Open, save and print files
Learn how to open and save files such as publications and birdcalls, and how to print from the DOC website

These instructions are written for Internet Explorer on a Windows computer. For different browsers and operating systems, do the equivalent actions.

Material on this website is subject to copyright.

Opening and saving files

You can open files for viewing or listening without saving them first, or you may want to save files to your computer for later use. A saved file can be opened any time without a web browser or Internet connection.

File types

On this website, a link to a file shows the file name, the file format (type of file) and the size of the file in kilobytes, eg. Annual report (PDF, 123K).

The documents on this website are mostly in PDF, DOC (MS Word) and XLS (MS Excel) formats. There are also MP3 sound files, images and links to videos.

How to open files

Click on a link to a file to open it.

If the file doesn't open

 You may need to install a viewer or plug-in. 

  • PDF files: Install a PDF reader such as the free Adobe Reader.
  • Word and Excel files: Install a free Microsoft viewer or install OpenOffice.org suite.
  • YouTube videos and other media files: Follow the instructions that appear to install or activate the required plug-ins.

How to save files

To save a file from the website to your computer, right-click on the image or the link to a file and select the "Save as" (or "Save target as") option.

DOC videos on YouTube are not available for you to save.

Printing from the DOC website

Content on the DOC website is designed to print on standard A4-sized paper.

How to print web pages

Print our web pages from your browser by clicking on "File" in the menu, then "Print" (or choose "Print preview" to see how the printout will look first).

How to print large-format documents

Some documents (such as recreation brochures) may be designed for professional printing onto A3 or larger paper. The versions available from this website are usually scaled for printing on standard A4 paper.

Use the Print preview to see how the document will print.

If you find the text is too small, try adjusting your print settings to print the document on a larger scale. For example, in Acrobat Reader:

  • Click "Print" to bring up the Print options.
  • From the Print options, choose "Tile larger pages". The preview will indicate how the pages will be split up and how many pieces of paper will be used.
  • Click the "Print" button to confirm this is how you want the pages to print.