Saving Documents as Rich Text Format

Some instructors may require you to create documents in word processing programs such as Microsoft Word. Documents can be saved to a local drive and then uploaded and submitted via attachments to email, discussions posting and the assignment tool. If you do not use Microsoft Word, it is recommended for best compatibility to save documents in the rich text format. When documents are saved in the rich text format, they can be opened in any word processing program.

Steps to Save Documents in the Rich Text Format

  1. On the file menu of the word processing software go to File > Save As...
  2. In the Save As dialog box, click the drop down menu next Save as type and choose Rich Text Format from the drop down list.
  3. Select a location to save the file and click Save. A copy of your document has been saved as Rich Text Format. Be sure to submit the document with file extension (.rtf).

    4. Save As dialog box in Word

Please note: Some courses will require the use of Word 2007. Check your instructor's syllabus to be sure what the requirements are for the class. Students may purchase Word or Microsoft Office suite from the Lake Land bookstore at academic price.

Note about Office 2007

All computers on campus will have Office 2007 loaded as the word processing program. Files saved in Word 2007 will be saved in a new format. For example, a document created in Word 2007 will have a file extension of *.docx and not *.doc. Please note that the newer file format cannot be opened in older versions of Microsoft Word. Follow the steps below to save documents in Office 2007 down to Office 2003 format so you can open them in Word 2003.

Save files in Word 2003 format