Introduction

Word 2013 is a word processing application that allows you to create a variety of documents like letters, flyers, and reports. With the introduction of several enhanced features—including the ability to create and collaborate on documents online—Word 2013 gives you the ability to do more with your word processing projects.

Getting to know Word 2013

Word 2013 is very similar to Word 2010. If you’ve previously used Word 2010, then Word 2013 should feel familiar. But if you are new to Word or have more experience with older versions, you should first take some time to become familiar with the Word 2013 interface.

The Word interface

When you open Word 2013 for the first time, the Word Start Screen will appear. From here, you’ll be able to create a new document, choose a template, or access your recently edited documents.

• From the Word Start Screen, locate and select Blank document to access the Word interface.
  

Click the buttons in the interactive below to become familiar with the Word 2013 interface.

Working with the Word environment

If you’ve previously used Word 2010 or 2007, then Word 2013 should feel familiar. It continues to use features like the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar, where you will find commands to perform common tasks in Word, as well as Backstage view.

The Ribbon

Word 2013 uses a tabbed Ribbon system instead of traditional menus. The Ribbon contains multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands. You will use these tabs to perform the most common tasks in Word.

Learn more about the different commands available within each tab on the Ribbon.

The Home tab gives you access to some of the most commonly used commands for working with Word 2013, including copying and pasting, formatting, aligning paragraphs, and choosing document styles. The Home tab is selected by default whenever you open Word.

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• The Insert tab allows you to insert pictures, charts, tables, shapes, cover pages, and more to your document, which can help you communicate information visually and add style to your document.
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The Design tab gives you access to a variety of design tools, including document formatting, effects, and page borders, which can give your document a polished look.

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The Page Layout tab allows you to change the print formatting of your document, including margin width, page orientation, page breaks, and more. These commands will be especially helpful when preparing to print a document. 

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The References tab allows you add annotations to your document, such as footnotes and citations. From here, you can also add a table of contents, captions, and a bibliography. These commands are especially helpful when composing academic papers.

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You can use the Mail Merge feature in the Mailings tab to quickly compose letters, address envelopes, and create labels. This is especially useful when you need to send a letter to many different recipients.

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You can use the Review tab to access Word’s powerful editing features, including adding comments and tracking changes. These features make it easy to share and collaborate on documents.

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The View tab allows you to switch between different views for your document and split the screen to view two parts of your document at once. These commands will also be helpful when preparing to print a document.

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Contextual tabs will appear on the Ribbon when working with certain items, such as tables and pictures. These tabs contain special command groups that can help you format these items as needed.

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Certain programs, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, may install additional tabs to the Ribbon. These tabs are called Add-ins.

To minimize and maximize the Ribbon:

The Ribbon is designed to respond to your current task, but you can choose to minimize the Ribbon if you find that it takes up too much screen space.

1. Click the Ribbon Display Options arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon.
   
2. Select the desired minimizing option from the drop-down menu:
   • Auto-hide Ribbon: Auto-hide displays your document in full-screen mode and completely hides the Ribbon from view. To show the Ribbon, click the Expand Ribbon command at the top of screen.
     
   • Show tabs: This option hides all command groups when not in use, but tabs will remain visible. To show the Ribbon, simply click a tab.
     
   • Show tabs and commands: This option maximizes the Ribbon. All of the tabs and commands will be visible. This option is selected by default when you open Word for the first time.

 To learn how to add custom tabs and commands to the Ribbon, review our Extra on Customizing the Ribbon.

 To learn how to use the Ribbon with touch-screen devices, review our Extra on Enabling Touch Mode.

The Quick Access toolbar

Located just above the Ribbon, the Quick Access toolbar lets you access common commands no matter which tab is selected. By default, it shows the Save, Undo, and Repeat commands. You can add other commands depending on your preference.

To add commands to the Quick Access toolbar:

1. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Quick Access toolbar.
2. Select the command you wish to add from the drop-down menu. To choose from more commands, select More Commands.
3. The command will be added to the Quick Access toolbar.
   

The Ruler

The Ruler is located at the top and to the left of your document. It makes it easier to adjust your document with precision. If you want, you can hide the Ruler to create more screen space.

To show or hide the Ruler:

1. Click the View tab.
2. Click the check box next to Ruler to show or hide   the ruler.
   

 

 

Backstage view

Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, and sharing your document.

To access Backstage view:

1. Click the File tab on the Ribbon. Backstage view will appear.
   

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using Backstage view.

Document views

Word 2013 has a variety of viewing options that change how your document is displayed. You can choose to view your document in Read Mode, Print Layout, or Web Layout. These views can be useful for various tasks, especially if you’re planning to print the document.

• To change document views, locate and select the desired document view command in the bottom-right corner of the Word window.
  

Review the different document view options.

Read Mode: In this view, all of the editing commands are hidden so your document fills the screen. Arrows appear on the left and right side of the screen so you can toggle through the pages of your document.

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• Print Mode: This is the default view where you create and edit your document. There are page breaks in between each page, indicating how your document will look when printed.
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  • Web Layout: This view removes page breaks. It can help you visualize how your document will display as a webpage.
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If your document has many pages, Word 2013 has a handy new feature called Resume Reading that allows you to open your document to the last page you were viewing. When opening a saved document, look for the bookmark icon to appear on the screen. Hover the mouse over the bookmark, and Word will ask if you want to pick up where you left off.

Challenge!

1. Open or navigate to the Word 2013 interface.
2. Click through all of the tabs, and review the commands on the Ribbon.
3. Try minimizing and maximizing the Ribbon.
4. Add a command to the Quick Access toolbar.
5. Hide and show the Ruler.
6. Navigate to Backstage view, and open your Account settings.
7. Try switching document views.
8. Close Word (you do not have to save the document).

 

Introduction

Word files are called documents. Whenever you start a new project in Word, you’ll need to create a new document, which can either be blank or from a template. You’ll also need to know how to open an existing document.

To create a new blank document:

When beginning a new project in Word, you’ll often want to start with a new blank document.

1. Select the File tab. Backstage view will appear.
   
2. Select New, then click Blank document.
   
3. A new blank document will appear.

To open an existing document:

In addition to creating new documents, you’ll often need to open a document that was previously saved. To learn more about saving a document, visit our lesson on Saving and Sharing Documents.

1. Navigate to Backstage view, then click Open.
   
2. Select Computer and then click Browse. Alternatively, you can choose OneDrive (previously known as SkyDrive) to open files stored on your OneDrive.
   
3. The Open dialog box appears. Locate and select your document, then click Open.
   

If you’ve opened the desired presentation recently, you can browse your Recent Documents rather than searching for the file.

Word 2013 also allows you to open existing PDF files as editable documents. This is useful when you want to modify a PDF file. Read our guide on Editing PDF Files for more information.

To pin a document:

If you frequently work with the same document, you can pin it to Backstage view for quick access.

1. Navigate to Backstage view and then click Open. Your recently edited documents will appear.
2. Hover the mouse over the document you wish to pin. A pushpin icon will appear next to the document. Click the pushpin icon.
   
3. The document will stay in Recent Documents. To unpin a document, simply click the pushpin icon again.
   

You can also pin folders to Backstage view for quick access. From Backstage view, click Open and locate the folder you wish to pin, then click the pushpin icon.

Using templates

A template is a predesigned document you can use to create a new document quickly. Templates often include custom formatting and designs, so they can save you a lot of time and effort when starting a new project.

To create a new document from a template:

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.
   
2. Select New. Several templates will appear below the Blank document option.
3. Select a template to review it.
   
4. A preview of the template will appear, along with additional information about how the template can be used.
5. Click Create to use the selected template.
   
6. A new workbook will appear with the selected template.

You can also browse templates by category or use the search bar to find something more specific.

 It’s important to note that not all templates are created by Microsoft. Many are created by third-party providers and even individual users, so some templates may work better than others.

Compatibility mode

Sometimes you may need to work with documents that were created in earlier versions of Microsoft Word, such as Word 2010 or Word 2007. When you open these kinds of documents, they will appear in Compatibility mode.

Compatibility mode disables certain features, so you’ll only be able to access commands found in the program that was used to create the document. For example, if you open a document created in Word 2007 you can only use tabs and commands found in Word 2007.

In the image below, you can see how Compatibility mode can affect which commands are available. Since the document on the left is in Compatibility mode, it only shows commands that were available in Word 2007.

In order to exit Compatibility mode, you’ll need to convert the document to the current version type. However, if you’re collaborating with others who only have access to an earlier version of Word, it’s best to leave the document in Compatibility mode so the format will not change.

You can review this support page from Microsoft to learn more about which features are disabled in Compatibility mode.

To convert a document:

If you want access to all Word 2013 features, you can convert the document to the 2013 file format.

Note that converting a file may cause some changes to the original layout of the document.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.
   
2. Locate and select the Convert command.
   
3. A dialog box will appear. Click OK to confirm the file upgrade.
   
4. The document will be converted to the newest file type.

Challenge!

1. Create a new blank document.
2. Open an existing document from your computer or OneDrive.
3. Pin a folder to Backstage view.
4. Create a new document using a template.

 

Introduction

Whenever you create a new document in Word, you’ll need to know how to save in order to access and edit it later. As in previous versions of Word, you can save files to your computer. If you prefer, you can also save files to the cloud using OneDrive. You can even export and share documents directly from Word.

Save and Save As

Word offers two ways to save a file: Save and Save As. These options work in similar ways, with a few important differences:

• Save: When you create or edit a document, you’ll use the Save command to save your changes. You’ll use this command most of the time. When you save a file, you’ll only need to choose a file name and location the first time. After that, you can just click the Save command to save it with the same name and location.
• Save As: You’ll use this command to create a copy of a document while keeping the original. When you use Save As, you’ll need to choose a different name and/or location for the copied version.

To save a document:

It’s important to save your document whenever you start a new project or make changes to an existing one. Saving early and often can prevent your work from being lost. You’ll also need to pay close attention to where you save the document so it will be easy to find later.

1. Locate and select the Save command on the Quick Access toolbar.
   
2. If you’re saving the file for the first time, the Save As pane will appear in Backstage view.
3. You’ll then need to choose where to save the file and give it a file name. To save the document to your computer, select Computer, and then click Browse. Alternatively, you can click OneDrive to save the file to your OneDrive.
   
4. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you wish to save the document.
5. Enter a file name for the document, then click Save.
   
6. The document will be saved. You can click the Save command again to save your changes as you modify the document.

You can also access the Save command by pressing Ctrl+S on your keyboard.

Using Save As to make a copy

If you want to save a different version of a document while keeping the original, you can create a copy. For example, if you have a file named “Sales Report”, you could save it as “Sales Report 2” so you’ll be able to edit the new file and still refer back to the original version.

To do this, you’ll click the Save As command in Backstage view. Just like when saving a file for the first time, you’ll need to choose where to save the file and give it a new file name.

To change the default save location:

If you don’t want to use OneDrive, you may be frustrated that OneDrive is selected as the default location when saving. If you find it inconvenient to select Computer each time, you can change the default save location so Computer is selected by default.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.
   
2. Click Options.
   
3. The Word Options dialog box will appear. Select Save, check the box next to Save to Computer by default, then click OK. The default save location will be changed.
   

AutoRecover

Word automatically saves your documents to a temporary folder while you are working on them. If you forget to save your changes or if Word crashes, you can restore the file using AutoRecover.

To use AutoRecover:

1. Open Word 2013. If auto-saved versions of a file are found, the Document Recovery pane will appear.
2. Click to open an available file. The document will be recovered.
   

By default, Word autosaves every 10 minutes. If you are editing a document for less than 10 minutes, Word may not create an autosaved version.

If you don’t see the file you need, you can browse all autosaved files from Backstage view. Just select the File tab, click Manage Versions, then choose Recover Unsaved Documents.

Exporting documents

Be default, Word documents are saved in the .docx file type. However, there may be times when you need to use another file type, such as a PDF or Word 97-2003 document. It’s easy to export your document from Word in a variety of file types.

To export a document as a PDF file:

Exporting your document as an Adobe Acrobat document, commonly known as a PDF file, can be especially useful if sharing a document with someone who does not have Word. A PDF file will make it possible for recipients to view, but not edit, the content of your document.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.
2. Click Export, then select Create PDF/XPS.
   
3. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you wish to export the document, enter a file name, then click Publish.
   

By default, Word will export all of the pages in the document. If you wish to export only the current page, click Options in the Save as dialog box. The Options dialog box will appear. Select Current page, then click OK.

If you need to edit a PDF file, Word allows you to convert a PDF file into an editable document.

