Importing Word and PowerPoint files as PDFs

A note for users of Nebo on iPad: Please note that Nebo free version comes with a limit of five pages. Importing a file as a PDF will count as a single page, regardless of the number of pages within the file you are importing. To add more pages, you will need to upgrade your Nebo app to the full version with a single in-app purchase.

You can import Word and PowerPoint files as PDFs into Nebo from two start points: Nebo itself, or Word, or PowerPoint directly.

Imported Word and PowerPoint files are converted to PDFs and will retain their original format (for example, A4, A5, or US letter) and orientation (portrait or landscape). Nebo also supports the import of mixed-format, mixed-orientation PDFs. 

PDFs are imported with all their pages and are automatically named the same as the source file. You can edit an imported Word and PowerPoint file after it has been converted to PDF within Nebo in the same way you would edit the name of a document or note.

Importing Word and PowerPoint files

To import a .docx and .pptx file into Nebo from within the app:

1. Access the sidebar menu and select the notebook where you want to import the PDF.
2. Select Add… or the + icon in the upper right-hand corner. A menu displays, showing a range of options.
3. Select Import as PDF… Your device’s file explorer window displays.
4. Browse the file explorer and select the .docx or .pptx file you want to import as a PDF. The imported PDF displays within Nebo, ready for annotation.

To import a .docx and .pptx file into Nebo from Word or PowerPoint:

1. Locate the .docx or .pptx file you want to import from within the relevant third-party app or tool.
2. Select Share. A menu displays, showing a range of options. Select Send a Copy. A pop-up displays, showing a selection of apps to which you can copy the PDF. If Nebo is among them, you can skip to step 8 below. 
3. If Nebo isn’t visible among the apps, scroll right, and select More. Another pop-up display, showing a list of all apps on your device to which you can copy the PDF. You can now add Nebo to your Favorites list. This will ensure it features among the apps displayed in the first pop-up in the future. 
4. Tap Edit in the upper right-hand corner of the pop-up. Green + icons display alongside the listed apps.
5. Tap the green + icon beside Nebo. Nebo will be added to your Favorites list and will feature among the apps displayed in the first pop-up in the future. You can use the reorder button beside the Nebo icon to adjust its position among your Favorites.
6. When you’re happy with Nebo’s position, tap Done to close the edit options, then tap Done again to return to the first pop-up.
7. Tap the Nebo icon to copy the PDF to Nebo. Nebo will open, displaying the Import PDF pop-up.
8. Select the notebook where you would like to import .docx and .pptx file as a PDF. If you don’t see the notebook you want, you can search for it using the pop-up’s search bar. Note: You can’t create a new notebook via the Import as PDF pop-up. If you want to import .docx and .pptx file as a PDF into a new notebook, you must create the notebook in Nebo before importing the file as a PDF.
9. Select Import. The PDF displays as a new note within Nebo, ready for annotation.

Navigating and viewing an imported PDF

When viewing imported PDFs, use a pinch gesture to control the zoom level.

There are four ways to navigate between the pages of imported PDFs:

Touch and drag anywhere on the page to scroll up or down.

Touch and drag on the right-hand side of the page to scroll using the scrollbar.

Tap the page-number field in the upper-left corner of the PDF, use the keyboard to enter the number of a specific page, then tap Enter on the keyboard to navigate straight to the selected page. 

Use the search bar to look for a specific word or phrase within the document. The number of hits will be displayed below the search bar, and the corresponding text will be highlighted within the document. You can use the up and down arrows below the search bar to navigate directly to the highlighted text.

Note: PDF feature allows only the import of PDF then annotate freely with your pen. Copy, move, resize, delete and change the colour of your markup, then export to PDF with all annotations in place.

Note: What is not possible today on Nebo when you import a PDF:

- Write on PDF using the keyboard,

- Hyperlinks 

- Add spaces inside the PDF, or add a empty page, or reorder the PDF pages

-  Have handwriting recognition on imported PDF or try to convert your annotations