Pages (word processor)

Pages is a word processor developed by Apple Inc. It is part of the iWork productivity suite[3] and runs on the macOS, iPadOS and iOS operating systems. It is also available on iCloud on the web.[4] The first version of Pages was released in February 2005.[5] Pages is marketed by Apple as an easy-to-use application that allows users to quickly create documents on their devices.[4] A number of Apple-designed templates comprising different themes (such as: letters, résumés, posters and outlines) are included with Pages.[5]

Pages
Developer(s)Apple Inc.
Stable release
13.0 / March 30, 2023 (2023-03-30)[1][2]
Platform
Available in33 languages
List of languages
English, Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
TypeWord processor
LicenseProprietary
Websiteapple.com/pages

History

On January 11, 2005, Apple announced the first version of Pages, as part of iWork '05.[5] On January 6, 2009, Apple released the fourth version of Pages as a component of iWork '09.[6] On January 27, 2010, Apple announced a new version of Pages for iPad with a touch interface.[7] On May 31, 2011, Apple updated the iOS version of Pages to 1.4, bringing universal binaries, allowing the app to be run on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices.[8] On October 12, 2011, Apple updated the iOS app to version 1.5, adding the iCloud "Documents in the Cloud" feature. iOS Pages was updated to version 1.6 on March 7, 2012, and will only run on iOS 5.1 or later. Pages for OS X was updated to version 4.3 on December 4, 2012, to support Pages 1.7 for iOS, which was released on the same day. Pages for iOS 1.7.1 introduced better compatibility with Word and Pages for Mac and version 1.7.2, released on March 7, 2013, merely added stability improvements and bug fixes.

On October 23, 2013, Apple released a redesign with Pages 5.0 and made it free for anyone with an iOS device. In this release, many templates, as well as some advanced features that were available in version 4.3, were not included. Some of these missing features were put back over the next releases but the current version (12.1) still lacks features from version 4.3, including the ability to select non-contiguous regions of text, advanced find/replace functions, and more.

Features

Pages is a word processor and page layout application. When Pages is first opened, users are presented with a template chooser which allows them to start with a blank document or with a predesigned template — including a basic, report, letter, résumé, envelope, business card, flyers & posters, cards, miscellaneous and a newsletter section of templates — that contains placeholder text and images which can be replaced by dragging and dropping photos from the Media Browser. The Media Browser provides quick access to media from iTunes, iMovie and Photos. Users can drag and drop music, movies, and photos directly into Pages documents from the Media Browser window.[5]

Each document window contains a toolbar, which gives one-click access to commonly used functions such as inserting objects (text boxes, shapes, tables, charts, and comments), uploading the document to iWork.com, and adding additional pages. In addition, the document window contains a contextual format bar that allows one-click formatting of text and adjustments to images. When text is selected, the format bar enables users to choose fonts, text size, and color, and to adjust line spacing and alignment. When an image is selected, the format bar displays tools to adjust opacity, show and hide shadow and reflection effects and mask the image.[9] A separate Inspector window provides almost all formatting options available for any element in the open document.

Beginning in iWork '08, word processing and page layout are two distinct modes. In word processing mode, Pages supports headers and footers, footnotes and outline, and list creation. Users can collaborate with others on a document. Pages tracks changes by users by displaying each person's edits in different colors. Users can also add comments alongside the document. In page layout mode, users have complete control over the position of objects on the page. Images and text can be placed anywhere on the canvas.[9]

Pages used to feature several other advanced writing tools. Many of these have been stripped out of the current version. The "Full Screen" mode (introduced in Mac OS X Lion) and supported in Pages 4.1 hid the menubar and toolbars, allowing users to focus on a single document without being distracted by other windows on the screen;[6] however, after Pages 5, full-screen mode requires the user to manually hide various panes for focused writing and the page thumbnails pane does not automatically open when the cursor is moved to the left screen edge. Earlier versions featured mail merge, which automatically populated custom fields with contact data from the Address Book or Numbers apps to create personalized documents. For example, if a user wanted to send one letter to three people, mail merge allowed the user to create a single document with placeholder fields that were populated when printing.[10] The mail merge feature was completely removed in version 5 and it did not return until version 12.1.[11] Tables and charts pasted from Numbers are automatically updated if the original spreadsheet is changed.[6]

Compatibility

Pages can import some Microsoft Word documents (including Word 2007's Office Open XML format[12]). Pages 4 and earlier could also import AppleWorks word processing documents, and export documents to rich text, but those features were removed in Pages 5.0 and not restored until Pages 6.1. Pages 5 can still export to PDF, EPUB and Microsoft Word DOC formats.[13]

Simple and complex mathematical equations can be written for a Pages document with macOS's Grapher, offering similar capabilities to Microsoft Equation Editor (plus 2D and 3D rendering tools only Grapher can use).

