This guide discusses what is an ODT file? and how to open ODT files. The Open Document Text (ODT) format is a very common file type used in several applications, including OpenOffice and LibreOffice.
If you often work with office files, you may have come across ODT documents. Someone may have shared it in lieu of a DOCX file. We will explain what an ODT file is and how to open it.
What is an ODT File?
A file with the “.odt” extension is an OpenOffice Document file. These documents are usually created using programs such as Apache OpenOffice Writer and LibreOffice Writer, word processors comparable to Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
ODT files are similar to file formats created using Word, such as DOCX and DOC. This file contains formatted text, images, links, and page information used for document creation and printing.
ODT files are part of the Open Document Format (ODF) standard, also known as OpenDocument. Other ODF file extensions include OpenDocument Sheets (ODS) for spreadsheets and OpenDocument Presentations (ODP) for slideshows.
These files are widely compatible with other office suites and are relatively easy to convert back and forth to different file types.
How to Open ODT File
There are several ways to open an ODT file. The best way to open an ODT file and retain all its formatting is to use an office application with native ODF compatibility.
These include the Apache OpenOffice suite and the offshoot LibreOffice suite, which are fairly similar programs. The main difference is their ownership and development; OpenOffice is owned by Apache, while LibreOffice is open-source.
If you are using Microsoft Office, you can open the ODT file using Microsoft Word. While you probably won’t get full compatibility, you can get pretty close.
With the release of Office 2022, Microsoft is upgrading the suite, including Word, with better support for the latest OpenDocument 1.3 standard. Improvements include better support for page numbers, headers and footers, and content controls.
You can also open OpenDocument files through other office suites with different levels of compatibility. Google Docs lets you open ODT files as Google documents and edit them directly.
Google Docs also lets you export documents to ODT files. You can also open ODT files using Corel WordPerfect. If you are using a Mac, you can use the native Mac applications of LibreOffice or NeoOffice, the branch of OpenOffice and LibreOffice specially developed for macOS.
If you want to open an ODT file on a mobile device, you can try Collabora Office, a LibreOffice based office suite available on iOS and Android. This will ensure the highest level of compatibility possible.
Many document viewers and office suites are available on the App Store and Google Play Store, some of which can open ODT files for general viewing purposes.
How to Convert ODT File
Converting an ODT file is quite easy. If you have an ODT file open in Microsoft Word or LibreOffice Writer, all you have to do is select “Save As” and save it in the format you want. You can choose any standard word processing file type, such as DOCX, XML, or HTML.
You can also convert ODT files to cloud-based Google Docs by opening them within the Google Docs suite. Just like importing a DOCX file, this immediately converts it into an editable file via Google Docs.
You can also export them to available Google Docs export formats, such as DOCX and PDF. You can also convert ODT file to permanent file format like PDF using any office suite.
In Microsoft Office or LibreOffice, you can directly save the file as PDF or use a PDF driver like Microsoft Print-to-PDF or Adobe Acrobat.
You can use the printing options to set things like page size, borders, and page selection.
How to Use OpenOffice Formats
The OpenDocument file format was created to be highly compatible with the OpenOffice suite. If you know that you will continue to work with ODF files, you should consider downloading Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice on your computer.
These are both free programs with many of the same functionality as Microsoft Office. One thing you should always consider before working across file formats is interoperability.
While Microsoft Office can open ODT files and OpenOffice Writer can open DOCX files, the conversion will not be perfect. To ensure maximum compatibility, coordinate with your team and work on the same file format as much as possible.
Those are some ways to open ODT files. I hope this article helped you! Thank you for visiting and don’t forget if you find this article useful, please share it with your friends too.
