How to save a workbook in a different format

In this lesson we'll look at how to save an Excel workbook in a different format.

Let's take a look.

In order to save an Excel workbook to a different file format, you need to use the Save As command. You can access Save As in several different ways.

One way is to go to the File tab and click the Save As command at the upper left. The Save As dialog box allows you to choose a location, a file name, and select a file type from a long list of file formats.

You can also get to Save As using Save & Send. On the Save & Send screen, click Change File Type. This gives you a limited list of common file types. Select the file type you want, then click the Save As button. In the Save As dialog box,  the file format will be pre-selected.

Finally, you can use the keyboard shortcut F12 to access Save As.

Excel 2010 provides a list of 27 file formats to choose from. These file types can be  grouped into six categories - Excel formats, PDF and XPS formats, XML formats, text file formats, web file formats, and other formats.

XLSX is the format of choice for Excel 2010 and 2007. If you need to share spreadsheets with Excel 2003 users, you'll need to use the XLS format.

If you'd like to share your spreadsheet with someone who doesn't have a spreadsheet program, PDF is your best choice. It's a widely supported format available on many different platforms.

If you need to import data from Excel into another program that can't read Excel files directly, a text format like CSV is probably the best choice. CSV files are simple text files, with commas separating values.

When you save an Excel file to a format like CSV, Excel will display a warning about Excel features not supported in that format. After you click OK for any warnings, Excel will change the name in the window title to reflect the new file type.

Keep in mind that you're now working in a new file. If you need to make changes, you probably should do so in the original Excel workbook, and then use Save As again to create an updated copy of the other file format.