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What's New in ONLYOFFICE 8.1?
Along with fixing hundreds of vulnerabilities and bugs (exactly 432), the new release brings dozens of new features, primarily in the PDF editor, as well as numerous useful improvements.
A Real PDF Editor
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| Edit PDFs Like Never Before with ONLYOFFICE 8.1 |
ONLYOFFICE 8.1 enriches its PDF editor's capabilities, positioning it as a compelling alternative to other closed-source paid solutions and online tools. The PDF editor now supports text editing, accessible by clicking the "Edit Text" button on the "Home" tab. As a teacher who often needs to edit PDF documents, this new feature makes such tasks a breeze.
With this update, the PDF editor also supports page deletion, rotation (left or right), and insertion (blank page before or after), all easily accessible from the "Home" tab (remember to enable "Edit PDF"). Moreover, you can now insert and adjust existing objects, including images, tables, hyperlinks, and equations. On the "Home" tab, click "Edit PDF," then go to the "Insert" tab to add an object (some options are directly accessible on the "Home" tab). To adjust an existing object like an image, select it and edit (rotate, resize, etc.). Is there anything easier than this?
ONLYOFFICE 8.1 also enhances the annotating mode, which you can switch to from the editing mode using the mode switcher in the top header. Now, after enabling the "Select" tool from the ribbon and selecting an object (such as text), a mini toolbar opens, making annotation convenient and straightforward.
While the new PDF editor meets the PDF editing needs of most users, it still lacks one of my most-used features in PDF editors: the ability to insert pages from another PDF file or merge PDF documents. I hope that future updates will address this limitation.
No More DOCXF Format
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| DOCXF Eliminated! Accessible PDF Forms with ONLYOFFICE 8.1 |
ONLYOFFICE 8.1 has eliminated the DOCXF format and now uses PDF forms, allowing you to easily create complex forms entirely in PDF. This change ensures that users with various devices and software can fill out your forms more easily, unlike DOCXF forms, which require compatible software to open and edit.
Improved RTL Support
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| RTL Just Got Better with ONLYOFFICE 8.1 |
RTL support, introduced in ONLYOFFICE 8.0, has been further enhanced in version 8.1, which I greatly appreciate as I frequently edit documents in Arabic. This release offers improved word order and corrected alignment for different text types.
Additionally, ONLYOFFICE 8.1 enhances localization by supporting multiple new languages in the spreadsheet editor, including Bengali, Sinhala, and Serbian-Cyrillic (sr-Cyrl-RS), across all the editors.
Enhanced Compatibility in Document Editor
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| Accurate Colors, Easy Numbering: ONLYOFFICE 8.1 Document Editor Gets Even Better! |
Since not all users use the same office suite (and I don't expect that to change), ONLYOFFICE 8.1's document editor correctly recognizes and applies the correct page color when you open a document created in another office suite. You can customize it using the new "Colors" option in the "Layout" tab. How would you rate ONLYOFFICE's compatibility with files from other office suites?
The ONLYOFFICE mobile version now offers a better view of documents with tables and paragraphs with non-zero indents.{alertInfo}
Moreover, this update offers extra control over the page numbering format, allowing you to easily customize the page numbering format from the header and footer settings accessible from the right sidebar (or left sidebar if you use an RTL interface).
Following in the PDF editor's footsteps, the document editor now provides one-click switching between modes (Editing, Reviewing, or Viewing). From the top header toolbar, switch to the mode you want without worrying about disturbing other authors, as the switch will not affect other users.
Extra Security in Spreadsheet Editor
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| Cell-Level Security! Share Spreadsheets with Protected Ranges |
For users of ONLYOFFICE Docs (online editors), you can now share spreadsheets with restricted viewing of cell ranges, thanks to the new "Protect Range" feature available in the "Protection" tab.
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| Collaboration Made Easy: Version History with Highlighted Edits |
Furthermore, the Version History feature in the "Collaboration" tab now highlights changed cells, making collaboration in spreadsheets more manageable.
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| Create Custom Functions with Macros in ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor 8.1 |
Besides, with this release, you can copy or move sheets between workbooks within one browser session, use "GETPIVOTDATA" and "IMPORTRANGE" functions, create custom functions using macros, and enjoy ligature support.
New Slide Master in Presentation Editor
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| Create presentations faster! Edit all slides with the new Slide Master feature |
ONLYOFFICE 8.1 introduces two significant new features in the presentation editor: Slide Master and Animation Pane. The Slide Master allows you to edit the layout for all slides simultaneously, including title style, fonts, watermarks, and more. To enter Slide Master mode, go to the "View" tab and click the "Slide Master" button on the top toolbar. Then, edit the slides as needed via the "Home" and "Insert" tabs. This feature will be very handy for students and teachers preparing new presentations or tweaking old ones.
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| Manage Slide Animations Easily with the New Animation Pane |
The Animation Pane offers a comprehensive overview of the animation effects applied to your slides, allowing you to manage animation order, duration, start point, and more, much like using a timeline in a video editor. To display the Animation Pane, go to the "Animation" tab and click on the "Animation Pane" button on the right of the top toolbar.
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| New Slide Settings in ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor 8.1 |
Further, the Slide Settings section in the right panel has welcomed new settings, namely "Show Background Graphics," "Reset Background to the Theme Background," and "Apply Settings to All Slides."
