you can use a OCR program to convert the image into true text (can be a messy pain in the ass).

IMHO if you have the image file you don't need to import it into a document. Or at least logically you don't... I suppose you could end up with a silly person on the other end who only accepts the document type. Probably don't want to bother with OCR though in this case.

That's essentially the same setup I have for printing to PDF files, which is roughly as industry standard as TIFF

[digilight]

The only reason to import it into a document is if they utilize a database that only imports certain types. Generally PDF files are better then TIFF files, easier to use, and virtually everyone either has Acrobat or Reader. There are specific guidelines to follow and courts will even accept PDF's in place of the original documents. Thats why they are a prefered choice for archival purposes.

[Eric the Grey]

I hate to say it, but at this point, wouldn't it have been easier to have retyped the resume from scratch?



Eric the Grey