To export a document in other file types:

You may also find it helpful to export your document in other file types, such as a Word 97-2003 Document if you need to share with people using an older version of Word, or an .rtf file if you need a plain-text version of your document.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.
2. Click Export, then select Change File Type.
   
3. Select a file type, then click Save As.
   
4. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you wish to export the document, enter a file name, then click Save.
   

You can also use the Save as type: drop-down menu in the Save As dialog box to save documents in a variety of file types.

Sharing documents

Word 2013 makes it easy to share and collaborate on documents using OneDrive. In the past, if you wanted to share a file with someone you could send it as an email attachment. While convenient, this system also creates multiple versions of the same file, which can be difficult to organize.

When you share a document from Word 2013, you’re actually giving others access to the exact same file. This lets you and the people you share with edit the same document without having to keep track of multiple versions.

In order to share a document, it must first be saved to your OneDrive.

To share a document:

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view, then click Share.
   
2. The Share pane will appear.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about different ways to share a document.

Introduction

If you’re new to Microsoft Word, you’ll need to learn the basics of working with text so you can type, reorganize, and edit text. Basic tasks include the ability to add, delete, and move text, as well as the ability to find and replace specific words or phrases.

Using the insertion point to add text

The insertion point is the blinking vertical line in your document. It indicates where you can enter text on the page. You can use the insertion point in a variety of ways:

• Blank document: When a new blank document opens, the insertion point is located in the top left corner of the page. If you wish, you can begin typing from this location.
  
• Adding spaces: Press the space bar to add spaces after a word or in between text.
  
• New paragraph line: Press Enter on your keyboard to move the insertion point to the next paragraph line.
  
• Manual placement: After you’ve started typing, you can use the mouse to move the insertion point to a specific place in your document. Simply click the location in the text where you wish to place it.
  

In a new blank document, you can double-click the mouse to move the insertion point elsewhere on the page.

To select text:

Before applying formatting to text, you’ll first need to select it.

1. Place the insertion point next to the text you wish to select.
2. Click the mouse, and while holding it down drag your mouse over the text to select it.
3. Release the mouse button. You have selected the text. A highlighted box will appear over the selected text.
   

When you select text or images in Word, a hover toolbar with command shortcuts appears. If the toolbar does not appear at first, try moving the mouse over the selection.

Other shortcuts include double-clicking a word to select it and triple-clicking to select a sentence or paragraph. You can also select all of the text in the document by pressing Ctrl+A on your keyboard.

To delete text:

There are several ways to delete, or remove, text:

• To delete text to the left of the insertion point, press the Backspace key on your keyboard.
• To delete text to the right of the insertion point, press the Delete key on your keyboard.
• Select the text that you wish to remove, then press the Delete key.

If you select text and start typing, the selected text will automatically be deleted and replaced with the new text.

Copying and moving text

Word allows you to copy text that is already in your document and paste it to other areas of the document, which can save you time. If there is text that you wish to move from one area of the document to another, you can cut and paste or drag and drop the text.

To copy and paste text:

Copying text creates a duplicate of the text.

1. Select the text you wish to copy.
   
2. Click the Copy command on the Home tab. You can also right-click the selected text and select Copy.
   
3. Place the insertion point where you wish the text to appear.
   
4. Click the Paste command on the Home tab.
   
5. The text will appear.
   

To cut and paste text:

1. Select the text you wish to cut.
   
2. Click the Cut command on the Home tab. You can also right-click the selected text and select Cut.
   
3. Place your insertion point where you wish the text to appear.
   
4. Click the Paste command on the Home tab. The text will appear.
   

You can access the cut, copy, and paste commands by using keyboard shortcuts. Press Ctrl+X to cut, Ctrl+C to copy, and Ctrl+V to paste.

You can also cut, copy, and paste by right-clicking your document and choosing the desired action from the drop-down menu. When you use this method to paste, you can choose from three options that determine how the text will be formatted: Keep Source Formatting, Merge Formatting, and Keep Text Only. You can hover the mouse over each icon to see what it will look like before you click on it.

To drag and drop text:

Dragging and dropping text allows you to use the mouse to move text.

1. Select the text you wish to move.
   
2. Click and drag the text to the location where you want it to appear. The cursor will have a rectangle under it to indicate that you are moving text.
   
3. Release the mouse button, and the text will appear.
   

If text does not appear in the exact location you wish, you can press the Enter key on your keyboard to move the text to a new line.

Find and Replace

When you’re working with longer documents, it can be difficult and time consuming to locate a specific word or phrase. Word can automatically search your document using the Find feature, and it allows you to quickly change words or phrases using Replace.

To find text:

In our example, we’ve written an academic paper and will use the Find command to locate all references to a particular author’s last name.

1. From the Home tab, click the Find command.
   
2. The Navigation pane will appear on the left side of the screen.
3. Type the text you wish to find in the field at the top of the Navigation pane. In our example, we’ll type an author’s last name.
   
4. If the text is found in the document, it will be highlighted in yellow, and a preview of the results will appear in the Navigation pane.
5. If the text appears more than once, choose a review option to review each instance. When an instance of the text is selected, it will highlight in gray:
   • Arrows: Use the arrows to move through the results one at a time.
   • Results previews: Select a result preview to jump directly to the location of a specific result in your document.
     
6. When you are finished, click the X to close the Navigation pane. The highlighting will disappear.
   

You can also access the Find command by pressing Ctrl+F on your keyboard.

For more search options, click the drop-down arrow next to the search field.

To replace text:

At times, you may discover that you’ve made a mistake repeatedly throughout your document (such as misspelling a person’s name), or that you need to exchange a particular word or phrase for another. You can use Word’s Find and Replace feature to quickly make revisions. In our example, we’ll use Find and Replace to change the title of a magazine so it is abbreviated.

1. From the Home tab, click the Replace command.
   
2. The Find and Replace dialog box will appear.
3. Type the text you wish to find in the Find what: field.
4. Type the text you wish to replace it with in the Replace with: field. Then click Find Next.
   
5. Word will find the first instance of the text and highlight it in gray.
6. Review the text to make sure you want to replace it. In our example, the text is part of the title of the paper and does not need to be replaced. We’ll click Find Next again.
   
7. Word will jump to the next instance of the text. If you wish to replace it, select one of the replace options:
   • Replace will replace individual instances of text. In our example, we’ll choose this option.
   • Replace All will replace every instance of the text throughout the document.
     
8. The selected text will be replaced.
   
9. When you’re done, click X to close the dialog box.

You can also access the Find and Replace command by pressing Ctrl+H on your keyboard.

For more search options, click More in the Find and Replace dialog box. From here, you can select additional search options, such as matching case and ignoring punctuation.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word 2013 document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Select some text to delete. If you’re using the example, delete the last sentence of the second paragraph.
3. Copy and paste some text. If you’re using the example, copy the last name “Charlesbois” from the email address at the top of the page and paste it after “Maurice” in the third paragraph.
4. Cut and paste some text. If you’re using the example, cut the first sentence of the second paragraph and paste it after the first sentence in the first paragraph.
5. Select a phrase to drag and drop to a new location in the document. If you’re using the example, drag the phrase “from 6:30-9:00 pm” and drop it after “The event will take place”.
6. Find and replace a word in the document. If you’re using the example, find and replace “Mrs” with “Ms”.

 

Introduction

Formatted text can draw the reader’s attention to specific parts of a document and emphasize important information. In Word, you have many options for adjusting the font of your text, including size, color, and inserting special symbols. You can also adjust the alignment of the text to change how it is displayed on the page.

To change the font:

By default, the font of each new document is set to Calibri. However, Word provides a variety of other fonts you can use to customize text and titles.

1. Select the text you wish to modify.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Font box. A menu of font styles will appear.
3. Move the mouse over the various font styles. A live preview of the font will appear in the document. Select the font style you wish to use.
   
4. The font will change in the document.
   

When creating a professional document or a document that contains multiple paragraphs, you’ll want to select a font that is easy to read. Along with Calibri, standard reading fonts include Cambria, Times New Roman, and Arial.

To change the font size:

1. Select the text you wish to modify.
   
2. Select the desired font size formatting option:
   • Font size drop-down arrow: On the Home tab, click the Font size drop-down arrow. A menu of font sizes will appear. When you move the mouse over the various font sizes, a live preview of the font size will appear in the document.
     
   • Font size box: When the font size you need is not available in the Font size drop-down arrow, you can click the Font size box and type the desired font size. Then press Enter.
     
   • Grow and shrink font commands: Click the Grow Font or Shrink Font commands to change the font size.
     
3. The font size will change in the document.
   

To change the font color:

1. Select the text you wish to modify.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the Font Color drop-down arrow. The Font Color menu appears.
3. Move the mouse over the various font colors. A live preview of the color will appear in the document.
   
4. Select the font color you wish to use. The font color will change in the document.
   

Your color choices aren’t limited to the drop-down menu that appears. Select More Colors… at the bottom of the menu to access the Colors dialog box. Choose the color that you want, then click OK.

To highlight text:

Highlighting can be a useful tool for marking important text in your document.

1. Select the text you wish to highlight.
   
2. From the Home tab, click the Text Highlight Color drop-down arrow. The Highlight Color menu appears.
   
3. Select the desired highlight color. The selected text will then be highlighted in the document.
   

To remove highlighting, select the highlighted text, then click the Text Highlight Color drop-down arrow. Select No Color from the drop-down menu.

If you need to highlight several lines of text, changing the mouse into a highlighter may be a helpful alternative to selecting and highlighting individual lines. Simply click the Text Highlight Color command, and the cursor changes into a highlighter . You can then click, hold, and drag the highlighter over the lines you wish to highlight.

To use the Bold, Italic, and Underline commands:

The Bold, Italic, and Underline commands can be used to help draw attention to important words or phrases.

1. Select the text you wish to modify.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the Bold (B), Italic (I), or Underline (U) command in the Font group. In our example, we’ll click Bold.
   
3. The selected text will be modified in the document.
   

To change the text case:

When you need to quickly change text case, you can use the Change Case command instead of deleting and retyping text.

1. Select the text you wish to modify.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the Change Case command in the Font group.
3. A drop-down menu will appear. Select the desired case option from the menu.
   
4. The text case will be changed in the document.
   

To change text alignment:

By default, Word aligns text to the left margin in new documents. However, there may be times when you want to adjust text alignment to the center or right.

1. Select the text you wish to modify.
2. On the Home tab, select one of the four alignment options from the Paragraph group.
   

Learn more about the four text alignment options.

Align Text Left: Aligns all selected text to the left margin. The Align Text Left command is the most common alignment and is selected by default when a new document is created.

You can use Word’s convenient Set as Default feature to save all of the formatting changes you’ve made and automatically apply them to new documents.

Symbols

Sometimes you may find that you need to add a symbol to your text, such as the Copyright symbol, ©. Word offers a large collection of symbols for currency, languages, mathematics, and more.

To insert a symbol:

1. Place the insertion point in the location where you want to insert a symbol.
   
2. On the Insert tab, click the Symbol drop-down arrow. A menu of symbols will appear.
3. Select the desired symbol.
   
4. The symbol will appear in your document.
   

If you don’t see the symbol you’re looking for, click More Symbols… to open the Symbol dialog box. Locate and select the desired symbol, then click Insert.

Introduction

One formatting aspect you’ll need to consider as you create your document is whether to make adjustments to the layout of the page. The page layout affects how content appears and includes the page’s orientation, margins, and size.

Page orientation

Word offers two page orientation options: landscape and portrait. Landscape means the page is oriented horizontally, while portrait means the page is oriented vertically. Compare our example below to see how orientation can affect the appearance and spacing of text and images.

To change page orientation:

1. Select the Page Layout tab.
2. Click the Orientation command in the Page Setup group.
   
3. A drop-down menu will appear. Click either Portrait or Landscape to change the page orientation.
   
4. The page orientation of the document will be changed.

Page margins

A margin is the space between the text and the edge of your document. By default, a new document’s margins are set to Normal, which means it has a one-inch space between the text and each edge. Depending on your needs, Word allows you to change your document’s margin size.

To format page margins:

Word has a variety of predefined margin sizes to choose from.

1. Select the Page Layout tab, then click the Margins command.
   
2. A drop-down menu will appear. Click the predefined margin size you desire.
   
3. The margins of the document will be changed.

To use custom margins:

Word also allows you to customize the size of your margins in the Page Setup dialog box.

1. From the Page Layout tab, click Margins. Select Custom Margins… from the drop-down menu.
   
2. The Page Setup dialog box will appear.
3. Adjust the values for each margin, then click OK.
   
4. The margins of the document will be changed.

Page size

By default, the page size of a new document is 8.5 inches by 11 inches. Depending on your project, you may need to adjust your document’s page size. It’s important to note that before modifying the default page size, you should check to see which page sizes your printer can accommodate.

