USING THE BATCH CONVERSION WIZARD
EXPORTING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION TO WORD
COLLABORATING ON A WORD DOCUMENT USING MICROSOFT NETMEETING
USING AUTORECOVER TO RETRIEVE A FILE AFTER A POWER FAILURE
USING AUTOTEXT FOR BOILERPLATE ENTRIES
INSERTING ACCESS DATA INTO A DOCUMENT
CONVERTING A DOCUMENT TO .PDF FORMAT
USING WORD TO CREATE A NEWSLETTER
WE FIGURED YOU'D WANT THAT TABLE
INSERTING FILE LOCATION INFORMATION INTO THE FOOTER
THE PLEADING WIZARD WORKS LIKE MAGIC
USING THE CATALOG MAIL MERGE OPTION
ALIGNING GRAPHICS AND TEXT WILL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK
WHO KNEW MERGING MAIL COULD BE SO DYNAMIC?
CREATING A DOCUMENT WITH A COVER PAGE
ADDING DYNAMIC DATA DURING A MAIL MERGE
INSERTING A CHART INTO A DOCUMENT
CREATING MASTER AND SUBDOCUMENTS
OPEN ALL THE DOCUMENTS YOU WANT
A DESIGN TIP FOR YOUR USER MANUALS
TWO TIPS TO ENSURE YOU NEVER LOSE YOUR WORK
USING SAVE AS FOR VERSION CONTROL
FINE-TUNING THE POSITION OF AN OBJECT
SAVE TIME WITH THESE AUTOCORRECT TIPS
USING ELECTRONIC WHITEOUT ON IMAGES
SAVE PAPER WITH WORD'S COLUMNS
CHECKING THINGS OFF YOUR TO-DO LIST
MAKING PRINTOUTS EASIER TO PROOFREAD
ANOTHER TIP FOR MAKING PRINTOUTS EASIER TO EDIT
DON'T BE BASHFUL ABOUT USING TEXT BORDERS
BUMP YOUR RUF SETTING UP TO NINE
PUT ANY TOOLBAR RIGHT IN YOUR FACE
PUT SOME MOTION IN YOUR DOCUMENTS
A DESIGN TIP FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
USING THE BATCH CONVERSION WIZARD
As a system administrator, you've probably been through this. The company decides to upgrade its software (finally) and you have a bunch of irate users screaming at you because they don't have time to convert all their files to the new version. They do, however, want to use the new version because of the additional formatting options that are now available. Or perhaps a group of users saved their files as Web pages instead of text documents. This is where the new Batch Conversion Wizard in Microsoft Word 2000 comes in handy.
It takes a group of other files and converts them to the new version in one fell swoop.
1. Go to File | New | Other Documents.
2. Double-click the Batch Conversion Wizard icon.
3. Click From/To.
4. Use the drop-down lists to select the desired conversion choices and click Next.
5. Select the Source and Destination folders and click Next.
6. Click Select All and then click Finish.
Word will tell you when the batch conversion is complete and will ask if you wish to perform another. Simply click Yes or No as appropriate.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
Let's face it--your users need to get as much mileage as they can out of the software at hand. Word is now routinely used in all kinds of businesses to develop the types of print materials previously farmed out to graphic artists, typesetters, and printing houses. As novice users begin to experiment with Word's layout and other graphic features for flyers, report covers, brochures, and the like, they'll want to know how to quickly generate a page border. Page borders work well with many types of documents and can be applied to all or part of a document.
Just follow these steps:
1. Move cursor to the position in the document where the border is to be applied.
2. Go to Format | Borders And Shading | Page Border.
3. Select the appropriate Style, Color, Width, and Art if desired.
4. From the Apply To drop-down list, choose the part of the document to which you wish to apply the border. Remember, a document is considered one section, so if you want to place a page border somewhere other than the first page, you'll need to insert a section break.
5. Click Options to make desired changes to the margins and measurements of the page border and click OK.
6. Click OK again to exit the Borders And Shading dialog box.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
When creating a document, sometimes you want to include data from another program, like Excel or Access, for example. While this process is relatively simple, it's also often the case that the data you insert is dynamic data. This means that the data changes over time. Since the data does change, you probably want the data in your document to reflect the current updated information. This is accomplished by creating a link between the data you insert and the file where the dynamic data originates.
