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Jean Hollis Weber
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Jean Hollis Weber
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Published July 2021. Based on LibreOffice 7.1 Community. Other versions of LibreOffice may differ in appearance and functionality.
Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows and Linux. The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this document. For a more detailed list, see the application Help.
Windows or Linux
Access setup options
Control +click or right-click depending on computer setup
Open a context menu
Used with other keys
Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar
To quickly print a document or drawing, click on Print Directly on the Standard toolbar (Figure 1) to send the entire document to the default printer that is defined for the computer.
Figure 1: Standard toolbar
The action of Print Directly can be changed by sending a document to the printer defined for the document instead of the default printer defined for the computer. Go to Tools > Options > Load/Save > General and select the option Load printer settings with the document .
If Print Directly is not visible on the Standard toolbar, right-click in an empty area on the Standard toolbar and select Visible Buttons from the context menu. Select Print Directly from the displayed list of tools and the tool is added to the Standard toolbar.
For more control over printing, open and use the Print dialog (Figure 2 and Figure 3) using one of the following methods:
The options selected in the Print dialog only apply to the printing of the current document that is open in Draw. To specify default print settings for LibreOffice, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Print on the main menu bar to open the Options LibreOffice Print dialog.
Due to different computer setups and different operating systems, the print dialog that opens on a computer monitor may differ from the dialogs shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3. However, the printing options available for LibreOffice remain the same.
Figure 2: Print dialog - General page
Any print options selected with the Draw Print dialog when printing from Draw will override the default printer settings that have been set using Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Print and Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > Print .
The following general options are an example of what may be available on the General page of the Print dialog (Figure 2).
Figure 3: Print dialog - LibreOffice Draw page
The following options are available on the LibreOffice Draw page of the Print dialog (Figure 3) where settings are defined specific to the current document type:
The following printing instructions are examples only. Actual method of printing may differ from the examples as this depends on computer operating system, computer setup, and the printer being used.
To print multiple pages of a drawing on single sheet of paper:
2) Select the printer to use if more than one printer is connected to the computer.
3) In Page Layout , select the number of pages to print per sheet of paper from the Pages per sheet drop-down list. The preview panel on the right shows how the pages will look on a printed sheet of paper.
4) In Page Layout , select how the multiple pages are printed on the sheet of paper from the Order drop-down list.
5) If necessary, select Draw a border around each page to distinguish each page printed on a sheet of paper.
6) Click OK to print the document and close the Print dialog.
2) Select the printer to use if more than one printer is connected to the computer.
3) In Ranges and Copies , select Pages and enter the page number of the page to print.
4) Click OK to print the individual pages and close the Print dialog.
2) Select the printer to use if more than one printer is connected to the computer.
3) In Ranges and Copies , select Pages and enter the page numbers of the pages to print using the format, for example, 1,3,7 or 2–5,7,9 for page number selection
4) Click OK to print the pages and close the Print dialog.
2) Select the printer to use if more than one printer is connected to the computer.
3) In Ranges and Copies , select Selection and then select Odd and Even pages, Even pages, or Odd pages from the drop-down list.
4) Click OK to print the pages and close the Print dialog.
In Writer, Impress, and Draw, a document can be printed as a brochure (also known as booklet printing). The pages are arranged so that when the printed pages are folded in half, the pages are in the correct order to form a brochure or booklet.
Plan the document to make it look good when printed as a brochure. Choose appropriate margins, font sizes, and so on as the pages are normally printed at half size on a sheet of paper. Experiment to get the best document format to match the capabilities of the printer being used.
To print a brochure or booklet on a printer only capable of simplex or single-sided printing:
2) Select the printer to use if more than one printer is connected to the computer.
3) In Printer , click Properties to open the properties dialog for the selected printer.
4) Make sure the printer is set to the same orientation (portrait or landscape) as specified in the page setup for the document. Usually the orientation does not matter, but it does for brochures.
5) Click OK to close the properties dialog and return to the Print dialog.
6) In Page Layout , select More , then select the Brochure option.
7) In Range and Copies , select Even pages or Odd pages from the Selection drop-down list.
8) Click OK to print the even or odd pages.
9) Take the printed pages out of the printer and put back into the printer in the correct orientation to print on the blank side. This may require some testing to find out what the correct arrangement is for the selected printer.