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| Extended Color Schemes in ONLYOFFICE 8.1 Editors |
Additionally, all editors now feature an extended set of color schemes. In the presentation editor, you can explore these from the "Home" tab by clicking the "Change Color Theme" button. For the document and spreadsheet editors, you'll find this option in the "Layout" tab.
Revamped Interface Elements
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| Tailored Header! Choose Your Quick Access Buttons |
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| Uncover New Features! Helpful Tooltips in ONLYOFFICE 8.1 |
As you explore the editors, informative tooltips will appear to catch your eye and highlight new or updated functionalities.
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| Find it Faster! Button Reorganization in ONLYOFFICE 8.1 |
To prevent confusion when searching for certain buttons or settings, it's worth noting that the "Copy Style," "Clear Style," "Select All," and "Replace" buttons have new positions on the toolbar of the "Home" tab. Meanwhile, the "Color Scheme" button has moved to the "Layout" tab, and the "Mail Merge" button has moved to the "Collaboration" tab.
Do you think these improvements can enhance your experience with the ONLYOFFICE interface?
More Free Templates
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| No Time to Design? Expanded Free Template Library in ONLYOFFICE 8.1 |
While crafting a personal template is joyful for some users, not everyone has the time or creativity to build their own. For this reason, ONLYOFFICE offers a free library of templates that has been expanded in this release with more templates for forms, text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Where do you usually get free templates from?
Looking for an in-depth look at the bug fixes and new features? The full changelog on GitHub is your go-to resource.{alertInfo}
How to Get ONLYOFFICE 8.1?
Before delving into the installation methods for ONLYOFFICE 8.1 on Linux (also available on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS), let's briefly compare the product options it offers. This comparison will help you quickly identify the differences without spending hours, as I did.
Disclosure: Please note that this article contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you. These commissions help support the maintenance and growth of the blog, allowing me to continue providing quality content and resources.{alertWarning}
ONLYOFFICE Products Explained
ONLYOFFICE offers a range of products designed to meet your document editing and collaboration needs, available in both free and paid versions. Whether you prefer offline document editing or require robust online collaboration tools, ONLYOFFICE provides flexible solutions to suit diverse requirements.
- ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors: This free, cross-platform desktop application is ideal for efficient offline document editing. It includes essential features for creating, editing, and managing documents on your local machine. Available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile platforms.
- ONLYOFFICE Docs Community: This self-hosted, free option enables online collaboration, giving you control over your server environment. It's suitable for teams that prefer to manage their infrastructure while leveraging collaborative document editing features.
- ONLYOFFICE Docs Home Server: This self-hosted option is perfect for home users who prefer to store their data on their own servers. It's a paid solution that ensures privacy and control over your documents.
- ONLYOFFICE Docs Enterprise: A paid solution designed for businesses requiring advanced features and dedicated support. This edition offers both self-hosted and cloud options, ensuring enhanced security and scalability for large teams and enterprises.
- ONLYOFFICE Docs Developer: Tailored for developers, this version offers integration capabilities and API access for custom solutions. It's available as a paid option, with both self-hosted and cloud deployment options, providing extensive customization opportunities.
- ONLYOFFICE DocSpace: This business-oriented solution offers extensive collaboration features and enhanced support, available as both self-hosted and cloud options. It caters to businesses seeking secure and efficient document management and collaboration tools.
The DocSpace Startup (Cloud) plan is currently available for free as a limited-time offer.{alertWarning}
- ONLYOFFICE DocSpace Community: This free, self-hosted solution is suitable for teams and organizations that require robust collaboration tools without the overhead of paid services. ONLYOFFICE DocSpace Community offers secure and efficient document management, enabling real-time co-authoring, sharing, and collaboration.
- ONLYOFFICE DocSpace Family Pack: A paid, self-hosted solution designed for families, offering collaboration features tailored for home use.
- ONLYOFFICE Workspace Enterprise: A comprehensive suite of collaboration tools, including document editing, project management, email, CRM, and more. This is likely the most feature-rich option for businesses.
The best option depends on factors such as individual vs. team use, offline vs. online needs, budget, and technical expertise.
Multiple Installation Options for Linux
To install ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors 8.1 on Linux, you have several installation options to choose from:
- Repository Installation: Add the official ONLYOFFICE repository to your package manager and install via terminal commands. Refer to the installation guides: Debian, Ubuntu and derivatives - Red Hat, Fedora and derivatives.
- Flathub: Install ONLYOFFICE as a Flatpak from Flathub.
- Snap Store: Install ONLYOFFICE via Snap by using the Snap Store.
- Prebuilt Packages: Download the installation package (DEB for Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions, RPM for Fedora/Red Hat-based distributions.) from the ONLYOFFICE website and install it manually on your system.
- AppImage: Download the ONLYOFFICE AppImage, make it executable, and run it directly without installation.
ONLYOFFICE 8.1 delivers a significant update with exciting new features and improvements across various functionalities. Whether you're a teacher editing PDFs, a business user collaborating on spreadsheets, or a student crafting presentations, there's something valuable in this release.
🗨 Have you tried ONLYOFFICE before? What features are you most excited about in this update? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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