Saving in PostScript Format

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 9, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

There may be times when you need to output a Word document in a special format. For instance, you may need to send a document to a printer or to an outside service bureau, and they require the document in PostScript format instead of Word's native document format.

PostScript, of course, is a page description language used by printers and other output devices. It is not a format in which you would normally save your document. For this reason, you can't choose Save As and select PostScript as a file type. Instead, you need to print your document to a file using a PostScript printer driver.

The key here, of course, is to make sure you have a PostScript printer driver installed on your system. Check with the people requiring your file in PostScript format, asking them which printer driver you should use. You can then install that printer driver within Windows, and you are ready to follow these steps within Word:

Load the document you need in PostScript format.
Choose Print from the File menu. Word displays the Print dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Print dialog box

Use the drop-down Name field to select the printer driver you want to use for making the PostScript file.
Make sure the Print to File check box is selected.
Click on OK. You are asked to provide a filename for the output.
Enter a filename, including a path if desired.
Click on OK.

Now you can quit Word, locate the file you specified in step 6, and copy or e-mail the file for use by the outside party.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (561) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Creating a Command List

Want a list of all the commands available in Word? You can get one easily by following these steps.

Discover More

Hanging When Opening a Workbook

If you are opening a workbook and Excel seems to hang without ever fully loading, it could be due to a number of ...

Discover More

Shortcut to Return to Document Text

When you are done typing a footnote or endnote in your document, you may want a way to return to the main document text ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Leading Spaces in Document File Names

If you try to add spaces to the beginning of a document's file name, Word normally strips them away. This tip examines ...

Discover More

Reviewing Document Versions

If you save different versions of your document using the versioning feature of Word, you'll want to know how you can go ...

Discover More

Using Your Own File Extensions

Word uses the DOC file extension for regular documents. If you want to use a different file extension, you can easily do ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 9 - 0?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.