Page Comparison

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At GIZ and openIMIS, our diverse network of partners and collaborators demands that we work with a variety of software tools and platforms. This diversity can result in incompatible standards and licenses being used, causing compatibility issues when working across different groups. This manual provides best practices for reducing friction and avoiding incompatibilities during collaboration, drawn from our experience at openIMIS. This guide also understands the advantages of using proprietary solutions such as those provided by Microsoft and Adobe, and describes working compromises which minimise minimize inconvenience and disruption. In places we recommend the use of desktop applications for creating documents and assets, while providing web-based alternatives in case installing local software is not possible. We prioritise widely supported standardised data formats throughout.

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There is no standardized process for converting proprietary formats to Open Standards. It always depends on the complexity of the format and the files, and varies from format to format. For example, converting a file from .ai to .svg using Adobe Illustrator may be as easy as exporting as .svg from the software, but sometimes something can go wrong in the process, which may go undetected until the results are closely inspected. These edge cases are the hardest ones to work around – usually an error in an .ai to .svg conversation may require rewriting or recreating the assets and then export them as .svg to ensure maximum compatibility.

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There are many downloadable tools and online platforms which can help you to convert Open Standards. In this section, we will present some ways to convert Open Standards in desktop software, online platforms, and finally in a command line terminal.

LibreOffice

While using LibreOffice, you can convert files manually by using the Save As option and choosing the format. You can also convert files directly in the terminalcommand line.

You can run LibreOffice from the command line to quickly convert one or more files. For example, to transform a LibreOffice Impress slide deck to PDF, you'd type the following:

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Pandoc is a software tool that allows you to convert various text markup files. It supports (among other) .pdf, .docs, and .odt. It offers a detailed guide with instructions for you to follow for installation and use.

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After uploading an image, BatchPhoto lets you choose another format to convert it into, resize, crop, and rotate it, as well as add special effects like grayscale gray scale conversion and swirl, overlay text, and adjust brightness, contrast, and sharpness, among other basic edits.

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GIMP is a free and open-source graphics editor used for image retouching and editing, free-form drawing, converting between different image formats, and more specialized tasks. GIMP can be used for opening and changing many types of file formats. GIMP is released under GPLv3+ licenses and is available for Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. It further offers a Wiki page where it gives explanations and detailed information as to how to use and understand the product.

GIMP is the first an alternative software to Adobe Photoshop, recommended for creation of raster graphics for the openIMIS project. (non-vector) graphics It outputs Open Standard files, it's extensible, flexible, and easy to use. The latest version of GIMP provides several new features with an easier-to-use user interface.

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Inkscape

Inkscape is a free and open-source vector graphics editor. This multi-platform application can be used to create and edit vector graphics such as illustrations, diagrams, line arts, charts, logos, icons, and complex paintings. Inkscape's primary vector graphics format is the Open Standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG); however, many other formats can be imported and exported. It is licensed under the General Public License (GPL).

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LibreOffice Draw is a free and Open Source vector graphics editor. Draw lets you produce anything from a quick sketch to a complex plan and gives you the means to communicate with graphics or diagrams, flowcharts and even technical drawings. It supports Open Standards that allow you to use documents from other programs so you don't have to isolate yourself or your workflow into a LibreOffice world. LibreOffice Draw uses Open Document Format for Office Applications (ODF) (.odg graphics extension) as its default output format as an international standard file format.

LibreOffice Draw can be useful to edit PDFs as an alternative to Adobe Acrobat. While text and font might not translate well, it often does the job when a small edit in a PDF is needed.

Diagrams.net

Diagrams.net (formerly draw.io) is an Open Source online platform created to help you design flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER diagrams, network diagrams and much more. You can create your own custom shape libraries or use their large collection of shape libraries which offer hundreds of visual elements, making it plain and easy working with metadata to pack more useful information into your diagrams. With numerous shape libraries offering hundreds of visual elements, Diagrams.net covers every use case you can think of for creating diagrams by embedding them within Atlassian Confluence and Jira software.

Draw.io lets you import and export files into Open Standards such as .svg, .png, .jpeg, .pdf, and .xml.

We recommend using diagrams.net together with its native Confluence integration. Especially in situations where you might be unable to install software on your device. It can be used from the web browser and store files on the cloud or your device. While designed as a flowchart and diagrams application, it can also replace the need for a vector editor as Inkscape, especially for basic communication design tasks.

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LibreOffice Writer is part of the Open Source LibreOffice suite and can export files to HTML, XHTML, XML, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), and several versions of Microsoft Word files.

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LibreOffice Impress is a tool for creating multimedia presentations and slide shows.

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Confluence

Confluence is an online proprietary publishing platform, designed for collaborative projects work. It is also compatible with multiple software or open platforms, from writing a document in markdown language to organizing team meetings in the same cloud. Confluence can be also used to convert office documents including but not limited to .docx and .odt file formats. This is ideal if you need to edit Microsoft Office or LibreOffice documents without any installed software while still avoiding Google services.

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Cryptpad is an online Open Source platform that helps you create quick collaborative documents. Cryptpad provides writing software that enables you to import and export your paper notes in .html format or .doc formatcollaborative documents. It offers a sheet pad and a presentation pad equivalent to LibreOffice Impress where you can export the file in an .md format.

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Scribus is free and open-source desktop publishing software available for most desktop operating systems. It is designed for layout, typesetting, and preparation of files for professional-quality image-setting equipment. Scribus can also create animated and interactive PDF presentations and forms. Example uses include writing newspapers, brochures, newsletters, posters, and books. It is released under the GNU General Public License.

Scribus is an alternative software to Adobe InDesign, used for preparing brochures, lay-outing, print files etc. It can work with CMYK (used for print) and RGB (digital).

Design Resources

Fonts

The Open Font Library contains more than 6,000 individual fonts from more than 250 contributors. It also gives you a guidebook to understand how to actually design a font, what formats and licenses are supported, how to submit a font, and also update them.

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IRA Design is a hosting site where you can create illustrations by using hand-drawn sketch components. IRA Design helps you scale your final illustrations by using .ai, .svg, svgor . or png formats to bring your illustrations to life.

Many Pixels is an illustrations provider where you can download in a .png, or . or svg format file, and use them for free in a commercial or non-commercial work for your landing pages, blog posts, newsletters and many other projects. If you want customized illustrations, Many Pixels offers a team of designers to assist you in any private projects you want to develop.

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Publicdomainvectors.org offers copyright-free vector images accessible in .eps, .svg, .ai and .cdr formats. 65,000 Public Domain vector images are available to choose from, and are free to edit, distribute and use for unlimited commercial purposes. You can also generate your own customized vectors in their own svg generator.

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