10) If Even Pages was selected, now select Odd Pages in Range and Copies . If Odd Pages was selected, now select Even Pages in Range and Copies .
11) Click OK to finish printing the document as a brochure and close the Print dialog.
To print a brochure or booklet on a printer that is capable of duplex or double-sided printing:
2) Select the printer to use if more than one printer is connected to the computer.
3) In Printer , click Properties to open the properties dialog for the selected printer.
4) Make sure the printer is set to the same orientation (portrait or landscape) as specified in the page setup for the document. Usually the orientation does not matter, but it does for brochures.
5) Click OK to close the properties dialog and return to the Print dialog.
6) In Range and Copies , select More , then select Print on both sides (duplex long edge) from the Paper sides drop-down list. Actual options available for duplex printing depend on the printer model and the computer system being used.
7) In Page Layout , Select More , then select the Brochure option.
8) In Range and Copies , select the All Pages option.
9) Click OK to print the document as a brochure and close the Print dialog..
To print documents in black and white or grayscale on a color printer:
2) Select the printer to use if more than one printer is connected to the computer.
3) Click on LibreOffice Draw to open the printing options page for LibreOffice Draw.
4) In Color , select Grayscale or Black & white .
5) Click OK to print the document and close the Print dialog.
Some color printers may only allow printing in color regardless of the settings selected. More details can be found in the information that came with the selected printer.
Grayscale is the best option for printing any colored text or graphics in a document on a monochrome printer. Colors printed in shades of gray give more detail. When printing color in black and white some of this detail maybe lost.
To change the LibreOffice settings to print all colored text and graphics as grayscale:
1) Go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > Print on the Menu bar to open the Options LibreOffice Draw Print dialog (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Options LibreOffice Draw Print dialog
2) In Quality , select either the option Grayscale or Black & white .
3) Click OK to save the change and close the Options LibreOffice Draw Print dialog.
4) Print the document using one of the above procedures and the document is printed as grayscale or black and white.
LibreOffice can export documents to PDF (Portable Document Format). This industry wide standard of file format is ideal for sending a file for someone else to view using PDF viewing software.
To export the entire document using default PDF settings is as follows:
1) Click on Export Directly as PDF on the Standard toolbar, or got to File > Export As > Export Directly as PDF on the Menu bar.
2) Enter a file name and location for the PDF file and click on Save to export the file as PDF.
Note that page range, image compression, or other printing options are not available when creating a PDF file using this method.
Figure 5: PDF Options dialog - General page
For more control over the content and quality of the resulting PDF, use the options available in the PDF Options dialog (Figure 5). For more information on available options, see the Getting Started Guide .
1) Go to File > Export As > Export as PDF on the Menu bar to open the PDF Options dialog.
2) Select the required options available in the General , Initial View , User Interface , Links , Security and Digital Signatures pages.
3) Click on Export and a file browser window opens.
4) Navigate to the location and enter a file name for the PDF being created.
5) Click on Save to export the file as PDF. The file browser window and the PDF Options dialog close.
LibreOffice can export files in various formats, which are listed in the drop-down list of the file browser window. For more information on exporting graphics, see Chapter 6, Editing Pictures.
To export a file in another format:
1) Go to File > Export on the Menu bar to open a file browser window.
2) Navigate to the directory where the drawing is going to be saved.
3) Specify a file name for the exported drawing in the Name text box.
4) Select the required file format from the drop-down list.
5) Click on Save to save the file and close the file browser window.
The content of the exported file depends on the elements selected on the drawing. If no elements are selected, the entire drawing is exported.
Figure 6: HTML Export dialog
To export a multi-page Draw document as a series of web pages:
1) Go to File > Export on the Menu bar to open a file browser window.
2) Select HTML Document as the file format and click on Save to open the HTML Export dialog (Figure 6).
3) Create a New Design or select an Existing design and click on Next .
4) Follow the prompts to create the web pages and save the drawing as an HTML file. For more information on how to create HTMl file, see the Getting Started Guide .
LibreOffice provides several ways to send documents quickly and easily as an email attachment in ODF format (LibreOffice default format), or as a PDF. For more information, see the Getting Started Guide .
Documents can only be sent from the LibreOffice menu if an email profile has been set up.
To email the current document in ODF format:
1) Go to File > Send > Email Document on the Menu bar. LibreOffice opens the default email program with the document attached to a new email.
