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Extracting embedded graphics from a Microsoft Word document for use in FrameMaker.

Explorer ,
May 26, 2010 May 26, 2010

This might be of use to people trying to extract embedded graphics from Microsoft Word.

I came in on a project in which some very graphic intensive (and huge!) Word documents were being converted to FrameMaker. Since you cannot copy and paste graphics from Word to FrameMaker without compromising the bit depth, the procedure used to extract the graphics was to take screenshots of the images and save them as separate files. I found this to be less than ideal because it added a lot of unnecessary work and furthermore restricted the image resolution to the the screen resolution (which in many cases brought down the resolution significantly).

A much painless approach to extracting graphics from a Word document is as follows:

  1. Open the document in Word.
  2. Choose File>Save as Webpage. The Save As dialog displays.
  3. In the "Save As Type" dropdown menu, choose Web Page (*.htm, *.html)
  4. Click Save. Ignore format error warnings.

Word will convert the document to HTML and in doing so will create a folder for all the embedded graphics which will be at the original resolution regardless of how they were scaled in Word. The folder will also contain thumbnails of all the graphics (amongst other related XML files) which will be significantly smaller files--make sure you delete these if you don't need them. I then created an images folder to reference them in the FrameMaker document.

A word of caution! If you delete the HTML file, the folder containing the graphics will also be deleted. I don't know if this the most efficient way but it cut down on the amount of work involved significantly.

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LEGEND ,
May 26, 2010 May 26, 2010

Thanks for sharing. I have found the best method for using graphics in any application that embedded graphics that I cannot easily separate is to print to pdf then crop the graphics. This can take more steps, but will preserve vector graphics in the original file if available. Of course this requires Acrobat, in my opinion a must for anyone doing serious DTP.

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Guide ,
May 27, 2010 May 27, 2010

You can also export all images from a PDF file. Select Advanced > Document Processing > Export all images. In the dialog, you can select the format and other properties of the images.

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Explorer ,
May 08, 2014 May 08, 2014

I know this is an old post, but @Reviewer1066 I found this today via Google, and your tip about Export All Images from PDF saved me a TON of time. We're moving into more disciplined use of FM12 for single-sourcing within TCS5, and dozens of legacy FM files, each with scores of embedded images, present one of the challenges. I printed to PS (due to image handling), distilled to PDF, then using your tip I was able to get all of the images exported at their original resolution!  (Tips hat, raises glass.)

CHEERS!!!

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Explorer ,
May 15, 2014 May 15, 2014

Hi ,

You are most welcome. I am glad that my solution was useful to another

person. If you read the rest of the thread you may have seen another

posting regarding the new .docx format: with this format you simply rename

.docx to .zip and you have access to the internal XML folders. Navigate to

the "word" folder and inside that folder you will find a "media" folder

containing all the images embedded in the obscene monstrosity that is a

Word document.

Nadeem

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Explorer ,
May 15, 2014 May 15, 2014
LATEST

Yes, that helped me earlier this year. Your comment about the XML method

for embedded graphics within FM, however, is the first I've found that

didn't require additional capital outlay to make it happen.

Rene

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Advocate ,
May 27, 2010 May 27, 2010

Great tip!

If you have a .docx Word document there is another option:

  • Rename the document (or a copy, if you care to keep the original) to .zip
  • Unzip the file
  • Look inside for the folder word\media to see graphic files.

- Michael

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Explorer ,
May 27, 2010 May 27, 2010

Thank you Michael,

I did not know the method you mentioned. Unfortunately all the documents I deal with are not .docx, but I will remember this technique.

Nadeem

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Advisor ,
May 27, 2010 May 27, 2010

Fascinating! thanks for this tip, Michael – does this mean a .docx is a "zipped package" like OpenOffice .odt?

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Advocate ,
May 28, 2010 May 28, 2010

Am 28.05.2010 um 08:30 schrieb Niels Grundtvig Nielsen:

Fascinating! thanks for this tip, Michael – does this mean a .docx is a "zipped package" like OpenOffice .odt?

Yes. I think we will see some more of those in the future... E.g. InDesign’s IDML is also a zipped package.

- Michael

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