Misalignment after Word Document Conversion Process - Why Does This Happen?

Have you ever uploaded a Word document into an MS Office-type Content Item and the images, text, tables, etc. are not aligned the same after the conversion process to HTML was complete?  This is because the conversion tool can only successfully convert files containing formatting that has an HTML equivalent in the Word background code. That tool uses the background code to reproduce a document for online viewing.

The most common instances of misalignment occur if a document contains tab and margin settings. Tabs and margins do not have HTML equivalents, meaning that there is not an HTML “tag” that will produce the same formatting. The upload tool will be unable to replicate this information correctly since tabs and margins are not referenced within HTML.

To ensure that the uploaded document retains the same formatting as the original Word file, try these tricks when creating the Word file:

1)  Open a new Word doc and create a 1x1 table within the document, then copy and paste the text from your original inside this table.  This is one of the most important pieces, as it adds a margin (white space) and visually enhances the look of the overall text within the document.
2)  When creating an outline, use the Bullets and Numbering feature that is provided within Word under the Formats drop-down.  Using this format, rather than tabs, will cause Word to create background code in the document that can be converted to HTML. The outline will then display accurately after the document is uploaded.
3)  If text is not aligned properly in relation to images, try changing the Text Wrapping settings for each image. Right-click on the image and choose Text Wrapping, then choose the way you would like the text to wrap around, behind, in front of or to the side of the image.

Finally, keep your Word documents as simple as possible to ensure that what you see in Word will be the same as what is displayed on the Course side of your Content Item.

Tip provided by iSupport at Pearson

Formatting Word documents for upload

Have you ever created a beautiful Word document, uploaded it through an MS Office-type Content Item in your course, only to have the formatting be entirely different online? Well, there's a way to ensure that what you see in Word is what you get online:

With your document open in Word 2007 or newer, click the View tab at the top, then the Web Layout choice above Document Views at the top-left. This view is the same HTML view that the Office Document Converter creates when you upload your file, so go ahead and format under that view and rest assured that what you see really will be what you get.