To change the page size:

Word has a variety of predefined page sizes to choose from.

1. Select the Page Layout tab, then click the Size command.
   
2. A drop-down menu will appear. The current page size is highlighted. Click the desired predefined page size.
   
3. The page size of the document will be changed.

To use a custom page size:

Word also allows you to customize the page size in the Page Setup dialog box.

1. From the Page Layout tab, click Size. Select More Paper Sizes… from the drop-down menu.
   
2. The Page Setup dialog box will appear.
3. Adjust the values for Width and Height, then click OK.
   
4. The page size of the document will be changed.

Alternatively, you can open the Page Setup dialog box by navigating to the Page Layout tab and clicking the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group.

You can use Word’s convenient Set as Default feature to save all of the formatting changes you’ve made and automatically apply them to new documents.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Change the page orientation. If you are using the example, change the orientation to Landscape.
3. Change the margins. If you are using the example, change the margins to Narrow.
4. Try adjusting the margins using Custom Margins.
5. Change the paper size. If you are using the example, try changing the paper size to Legal.
6. Try customizing the page size.

 

Introduction

Once you’ve created your document, you may want to print it to view and share your work offline. It’s easy to preview and print a document in Word using the Print pane.

To access the Print pane:

1. Select the File tab. Backstage view will appear.
   
2. Select Print. The Print pane will appear.
   

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using the Print pane.

To print a document:

1. Navigate to the Print pane and select the desired printer.
2. Enter the number of copies you wish to print.
3. Select any additional settings if needed (see above interactive).
4. Click Print.
   

Custom printing

Sometimes you may find it unnecessary to print your entire document, in which case custom printing may be more suited for your needs. Whether you’re printing several individual pages or a range of pages, Word allows you to specify exactly which pages you’d like to print.

To custom print a document:

If you’d like to print individual pages or page ranges, you’ll need to separate each entry with a comma (for example, 1, 3, 5-7, 10-14).

1. Navigate to the Print pane.
2. In the Pages: field, enter the pages you wish to print.
   
3. Click Print.
   

CHAPTER 2: WORKING WITH TEXT

Introduction

Indenting text adds structure to your document by allowing you to separate information. Whether you’d like to move a single line or an entire paragraph, you can use the tab selector and the horizontal ruler to set tabs and indents.

Indenting text

In many types of documents, you may wish to indent only the first line of each paragraph. This helps to visually separate paragraphs from one another. It’s also possible to indent every line except for the first line, which is known as a hanging indent.

To indent using the Tab key:

A quick way to indent is to use the Tab key. This will create a first line indent of 1/2 inch.

1. Place the insertion point at the very beginning of the paragraph you wish to indent.
   
2. Press the Tab key. On the ruler, you should see the first-line indent marker move to the right by 1/2 inch.
3. The first line of the paragraph will be indented.
   

If you can’t see the ruler, select the View tab and then click the check box next to Ruler.

Indent markers

In some cases, you may wish to have more control over indents. Word provides indent markers that allow you to indent paragraphs to the location you desire. The indent markers are located to the left of the horizontal ruler, and they provide several indenting options:

• First-line indent marker : Adjusts the first-line indent
• Hanging indent marker : Adjusts the hanging indent
• Left indent marker : Moves both the first line indent and hanging indent markers at the same time (this will indent all lines in a paragraph)
  

To indent using the indent markers:

1. Place the insertion point anywhere in the paragraph you wish to indent, or select one or more paragraphs.
   
2. Click, hold, and drag the desired indent marker. In our example, we’ll click, hold, and drag the left indent marker. A live preview of the indent will appear in the document.
   
3. Release the mouse. The paragraphs will be indented.
   

To indent using the Indent commands:

If you want to indent multiple lines of text or all lines of a paragraph, you can use the Indent commands.

1. Select the text you wish to indent.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the desired Indent command:
   • Increase Indent: Increases the indent by increments of 1/2 inch. In our example, we’ll increase the indent.
   • Decrease Indent: Decreases the indent by increments of 1/2 inch.
     
3. The text will indent.
   

To customize the indent amounts, select the Page Layout tab and enter the desired values in the boxes under Indent.

Tabs

Using Tabs gives you more control over the placement of text. By default, every time you press the Tab key, the insertion point will move 1/2 inch to the right. Adding tab stops to the ruler allows you to change the size of the tabs, and Word even allows you to apply more than one tab stop to a single line. For example, on a resume you could Left Align the beginning of a line and Right Align the end of the line by adding a Right Tab.

Pressing the tab key can either add a tab or create a first-line indent, depending on where the insertion point is. Generally, if the insertion point is at the beginning of an existing paragraph, it will create a first-line indent; otherwise, it will create a tab.

The tab selector

The tab selector is located above the vertical ruler on the left. Hover the mouse over the tab selector to see the name of the active tab stop.

Types of tab stops include:

• Left Tab : Left-aligns the text at the tab stop
• Center Tab : Centers the text around the tab stop
• Right Tab : Right-aligns the text at the tab stop
• Decimal Tab : Aligns decimal numbers using the decimal point
• Bar Tab : Draws a vertical line on the document
• First Line Indent : Inserts the indent marker on the ruler, and indents the first line of text in a paragraph
• Hanging Indent : Inserts the hanging indent marker, and indents all lines other than the first line

Although Bar Tab, First Line Indent, and Hanging Indent appear on the tab selector, they’re not technically tabs.

To add tab stops:

1. Select the paragraph or paragraphs you want to add tab stops to. If you don’t select any paragraphs, the tab stops will apply to the current paragraph and any new paragraphs you type below it.
   
2. Click the tab selector until the tab stop you wish to use appears. In our example, we’ll select the Decimal Tab.
   
3. Click the location on the horizontal ruler where you want your text to appear (it helps to click on the bottom edge of the ruler). You can add as many tab stops as you want.
   
4. Place the insertion point in front of the text you wish to tab, then press the Tab key. The text will jump to the next tab stop.
   

To remove a tab stop, click, hold, and drag it off of the ruler.

Word can display hidden formatting symbols such as the space bar (), paragraph (), and Tab key () markings to help you see the formatting in your document. To show hidden formatting symbols, select the Home tab, then click the Show/Hide command.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Practice using the Tab key to indent some text. If you’re using the example, try indenting the second and third paragraphs of the thank-you letter.
3. Select a paragraph, and try creating a hanging indent.
4. Select some text, and use the Increase and Decrease Indent commands to see how they change the text. If you’re using our example, practice increasing and decreasing the indent of the text in the “Summary” section of the resume.
5. Explore the tab selector and tab stops. If you’re using our example, select the text in the “Experience” section of the resume and add a Left tab stop at 3 inches. Then align each of the cities to the tab stop.

 

Introduction

As you design your document and make formatting decisions, you will need to consider line and paragraph spacing. You can increase spacing to improve readability or reduce it to fit more text on the page.

About line spacing

Line spacing is the space between each line in a paragraph. Microsoft Word allows you to customize the line spacing to be single-spaced (one line high), double-spaced (two lines high), or any other amount you want. The default spacing in Word 2013 is 1.08 lines, which is slightly larger than single-spaced.

In the images below, you can compare different types of line spacing. From left to right, these images show the default line spacing, single spacing, and double spacing.

Line spacing is also known as leading (pronounced to rhyme with “wedding”).

To format line spacing:

1. Select the text you wish to format.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing command. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. Move the mouse over the various options. A live preview of the line spacing will appear in the document. Select the line spacing you wish to use.
   
4. The line spacing will change in the document.
   

Fine-tuning line spacing

Your line spacing options aren’t limited to the ones in the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu. To adjust the spacing with more precision, select Line Spacing Options from the menu to access the Paragraph dialog box. You’ll then have a few additional options you can use to customize the spacing:

• Exactly:
  When you choose this option, the line spacing is measured in points, just like font sizes. Generally, the spacing should be slightly larger than the font size. For example, if you’re using 12-point text, you could use 15-point spacing.
• At least:
  Like the Exactly option, this option lets you choose how many points of spacing you want. However, if you have different sizes of text on the same line, the spacing will expand to fit the larger text.
• Multiple:
  This option lets you type in the number of lines of spacing you want. For example, choosing Multiple and changing the spacing to 1.2 will make the text a little more spread out than single-spaced text. If you want the lines to be closer together, you can choose a smaller value like 0.9.

Paragraph spacing

By default, when you press the Enter key Word 2013 moves the insertion point down a little farther than one line on the page. This automatically creates space between paragraphs. Just as you can format spacing between lines in your document, you can adjust spacing before and after paragraphs. This is useful for separating paragraphs, headings, and subheadings.

To format paragraph spacing:

In our example, we’ll increase the space before a paragraph to separate it from a heading. This will make our document easier to read.

1. Select the paragraph or paragraphs you wish to format.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing command. Hover the mouse over Add Space Before Paragraph or Remove Space After Paragraph from the drop-down menu. A live preview of the paragraph spacing will appear in the document.
3. Select the paragraph spacing you wish to use. In our example, we’ll select Add Space Before Paragraph.
   
4. The paragraph spacing will change in the document.
   

From the drop-down menu, you can also select Line Spacing Options to open the Paragraph dialog box. From here, you can control how much space there is before and after the paragraph.

You can use Word’s convenient Set as Default feature to save all of the formatting changes you’ve made and automatically apply them to new documents.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word 2013 document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Change the line spacing of some text. If you’re using the example, change the line spacing of the paragraph in the “Summary” section so it is single-spaced.
3. Change the paragraph spacing between two paragraphs. If you’re using the example, add paragraph spacing after each paragraph in the “Experience” section.
4. If you are using the example, change the line and paragraph spacing so the entire resume fits on one page.

 

Introduction

Bulleted and numbered lists can be used in your documents to outline, arrange, and emphasize text. In this lesson, you will learn how to modify existing bullets, insert new bulleted and numbered lists, select symbols as bullets, and format multilevel lists.

To create a bulleted list:

1. Select the text you wish to format as a list.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Bullets command. A menu of bullet styles will appear.
   
3. Move the mouse over the various bullet styles. A live preview of the bullet style will appear in the document. Select the bullet style you wish to use.
   
4. The text will be formatted as a bulleted list.
   

Options for working with lists

• To remove numbers or bullets from a list, select the list and click the Bulleted or Numbered list command.
• When you’re editing a list, you can press Enter to start a new line, and the new line will automatically have a bullet or number. When you’ve reached the end of your list, press Enter twice to return to “normal” formatting.
• By dragging the indent markers on the ruler, you can customize the indenting of your list and the distance between the text and the bullet or number.
  

To create a numbered list:

When you need to organize text into a numbered list, Word offers several numbering options. You can format your list with numbers, letters, or Roman numerals.

1. Select the text you wish to format as a list.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Numbering command. A menu of numbering styles will appear.
   
3. Move the mouse over the various numbering styles. A live preview of the numbering style will appear in the document. Select the numbering style you wish to use.
   
4. The text will format as a numbered list.
   

To restart a numbered list:

If you want to restart the numbering of a list, Word has a Restart at 1 option. It can be applied to numeric and alphabetical lists.

1. Right-click the list item that you would like to restart the numbering for, then select Restart at 1 from the menu that appears.
   
2. The list numbering will restart.
   

Customizing bullets

Customizing the look of the bullets in your list can help you emphasize certain list items or personalize the design of your list. Word allows you to format bullets in a variety of ways. You can use symbols and different colors, or even upload a picture as a bullet.

To use a symbol as a bullet:

1. Select an existing list you wish to format.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Bullets command. Select Define New Bullet… from the drop-down menu.
   
3. The Define New Bullet dialog box will appear. Click the Symbol… button.
   
4. The Symbol dialog box will appear.
5. Click the Font drop-down box and select a font. The Wingdings and Symbol fonts are good choices because they have many useful symbols.
6. Select the desired symbol, then click OK.
   
7. The symbol will appear in the Preview section of the Define New Bullet dialog box. Click OK.
   
8. The symbol will appear in the list.
   

To change the bullet color:

1. Select an existing list you wish to format.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Bullets command. Select Define New Bullet… from the drop-down menu.
   
3. The Define New Bullet dialog box will appear. Click the Font button.
   
4. The Font dialog box will appear. Click the Font Color drop-down box. A menu of font colors will appear.
5. Select the desired color, then click OK.
   
6. The bullet color will appear in the Preview section of the Define New Bullet dialog box. Click OK.
   
7. The bullet color will change in the list.
   

To use a picture as a bullet:

1. Select an existing list you wish to format.
   
2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Bullets command. Select Define New Bullet… from the drop-down menu.
   
