FAQs on Framemaker to Word Conversion
Want to know more about converting FrameMaker documents to Word? These are
some questions we often encounter.
- Can't I save documents directly from FrameMaker to Word? Why do I need your service?
- How much do you charge for converting FrameMaker documents to Word?
- Can't you give me a ballpark of how much it will cost and how long it will take?
Q: Can't I save documents directly from FrameMaker to Word? Why do I need
your service?
Yes, you can export files from FrameMaker as RTF (Rich Text Format) files, which Microsoft Word will open. If you only want to "dump" the text into Word, this is by far your best option.
You'll find though, that much of your formatting is lost in translation. You'll get the text and perhaps some of the images from your Frame documents into Word, but the formatting will be rough. With our services, we will help you convert and format the content so that it is polished and presentable.
More than that, we can help you develop a custom Word template that will solve some of the challenges with updating technical documents in Word. If you have FrameMaker files without a copy of FrameMaker itself, we can help with that too.
Q: How much do you charge for converting FrameMaker documents to Word?
Projects like this are difficult to estimate up front, because FrameMaker documents can vary widely in format and complexity. The cost will depend on how well the documents export to RTF.
We can work with you to manage the cost very effectively by dividing up the work. Perhaps we only need to help you get the content into Word, and you can handle re-formatting. We have been handling document setup and conversion projects for more than 20 years, so we know how to structure the project based on your needs.
Q: Can't you give me a ballpark of how much it will cost and how long it will take?
Our general estimate is that it costs around $500-750 to convert a 100 page manual. That includes the following basic project assumptions:
- You provide us with RTF files exported from FrameMaker, along with all supporting images and files.
- We create Word documents that match your basic formatting (fonts, colors, logos), including a cover, table of contents, headers and footers. This may not match your existing document format exactly, but it will be a professional look and feel.
- We migrate your exported content into the Word documents and perform formatting cleanup.
- We can deliver only the Word documents, or a final PDF of the guides if needed.
For projects like this, we recommend doing a small proof-of-concept project at the beginning. We could work with you to convert a small sample (say 20 -25 pages) into Word for a fixed small price. Together we would walk through the process--generating the RTF files, convert them to Word, and formatting.
At the end of the proof-of-concept phase, you would have a clear example of the output, and we would have better metrics to use to estimate the larger project. Neither side would be under obligation after the proof-of-concept phase.
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