OpenOffice is remarkable software in that information technology provides you with almost everything Microsoft Office offers, just at a much more than affordable cost — absolutely free!

Unfortunately, OpenOffice lacks a lot of the more advanced features that Microsoft Office has. Things like grammer and spell checks, clipart, or templates are not included in the basic install. However, in that location are useful extensions you tin can install that add all those features.

The following are 9 of the most useful OpenOffice extensions you tin install correct now.

Installing OpenOffice Extensions

Before you can use any of the extensions listed in this article, you'll demand to know how to install new extensions in your basic OpenOffice install.

With any of the OpenOffice apps open up, employ the following process to add a new extension.

  1. Click Tools, and click Extension Director
  2. Click the Add push button
  3. Scan to the extension file and click Open
  4. Go through the wizard to install and enable the extension.

Keep in listen that you'll need to have Java installed on your organisation to add together new extensions. You tin connect OpenOffice with Coffee by following these steps:

  1. Click Tools, so click Options
  2. Click Java from the card
  3. Make sure Utilize a Java runtime surround is enabled
  4. Click Add together, and navigate to the Coffee folder in your Program Files (x86) directory

If you don't have a Java directory, y'all may need to install Java on your computer.

1. Image Mechanic

This simple image editor lets y'all non simply import images into your documents, merely it likewise allows you to edit the paradigm in various ways.

Some of the features included in Epitome Mechanic include:

  • Resize or rotate images
  • Add furnishings like adjusting contrast and effulgence
  • Tweak the image colour remainder
  • Apply simple prototype filters
  • Create a quick histogram
  • Add text to your prototype

The extension doesn't have advanced image editing features similar you'd expect from a standalone prototype editor. Simply it has plenty features for quick and simple prototype editing earlier adding the paradigm to your document.

Download Epitome Mechanic

2. LanguageTool Grammar and Spell Check

If you've used Microsoft Give-and-take, then y'all know that the grammer and spell check feature has gotten pretty advanced over the years. OpenOffice, on the other manus, has fallen backside.

The LanguageTool extension gives y'all advanced grammer and spell bank check features when you use OpenOffice.

You can check or recheck the text for spelling and grammer at any fourth dimension, and switch active checking at any time by clicking on Switch On/Off in the LanguageTool

Download LanguageTool

3. Professional Template Pack

Once you install this OpenOffice extension, y'all'll find it by clicking on File > New > Templates and Documents.

The Professional Template pack gives yous access to a large library of templates y'all tin use for anything from presentations and business organization documents to budgets and even posters.

 There are over 120 loftier-quality, professional templates. Using these templates can save you a lot of time, rather than starting from scratch.

These templates are available for OpenOffice Writer, just there are also some bachelor for OpenOffice Calc and Impress as well.

One time you have installed this Extension, yous will find the templates under File – New – Templates and Documents.

Download Professional Template Pack

iv. OxygenOffice Extra Gallery

If you lot love using graphics in your documents or presentations, so OxygenOffice is a must-accept extension.

When you install the OxygenOffice extension, y'all'll discover a giant gallery of images and clipart yous can use in any of your documents. The extension also comes with an impressive diverseness of templates y'all can utilize to save a lot of time edifice presentations, resumes, professional letters, and even to-do lists or budgets.

The extension is really the merging of two large Office projects – it brings some of the best elements of OxygenOffice into your OpenOffice installation.

Download OygenOffice

5. Writer'southward Tools

If you're a writer, and then the Author Tools extension is something you're not going to be able to live without. It includes merely nigh every tool you lot could ever ask for as a writer or editor.

The most impressive tools in this extension include:

  • Lookup Tool: Wait up the highlighted give-and-take using online dictionaries or Wikipedia.
  • Start/Top Timer: Initiate or cease a writing timer to monitor your writing sessions.
  • Text Markup: Utilise this markup tool for in-line editing work.
  • Google Interpret: Work with unlike languages a lot? This extension integrates Google Translate into Author.
  • Tasks: Track your work from writing inside your writing tool rather than somewhere else.
  • FTP or Amazon S3 Backup: Save your work to the cloud rather than on your reckoner where you could lose it.

Having good writing tools at your fingertips can assist you save time and effort while your crafting your literary works of art.

Download Writers Tools

half-dozen. PDF Import

OpenOffice doesn't offer the best PDF utilities by default. Notwithstanding, with the PDF Import for Apache OpenOffice, OpenOffice is enhanced with lots of important PDF features.

It allows OpenOffice to create a combination PDF and ODF file that has a PDF extension. This allows the file to be opened in whatever PDF viewer or editor just can also be open with OpenOffice without losing any formatting.

You can create this PDF file past clicking on File and Export as PDF.

You'll see a PDF options window that lets you tweak all the characteristics of your exported PDF file.

Download PDF Import

7. Storage Made Easy OpenOffice MultiCloud File Manager

If you're worried about losing your files because of hard drive or computer failure, the Storage Made Easy deject storage extension is critical.

You will need to sign up for a StorageMadeEasy.com cloud service account (not free), just once you do it serves equally a gateway to save your OpenOffice files to just about any deject storage account you tin can imagine. You tin save these files to the deject from Author, Impress, Draw, Calc, Base of operations, and Math.

But a few cloud storage services that Storage Made Easy supports includes:

  • Amazon S3
  • iCloud
  • Email via IMAP or POP3
  • FTP to any FTP server
  • OneDrive
  • Google Drive
  • DropBox
  • Office 365
  • SharePoint
  • Much more…

Storing your OpenOffice files to the cloud is the easiest mode to make sure you never lose whatever work. The Storage Made Easy extension is the simplest fashion to do that.

Download Storage Made Like shooting fish in a barrel

8. Read Text

This is probably the coolest OpenOffice extension of them all. Read Aloud is an extension that lets yous highlight any text in your Writer document and have it read aloud.

By default, the extension will apply Window'south congenital-in synthesized vocalization, but you can also use whatever external vox application yous may have installed.

To use the extension, just highlight the text y'all want read, and so click Tools, Add-Ons, and then Read Selection. Y'all could besides copy the text and and so select Read Clipboard instead.

Having text read aloud similar this is a great way to catch grammar issues you might non catch through normal text-based editing.

Download Read Text

9. Basic Comment Helper

Microsoft Word offers the very useful power to add comments throughout a certificate by highlighting lines and inserting a comment.

You can have this same characteristic in OpenOffice by installing the Basic Annotate Helper extension.

In one case installed, you can highlight whatsoever text, click on Insert, and then click on Comment. Blazon your comment in the yellow block in the margin.

This is a slap-up extension for editors, or anyone who needs to provide feedback to a document writer in the margins of the document.

Download Bones Comment Helper

Using OpenOffice Extensions

OpenOffice is an excellent alternative if you'd rather not pay for an Office Suite. It includes all of the products you lot need to create spreadsheets, documents, presentations and more.

Even though the default application may lack some of the more than advanced features yous find in paid Office products, equally you lot tin can see there's always an extension available that will requite you what yous need.