3. The Define New Bullet dialog box will appear. Click the Picture button.
   
4. The Insert Pictures dialog box will appear. From here, you can locate an image file stored on your computer or in your OneDrive (previously called SkyDrive), or you can use the search fields to search for an image online.
5. In our example, we’ll click Browse to locate a picture stored on our computer.
   
6. The Insert Picture dialog box will appear. Locate and select the desired image file, then click Insert.
   
7. The image will appear in the Preview section of the Define New Bullet dialog box. Click OK.
   
8. The image will appear in the list.
   

Not all pictures work well as bullets. Generally, it’s best to use a simple graphic that has a white (or transparent) background. This ensures the bullet will have a recognizable shape.

Multilevel lists

Multilevel lists allow you to create an outline with multiple levels. Any bulleted or numbered list can be turned into a multilevel list by using the Tab key.

To create a multilevel list:

1. Place the insertion point at the beginning of the line you wish to move.
   
2. Press the Tab key to increase the indent level of the line. The line will move to the right.
   

To increase or decrease an indent level:

You can make adjustments to the organization of a multilevel list by increasing or decreasing the indent levels. There are several ways to change the indent level:

• To increase the indent by more than one level, place the insertion point at the beginning of the line and press the Tab key until the desired level is reached.
  
• To decrease the indent level, place the insertion point at the beginning of the line, then hold the Shift key and press the Tab key.
  
• You can also increase or decrease the levels of text by placing the insertion point anywhere in the line and then clicking the Increase or Decrease indent commands.
  

When formatting a multilevel list, Word will use the default bullet style. To change the style of a multilevel list, select the list, then click the Multilevel list command on the Home tab.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word 2013 document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Insert a new bulleted list into the document. If you’re using the example, add “Fundraising”, “Chair’s Report”, and “Other business” to the bottom of the list.
3. Create a new numbered list.
4. Restart the numbering of the list so it begins with a number of your choice.
5. Use a symbol as a bullet. If you’re using the example, change the open circles into a different symbol.
6. Modify the color of a bullet. If you’re using the example, change the color of the green diamond bullets.
7. Change the style of the list. If you’re using the example, change the bulleted list into a numbered list.
8. Use the Tab key to change the levels of some of the lines. If you’re using the example, increase the level of the two bullets under the list item “International Arborists Association”.

 

Introduction

Adding hyperlinks to text can provide access to websites and email addresses directly from your document. There are a few ways to insert a hyperlink into your document. Depending on how you want the link to appear, you can use Word’s automatic link formatting or convert text into a link.

Understanding hyperlinks in Word

Hyperlinks have two basic parts: the address (URL) of the webpage and the display text. For example, the address could be http://www.popsci.com, and the display text could be “Popular Science Magazine”. When you create a hyperlink in Word, you’ll be able to choose both the address and the display text.

Word often recognizes email and web addresses as you type and will automatically format them as hyperlinks after you press Enter or the space bar. In the images below, you can see a hyperlinked email address and a hyperlinked web address.

To follow a hyperlink in Word, hold the Ctrl key and click on the hyperlink.

To format text with a hyperlink:

1. Select the text you would like to format as a hyperlink.
   
2. Select the Insert tab, then click the Hyperlink command.
   
3. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box will appear.
4. The selected text will appear in the Text to display: field at the top. You can change this text if you wish.
5. In the Address: field, type the address you would like to link to, then click OK.
   
6. The text will then be formatted as a hyperlink.
   

To remove a hyperlink, right-click the hyperlink and select Remove Hyperlink from the menu that appears.

After you create a hyperlink, you should test it. If you’ve linked to a website, your web browser should automatically open and display the site. If it doesn’t work, check the hyperlink address for misspellings.

Alternatively, you can open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box by right-clicking the selected text and selecting Hyperlink… from the menu that appears. Once you’ve inserted a hyperlink, you can then right-click the hyperlink to edit, open, copy, or remove it.

Introduction

Adding breaks to your document can make it appear more organized and can improve the flow of text. Depending on how you wish to change the pagination or formatting of your document, you can apply a page break or a section break.

To insert a page break:

Page breaks allow you to move text to the next page before reaching the end of a page. You might use a page break if you’re writing a paper that has a title page or a bibliography to ensure it starts on a new page. In our example, our chart is split between two pages. We’ll add a page break so the chart will be all on one page.

1. Place the insertion point where you want to create the break. In our example, we’ll place it at the beginning of our chart.
   
2. On the Insert tab, click the Page Break command. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+Enter on your keyboard.
   
3. The page break will be applied to the document, and the text will move to the next page. In our example, the chart moved to the next page.
   

By default, breaks are hidden. If you wish to show the breaks in your document, click the Show/Hide command.

Section breaks

Section breaks create a barrier between parts of a document, allowing you to format each section independently. For example, you may want one section to have two columns without adding columns to the entire document. Word has several different types of section breaks:

• Next Page: This option adds a section break and moves text after the break to the next page of the document. This is useful for creating a new page with normal formatting after a page that contains column formatting.
• Continuous: This option inserts a section break and allows you to continue working on the same page. This type of break is useful when you need to separate a paragraph from columns.
  
• Even Page and Odd Page: These options add a section break and move the text after the break to the next even or odd page. These options may be useful when you need to begin a new section on an even or odd page (for example, a new chapter of a book).

To insert a section break:

In our example, we’ll add a section break to separate a paragraph from a two-column list. This will allow us to change the formatting of the paragraph so it no longer appears formatted as a column.

1. Place the insertion point where you want to create the break. In our example, we’ll place it at the beginning of the paragraph we wish to separate from column formatting.
   
2. On the Page Layout tab, click the Breaks command, then select the desired section break from the drop-down menu that appears. In our example, we’ll select Continuous so our paragraph remains on the same page as the columns.
   
3. A section break will appear in the document.
   
4. The text before and after the section break can now be formatted separately. Apply the formatting options you want. In our example, we’ll apply one-column formatting to the paragraph so it is no longer formatted as columns.
   
5. The text will be formatted in the document.
   

Other types of breaks

When you want to format the appearance of columns or modify text wrapping around an image, Word offers additional break options that can help.

• Column: When creating multiple columns, you can apply a Column Break to balance the appearance of the columns. Any text following the Column Break will begin in the next column. To learn more about how to create columns in your document, visit our lesson on Columns.
  

• Text wrapping: When text has been wrapped around an image or object, you can use the Text Wrapping Break to end the wrapping and begin typing on the line below the image.
  

To delete a break:

By default, breaks are hidden. If you wish to delete a break, you’ll first need to show the breaks in your document.

1. On the Home tab, click the Show/Hide command.
   
2. Locate the break you wish to delete. Place the insertion point at the beginning of the break you want to delete.
   
3. Press the Delete key. The break will be deleted from the document.
   

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Insert a page break somewhere in the document. If you’re using the example, insert a page break to move the “Clients Overview” section to the next page.
3. Insert a section break in the document. If you’re using the example, insert a Next Page section break to move the “Updated Chain of Command” section to the next page. Try changing the formatting of paragraph in that section.
4. Show the breaks using the Show/Hide command.
5. Delete a break. If you’re using the example, delete the page break after the fourth paragraph on page 1 of the document to move the two paragraphs on page 2 onto page 1.

Introduction

Sometimes the information you include in your document is best displayed in columns. Not only can columns help improve readability, but some types of documents (like newspaper articles, newsletters, and flyers) are often written in column format. Word also allows you to adjust your columns by adding column breaks.

To add columns to a document:

1. Select the text you wish to format.
   
2. Select the Page Layout tab, then click the Columns command. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. Select the number of columns you want to create.
   
4. The text will format into columns.
   

To remove column formatting, place the insertion point anywhere in the columns, then click the Columns command on the Page Layout tab. Select One from the drop-down menu that appears.

Your column choices aren’t limited to the drop-down menu that appears. Select More Columns… at the bottom of the menu to access the Columns dialog box. Click the arrows next to the Number of columns: to adjust the number of columns.

If you wish to adjust the spacing and alignment of columns, click, hold, and drag the indent markers on the ruler until the columns appear the way you want.

Introduction

The header is a section of the document that appears in the top margin, while the footer is a section of the document that appears in the bottom margin. Headers and footers generally contain additional information such as page numbers, dates, an author’s name, and footnotes, which can help keep longer documents organized and make them easier to read. Text entered in the header or footer will appear on each page of the document.

To create a header or footer:

In our example, we want to display the author’s name at the top of each page, so we’ll place it in the header.

1. Double-click anywhere on the top or bottom margin of your document. In our example, we’ll double-click on the top margin.
   
2. The header or footer will open, and a Design tab will appear on the right side of the Ribbon. The insertion point will appear in the header or footer.
   
3. Type the desired information into the header or footer. In our example, we’ll type the author’s name.
   
4. When you’re finished, click Close Header and Footer. Alternatively, you can press the Esc key.
   
5. The header or footer text will appear.
   

To insert a preset header or footer:

Word has a variety of preset headers and footers you can use to enhance your document’s design and layout. In our example, we’ll add a preset header to our document.

1. Select the Insert tab, then click the Header or Footer command. In our example, we’ll click the Header command.
   
2. In the menu that appears, select the desired preset header or footer. In our example, we’ll select a header.
   
3. The header or footer will appear. Preset headers and footers contain placeholders for information such as the title or date, and these are known as Content Control fields.
   
4. To edit a Content Control field, click it and type the desired information.
   
5. When you’re finished, click Close Header and Footer. Alternatively, you can press the Esc key.
   

If you want to delete a Content Control field, right-click it and select Remove Content Control from the menu that appears.

Editing headers and footers

After you close the header or footer, it will still be visible, but it will be locked. Simply double-click a header or footer to unlock it, which will allow you to edit its content.

Design tab options

When your document’s header and footer are unlocked, the Design tab will appear on the right side of the Ribbon, giving you various editing options:

• Hide the first page header and footer: For some documents, you may not want the first page to show the header and footer, like if you have a cover page and want to start the page numbering on the second page. If you want to hide the first page header and footer, check the box next to Different First Page.
  
• Remove the header: If you want to remove all information contained in the header, click the Header command and select Remove Header from the menu that appears.
  
• Remove the footer: If you want to remove all information contained in the footer, click the Footer command and select Remove Footer from the menu that appears.
  
• Additional options: With the Page Number command and the commands available in the Insert group, you can add page numbers, the date and time, pictures, and more to your header or footer.
  

To insert the date or time into a header or footer:

Sometimes it’s helpful to include the date or time in the header or footer. For example, you may want your document to show the date when it was created.

On the other hand, you may want to show the date when it was printed, which you can do by setting it to update automatically. This is useful if you frequently update and print a document, since you’ll always be able to tell which version is the most recent.

1. Double-click anywhere on the header or footer to unlock it. Place the insertion point where you want the date or time to appear. In our example, we’ll place the insertion point on the line below the author’s name.
   
2. The Design tab will appear. Click the Date & Time command.
   
3. The Date and Time dialog box will appear. Select the desired date or time format.
4. Check the box next to Update Automatically if you want the date to change every time you open the document. If you don’t want the date to change, leave this option unchecked.
5. Click OK.
   
6. The date will appear in the header.
   

 

 

Adding page numbers

Word can automatically label each page with a page number and place it in a header, a footer, or in the side margin. When you need to number some pages differently, Word allows you to restart page numbering.

To add page numbers to a document:

In our example, we’ll add page numbering to our document’s footer.

1. Double-click anywhere on the header or footer to unlock it. If you don’t already have a header or footer, you can double-click near the top or bottom of the page. The Design tab will appear on the right side of the Ribbon.
   
2. Click the Page Number command. In the menu that appears, hover the mouse over Current Position and select the desired page numbering style.
   
3. Page numbering will appear.
   
4. To edit the font, font size, and alignment of the page numbers, select a page number and click the Home tab. Word’s text formatting options will appear.
   
5. When you’re finished, press the Esc key. The page numbering will be formatted.
   

Alternatively, you can add page numbers to the header or footer by clicking the Page Number command and then selecting Top of Page or Bottom of Page. If you have an existing header or footer, it will be removed and replaced with the page number.

To restart page numbering:

Word allows you to restart page numbering on any page of your document. You can do this by inserting a section break and then selecting the number you’d like to restart the numbering with. In our example, we’ll restart the page numbering for our document’s “Works Cited” section.

1. Place the insertion point at the top of the page you want to restart page numbering for. If there is text on the page, place the insertion point at the beginning of the text.
   