As of January 2015, Pages does not support OpenDocument file format.

The only known software other than Pages which can open its files are Apple's iWork productivity suite through Apple's iCloud, LibreOffice[14] and Jumpshare.[15] Windows users can view and edit Pages files using iWork for iCloud via a web browser. The iCloud system can also read Microsoft Word files and convert Pages files to Microsoft Word format. Jumpshare can view Pages files.

Other than accessing iCloud through a browser, no program can officially view or edit a Pages file using Windows or Linux. Some content can be retrieved from a document created in Pages '09 because a .pages file is a bundle. A user can open a .pages file in an unpackaging program or by renaming files as .zip files in Windows (XP and onwards) and will find either a .jpg or .pdf preview in its entirety for viewing and printing, although this is only possible if the creator of the .pages files elected to include a preview. The user will also find a .xml file with unformatted text.[16] This process can also be used for users of the 2008 version of Pages to open documents saved in the 2009 version of Pages, which are not backward compatible.

Pages can also export documents into several formats; formatting is generally retained during the export process.

Version history
Version numberRelease dateChanges
1.0 January 11, 2005 Initial release.
1.0.1 March 17, 2005 Fixes isolated bugs and issues causing problems for some customers. It also allowed the deletion of template pages.
1.0.2 May 25, 2005 Addresses issues with page navigation and organization.
2.0 January 10, 2006 Released as part of iWork '06. Includes new templates, table calculations, photo masking with shapes, and freestyle bezier curves.
2.0.1 April 26, 2006 Pages 2.0.1 addresses issues with charts and image adjustments. It also addresses several other minor issues.
2.0.1v2 May 1, 2006 Pages 2.0.1v2 addresses issues with charts and image adjustments. It also addresses several other minor issues.
2.0.2 September 28, 2006 Pages 2.0.2 addresses issues with Aperture compatibility.
3.0 August 7, 2007 Pages 3.0 was released as part of iWork '08. It introduces compatibility with Office Open XML (Microsoft Office 2007) files. Introduced Change Tracking. Transparency tool for pictures. Pages 3.0 needs only a third (260 MB) of the hard disk space required for Pages 2.0 (760 MB) despite the added functionality.
3.0.1 September 27, 2007 Addresses issues with performance and change tracking.
3.0.2 January 29, 2008 This update addresses compatibility with Mac OS X.
3.0.3 February 2, 2008 Compatibility issues.
4.0 January 6, 2009 Released as part of iWork '09. New features include the ability to edit in a full-screen view, better compatibility with Microsoft Office, an outline mode, the option to upload documents to the new iWork.com service, and expanded configurability for the "track changes" feature (including the option to turn off change balloons while keeping comment balloons visible).
4.0.1 March 26, 2009 Improves reliability when working with EndNote X2 or MathType 6, or deleting Pages files.
4.0.2 May 28, 2009 Improves reliability when saving documents.
4.0.3 September 28, 2009 Improves reliability with full-screen mode, applying transparency to images, and EndNote citations.
4.0.4 August 26, 2010 Adds support for exporting to the EPUB format (for use with iBooks) and fixes problems with tables.
4.0.5 January 5, 2011 Improves the readability of exported EPUB documents.
4.1 July 20, 2011 Adds support for Mac OS X Lion, including Full-Screen, Resume, Auto Save, Versions, and Character picker. Improves Microsoft Office Compatibility.[17]
4.2 July 25, 2012 Adds support for OS X Mountain Lion and storing documents in iCloud.[18]
4.3 December 4, 2012 Adds support for iWork for iOS 1.7 apps.
5.0 October 22, 2013 Adds online collaboration across Macs and iOS devices as well as over the web via iCloud.com. Removes many advanced features, including mail merge, text box linking, default zoom setting, book format, page count, bookmarks, images in tables, and the ability to read/export RTF files.
