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What is a hybrid PDF file?

This is a PDF file that is readable by any standard PDF viewer, but that also contains the source file in Writer, Calc, or Impress (ODF, ODS, or ODP) format contained within. The advantage saving your documents as a hybrid PDF is the ability to share with others who may not have LibreOffice installed, but with the ability to also modify the original using LibreOffice.

LibreOffice Draw can view and edit PDF files, but has a greatly reduced level of functionality versus modifying the original file.

To create a hybrid PDF

1. create or open your document, presentation, spreadsheet, etc. in LibreOffice. All document types available in LibreOffice are supported;
2. go to File ▸ Export as ▸ Export as PDF...;
   

   Create a PDF Hybrid Dialog
3. check ☑ Hybrid PDF (embed ODT file) to insert the LibreOffice editable file into the PDF;
4. you can also change the other parameters such as compression, image resolution, watermark, etc. Do not forget that large images make for large documents; and
5. click the Export button to complete the save operation (choice of folder and filename).

The PDF that you have just created can be opened in the usual way with any program that can read PDFs but it will also be editable with LibreOffice using drag-and-drop.

All PDFs that you will create from this moment forward by export from LibreOffice will be hybrids until you uncheck this option.

• Video: MinkCast: Making A PDF Anyone Can Edit (In English)
• Article: The Magic of Editable PDFs (In English)

How to program the creation of a hybrid PDF

See the section on Macros.

Credits

• Wiki adaptation Fabian Rodriguez, licensed under CC-BY-SA
• Text © 2012 Simon Phipps, licensed under CC-BY-SA