2. Select the Page Layout tab, then click the Breaks command. Select Next Page from the drop-down menu that appears.
   
3. A section break will be added to the document.
4. Double-click the header or footer that contains the page number you want to restart.
   
5. Click the Page Number command. In the menu that appears, select Format Page Numbers.
   
6. A dialog box will appear. Click the Start at: button. By default, it will start at 1. If desired, you can change the number.
7. Click OK.
   
8. The page numbering will restart.
   

Challenge!

1. Create a new Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Create a blank header. If you’re using the example, unlock the header.
3. Add a name to the header. If you’re using the example, type the name “Tom Shelby” after Professor.
4. Try inserting a preset header or footer.
5. Add today’s date to the header. If you’re using the example, add today’s date below “Professor Tom Shelby”.
6. Try adding a page number to the footer. If you’re using the example, add a page number to the bottom of the page.
7. Try restarting the page numbering.

 

CHAPTER 3: WORKING WITH OBJECTS

Introduction

Adding pictures to your document can be a great way to illustrate important information or add decorative accents to existing text. Used in moderation, pictures can improve the overall appearance of your document.

To insert a picture from a file:

If you have a specific image in mind, you can insert a picture from a file. In our example, we’ll insert a picture saved locally on our computer.

1. Place the insertion point where you want the image to appear.
   
2. Select the Insert tab on the Ribbon, then click the Pictures command.
   
3. The Insert Picture dialog box will appear. Select the desired image file, then click Insert.
   
4. The image will appear in the document.
   

To resize an image, click and drag one of the corner sizing handles . The image will change size while keeping the same proportions. If you want to stretch it horizontally or vertically, you can use the side sizing handles .

Inserting online pictures

If you don’t have the picture you want on your computer, you can find a picture online to add to your document. Word offers two options for finding online pictures:

• Office.com clip art: This search option allows you to access Microsoft’s online collection of free clip art, providing you with a large selection of images from which to choose.
  
• Bing Image Search: You can use this option to search the Internet for images. By default, Bing only shows images that are licensed under Creative Commons, which means you can use them for your own projects. However, you should go to the image’s website to see if there are any restrictions on how it can be used.
  

When adding images, videos, or music to your own projects, it’s important to make sure you have the legal right to use them. Most things you buy or download online are protected by copyright, which means you may not be allowed to use them. For more information, visit our Copyright and Fair Use lesson.

To insert an online picture:

1. Place the insertion point where you want the image to appear.
   
2. Select the Insert tab, then click the Online Pictures command.
   
3. The Insert Pictures dialog box will appear.
4. Type a search term in either the Office.com clip art or Bing Image Search field. In our example, we’ll search for Office.com clip art.
   
5. Press the Enter key. Your search results will appear in the dialog box.
6. Select the desired image, then click Insert.
   
7. The image will appear in the document.
   

You can also insert an image from your OneDrive (previously called SkyDrive) or other online accounts that may be linked with your Microsoft account, such as Facebook or Flickr. Select the Insert tab, then click the Online Pictures command.

Changing text wrapping settings

When you insert an image, you may notice that it’s difficult to move it exactly where you want. That’s because by default the image is in line with the text. If you want to move the image freely, you’ll usually need to choose a different text wrapping setting. The text wrapping for that image is set to In Line with Text. You’ll need to change the text wrapping setting if you want to move the image freely or if you’d like the text to wrap around the image in a more natural way.

To wrap text around an image:

1. Select the image you want to wrap text around. The Format tab will appear on the right side of the Ribbon.
   
2. On the Format tab, click the Wrap Text command in the Arrange group. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. Hover the mouse over the various text wrapping options. A live preview of the text wrapping will appear in the document. When you’ve found the text wrapping option you want to use, click on it. Alternatively, you can select More Layout Options… to fine tune the layout.
   
4. The text will wrap around the image. You can now move the image if desired. Just click, hold, and drag it to the desired location. As you move it, alignment guides will appear to help you align the image on the page.
   

Alternatively, you can access text wrapping options by selecting the image and clicking the Layout Options button that appears.

If the alignment guides do not appear, select the Page Layout tab, then click the Align command. Select Use Alignment Guides from the drop-down menu that appears.

To use a predefined text wrapping setting:

Predefined text wrapping allows you to move the image to a specific location on the page.

1. Select the image you want to move. The Format tab will appear on the right side of the Ribbon.
   
2. On the Format tab, click the Position command in the Arrange group.
3. A drop-down menu of predefined image positions will appear. Select the desired image position. The image will adjust in the document, and the text will wrap around it.
   

 

 

Challenge!

1. Create a new Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Insert a picture from a file into the document.
3. Resize the picture.
4. Insert a clip art image. If you’re using the example, insert a clip art image of a computer in the “New Online Resident Portal” section.
5. Change the text wrapping setting of one of the images. If you’re using the example, change the text wrapping setting of the computer to “Through”.
6. Try moving an image to a new location.

 

Introduction

There are a variety of ways to format the pictures in your document. Depending on how the images are used and where they are placed, you can use Word’s picture tools to personalize and modify them in interesting ways.

To crop an image:

When you crop an image, a part of the picture is removed. Cropping may be helpful when a picture has a lot of content and you want to focus on only part of it.

1. Select the image you want to crop. The Format tab appears.
2. On the Format tab, click the Crop command.
   
3. Cropping handles will appear around the image. Click, hold, and drag a handle to crop the image.
   
4. Click the Crop command again. The image will be cropped.
   

The corner handles are useful for simultaneously cropping the image horizontally and vertically.

To crop an image to a shape:

1. Select the image you want to crop, then click the Format tab.
2. Click the Crop drop-down arrow. Hover the mouse over Crop to Shape, then select the desired shape from the drop-down menu that appears.
   
3. The image will appear formatted as the shape.
   

To add a border to a picture:

1. Select the picture you want to add border to, then click the Format tab.
2. Click the Picture Border command. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. From here, you can select a color, weight (thickness), and whether or not the line is dashed.
   
4. The border will appear around the image.

Image adjustments

Word offers many options for changing the way images appear in your document. For example, you can add a frame, make image corrections, change the image’s color or brightness, or even add some stylish artistic effects. These options are located in the Adjust and Picture Styles groups on the Format tab.

When you’re ready to make adjustments or experiment with the look of an image, select the picture and choose one of these options from the Format tab:

• Corrections: This command is located in the Adjust group. From here, you can sharpen or soften the image to adjust how blurry or clear it appears. You can also adjust the brightness and contrast, which controls how light or dark the picture appears.
  
• Color: This command is located in the Adjust group. From here, you can adjust the image’s saturation (how vivid the colors are), tone (the “temperature” of the image from cool to warm), or coloring (changing the overall color of the image).
  
• Artistic Effects: This command is located in the Adjust group. From here, you can add artistic effects such as pastels, watercolors, and glowing edges. It’s important to note that artistic effects will not work with some clip art images.
  
• Picture Styles Group: This group contains a variety of styles you can apply to your picture, such as frames, borders, soft edges, and much more.
  

Compressing pictures

If you intend to email a document that contains pictures, you’ll need to monitor its file size. Large, high-resolution pictures can quickly cause your document to become very large, which may make it difficult or impossible to attach to an email. Additionally, cropped areas of pictures are saved with the document by default, which can add to the file size. Word can reduce the file size by compressing pictures, which will lower their resolution and delete cropped areas.

To compress a picture:

1. Select the picture you want to compress, then click the Format tab.
2. Click the Compress Pictures command.
   
3. A dialog box will appear. Place a check mark next to Delete cropped areas of pictures. You can also choose whether to apply the settings to this picture only or to all pictures in the document.
4. Choose a Target output. If you are emailing your document, you may want to select Email, which produces the smallest file size.
5. Click OK.
   

Removing Background VIDEO

Removing the background from an image

Removing the background from an image can give it a cleaner appearance. If you’re printing your document, it can also save ink.

About Background Removal

With Background Removal, Word uses special algorithms to determine which parts of the image are the background and then removes those areas from the image.

To remove the background from an image:

1. Select the desired image, then click the Format tab.
2. Click the Remove Background command.
   
3. Word will try to guess which part of the image to remove and mark the background with a magenta fill. It will also place a box with selection handles around the image.
   
4. Drag the selection handles until all of the foreground is inside the box. After you do this, Word may readjust the background.
5. At this point, you may need to help Word decide which parts of the image are in the foreground and which parts are in the background. You can do this by using the Mark Areas to Keep and Mark Areas to Remove commands:
   • If Word has marked part of the foreground magenta, click Mark Areas to Keep and draw a line in that region of the image.
   • If part of the background has not been marked with magenta, click Mark Areas to Remove and draw a line in that region of the image.
   
6. After you add your marks, Word will readjust the image.
   
7. When you’re satisfied with the image, click Keep Changes.
   
8. The background will be removed. You can adjust the image at any time by clicking the Remove Background command again.
   

As with artistic effects, Background Removal will not work with some clip art images.

Introduction

You can add a variety of shapes to your document, including arrows, callouts, squares, stars, and flowchart shapes. Want to set your name and address apart from the rest of your resume? Use a line. Need to create a diagram showing a timeline or process? Use flowchart shapes. While you may not need shapes in every document you create, they can add visual appeal and clarity.

To insert a shape:

1. Select the Insert tab, then click the Shapes command. A drop-down menu of shapes will appear.
2. Select the desired shape.
   
3. Click, hold, and drag in the desired location to add the shape to your document.
   

If desired, you can enter text in a shape. When the shape appears in your document, you can simply begin typing. You can then use the formatting options on the Home tab to change the font, font size, or color of the text.

To resize a shape:

1. Select the shape you want to resize. Sizing handles will appear.
   
2. Click, hold, and drag the sizing handles until the shape is the desired size. You can use the corner sizing handles to change the shape’s height and width at the same time.
   

Some shapes also have one or more yellow handles that can be used to modify the shape. For example, with star shapes you can adjust the length of the points.

To rotate the shape, click, hold, and drag the rotation handle.

To change the order of shapes:

If one shape overlaps another, you may need to change the ordering so the correct shape appears in front. You can bring a shape to the front or send it to the back. If you have multiple images, you can use Bring Forward or Send Backward to fine tune the ordering. You can also move a shape in front of or behind text.

1. Right-click the shape you want to move. In our example, we want the cloud to appear in front of the sun, so we’ll right-click the cloud.
   
2. In the menu that appears, hover over Bring to Front or Send to Back. Several ordering options will appear. Select the desired ordering option. In this example, we’ll choose Bring to Front.
   
3. The order of the shapes will change.
   

In some cases, the ordering option you select will not affect the ordering of the shapes. If that happens, try selecting the same option again or try a different option.

If you have many shapes placed on top of each other, it may be difficult to select an individual shape. The Selection Pane allows you to select a shape and drag it to a new location. To access the Selection Pane, click Selection Pane on the Format tab.

Modifying shapes

Word allows you to modify your shapes in a variety of ways so you can tailor them to your projects. You can change a shape into a different shape, format a shape’s style and color, and add shadow effects.

To change to a different shape:

1. Select the shape you want to change. The Format tab will appear.
2. On the Format tab, click the Edit Shape command. In the menu that appears, hover the mouse over Change Shape and select the desired shape.
   
3. The new shape will appear.
   

To change the shape style:

Choosing a shape style allows you to apply preset colors and effects to quickly change the appearance of your shape.

1. Select the shape you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the More drop-down arrow in the Shape Styles group.
   
3. A drop-down menu of styles will appear. Select the style you want to use.
   
4. The shape will appear in the selected style.

To change the shape fill color:

1. Select the shape you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Fill drop-down arrow. The Shape Fill menu appears.
3. Move the mouse over the various colors. Select the color you want to use. To view more color options, select More Fill Colors.
   
4. The shape will appear in the selected fill color.

If you want to use a different type of fill, select Gradient or Texture from the drop-down menu. You can also select No Fill to make it transparent.

To change the shape outline:

1. Select the shape you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Outline drop-down arrow. The Shape Outline menu will appear.
3. Select the color you want to use. If you want to make the outline transparent, select No Outline.
   
4. The shape will appear in the selected outline color.

From the drop-down menu, you can change the outline color, weight (thickness), and whether or not it is a dashed line.

To change shadow effects:

Adding a shadow to a shape can make it appear as though it is floating above the page, and it can help to add contrast between the shape and the background.

1. Select the shape you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Effects drop-down arrow. In the menu that appears, hover the mouse over Shadow and select the shadow you want to use.
   
3. The shape will appear with the selected shadow.

To adjust the shadow color, size, distance and more, select Shadow Options from the drop-down menu. The Format Shape pane will appear on the right side of the Word window, allowing you to customize the shadow.

