MacFormat UK – September 2019

Mac software APPLE SKILLS

macformat.com @macformat SEPTEMBER 2019 | MACFORMAT | 41

iWork and Office docs

Share macOS documents seamlessly with Windows users

IT WILL TAKE

5 minutes

YOU WILL LEARN

macOS 10.14,

an Apple ID,

Apple’s iWork apps

YOU’LL NEED

How to export iWork

files to Microsoft-

compatible formats

Compatibility is a big concern

for people who switch to macOS.

Files you create in Apple’s own

iWork office suite (Pages,

Numbers & Keynote) won’t automatically

open in Microsoft Office, so documents,

spreadsheets and presentations created within

macOS may not display correctly in Windows.

Apple have an extensive list of which

features are supported in each of its own

productivity apps and Microsoft Office, which

you can find at bit.ly/mfpagescomp. For

instance, Numbers doesn’t support page

breaks but Microsoft Excel does.

In this guide, you’ll discover how to prepare

docs for sending to Windows users. You’ll also

learn how to use the Export feature, available

in all three iWork apps, to save in Microsoft

Office-friendly format. If your Windows

collaborator is still having trouble viewing the

file, you’ll also discover how to send them a

link to view or even edit it in their browser via

iCloud.com, where they can use the web-based

versions of the iWork apps. Nate Drake

HOW TO Convert iWork docs for Microsoft Office users >

1

Document preparation

Most compatibility issues come from

unsupported fonts. Use a cross-platform

font such as Arial: either press ç+A to

select everything or work through and

change fonts as you go. Click Format in

the toolbar and pick a new font.

2

Export friendly formats

To save an iWork document in a

Microsoft-friendly format, go to File >

Export To and choose Word, Excel or

PowerPoint (as appropriate). Click Next,

choose where to save, then Export to

save in a Microsoft-friendly format.

3

Collaborate online

Click Collaborate on the toolbar and

select Copy Link. Under Share Options,

set ‘Who can access’ to ‘Anyone with the

link’ and Permission as you want. Click

Share to copy the link to Clipboard, then

send that to your contacts.