Import Microsoft Word files

Learn how to import Microsoft Word documents into a FrameMaker document.

You can import Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) documents into FrameMaker documents.

If you saved your Microsoft Word document in the Word 97-2003 format, you can import it using the Microsoft Word or the Microsoft Word 2016 filter. However, if you want to import a Microsoft Word 2016 document, you must use the Microsoft Word 2016 filter. You can import RTF files using the Microsoft RTF 1.9 filter in the Unknown File Type dialog box.

Note: If you are using the 64-bit version of FrameMaker, ensure that you use 64-bit of Microsoft Word application. Using 32-bit Microsoft Word with 64-bit FrameMaker might not work as expected.

Note: When you import a Word document of a specific direction (LTR or RTL) into a FrameMaker document, you need to ensure the text direction of the destination location (document, table, or paragraph) is set to the same direction.

You can follow the given procedure and you can also watch this video on Importing Word Documents into FrameMaker.

Place the insertion point in the document where you want to insert the text, and then choose File > Import > File.
Specify the file you want to import, select the Import by Reference or Copy Into Document option, and then select Import.

Depending on the document you are importing, the Microsoft Word or Microsoft Word 2016 filter is selected in the Unknown File Type dialog box.
Click Convert. The Import Text Flow by Copy or the Import Text Flow by Reference dialog box appears.

Note: Bookmarks within Word documents become cross-reference markers; annotations in Word documents become conditional tags with the condition “Comment” when imported by reference; hidden text in Word documents becomes conditional tags with the condition “Hidden” when imported.

Depending on if you choose Import by Reference or Copy Into Document, you need to follow the steps in one of the following procedures:

Import by Reference

If you choose Import by Reference in step 2 above:

In the Flow to Import area, select a Body Page Flow or a Reference Page Flow.
In the Formatting of Imported Flow area, select one of the following options:
- To select the Remove Manual Page Breaks option and the Other Format Overrides option, click Reformat Using Current Document's Formats.
- To convert the imported content to plain text and then insert it in the document, click Reformat as Plain Text.
- To retain the imported content in its original format and then insert it in the document, click Retain Source's Formatting.
In the Import Text Flow by Reference dialog box, select one of the following options in the Updating of Imported Flow area:
- To update the imported flow area automatically, click Automatic.
- To update the imported flow area manually, click Manual.
Click Import.

Copy Into Document

If you choose Copy Into Document in step 2 above:

If you choose to import a .docx document, you are prompted with a warning that importing a Word document of type .docx can cause loss of data. You can still choose to import the .docx document or you can cancel the procedure and first convert the document to .doc in Word.

FrameMaker analyses the paragraph and character styles in the Word document and maps these to the paragraph and character styles defined in the current FrameMaker template.

The Word Import dialog displays a message indicating (green indicator) the styles in the source Word document that matched the styles in the destination FrameMaker template. If a matching FrameMaker style is not found, the FrameMaker document formats defaults to the source Word style.

Important: The style mapping is performed based on the names of the styles found in the Word and FrameMaker documents. The mapping is not based on the formatting definition of the styles.

In the FrameMaker document formats list, for each Word style, you have the option to select an alternative FrameMaker style.
In the drop-down list, choose a FrameMaker style that you want FrameMaker to apply to the corresponding Word styles in the imported document.

If the FrameMaker template contains a mapping style, the FrameMaker style is displayed, by default, in the drop-down. You can use this style or choose any other template style from the drop-down.
If no mapping FrameMaker style was found for the Word style, by default, FrameMaker will apply the Word style formatting. However, you can still choose an alternate FrameMaker style from the drop-down.
If the Word style contains a corresponding FrameMaker style, to use the Word style formatting, click the Keep Word formatting.
For each style map, if you retain the default option <Add new format> or you choose the Keep Word Formatting option, the Word style definitions are imported into FrameMaker. However, if a paragraph or character style in Word contains an inline style, select Import Word document inline styles and list format to include the inline styles in the FrameMaker document.
For each table in the Word document, choose to use the table style as defined in the Word document or select a FrameMaker table style from the Tables drop-down list.
In the Advanced Setting dialog, you can choose to remove the manual page breaks, if any, that are included in the Word document.

You can also choose to not include empty paragraphs, if any, that are included in the Word document.
Click Save Preset File to save the current settings such as the paragraph, character, and table style mapping settings to a preset file.

Later, if you are importing other documents that use similar styles and you need to use the same style mapping, click the Open button to use the saved preset file.