3D effects

There are two kinds of effects you can apply to your shapes to give them a 3D appearance: 3-D Rotation and Bevel. 3-D Rotation gives the appearance that you are viewing an object from a different angle, and it can be applied to any shape. Bevel adds thickness and a rounded edge to shapes, but it doesn’t work with every type of shape.

To add 3-D Rotation:

1. Select the shape you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Effects drop-down arrow. In the menu that appears, hover the mouse over 3-D Rotation and select the desired 3-D effect.
   
3. The shape will appear in the selected 3-D Rotation effect.

If desired, you can customize 3-D Rotation. Select 3-D Rotation Options… from the drop-down menu, and the Format Shape pane will appear on the right side of the Word window. From here, you can adjust the rotation values.

To add a bevel:

1. Select the shape you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Effects drop-down arrow. In the menu that appears, hover the mouse over Bevel and select the desired bevel preset.
   
3. The shape will appear in the selected bevel effect.

If desired, you can customize the bevel effect. Select 3-D Options… from the drop-down menu. The Format Shape pane will appear on the right side of the Word window. From here, you can modify the width, height, and depth of a bevel. You can also change the shape’s material to give it a metal, plastic, or translucent appearance, as well as choose the lighting type to change how the shape is illuminated.

Challenge!

1. Create a new Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Insert a two or three shapes. If you’re using the example, insert a Lightning Bolt shape on the cloud.
3. Select a shape and resize it. If you’re using the example, resize the cloud so it appears larger.
4. Place one shape on top of the other, and try changing the order of the shapes. If you’re using the example, try changing the order of the shapes so the Lightning Bolt is behind the Cloud.
5. Select a shape, and change it to a different shape. If you’re using the example, try changing the Moon into a Sun.
6. Select a shape, and try changing the shape style, fill color, and outline.
7. Try various shadow effects.
8. Try various 3D effects.

 

Introduction

Text boxes can be useful for drawing attention to specific text. They can also be helpful when you need to move text around in your document. Word allows you to format text boxes and the text within them as WordArt.

To insert a text box:

1. Select the Insert tab, then click the Text Box command in the Text group.
   
2. A drop-down menu will appear. Select Draw Text Box.
   
3. Click, hold, and drag to create the text box.
   
4. The insertion point will appear inside the text box. You can now type to create text inside the text box.
   
5. If desired, you can select the text and then change the font, color, and size by using the commands on the Home tab.
   
6. Click anywhere outside of the text box to return to your document.

You can also select one of the built-in text boxes that have predefined colors, fonts, positions, and sizes. If you choose this option, the text box will appear automatically, so you will not need to draw it.

To move a text box:

1. Click the text box you want to move.
2. Hover the mouse over one of the edges of the text box. The mouse will change into a cross with arrows .
3. Click, hold, and drag the text box to the desired location.
   

To resize a text box:

1. Click the text box you want to resize.
2. Click, hold, and drag any of the sizing handles on the corners or sides of the text box until it is the desired size.
   

Modifying text boxes

Word offers many options for changing the way text boxes appear in your document. You can change the shape, style, and color of text boxes. Additionally, when you want to add a little more dimension you can add a shadow effect.

To change the text box shape:

Changing the shape of a text box can be a useful option for creating an interesting look in your document.

1. Select the text box you want to change. The Format tab will appear.
2. From the Format tab, click the Edit Shape command.
   
3. Hover the mouse over Change Shape, then select the desired shape from the menu that appears.
   
4. The text box will appear formatted as the shape.
   

To change the fill color:

1. Select the text box you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Fill drop-down arrow. The Shape Fill menu will appear.
3. Select the color you want to use. To view more color options, select More Fill Colors.
   
4. The text box will appear in the selected fill color.

If you want to use a different type of fill, select Gradient or Texture from the drop-down menu. You can also select No Fill to make it transparent.

To change the shape outline:

1. Select the text box you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Outline drop-down arrow. The Shape Outline menu appears.
3. Select the color you want to use. If you want to make the outline transparent, select No Outline.
   
4. The text box will appear in the selected outline color.

From the drop-down menu, you can change the outline color, weight (thickness), and whether or not it is a dashed line.

To change the shape style:

Choosing a shape style allows you to apply preset colors and effects to quickly change the appearance of your text box.

1. Select the text box you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the More drop-down arrow in the Shape Styles group.
   
3. A drop-down menu of styles will appear. Select the style you want to use.
   
4. The text box will appear in the selected style.
   

To change shadow effects:

Adding a shadow to a shape can make it appear as though it is floating above the page, and it can help to add contrast between the shape and the background.

1. Select the text box you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Effects drop-down arrow. In the menu that appears, select the shadow you want to use.
   
3. The shape will appear with the selected shadow.
   

To adjust the shadow color, size, distance, and more, select Shadow Options from the drop-down menu. The Format Shape pane will appear.

3D effects

There are two kinds of effects you can apply to text boxes to give them a 3D appearance: 3-D Rotation and Bevel. 3-D Rotation makes text boxes appear as if you are viewing the text box from a different angle. Bevel adds thickness and a rounded edge to text boxes.

To use 3-D Rotation:

1. Select the text box you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Effects drop-down arrow. In the menu that appears, select the desired 3-D Rotation effect.
   
3. The text box will appear in the selected 3-D Rotation effect.

If desired, you can customize the 3-D Rotation. Select 3-D Rotation Options… from the drop-down menu and the Format Shape pane will appear. From here, you can adjust the rotation values.

To use Bevel:

1. Select the text box you want to change.
2. On the Format tab, click the Shape Effects drop-down arrow. In the menu that appears, select the desired bevel preset.
   
3. The text box will appear in the selected bevel effect.
   

If you’ve changed the shape of your text box, it’s important to note bevel doesn’t work with every type of shape.

If desired, you can customize the bevel effect. Select 3-D Options… from the drop-down menu. The Format Shape pane will appear. From here, you can modify the width, height, and depth of a bevel.

Creating WordArt

In addition to adding effects to a text box, you can add effects to the text inside the text box, which is known as WordArt. For the most part, the types of effects you can add are the same as the ones you can add to shapes or text boxes (shadow, bevel, etc.). However, you can also Transform the text to give it a wavy, slanted, or inflated look.

Generally, you shouldn’t use WordArt in more formal documents like resumes and cover letters because it could seem too casual.

To apply a quick style to text:

A quick style will automatically apply several effects to your text at once. You can then refine the look of your text by adding or modifying text effects.

1. Select the text box, or select some text inside of the text box.
   
2. On the Format tab, click the Quick Styles command in the WordArt Styles group. A drop-down menu of text styles will appear. Select the style you want to use.
   
3. The text will appear in the selected style. If desired, you can change the font or font color from the Home tab.

To convert regular text into WordArt:

For text to be formatted as WordArt, it needs to be inside a text box. However, there is a shortcut that allows you to convert text into WordArt even if it’s not in a text box.

1. Select the text you wish to convert, then click the Insert tab.
   
2. Click the WordArt drop-down arrow in the Text group.  A drop-down menu of WordArt styles will appear. Select the style you want to use.
   
3. Word will automatically create a text box for the text, and the text will appear in the selected style. If desired, you can change the font or font color from the Home tab.
   

Some effects, such as shadows, can be added from the Text Effects menu in the Home tab. When you add effects in this way, it will not place the text in a text box.

To transform text:

1. Select the text box, or select some text inside of the text box.
   
2. On the Format tab, click the Text Effects drop-down arrow in the WordArt Styles group.
   
3. A drop-down menu of effects will appear. Hover the mouse over Transform and select a transform effect from the menu that appears.
   
4. The text will transform into the selected style.
   

If desired, you can add additional effects such as shadow, bevel, and more to the transformed text.

Challenge!

1. Create a new Word 2013 document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Insert a text box.
3. Enter some text into the text box. If you’re using the example, enter the text “Every Friday from 7-9 pm”.
4. Move the text box to a new location.
5. Try changing the shape of the text box.
6. Change the fill color of the text box.
7. Change the outline of the text box to No Outline.
8. Try applying some effects to the text box.
9. Add some WordArt effects to the text.

 

Introduction

In Word, a page may have multiple objects, such as pictures, shapes, and text boxes. You can arrange the objects the way you want by aligning, ordering, rotating, and grouping them in various ways.

Modifying text wrapping

When pictures are first inserted, you may notice that it’s difficult to move them. This is because by default, pictures are in line with the text. To arrange them, you’ll always need to choose a different text wrapping setting. To review how to modify text wrapping, visit our lesson on Pictures and Text Wrapping.

To align two or more objects:

1. Hold the Shift (or Ctrl) key and click the objects you want to align.
   
2. From the Format tab, click the Align command and select one of the six alignment options.
   
3. The objects will align based on the option you selected.
   

By default, Align Selected Objects will be selected, which will allow objects to be aligned without moving them to a different part of the page. If you want the objects to move to the top or bottom of the page, select Align to Page or Align to Margin before choosing an alignment option.

If you prefer to align objects manually, select View Gridlines. This option snaps objects to a grid, making it easier for you to align them with the mouse.

To distribute objects evenly:

If you have arranged objects in a row or column, you may want them to be an equal distance from one another for a neater appearance. You can do this by distributing the objects horizontally or vertically.

1. Hold the Shift (or Ctrl) key and click the objects you want to align. The Format tab will appear.
   
2. On the Format tab, click the Align command and select Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically from the drop-down menu that appears.
   
3. The objects will distribute evenly.
   

Ordering and rotating objects

In addition to aligning objects, Word gives you the ability to arrange objects in a specific order. The ordering is important when two or more objects overlap, as it will determine which objects are in the front or the back.

Understanding levels

When objects are inserted into a document, they are placed on levels according to the order in which they were inserted into the document. In the image below, the table is on the top level, but we can change the level to put it behind the other objects.

To change the ordering by one level:

In our example, we’ll change the ordering so the table moves back by one level.

1. Select an object. The Format tab will appear.
   
2. From the Format tab, click the Bring Forward or Send Backward command to change the object’s ordering by one level. If the object overlaps with more than one other object, you may need to click the command several times to achieve the desired ordering. In our example, we’ll select Send Backward.
   
3. The objects will reorder. In our example, the table is now one level below the statue.
   

If you have many objects placed on top of each other, it may be difficult to select an individual object. The Selection Pane allows you to easily drag an object to a new location. To access the Selection Pane, click Selection Pane on the Format tab.

To bring an object to the front or back:

If you want to move an object behind or in front of several objects, it’s usually faster to bring it to front or send it to back rather than clicking the ordering commands multiple times.

1. Select an object. The Format tab will appear.
2. From the Format tab, click the Bring Forward or Send Backward drop-down box.
3. From the drop-down menu, select Bring to Front or Send to Back.
   
4. The objects will reorder.
   

To rotate an object:

1. Select an object. The Format tab will appear.
2. From the Format tab, click the Rotate command. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. Select the desired rotation option.
   
4. The object will rotate.
   

Grouping objects

At times, you may want to group multiple objects into one object so they will stay together if they are moved or resized. Often, this is easier than selecting all of the objects every time you want to move them. Shapes, clip art, and text boxes can all be grouped together.

To group objects:

1. Hold the Shift (or Ctrl) key and click the objects you want to group.
   
2. From the Format tab, click the Group command and select Group.
   
3. The selected objects will now be grouped. There will be a single box with sizing handles around the entire group to show that they are one object. You can now move or resize all of the objects at once.
   

If you wish to edit or move one of the objects in the group, double-click to select the object. You can then edit it or move it to the desired location.

To ungroup objects:

1. Select the grouped object you wish to ungroup.
2. From the Format tab, click the Group command and select Ungroup.
   
3. The objects will be ungrouped.
   

Introduction

A table is a grid of cells arranged in rows and columns. Tables are useful for various tasks such as presenting text information and numerical data. In Word, you can create a blank table, convert text to a table, and apply a variety of styles and formats to existing tables.

To insert a blank table:

1. Place your insertion point where you want the table to appear, then select the Insert tab.
2. Click the Table command.
   
3. A drop-down menu containing a grid of squares will appear. Hover the mouse over the grid to select the number of columns and rows in the table.
   
4. Click the mouse, and the table will appear in the document.
5. You can now place the insertion point anywhere in the table to add text.
   

To move the insertion point to the next cell, press the Tab key while typing. If the insertion point is in the last cell, pressing the Tab key will automatically create a new row.

To convert existing text to a table:

In this example, each row of information contains an item name and price, separated by tabs. Word can convert this information into a table, and it will use the tabs to separate the data into two columns.

