Convert Your Files for Free Using Zamzar
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A patron recently asked how to convert a Word document
(.doc) and an image (.jpg) into PDFs. On many computers this can be done by
going to file > print and then choosing a PDF converter from the printer
list. However, on some computers – like those at the library – this is not an
option. There are a few online tools for this however.
Zamzar is a free, online tool which converts your files
and then emails them to you. There’s no need to create an account or pay any sign
up fees. I mostly use the application to create PDFs but it can also be used to
convert documents, images, and music and video files to other formats.
Simply upload a file, select the new format from a drop
down menu, enter your email address, click “convert and wait. Sometimes the
file will be emailed to you almost immediately but if the service is busy you
may have to wait up to an hour or so. One quirk to the tool is that, after
uploading a file, the filename seems to disappear but is actually visible below
the input box. Files must also be below 100MB to be converted.
Zamzar is not the only place to go to convert files but it’s
a nice, simple tool that does the job without too much hassle.
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