Any changes made to that file are then reflected in the document containing the link.
1. Open the original file.
2. Select the entire document using [Ctrl]A or make a selection.
3. Start a new document.
4. Move cursor to where the file information should be inserted.
5. Go to Edit | Paste Special.
6. Choose the source type.
7. Click Paste Link.
8. Click OK.
Now when changes are made in one document, they'll automatically be updated in the other.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
Here's an easy technique you can add to your Word training repertoire: creating document shortcuts. Users will master this one in minutes--and odds are, they'll go straight back to work and create their own shortcuts for instant access to ongoing projects.
Let's run through the steps for setting up a shortcut.
1. Highlight some text to serve as a target in the document and click Copy.
2. Minimize the Word window or drag it out of the way so you can see the Windows desktop.
3. Right-click on the desktop and choose Paste Shortcut. You'll probably want to change the shortcut name to something more meaningful. To do this, click on the shortcut to select it and then press [F2] to activate the label for editing. Type the desired name and press [Enter]. (Hey, that's another handy tip your students will appreciate. Tricks within tricks!) Now that you have your shortcut, it's time for the payoff.
4. Close your document, clicking Yes to save your changes. You can even exit Word if you want.
5. Then simply double-click on the desktop shortcut. Word will open the associated document, navigate to your target text, and select it. Incidentally, if you're worried that your students might move or rename a document and "break" their shortcut, don't be: Word bookmarks the target text so the shortcut will work even with a name change or relocation--as long as the document stays on the same drive.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
EXPORTING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION TO WORD
There's nothing worse than giving a lengthy or technical PowerPoint presentation without providing some way for your audience to take notes. Of course, you could print out the presentation handouts, but that can be difficult. Since there are certain formatting techniques that are available in Word but not in PowerPoint, learning how to export a PowerPoint presentation to Word is beneficial. The best part of this process is that you can link both the PowerPoint and Word files during the export process. If you add anything to the presentation, it will be included on your final handouts. Another benefit to exporting a PowerPoint presentation to Word is that you can offer handouts on the Web prior to the day of the presentation by saving the Word document as a Web page.
To export a PowerPoint presentation to Word:
1. Open the PowerPoint presentation.
2. Go to File | Send To | Microsoft Word.
3. Select the page layout in the Write-Up dialog box.
4. Select either Paste or Paste Link in order to add slides to the Word document.
5. Click OK.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
COLLABORATING ON A WORD DOCUMENT USING MICROSOFT NETMEETING
Ah, the beauty of technology. It's very easy to collaborate on a Word document using the Internet, Microsoft Word (of course), and Microsoft NetMeeting. Suppose you're a team leader for a group project, such as development of a training manual, and team members work out of a variety of offices. Periodically you may want to share ideas and get feedback from other members as to the layout or content of your document, for example. If you can't easily meet at an office or other meeting place due to the time or cost constraints of travel and other factors, consider doing the work via online meetings.
To begin an online meeting:
1. Open the document to be shared.
2. Click on Tools | Online Collaboration | Meet Now.
You'll be prompted by the Online Meeting dialog to restart the computer to enable NetMeeting application sharing. Click OK. NetMeeting will launch and a series of self-explanatory dialogs will guide you through the set-up process.
NOTE: All team members must be running NetMeeting in order to participate. Click here to download NetMeeting for free: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/netmeeting/
3. Use the Online Meeting Toolbar to manage the participants, editing capability, and other utilities.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
USING AUTORECOVER TO RETRIEVE A FILE AFTER A POWER FAILURE
One day, someone will invent a computer that doesn't rely on electricity. Until then, computers will remain dependent on it, and so will we. Microsoft Word has a helpful feature called AutoRecover. By default, AutoRecover performs an initial save 10 minutes into a Word session. This process occurs in the background and often goes unnoticed. The 10-minute window is critical, however, and any document changes that occur before 10 minutes have passed can fall victim to a power failure and will not be recoverable. You can change the 10-minute setting to some other time designation, but you should be aware that anything less than 10 minutes taxes system resources and is often unnecessary. To check AutoRecover settings:
1. Go to Tools | Options | Save.
2. Find the Save AutoRecover Info Every field and check the number of minutes designated.
3. Change if necessary and click OK.
To recover a document after a power failure:
1. Reboot the computer and start Word. If AutoRecover was able to save any portion of your document, it should appear as soon as you open the application.