1. Select the text you wish to convert.
   
2. From the Insert tab, click the Table command.
3. Select Convert Text to Table from the drop-down menu.
   
4. A dialog box will appear. Choose one of the options in the Separate text at: section. This is how Word knows what text to put in each column.
   
5. Click OK. The text appears in a table.
   

Modifying tables

It’s easy to modify the look and feel of any table after adding it to a document. Word includes many different options for customizing a table, including adding rows or columns, changing the table style, and more.

To add a row or column:

1. Hover the mouse near the location where you wish to add a row or column and click the plus sign that appears.
   
2. A new row or column will appear in the table.
   

Alternatively, you can right-click the table, then hover the mouse over Insert to see various row and column options.

To delete a row or column:

1. Place the insertion point in the row or column you want to delete.
2. Right-click the mouse, then select Delete Cells… from the menu that appears.
   
3. A dialog box will appear. Select Delete entire row or Delete entire column, then click OK.
   
4. The column or row will be deleted.

 

 

To apply a table style:

1. Click anywhere on the table, then click the Design tab on the right side of the Ribbon.
   
2. Locate the Table Styles group, then click the More drop-down arrow to see all available table styles.
   
3. Select the desired style.
   
4. The selected table style will appear.
   

To modify table style options:

Once you’ve chosen a table style, you can turn various options on or off to change the appearance of the table. There are six options: Header Row, Total Row, Banded Rows, First Column, Last Column, and Banded Columns.

1. Click anywhere on the table.
2. Click the Design tab on the right side of the Ribbon, then check or uncheck the desired options in the Table Style Options group.
   
3. The table style will be modified.
   

Depending on which Table Style you’re using, certain Table Style Options may have a somewhat different effect. You may need to experiment to get the exact look you want.

To add borders to a table:

1. Select the cells you wish to add a border to.
   
2. From the Design tab, select the desired Line Style, Line Weight, and Pen Color.
   
3. Click the Borders drop-down arrow.
4. Select the desired border type from the menu that appears.
   
5. The border will appear around the selected cells.
   

 

 

Modifying a table using the Layout tab

When you select a table in Word 2013, the Layout tab appears under Table Tools on the Ribbon. From the Layout tab, you can make a variety of modifications to the table.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different ways you can modify a table with the Layout tab.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word 2013 document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Convert some text into a table. If you are using the example, convert the text below the Sabrosa Company Label.
3. Apply a table style, and experiment with the Table Style Options.
4. Insert a column into the table.
5. Delete a row from the table.
6. Insert a blank table with six rows and two columns.
7. Add borders to the blank table.

 

Introduction

A chart is a tool you can use to communicate data graphically. Including a chart in your document can allow your reader to see the meaning behind the numbers, and it can make showing comparisons and trends easier.

Types of charts

Word has many different types of charts, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your data. In order to use charts effectively, you’ll need to understand how different charts are used.

Learn more about the types of charts in Word.

Word has a variety of chart types, each with its own advantages. Click the arrows to see some of the different types of charts available in Word.

Identifying the parts of a chart

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different parts of a chart.

Inserting charts

Word uses a spreadsheet as a placeholder for entering chart data, much like Excel. The process of entering data is fairly simple, but if you are unfamiliar with Excel you might want to review our Excel 2013 Cell Basics lesson.

To insert a chart:

1. Select the Insert tab, then click the Chart command in the Illustrations group.
   
2. A dialog box will appear. Select a category from the left pane, and review the charts that appear in the right pane.
3. Select the desired chart, then click OK.
   
4. A chart and a spreadsheet will appear. The data that appears in the spreadsheet is placeholder source data that you will replace with your own information. The source data is used to create the Word chart.
   
5. Enter your data into the worksheet.
   
6. If necessary, click and drag the lower-right corner of the blue line to increase or decrease the data range for rows and columns. Only the data enclosed by the blue lines will appear in the chart.
   
7. When you’re done, click the X to close the spreadsheet.
   
8. The chart will be completed.
   

You can edit the chart data at any time by selecting your chart and clicking the Edit Data command on the Design tab.

Creating charts with existing Excel data

If you already have data in an existing Excel file that you would like to use for a Word chart, you can transfer the data by copying and pasting it. Just open the spreadsheet in Excel, select and copy the desired data, and paste it into the source data area for your Word chart.

You can also embed an existing Excel chart into your Word document. This can be useful when you know you’ll need to update the data in your Excel file and would like the Word chart to automatically update whenever the Excel data is changed.

Modifying charts with chart tools

There are many ways to customize and organize your charts. For example, Word allows you to change the chart type, rearrange a chart’s data, and even change the layout and style.

To change the chart type:

If you find that your data isn’t well suited to a certain chart, it’s easy to switch to a new chart type. In our example, we’ll change our chart from a line chart to a column chart.

1. Select the chart you want to change. The Design tab will appear on the right side of the Ribbon.
   
2. From the Design tab, click the Change Chart Type command.
   
3. A dialog box will appear. Select the desired chart type, then click OK.
   
4. The chart will change in the document.
   

To switch row and column data:

Sometimes you may want to change the way charts group your data. For example, in the chart below the book sales data is grouped by genre, with columns for each year. However, we could switch the rows and columns so the chart will group the data by year, with columns for each genre. In both cases, the chart contains the same data—it’s just organized differently.

1. Select the chart you want to modify. The Design tab will appear.
2. From the Design tab, select the Edit Data command in the Data group.
   
3. Click the chart again, then select the Switch Row/Column command in the Data group.
   
4. The rows and columns will be switched. In our example, the data is now grouped by year, with columns for each genre.
   

We’ve noticed that when numeric data has been entered in the first column of the spreadsheet, switching rows and columns may cause unexpected results. One solution is to type an apostrophe before each number, which tells the spreadsheet to format it as text (instead of a numeric value). For example, the year 2013 would be entered as ‘2013.

To change the chart layout:

Word’s predefined chart layouts allow you to modify chart elements—including chart titles, legends, and data labels—to make your chart easier to read.

1. Select the chart you want to modify. The Design tab will appear.
2. From the Design tab, click the Quick Layout command.
   
3. Select the desired predefined layout from the menu that appears.
   
4. The chart will update to reflect the new layout.
   

To change a chart element (such as the chart title), click the element and begin typing.

To change the chart style:

Chart styles allow you to quickly modify the look and feel of your chart.

1. Select the chart you want to modify. The Design tab will appear.
2. From the Design tab, click the More drop-down arrow in the Chart Styles group.
   
3. A drop-down menu of styles will appear. Select the style you want to use.
   
4. The chart will appear in the selected style.
   

You can also use the chart formatting shortcut buttons to quickly add chart elements, change the chart style, and filter the chart data.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Insert a new chart. If you’re using the example, edit the data for the chart by deleting the data from October through December.
3. Try changing the chart type and layout.
4. Switch the row and column data.
5. Apply a chart style. If the new style includes a chart title or any labels, edit those.

 

CHAPTER 4: REVIEWING DOCUMENTS AND COLLABORATION

Introduction

Worried about making mistakes when you type? Don’t be. Word provides you with several proofing features—including the Spelling and Grammar tool—that can help you produce professional, error-free documents.

To run a Spelling and Grammar check:

1. From the Review tab, click the Spelling & Grammar command.
   
2. The Spelling and Grammar pane will appear. For each error in your document, Word will try to offer one or more suggestions. You can select a suggestion and click Change to correct the error.
   
3. Word will move through each error until you have reviewed them all. After the last error has been reviewed, a dialog box will appear confirming that the spelling and grammar check is complete. Click OK.
   

If no suggestions are given, you can manually type the correct spelling in your document.

Ignoring “errors”

The spelling and grammar check is not always correct. Particularly with grammar, there are many errors Word will not notice. There are also times when the spelling and grammar check will say something’s an error when it’s actually not. This often happens with people’s names, which may not be in the dictionary.

If Word says something is an error, you can choose not to change it. Depending on whether it’s a spelling or grammatical error, you can choose from several options:

For spelling “errors”:

• Ignore: This will skip the word without changing it.
• Ignore All: This will skip the word without changing it, and it will also skip all other instances of the word in the document.
• Add: This adds the word to the dictionary so it will never come up as an error. Make sure the word is spelled correctly before choosing this option.
  

For grammar “errors”:

• Ignore: This will skip the word or phrase without changing it.

For grammar errors, Word provides an explanation for why it thinks something is incorrect. This can help you determine whether you want to change or ignore it.

Automatic spelling and grammar checking

By default, Word automatically checks your document for spelling and grammar errors, so you may not even need to run a separate check. These errors are indicated by colored, wavy lines.

• The red line indicates a misspelled word.
• The blue line indicates a grammatical error, including misused words.
  

A misused word (also known as a contextual spelling error) occurs when a word is spelled correctly but used incorrectly. For example, if you used the phrase “Deer Mr. Theodore” at the beginning of a letter, deer would be a contextual spelling error. Deer is spelled correctly, but it is used incorrectly in the letter. The correct word is dear.

In previous versions of Word, grammar errors were marked with a green line, while contextual spelling errors were marked with a blue line.

To correct spelling errors:

1. Right-click the underlined word. A menu will appear.
2. Select the correct spelling from the list of suggestions.
   
3. The corrected word will appear in the document.

You can also choose to Ignore All instances of an underlined word or add it to the dictionary.

To correct grammar errors:

1. Right-click the underlined word or phrase. A menu will appear.
2. Select the correct spelling or phrase from the list of suggestions.
   
3. The corrected phrase will appear in the document.

You can also choose to Ignore an underlined word or phrase or go to the Spelling & Grammar pane for information about the grammar rule.

To change the automatic spelling and grammar check settings:

1. Click the File tab to go to Backstage view, then click Options.
   
2. A dialog box will appear. On the left side of the dialog box, select Proofing. The dialog box gives you several options to choose from:
   • If you don’t want Word to automatically check spelling, uncheck Check spelling as you type.
   • If you don’t want grammar errors to be marked, uncheck Mark grammar errors as you type.
   • If you don’t want Word to check for contextual errors, uncheck Frequently confused words.
   

By default, Word does not check for sentence fragments (incomplete sentences) and run-on sentences. To turn on this feature, click Settings in the dialog box, then check the box next to Fragments and Run-ons.

If you’ve turned off the automatic spelling and/or grammar checks, you can still run a check by going to the Review tab and clicking the Spelling & Grammar button.

To hide spelling and grammar errors in a document:

If you’re sharing a document like a resume with someone, you might not want that person to see the red and blue lines. Turning off the automatic spelling and grammar checks only applies to your computer, so the lines may still show up when someone else views your document. Fortunately, Word allows you to hide spelling and grammar errors so the lines will not show up on any computer.

1. Click the File tab to go to Backstage view, then click Options.
   
2. A dialog box will appear. On the left side of the dialog box, select Proofing.
3. Check the box next to Hide spelling errors in this document only and Hide grammar errors in this document only, then click OK.
   
4. The lines in the document will be hidden.

If you have more than one document open, click the drop-down box next to Exceptions for: and select the desired document.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document.
2. Correct spelling errors.
3. Correct grammatical errors.<

 

Introduction

Suppose someone asked you to proofread or collaborate on a document. If you had a printed copy, you might use a red pen to cross out sentences, mark misspellings, or add comments in the margins. Word allows you to do all of these things electronically using the Track Changes and Comments features.

Understanding Track Changes

When you turn on Track Changes, every change you make to the document will appear as a colored markup. If you delete text, it won’t disappear—instead, the text will be crossed out. If you add text, it will be underlined. This allows you to see edits before making the changes permanent.

If there are multiple reviewers, each person will be assigned a different markup color.

To turn on Track Changes:

1. From the Review tab, click the Track Changes command.
   
2. Track Changes will be turned on. Now, any changes you make to the document will appear as colored markups.
   

Reviewing changes

Tracked changes are really just suggested changes. To become permanent, they must be accepted. On the other hand, the original author may disagree with some of the tracked changes and choose to reject them.

To accept or reject changes:

1. Select the change you want to accept or reject.
   
2. From the Review tab, click the Accept or Reject command.
   
3. The markup will disappear, and Word will automatically jump to the next change. You can continue accepting or rejecting each change until you have reviewed them all.
   
4. When you’re finished, click the Track Changes command to turn off Track Changes.
   

To accept all changes at once, click the Accept drop-down arrow, then select Accept All. If you no longer wish to track your changes, you can select Accept All and Stop Tracking.

Track Changes viewing options

If you have a lot of tracked changes, they may become distracting if you’re trying to read through the document. Fortunately, Word provides a few different ways to customize how tracked changes appear, including the option to hide tracked changes.

