electronic documents are widely used mainly as Word files, but also as PDFs. So it inevitably happens at some point that you want to insert a PDF file into Word. One possibility is to embed the PDF file into Word. This method combines it with the Word document. This increases the file size of the Word document. There is no connection to the original PDF file. Should it be updated at some point, the Word document will still contain the old version.
The behavior can be undesirable in some cases. For example, many PDF files in companies are frequently updated and stored in a central location, z.B. Monthly reports. If you want to link PDF files that are frequently updated in the Word document, it is a good idea to link them in Word.
The PDF file is not merged with the Word document when it is linked. The file size of the Word document hardly changes due to linking. If the PDF file is updated and opened from Word via the link, one gets the last saved version. Prerequisite is that the path to the file does not change. If z.B. if the filename or the location of the PDF document is changed, the link could go nowhere.
Although there is the possibility to link to files via a so-called reference ID. However, the system used must support the. In intranets based on SAP, for example, this is possible. Here every file gets a new name when saving or. Upload to the intranet a unique reference ID. If a link to such a unique ID is created in a Word document, the document can be moved or renamed within the intranet without any problems, the link would still lead to the correct document, since the ID does not change.
However, one restriction remains when linking. When opening the file, the access to the file must be guaranteed. If one z.B. a Word document that contains a link to a PDF file on the intranet is sent to people outside the company, they would most likely not be able to open the PDF file because they usually do not have access to the intranet. In such cases, you could make the PDF file available on the Internet and lead the link to it, access if necessary. with a password and send the access data to the authorized persons.
Link as OLE object or hyperlink
A file can be linked in Word either as an OLE object (Object Linking and Embedding) or as an ordinary hyperlink. For ordinary links to PDF files the differences are basically insignificant. In both cases the PDF file would be opened. The differences lie in the underlying technology. A hyperlink is a reference, as found on many web pages on the Internet. A hyperlink can be z.B. lead to files, web pages or e-mail addresses.
A link to an OLE object can also lead to files, but not to web pages or e-mail addresses, since these are not objects that are created with Windows programs. In Word, basically all objects created with any Windows program can be inserted as OLE objects. The special feature here is that the objects remain linked to the program with which they were created and can also be edited with it after insertion in Word, provided that the OLE procedure is supported. Ideally, even the menus of the source program can be displayed directly in Word when the object is opened for editing.
If you add a link to a PDF file as an OLE object in Word, this does not initially have any visibly serious effects. Double-clicking the OLE object would only open the PDF file. In contrast to an ordinary hyperlink, however, the handling of the OLE object is different. For example, when opening the Word document, linked OLE objects are automatically updated and the update can be switched to manual or even disabled altogether. With hyperlinks such possibilities are not available.
Linking a PDF file as an OLE object
The description to link a PDF file as an OLE object refers to Word version 2010. However, in other versions the procedure is similar. The linking as an OLE object is done via the button Object is initiated, which is located in the Embedding in the group Text is located.
In the window Object is selected in the Create from file via the Browse button The PDF file to be linked is selected. On the right side the check mark at Link set. In addition, the check mark at Show as symbol be set. If the PDF file is not to be displayed as an icon, the first page is displayed as a preview image and this takes up much more space.
In the Word document the linked file is displayed as an icon (or as a preview image of the first page) and can be opened at any time with a double-click.
If you click with the right mouse button on the symbol, a context menu opens. Via the item Linked Acrobat Document Object the window Links The PDF printer can be opened in which further settings can be made. On the right side there are some buttons to open or update the PDF document. The source can also be changed or the link can be removed. When the link is removed, only the symbol or. the preview image. In the lower area some settings for updating can be made, but for opening the PDF file these settings are not very important or not sufficient. have no effect.
create a hyperlink
If you want to link the PDF file only via a hyperlink, press the button Hyperlink, which appears in the ribbon Insert located. In the dialog window, on the left side, select the item File or web page, navigates to the location where the PDF file is stored and selects the document. In the input field Address you could also enter the path to the file directly, z.B. via the clipboard. At Text to display the text that should appear as a hyperlink is specified. The QuickInfo button can be used to insert a hint text that will be displayed when the mouse cursor is touched on the hyperlink. The remaining buttons are not relevant when setting links to PDF files.
In the Word document, the text appears as a hyperlink that was specified and usually stands out in color from the rest of the text (usually blue). CTRL key and a mouse click on the text opens the PDF file.
hyperlinks are usually quite sufficient to link a PDF file in Word. If you would rather have a button to click instead of text, you can also use a graphic, clipart, autoshape, etc., to make it easier to click. insert it, mark it and then set the hyperlink to the desired file.