Best Text Format
To choose the best text format for your needs is an easy task, but if you’re struggling with it, this page will shed the light on the subject.
Text files can come in three different types: plain text files, text documents (allow font choices, edit text properties and embedded media) and documents for presentation (same as text documents but only editable while you are creating them).
Plain text files are usually represented by TXT file extension and are good because they are very compatible, which makes them almost perfect if you want to write a code for a program.
Text document are considered to be less compatible, but more convenient and user-friendly. Text documents allow endless editing possibilities, though not every viewer might support every design choice.
Best text format in terms of compatibility
The most compatible text format is plain text TXT and everything in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) format. User can open TXT files from every device and every operating system from Windows to Linux. This means that you can share your files without worrying about errors.
Still, plain text format is very limited. There is no option of editing font and the size of symbols, so, if you want to have formatting ability, you should consider using something different. The second best option is ODT or DOCX formats. ODT is a format by open-source free packages LibreOffice and OpenOffice, while DOCX (DOC) format belongs to one of the most popular text editors MS Word.
The ODT format is quite similar to DOCX, with few restrictions on formatting. Most systems will recognize it (Mac and Linux included), moreover, if Microsoft Office is installed on the computer, it will open document under this format with minor tweaks in formatting. ODT supports rich formatting, tables, graphs and images – everything one needs to create proper text document.
DOCX (DOC) format is widely supported because of its relation to Microsoft Windows, the most popular OS in the world. Most school and business PCs are equipped with Windows OS, therefore, there is a high chance to distribute your text documents everywhere in your field of activity.
Best text format in terms of editability
If you want to express your creativity (or just want to have your name looking pretty on a business card) you should chose PDF of DOCX. PDF file might be harder to edit, but it supports all sorts of embedded media and preserves it in the best quality.
DOCX file format is very flexible when it comes to formatting. It allows creating tables, embedding objects and offers its own huge variety of text designs with its creative WordArt tool that creates three-dimensional colorful text that looks awesome on screen and when printed.
Best text format for printing
To print your text you most definitely should choose PDF format. It saves embedded images in good quality, shows formatted documents as those were intended to be and is common for printing shops. PDF is usually preferred for most files because files of this format are compact and platform independent, ergo those files will not cause any errors while printing.
Large text signs and banned, though, should be saved and printed in EPS file format. Files created in EPS are very scalable which is the most valuable parameter if there is a need to print something really big.
Learn also about other best formats: