A free alternative to Word: Google Docs

If you do not have the paid desktop Word application, the original article suggests Google Docs as another way to create a text document. The walkthrough starts from a Gmail account and uses the Google apps menu.

This page translates that existing walkthrough. It is not a new comparison of software plans, and interface details may differ from those described in the original article.

Create a blank document

1. Open Gmail.
2. Look at the controls near the upper right. The original guide describes Help, Settings, Google apps and Google account.
3. Open Google apps and find Docs — labelled Documentos in Spanish.
4. Choose the plus sign on Blank (En blanco) to create a document.

You can then start writing. The original article highlights adding a title, using bold or underlined text, changing font colours and aligning paragraphs.

Share and collaborate

Use Share at the upper right, give the document a name if prompted and choose the people who should have access. To work together on the text, assign appropriate editing access to those collaborators.

You can also copy the document link and send it by email or through a Zoom or Google Meet chat. Check its access settings before sharing it: sending a link is not, by itself, an instruction to make a document public. The original article describes several people editing the document while they are online together.

Download a PDF

To save a PDF copy on your computer, use File → Download → PDF document — Archivo → Descargar → Documento PDF in Spanish.