2) In the email program, enter the recipient, subject, and message, then send the email.
To email the current document as a PDF file:
1) Go to File > Send > E-mail as PDF on the Menu bar. LibreOffice creates a PDF using the default PDF settings and then opens the email program with the PDF file attached to a new email.
2) In the email program, enter the recipient, subject, and message, then send the email.
A digital signature is a mathematical scheme for verifying the authenticity of digital versions of drawings or documents.
To sign a drawing digitally, a personal key, also known as a certificate, is required. This personal key is stored on the computer being used as a combination of a private key, which must be kept secret, and a public key. These keys are added to a drawing when a digital signature is applied. A certificate is obtained from a certification authority, which may be a private company or a government institution.
When a digital signature is applied to a drawing, a checksum is computed from the drawing content plus the personal key being used. The checksum and public key are stored together with the drawing.
When the drawing is opened on another computer with a recent version of LibreOffice, the program computes the checksum again and compares it with the stored checksum. If both checksums are the same, the program opens the original, unchanged drawing.
In addition, the program can display the public key information from the certificate. This information can then be compared with the public key that is published on the web site of the certificate authority. Whenever the drawing is changed, this change breaks the digital signature.
For a more detailed description of how to obtain, use and manage a certificate and signature validation, see the Getting Started Guide and “Applying Digital Signatures” in the LibreOffice Help (https://help.libreoffice.org/7.1/en-US/text/shared/guide/digitalsign_send.html?&DbPAR=WRITER&System=UNIX).
It maybe necessary to remove any personal data, versions, notes, hidden information, or recorded change from drawings before they are sent to other people or PDFs files created from the drawings.
1) In Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Security , to open Options LibreOffice Security dialog (Figure 7).
2) Click on Options to open the Security Options and Warnings dialog (Figure 8).
3) Select the required options to allow LibreOffice to warn when drawings contain certain information and/or automatically remove personal information on saving.
4) Click OK to close the Security Options and Warnings dialog and save the option selection.
Figure 7: Options LibreOffice Security dialog
Figure 8: Security Options and Warnings dialog
Figure 9: Properties dialog
1) Go to File > Properties on the Menu bar to open the Properties dialog (Figure 9) for the open drawing.
2) In the General page uncheck Apply user data .
3) Click on Reset Properties removing any information in the created and modified fields, deleting the modification and printing dates, resetting the editing time to zero, resetting the creation date to the current date and time, and resetting the version number to 1.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the Properties dialog.
To remove version information from a drawing, use one of the following methods:
Documents can be redacted to remove or hide any sensitive information allowing the selective disclosure of information in a document while keeping other parts of the document secret.
When a redacted document is exported to a new document, any redacted portions are removed and replaced by redaction blocks of pixels. This prevents any attempt to restore or copy the original contents. A redacted document is often exported in PDF format for publication or sharing.
Any documents that are redacted in LibreOffice Writer, Calc, or Impress are automatically transferred as a copy to LibreOffice Draw where the redaction is carried out.
1) Open the document to be redacted in LibreOffice Writer, Calc or Impress, then go to Tools > Redact on the Menu bar and the following happens:
Figure 10: Redaction toolbar
2) Go to Tools > Redact on the Menu bar and select either Rectangle or Freeform , or click on Rectangle Redaction or Freeform Redaction in the Redaction toolbar.
3) Draw the required shapes to redact the sensitive areas in the document. The redaction shape is gray allowing the sensitive areas in the document to be visible before they are redacted.
4) If necessary, click on Export Directly as PDF to make an in-redaction copy of the document as a PDF file. The sensitive information in the redacted areas can then be reviewed that it is correct before redaction is finalized.
5) Go to Tools > Redact on the Menu bar and select either Redacted Export (White) or Redacted Export (Black) , or click on Redacted Export (White) or Redacted Export (Black) in the Redaction toolbar. This opens a file browser window.
6) Navigate to the folder where the redact document is going to be saved and enter a name for the document, then click on Save to create the redacted PDF file.
Open a drawing in LibreOffice Draw, then use Steps 2) thru 6) in “Documents, spreadsheets, or presentations” to create a redacted PDF copy of the drawing file.
When a redacted document is exported as a new PDF file, any redacted portions are removed from the new document and replaced by redaction blocks of pixels. This prevents any attempt to restore or copy the original contents.
