DOC is file extension for traditional Microsoft Word files. Newer Word files may have the DOCX extension. Word files can include text, images and spreadsheets from Microsoft Excel. Though the content may be extracted to prepare camera-ready art for professional printing, there are several reasons why the documents themselves are not suitable for most print jobs.
Though great for office correspondence, Microsoft Word lacks color management tools. Color swatches within Word are non-specific RGB components that appear differently on each output device. Depending on the version, imported images are converted to a proprietary Word format or PNG. Word lacks the font kerning precision available within professional page layout applications like QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign, neither is document sizing as versatile.
Third party and open-source applications like OpenOffice.org are able to edit and create Microsoft Word compatible files. However some formatting issues may be apparent. For example, floating text boxes within Word 2007 (DOCX) files do not maintain their position within OpenOffice 3.0 and 3.1. Based on file type, inconsistencies in image appearance may also be noted; sometimes they change size or color. Therefore, when workgroup document integrity is required, OpenOffice is not a suitable substitute for Word.