Prepressforums.com - Help! How to get pictures out of Word 2001? On a Mac!

BlacknTan · #1 (**permalink**) 12-10-2004, 08:45 AM

I'll be damned if I can figure this one out!

How can I export photos out of a Word document in OSX? I've got Office 2001 (running under Classic), Photoshop 7, Illustrator 10, Quark6 and InDesign. Any suggestions? I've done a web search and found nothing. The only thing I can think of is a screen capture. Help!!

almaink · #2 (**permalink**) 12-10-2004, 08:52 AM

Save as a postscript file and convert to PDF is one way copy and paste is another.

BlacknTan · #3 (**permalink**) 12-10-2004, 09:06 AM

Excellent! The postscript file option worked. Converting to a pdf also worked well because it "understood" what the resolution was, as opposed to simply opening the .ps file in Photoshop, whereby I would be asked to define the resolution desired.

I HATE Word!! Thanks.

Sparky · #4 (**permalink**) 12-10-2004, 07:09 PM

I do this constantly with my customers who send me MS Word files with embedded .wmf in them in RGB format. I merely copy paste the image into Illustrator and save as an .eps file then I can either use that (after converting to CMYK) or open it in Photoshop as an RGB image or CMYK or Grayscale.

The other issue is when my customers send me PC Quark documents with MS clipart files that don't get "collected for output" because they are linked to the MS website. I tell them to send me the URL, I download the clipart into Word and repeat the above.

nlynx76 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-11-2004, 08:40 PM

Sparky:

I curious as to why you would copy and paste the images into Illustrator first as opposed to Photoshop?

You may want to check the image properties before copying and pasting from any Microsoft app - Word or Powerpoint or Excel - if the image was scaled down in the app and you copy-paste it, you'll copy the scaled image. go to the image properties and make sure the scaling is 100% all around then copy-paste.

lucky me - I haven't had a problem with clipart yet...

Eggles · #6 (**permalink**) 12-13-2004, 03:40 AM

I can't comment on how to get graphics out of Word docs on a Mac, but I have read several times that copying to the 'clipboard' on a Mac is different to doing the same on a PC. Apparently on a Mac, when copying and pasting via the clipboard BETWEEN APPLICATIONS you get everything. Not so on a PC. For example, if you copy a photo from Word and paste directly into Photoshop, the pixels are missing bit depth and the file size is appreciably smaller than the original (I tested this with known graphics). So to ensure every pixel (and its depth) is extracted you have to go in a roundabout way, and you need either Coreldraw or a little app that came with Office 97 (but not with later versions) called Microsoft Photo Editor (MPE).

Select and copy the graphic from the Word doc. In a blank CDraw file go to Edit>Paste Special, and choose Picture (Metafile) from the choices available. This brings in every pixel from the original graphic. Whilst the graphic is still selected, choose Export (selected only) and from there you can choose the graphic format (I use TIF or EPS, depending on whether it is raster or vector). The graphic can then be opened in PS or AI and edited. If using MPE, drop the copied graphic in by choosing Edit>Paste as New Image. If the image is raster, the results are as good as those from CDraw. This method is no good for vector images, including WMFs which are the Microsoft version of a vector file (and often found in their clipart), because there is no vector save/export file type available.

I receive embedded graphics (usually photos) in Word files all the time. One client expressed utter surprise when told that I would prefer to have the photos associated with an article she emailed for inclusion in a newsletter sent as separate graphic attachments to the email rather than first all being embedded in a Word doc!

Eggles · #7 (**permalink**) 12-13-2004, 03:46 AM

To answer your question to Sparky:

Quote:

I curious as to why you would copy and paste the images into Illustrator first as opposed to Photoshop?

is because WMFs are vector art, not raster, and pasting into AI retains their vector qualities. If pasting into PS, you'd have to rasterise.

nlynx76 · #8 (**permalink**) 12-13-2004, 05:01 AM

whoops - I must've looked right before and after the ".wmf" in his post - I thought he was talking about raster clipart - my bad... thx ~

BlacknTan · #9 (**permalink**) 12-13-2004, 06:32 AM

Sparky, you made my morning! I have always been hesitant to copy files to the clipboard and then to another applications. But your tip regarding vector files in Word and Illustrator has made me see the light! I just copied a chemical formula from Word and pasted it into Illustrator. No problems!

I'll be sure to pass this tip along to all the designers in my department.

BlacknTan · #10 (**permalink**) 12-13-2004, 06:43 AM

Eggles, you were right on the money! After some non-stressed experimentation this morning, on the Mac, you can simply copy a photograph from Word and paste into an open Photoshop document and the photo will maintain all its original pixels ? even if you scaled the file in Word!

If I had realized this on Friday, it would have saved me at least an hour of frustration (especially after Word crashed my whole system!). Thanks everyone for all your help. I definitely would have missed my deadline on Friday if not for your kind help.

Thanks!!!