To hide tracked changes:

1. From the Review tab, click the Display for Review command. The Display for Review command is located to the right of the Track Changes command.
   
2. In the drop-down menu, there are four options:
   • Simple Markup: This shows the final version without inline markups. Red markers will appear in the left margin to indicate where a change has been made.
   • All Markup: This shows the final version with inline markups.
   • No Markup: This shows the final version and hides all markups.
   • Original: This shows the original version and hides all markups.
3. Select the desired option from the drop-down menu. In our example, we’ll select No Markup to preview the final version of the document before accepting the changes.
   

You can also click the marker in the left margin to switch between Simple Markup and All Markup.

Hiding Track Changes is not the same as reviewing changes. You will still need to accept or reject the changes before sending out the final version of your document.

To show revisions in balloons:

By default, most revisions appear inline, meaning the text itself is marked. You can also choose to show the revisions in balloons, which moves most revisions to the right margin. Removing inline markups can make the document easier to read, and balloons also give you more detailed information about some markups.

1. From the Review tab, click Show Markup Balloons Show Revisions in Balloons.
   
2. Most revisions will appear in the right margin, although any added text will still appear inline.
   

To go back to inline markups, you can select either Show All Revisions Inline or Show Only Comments and Formatting in Balloons.

Comments

Sometimes you may want to add a comment to provide feedback instead of editing a document. While often used in combination with Track Changes, you don’t necessarily need to have Track Changes turned on to use comments.

To add comments:

1. Highlight some text, or place the insertion point where you want the comment to appear.
   
2. From the Review tab, click the New Comment command.
   
3. Type your comment. When you’re done, you can close the comment box by pressing the Esc key or by clicking anywhere outside the comment box.

You can also respond to an existing comment. Just click the Reply button and type your response.

To delete comments:

1. Select the comment you wish to delete.
   
2. From the Review tab, click the Delete command.
   
3. The comment will be deleted.
   

To delete all comments, click the Delete drop-down arrow and select Delete All Comments in Document.

Comparing documents

If you edit a document without tracking changes, it’s still possible to use reviewing features such as Accept and Reject. You can do this by comparing two versions of the document. All you need is the original document and the revised document (the documents must also have different file names).

To compare two documents:

1. From the Review tab, click the Compare command, then select Compare… from the drop-down menu.
   
2. A dialog box will appear. Choose your Original document by clicking the drop-down arrow and selecting the document from the list. If the file is not in the list, click the Browse button to locate it.
   
3. Choose the Revised document, then click OK.
   
4. Word will compare the two files to determine what was changed and then create a new document. The changes will appear as colored markups, just like Track Changes. You can then use the Accept and Reject commands to finalize the document.
   

The original and revised documents will appear in a pane to the right that you can use for reference (although you can’t edit them). If you don’t see the pane, click Compare Show Source Documents Show Both.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use the practice document.
2. Turn on Track Changes.
3. Delete some text.
4. Add some text.
5. Change some of the text formatting.
6. Experiment with the Display for Review command.
7. Accept all of the changes, then turn off Track Changes.

 

Introduction

Before sharing a document, you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t include any information you wish to keep private. You may also want to discourage others from editing your file. Fortunately, Word includes several tools to help finalize and protect your document.

Document Inspector

Whenever you create or edit a document, certain personal information may be added to the file automatically. You can use the Document Inspector to remove this kind of information before sharing a document with others.

Because some changes may be permanent, it’s a good idea to use Save As to create a backup copy of your document before using the Document Inspector.

To use the Document Inspector:

1. Click the File tab to go to Backstage view.
2. From the Info pane, click Check for Issues, then select Inspect Document from the drop-down menu.
   
3. The Document Inspector will appear. Check or uncheck the boxes, depending on the content you wish to review, then click Inspect. In our example, we’ll leave everything selected.
   
4. The inspection results will show an exclamation mark for any categories where it found potentially sensitive data, and it will also have a Remove All button for each of those categories. Click Remove All to remove the data.
   
5. When you’re done, click Close.
   

CHAPTER 5: Doing More With Word

Introduction

SmartArt allows you to communicate information with graphics instead of just using text. There are a variety of styles to choose from, which you can use to illustrate many different types of ideas.

To insert a SmartArt graphic:

1. Place the insertion point in the document where you want the SmartArt graphic to appear.
2. From the Insert tab, select the SmartArt command in the Illustrations group.
   
3. A dialog box will appear. Select a category on the left, choose the desired SmartArt graphic, then click OK.
   
4. The SmartArt graphic will appear in your document.
   

To add text to a SmartArt graphic:

1. Select the SmartArt graphic. The SmartArt task pane will appear to the left.
   
2. Enter text next to each bullet in the task pane. The text will appear in the graphic and will resize to fit inside the shape.
   
3. To add a new shape, press Enter. A new bullet will appear in the task pane, and a new shape will appear in the graphic. You can delete any bullets you’re not using to remove the shapes.
   

You can also add text by clicking on the desired shape and then typing. This works well if you only need to add text to a few shapes. However, for more complex SmartArt graphics, working in the task pane is often faster.

Changing the SmartArt organization

To add a shape:

1. Select the SmartArt graphic, then click the Design tab on the right side of the Ribbon.
   
2. Decide where you want the new shape to appear, and select an adjacent shape.
   
3. Click the Add Shape command in the Graphics group. A drop-down menu will appear.
4. Select Add Shape Before or Add Shape After to add a shape on the same level as the selected shape. Select Add Shape Above or Add Shape Below to add a shape above or below the selected shape.
   
5. The new shape will appear.
   

To promote or demote shapes:

1. Select the SmartArt graphic, then click the Design tab on the right side of the Ribbon.
   
2. Select the shape you would like to promote or demote. In our example, we’ll demote a shape.
   
3. To move the shape to a higher level, click the Promote command in the Create Graphic group. To move it to a lower level, click Demote.
   
4. The shape will move one level higher or lower.
   

You can also demote and promote shapes from within the task pane. With the insertion point in the task pane, press the Tab key to demote a shape. Press the Backspace key (or Shift+Tab) to promote a shape. It’s a lot like creating an outline with a multilevel list. For more information, you may want to review our Lists lesson.

To rearrange shapes on the same level:

1. Select the SmartArt graphic, then click the Design tab.
2. Select the shape you would like to move.
   
3. In the Create Graphic group, click Move Up or Move Down.
   
4. The shape will move to a new location on the same level, and any shapes nested below it will also move.
   

Introduction

A style is a predefined combination of font style, color, and size that can be applied to any text in your document. Styles can help your documents achieve a more professional appearance.

To apply a style:

1. Select the text you want to format.
   
2. In the Styles group on the Home tab, click the More drop-down arrow.
   
3. Select the desired style from the drop-down menu.
   
4. The text will appear in the selected style.
   

You can also use styles to create a table of contents for your document. To learn how, review our article on How to Create a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word.

To apply a Style Set:

Style sets include a combination of title, heading, and paragraph styles. Style sets allow you to format all elements in your document at once, rather than modifying each element separately.

1. From the Design tab, click the More drop-down arrow in the Document Formatting group.
   
2. Choose the desired Style Set from the drop-down menu.
   
3. The selected Style Set will be applied to your entire document.
   

To modify a style:

1. Locate and right-click the style you wish to change in the Styles group, then select Modify… from the drop-down menu.
   
2. A dialog box will appear. Make the desired formatting changes, such as font style, size, and color. If you want, you can also change the name of the style.
3. When you’re satisfied, click OK to save your changes.
   
4. The style will be modified.

To create a new style:

1. Click the arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Styles group.
   
2. The Styles task pane will appear. Select the New Style button at the bottom of the task pane.
   
3. A dialog box will appear. Enter a name for the style, and choose the desired text formatting.
4. When you’re satisfied, click OK.
   
5. The new style will appear in the Styles group.
   

Introduction

A theme is a set of colors, fonts, and effects that determine the overall look of your document. Themes are a great way to change the tone of your entire document quickly and easily.

Themes

All documents in Word 2013 use a theme. In fact, you’ve already been using a theme, even if you didn’t know it: the default Office theme. Every theme, including the Office theme, has its own theme elements:

• Theme colors: There are 10 theme colors, along with darker and lighter variations, available from every Color menu.
  
• Theme fonts: There are two theme fonts available at the top of the Font menu under Theme Fonts.
  
• Theme effects: These affect the preset shape styles. You can find shape styles on the Format tab whenever you select a shape or SmartArt graphic.
  

Why use theme elements?

If you’re using theme elements, you’ll probably find that your document looks pretty good and that all of the colors work well together. But there’s another great reason to use theme elements: When you switch to a different theme, all theme elements will update to reflect the new theme, allowing you to quickly change the look and feel of the entire document.

In the images below, you can compare the default Office theme and the Organic theme.

Remember, the colors and fonts will only update if you’re using theme fonts or theme colors. If you choose colors that are not theme colors or any fonts that are not theme fonts, your document will not change when you apply a new theme.

If you’re using built-in styles, you may notice that the fonts for those styles change when you select a different theme. This is because all of the built-in styles are based on the theme fonts. If you don’t want the styles to change, you’ll need to create custom styles. Review our lesson on Styles to learn more.

To change the theme:

1. From the Design tab, click the Themes command.
2. Select the desired theme from the drop-down menu.
   
3. The selected theme will appear.
   

Customizing themes

Let’s say you really like the fonts from one theme, but you’d like to experiment with different color schemes. Word allows you to mix and match the colors, fonts, and effects from different themes to create a unique look for your document. If it still doesn’t look exactly right, you can customize the theme colors, fonts, and effects from the Design tab.

• To change the theme colors, click the Colors command. A drop-down menu will appear. Select the desired colors or select Customize Colors… to customize each color individually.
  
• To change the theme fonts, click the Fonts command. A drop-down menu will appear. Select the desired font or select Customize Fonts… to customize each font individually.
  
• To change the theme effects, click the Effects command. A drop-down menu will appear. Select the desired effect from the menu.
  

When choosing theme colors, try to find a part of your document that uses several colors to get an idea of how the colors will look together.

To save a theme:

Once you’ve found settings you like, you may want to save the theme so you can use it in other documents.

1. From the Design tab, click the Themes command, then select Save Current Theme… from the drop-down menu.
   
2. The Save dialog box will appear. Type a name for your theme, then click Save.
   
3. The theme will be saved. You can apply it to any document by selecting it from the available themes.
   

Introduction

Mail Merge is a useful tool that allows you to produce multiple letters, labels, envelopes, name tags, and more using information stored in a list, database, or spreadsheet. When performing a Mail Merge, you will need a Word document (you can start with an existing one or create a new one) and a recipient list, which is typically an Excel workbook.

To use Mail Merge:

1. Open an existing Word document, or create a new one.
2. From the Mailings tab, click the Start Mail Merge command and select Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard from the drop-down menu.
   

The Mail Merge pane appears and will guide you through the six main steps to complete a merge. The following example demonstrates how to create a form letter and merge the letter with a recipient list.

Step 1:

• Choose the type of document you wish to create. In our example, we’ll select Letters. Then click Next: Starting document to move to Step 2.
  

Step 2:

• Select Use the current document, then click Next: Select recipients to move to Step 3.
  

CHAPTER 6: WORD EXTRAS

Customizing the Ribbon

You can customize the Ribbon by creating your own tabs with the commands you want to use. Commands are always housed within a group, and you can create as many groups as you want in order to keep your tab organized. If you want, you can even add commands to any of the default tabs, as long as you create a custom group in the tab.

To customize the Ribbon:

1. Right-click the Ribbon, then select Customize the Ribbon… from the drop-down menu.
   
2. The Word Options dialog box will appear. Locate and select New Tab.
   
3. Make sure the New Group is selected, select a command, then click Add. You can also drag commands directly into a group.
4. When you’re done adding commands, click OK. The commands will be added to the Ribbon.
   

If you don’t see the command you want, click the Choose commands from: drop-down box and select All Commands.

Enabling Touch Mode

If you’re working on a touch-screen device, you can enable Touch Mode to create more open space on the Ribbon, making commands easier to tap with your fingers.

To view the Ribbon in Touch Mode:

1. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Quick Access toolbar, then select Touch/Mouse Mode from the drop-down menu.
   
2. The Touch/Mouse Mode command will appear on the Quick Access toolbar.
3. Click the Touch/Mouse Mode command, then select Touch from the drop-down menu.
   
4. The Ribbon will switch to Touch Mode.
   

To turn off Touch Mode, click the Touch/Mouse Mode command, then select Mouse from the drop-down menu.

You can take the Word quiz to see if you need to brush up on some of the training.