5.0.1 November 21, 2013 Adds the ability to customize the toolbar with your most important tools. Stability improvements and bug fixes.[19]
5.1 January 24, 2014 Adds back vertical ruler and a few other features. Stability improvements and bug fixes.[20]
5.2 April 1, 2014 Adds "view only" option for sharing via iCloud. Improved support for bi-directional languages such as Hebrew and Arabic. Improved Instant Alpha, text boxes, EPUB exporting, and AppleScript support.[21]
5.2.2 August 21, 2014 Stability improvements and bug fixes.[22]
5.5.1 November 6, 2014 Stability improvements and bug fixes.[23]
5.5.2 January 8, 2015 Stability improvements and bug fixes.[24]
5.5.3 April 21, 2015 Stability improvements and bug fixes.[25]
5.6 October 15, 2015 Enhancements for OS X El Capitan, stability improvements, and bug fixes.
5.6.1 November 11, 2015 Stability improvements and bug fixes.[26]
5.6.2 May 10, 2016 Stability improvements and bug fixes.[27]
6.0 September 20, 2016 Updated for macOS Sierra, including real-time Collaboration (Beta), support for Pages '05 documents, and added tabs to open multiple documents in one window.[28][29]
6.0.5 October 27, 2016 Support for the Touch Bar on the 2016 MacBook Pro, and stability and performance improvements.[29]
6.1 March 27, 2017 Superscript/subscript formatting support, LaTeX and MathML equation support, Touch ID support, import/export support for RTF, ligature support, and customizable date/time/currency support.[30][29]
6.2 June 13, 2017[31] Updated alongside Numbers and Keynote with a new shape library, comment reply support, and "Auto-Correction" preferences pane. New Pages-specific features include linked text boxes and the ability to create EPUB fixed layout files.[29]
6.3.1 November 17, 2017 Improved PDF export to view a document's table of contents in the sidebar in Preview and other PDF viewer apps. Drag and drop rows in tables that span multiple pages.[29]
7.0 March 27, 2018 Make digital books using new book templates. Collaborate in real-time on documents stored in Box (requires macOS High Sierra). View pages side by side as you work. Turn on facing pages to format your document as two-page spreads. Add an image gallery to view a collection of photos on the same page. Create master pages to keep the design consistent across your page layout document. Use donut charts to visualize data. Adds a variety of new editable shapes. Additional options for reducing the file size of documents. New option to automatically format fractions as you type.[29]
7.0.1 May 3, 2018 Stability and performance improvements.
7.1 June 18, 2018 Track text changes in shapes and text boxes. Add colors and images to backgrounds in page layout documents. Rounded corners on columns and bars for charts. Add mathematical equations to page layout documents using LaTeX or MathML notation. A variety of new editable shapes. Improved support for Arabic and Hebrew.[29]
7.2 September 17, 2018 Record, edit and play audio right on a page. "Dark Mode" support. Continuity Camera allows you to take a photo or scan a document with an iPhone or iPad and it automatically appears in the document. Requires macOS Mojave.[29]
7.3 November 7, 2018 Publish books directly to Apple Books for download or purchase.[29]
8.0 March 28, 2019 Use the new table-of-contents view to easily navigate a document or book. Automatically sync custom shapes and templates to all devices using iCloud. Add alignment guides to master pages to help with layout. Improved performance while collaborating on documents. Insert tables of contents and edit grouped objects while collaborating. In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, one can now type vertically in the entire document or an individual text box.[29]
8.1 June 25, 2019 Style text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles. Copy and paste pages or sections between documents. Create links from text to other pages in a page layout document. Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with the text. Using face detection, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects.

