Learn More About Document Creation Software
What is Document Creation Software?
Cloud-based document creation tools can be shared, viewed, and adjusted with anyone a user chooses to collaborate with. Additionally, the tools include access privilege settings so only users with permissions can view certain documents. Cloud-based tools also provide users with access to documents anytime, anywhere, provided you have internet access. In some cases, document creation tools allow offline adjustments—although those edits won’t save until internet access is regained—which is particularly helpful for workers who are traveling and cannot easily access the internet.
On top of its accessibility benefits, document creation software enables better organization. In many cases, the software provides a repository to store and manage all created documents. Such a repository generally exists on a drive that can easily be shared with a team. If an entire team has access to the documents created, they can more easily locate specific projects and better collaborate with team members.
Key Benefits of Document Creation Software
- Provides an easy collaboration solution
- Easily configures settings to formalize consistent formatting standards and ensure privacy
- Eases the sharing and managing of stored documents
Why Use Document Creation Software?
For businesses, the main benefit of a document creation solution is collaboration on written or visual projects. Document creation software can significantly simplify collaborative projects, easily storing, organizing, and allowing edits to any project-related documentation. That benefit can be felt either in situations where multiple team members must equally contribute to a project or when a single document requires a second set of eyes prior to publication.
Furthermore, document creation software provides a seamless solution for writers. Take, for example, remote freelance writers or team members: Rather than endlessly email pieces of content back and forth, they can easily submit their written content on a company's shared drive. Once the content exists on the drive, then it can easily be shared with other team members and managers, seamlessly fitting into existing processes and workflows.
Who Uses Document Creation Software?
Written and visual content is everywhere, no matter the industry, so all businesses and freelancers have a use case for document creation software. Document creation tools are most commonly seen in industries that publish or share content, such as marketing, media, and education. Additionally, financial services companies, law firms, and other corporate entities all use document creation tools to produce documents. For example, a loan originator might use a document generator to create a loan contract quickly and easily. The collaborative aspect helps connect teams on single projects, assists with file conversions, and provides an easy word processing solution, which is why the software is popular across all industries.
Kinds of Document Creation software
There are a couple of different document creation tools available:
Word processor — When the goal is putting words onto the page, a word processor is your go-to type of document creation tool. Whether it’s a report, contract, or even brainstorming notes, word processors provide a variety of resources to facilitate the writing process. For example, word count and page count, which are common features of word processors, help the user keep track of any task goals or parameters they have set in place.
PDF creator/editor — PDF editors assist in creating, editing, and converting PDFs. PDF editors are useful in situations where text needs to be redacted or when you need to make a document's text searchable.
Document Creation Software Features
Despite their apparent simplicity, document creation software comes packed with features to streamline the process of typing documents. Most products in the space will come with the same basic features, but many cloud-based solutions are able to provide extra collaborative features because of their syncable nature.
Word processor — All document creation solutions serve as a word processor. The main, bare-bones use case of a document creation solution is to allow users to input, edit, and format text.
Grammar and spell check — The majority of document creation solutions provide a built-in grammar and spell checker. Words that are either spelled incorrectly or used incorrectly in terms of grammar are highlighted so users can review them and make changes. Grammar and spell checkers will also often provide a recommended fix that offers the potential correct spelling or usage for a word.
Font modifiers — Document creation software may provide dozens of preinstalled fonts for users to choose from. For on-premises solutions, users can also download fonts online and use them within the software after installation. Users also have the ability to bold, italicize, and underline text, and some options also allow users to change the color of text and highlight sections.
Save and store — Users can save and store their documents from inside the document creation software. On-premises solutions will allow users to name their documents and decide where in their hard drive they want to store the document. Cloud-based solutions will often integrate with a content management system to store saved documents. All saved documents can be opened again later so users can continue writing or edit them.
Document formatting — Document creation tools enable users to change all aspects of a document, including margins, headers and footers, line spacing, and indentation.
Templates — Document formats can be saved as a template for repeat use. Many document creation tools will also provide premade templates for documents like resumes, legal forms, letters, and brochures.
Insert images — Document creation tools can add images to documents from saved local storage or from the cloud, depending on the solution. Some solutions can even pull images like graphs or charts from other software like spreadsheets if integrations are provided.
File types — Most document creation tools will allow users to save or download their documents as different file types, including PDF, plain text files, and rich text files.
Additional Document Creation Features
Collaborative editing — Since cloud-based document creation solutions can sync across devices, most allow multiple users to edit a document at the same time. Users can view changes and additions in real time (and see who is making them). Cloud-based solutions also allow users to see everyone who is viewing the document at a given moment, even if they aren’t making any additions to the document itself.
Suggest edits — Cloud-based solutions will allow users to share documents with others so they can proofread their work. Proofreaders will have the option to suggest edits instead of editing the document directly. These suggested edits can then be approved by either the document’s owner or whoever the owner gives permission. Once changes are approved, the recommended edit is then applied to the original document.
Sharing — While documents created using on-premises document creation solutions will have to be attached to a message to share it, those made with cloud-based solutions can simply share a link that takes the user to the document. The owner of the document can set different permissions per document or user, such as view-only or allow others to make changes.
Potential Issues with Document Creation Software
Potentially expensive — While some computers will come with an on-premises, local document creation tool preinstalled, those that don’t will have to pay for a license for an on-premises solution should they want one. On-premises solutions can be expensive without discounts like vouchers or complimentary licenses through schools, universities, or employers. While free on-premises document creation solutions are available, name-brand options that are sometimes required by schools or workplaces come with a hefty price tag.
While popular cloud-based document creation solutions offer a free base product, businesses looking for storage space that can accomodate them might have to pay extra. While the ability to use the document creation software is usually free, the accompanying cloud storage space required may be expensive.
