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In addition to the ability to save a document, LibreOffice applications can export documents into several formats. Some can be edited and others cannot be edited. This page focuses on the Export dialog for Writer and Calc.
Export dialog
The export dialog in Writer, pictured here, is one way to export a document created in Writer or Calc. There are other ways of exporting documents through the File menu and the Standard toolbar. Impress and Draw have a similar export dialog, but it has different formats.
The format has been popular for decades. It makes documents shareable across systems without causing formatting issues. This launches a six-tab dialog. Click here.
EPUB Document
EPUB is a popular format for ebooks that is a technical standard published by the International Digital Publishing Forum. This launches EPUB Export dialog. Click here.
JPEG
This is a standard format for images. However, it is a great format for embedding a document page in another document. This launches JPG Options dialog. Click here.
PNG
This also is typically used for images. This launches PNG Options dialog. Click here.
XHTML
This is a standard format used in Web pages. The exported document will be opened by a Web browser.
Writer Layout XML (or Microsoft Excel 2003 XML)
XML is a language used to maintain a structure of a document in different applications and systems.
Directions for exporting a document
- Click the Export item to launch the Export dialog. The item is in the File menu or in the list that is revealed by clicking the arrow next to the Save icon in the Standard toolbar.
- Select the desired format that you want to export the original document to from the File type drop-down menu. The video and the section below the video describe the formats.
- If you want to change the document’s title, type in the text field at the top of the dialog. It may be called Name or Save As, but it may also be called something else
- Choose a folder in the system where you want to store the export by clicking on folders in the left column and the middle section of the dialog.
- Click the Save button in the bottom, right of the dialog.
Overview video
File types
PNG
After the steps in the Export dialog are performed, the PNG Options dialog will appear on the screen. This allows users to change the height, width, and resolution of the document that is being exported.
There are several other settings in the dialog.
Click here to go to the page that describes the PNG exportation in more detail.
A document can be exported to an image format. Only one page in a document will be exported to a PNG document. It will be the page in the original document where the cursor is located.
JPEG
The JPEG choice is like the PNG one. Only the page where the cursor is located will be exported to a JPEG document.
The JPG Options dialog will launch after the Save button in the Export dialog is clicked. Like the PNG Options dialog, it contains settings for Width, Height, and Resolution.
There are a few more settings, but it doesn’t have as many settings as the PNG Options dialog.
Click here to go to the page that describes the JPEG exportation in more detail.
EPUB Document
An EPUB exportation creates a document that can be an ebook. The format is common for Kindle devices and many other e-readers. The following steps will launch an EPUB Export dialog:
In the EPUB dialog, users can enter basic metadata, add a cover image, and set the layout method. There are other settings as well.
Click here to go to the page that describes the EPUB exportation in more detail.
Exporting a document to PDF is a common feature in modern office suites. LibreOffice has a direct export, like many office suites, that will create a PDF document with just a few clicks.
The export through this dialog, however, launches a PDF Options dialog that gives the user six tabs of settings for the exportation.
Click here to go to the page that describes the PDF exportation in more detail.
XHTML
This is one of the editable formats that LibreOffice Writer and Calc will export a document to. XHTML is a language that is foundational to the content of Web pages. Most Web pages have text and other elements within XHTML tags.
A Web browser will open this type of document. LibreOffice, however, can open one of these documents. It most likely will lose a lot of the formatting that was in the original document that was exported from.
Unlike the above formats, a dialog will not appear after the Save button in the Export dialog is clicked. It will be immediately exported to the selected folder.
Click here to go to the page that describes the XHTML exportation in more detail.
Writer Layout XML (or Microsoft Excel 2003 XML)
XML documents are often used to store metadata. LibreOffice will export a document with metadata about the original document. Double-click it, and it will be opened by a text editor or a Web browser. It also can be opened by LibreOffice Writer to see the metadata and XML tags.
If the Export dialog is opened in Calc, the choice will be Microsoft Excel 2003 XML.
Click here to go to the page that describes the XML exportation in more detail.
Other ways of exporting
- File menu (Writer): There are several options for PDF and EPUB documents through the Export As sub-menu.
- Export as PDF
- Export Directly as PDF
- Export as EPUB
- Export Directly as EPUB
- Standard toolbar (Writer):
- Export Directly as PDF
- File menu (Calc): Exporting a document to PDF through the PDF Options dialog is available in the File menu.
- Standard toolbar (Calc):
- Export Directly as PDF
Other Web pages (free)
- Exporting LibreOffice documents in Impress and Draw
- Saving a document
- Opening documents
Other Web pages (subscribe)
- PNG Options
- JPG Option