Reapply a master page so text and media placeholders return to their default style and position. Create books using new templates for novels (available in English only).[29]

8.2 September 30, 2019 Set the default font and font size used for all new documents created from basic templates. Jump to a specific page in your document using a new menu command. Add HEVC-formatted movies to documents, enabling reduced file size while preserving visual quality.[29]
10.0 March 31, 2020 New templates (Select from a variety of new templates). Cloud Drive folder sharing. Drop caps: Add a drop cap to make a paragraph stand out with a large, decorative first letter. Apply a color, gradient, or image to the background of any document. Easily access your recently used templates in a redesigned template chooser. Print or export a PDF of your document with comments included. Edit shared documents while offline and your changes will upload when you’re back online. Enhance your documents with a variety of new, editable shapes.[29]
10.1 July 9, 2020 Play YouTube and Vimeo videos right in documents. Add captions and titles to images, videos, shapes, and other objects. Create more flexible formulas using new functions. Import an iBooks Author book to work on it in Pages.
10.2 September 22, 2020 Select from new report templates to help get started. Enhance documents with a variety of new, editable shapes. Requires macOS Catalina.
11.1 June 1, 2021 Supports adding links to web pages, email addresses, and phone numbers from objects such as shapes, lines, images, drawings, or text boxes.

Teachers using the Schoolwork app to assign activities in Pages can now view students' progress, including word count and time spent.[32]

11.2 September 28, 2021 Ability to publish books with 2-page spreads, optimized images, and more flexible versioning. Instant translation for up to 11 languages on a document. More flexible collaboration to allow participants to add others to a shared document. Create new documents from the app icon in the Dock. New Radar charts. Requires macOS Big Sur.[32]
12.0 April 7, 2022 Added Shortcuts support on macOS Monterey. Updated icon for iOS and iPadOS. Ability to publish to Apple Books with file sizes up to 2GB. The ability to read comments and track changes using VoiceOver.[32]
12.1 June 21, 2022 Re-introduced enhanced mail merge capabilities (that were removed in version 5.0). Added the ability to export a Pages document to plaintext format. New templates for event invitations and certificates.[32]
12.2 October 25, 2022 Added activity view showing recent changes in collaborative documents. Share and see changes to a collaborative document in Messages (requires iOS 16, iPadOS 16 or macOS Ventura). New Blank Layout template to freely arrange text and graphics. Automatically remove an image's background to isolate its subject (requires iOS 16, iPadOS 16 or macOS Ventura).[32]
13.0 March 30, 2023 Supports exporting and sending a document in a different format from the Share menu. Report, note-taking, letter and résumé templates include placeholder text with instructions.[32] Adds support for Apple Pencil hover on compatible iPads.[33]

See also

References
  1. "Pages on the Mac App Store". Mac App Store. June 13, 2023.
  2. "Pages on the App Store". April 2, 2023.
  3. "iWork". Apple.
  4. "Pages". Apple.
  5. "Apple Unveils iWork '05" (Press release). Apple. January 11, 2005.
  6. "Apple Unveils iWork '09" (Press release). Apple. January 6, 2009.
  7. de Jabet, Chris (January 27, 2010). "iPad - Apple's Newest Creation". Full City Press.
  8. "Apple iWork Now Available For iPhone & iPod touch Users" (Press release). Apple. May 31, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  9. "Apple Introduces iWork '08" (Press release). Apple. August 7, 2007.
  10. "Apple Announces iWork '06" (Press release). January 10, 2006. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  11. "Apple Updates Pages, Numbers, and Keynote With New Features". MacRumors. June 21, 2022.
  12. "Convert Pages documents to PDF, Microsoft Word, and more". October 2, 2020. Formats you can open in Pages.
  13. Slivka, Eric (August 26, 2010). "Apple Brings ePub Export to Pages With iWork 9.0.4". MacRumors.
  14. Larabel, Michael (May 21, 2015). "LibreOffice Can Now Import Apple Pages & Numbers Files". Phoronix. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  15. "List of Supported Formats". Jumpshare. September 6, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  16. Madchine (2009). "xorglog: How To: Edit Mac OS .pages documents in Linux".
  17. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012.
  18. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012.
  19. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013.
  20. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on January 25, 2014.
  21. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014.
  22. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014.
  23. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014.
  24. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015.
  25. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015.
  26. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016.
  27. "Mac App Store - Pages". iTunes. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016.
  28. "Apple updates iWork for Mac, adding real-time collaboration beta to Pages, Numbers & Keynote". AppleInsider. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  29. "What's new in Pages for Mac – Apple Support". June 28, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  30. "Apple Updates Numbers, Pages and Keynote for iOS and Mac With New Features". Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  31. "Apple Releases Updates for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on iOS and Mac". Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  32. "What's new in Pages for Mac". Apple Support.
  33. "Pages". App Store. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
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