2. If for some reason it doesn't appear, you can try to manually open it by locating the document at the default location: Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Word or Windows\Profiles\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Word.
NOTE: On an NT machine go to: WINNT\Profiles\Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\Word or WINNT\Profiles\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Word.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
With all the different versions and manufacturers of word processing software, it may be difficult or impossible for people to open files that you create in Word 2000. Word 2000, however, has an extensive set of file format converters that assist in the backward conversion process. Most important to the process, of course, is finding out exactly what versions of what software are being used by those with whom you wish to share files.
To see what converters are currently installed:
1. Open Word and go to File | Save As.
2. Click on the Save As Type drop-down list to see a list of currently installed converters.
To see a list of available converters:
1. Go to Help | Microsoft Word Help | Answer Wizard.
2. Type converters as your search string and click Search.
To install missing converters:
1. Insert the installation CD.
2. Proceed with installation until the Install Components dialog box appears.
3. Click the Converters drop-down list.
4. Click Run All From Computer.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
USING AUTOTEXT FOR BOILERPLATE ENTRIES
One of the best ways to ensure efficiency when creating documents is to minimize typing time. While one way to do this is to avoid retyping the same entry over and over, another is to limit the amount of time spent editing or updating existing entries. For example, if you need to enter the name of the law firm you work for in the footer of every document you create, you'd likely create a basic document template and insert that name into the template's footer. But if the firm takes on a new partner, you'll need to change all the templates to reflect the name change. Making such a change would be far faster if you create an AutoText entry for the law firm's name and insert the AutoText entry into the template's footer as a field.
To do so, follow these simple steps:
1. Go to Insert | Field | AutoText.
2. Click OK. If the AutoText entry must later be redefined, you'll only have to make the changes once--they'll be reflected wherever the AutoText field appears.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
In Word 2000, the command menus have changed. The menus can now determine which options you choose the most and make those frequently accessed menu items more readily available to you. But what if you often need a command that's not normally found on a given menu?
You can simply add it yourself. Here's how:
1. Go to Tools | Customize.
2. Click on the Commands tab.
3. From the Categories list, select the menu to which you want to add a command.
4. Select the appropriate command from the Commands list on the right.
5. On the menu bar, click the menu that corresponds to the one selected in step 3.
6. Drag the command that you highlighted in the Commands list to the desired menu.
7. Use the black line as a placement guide and then release.
8. Click Close to exit the Customize dialog box. The procedure is essentially the same to add a new menu to the menu bar. (You'll find the New Menu command at the bottom of the Categories list.)
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
One of the biggest complaints from all types of users is that Word automatically makes changes to their documents without them doing anything. Many of these changes occur because of the AutoFormat settings. Having a better understanding of these settings and knowing where to locate them usually helps alleviate user frustration.
To locate the settings:
1. Go to Tools | AutoCorrect.
2. Click on the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
3. The first section is Apply As You Type. Each item, if enabled, will cause Word to apply that type of formatting to your text. For example, if you start a bulleted list using asterisks and the Automatic Bulleted Lists option is checked, Word assumes you want to apply real bullets in place of the asterisks and does so automatically.
4. The second section is Replace As You Type. Each item, if enabled, will cause Word to replace certain types of characters with what it thinks you want. For example, if you type "1st" and the Ordinals With Superscript checkbox is enabled, superscript will be applied to the "st."
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
Creating a table can be simple or complex, depending on the number of columns and rows required. Some people draw tables rather than letting Word generate them automatically, which might be necessary if the table to be created must look very much like a previously printed form, for example. However, when the drawing method is used, there's a simple problem that frequently occurs. Even though great care might be taken to get the rows and columns perfectly even, one or two are usually out of kilter. To alleviate the problem, Word has the Distribute Columns Evenly and Distribute Rows Evenly options. Once you draw the basic shell of the table you need, follow these steps to correct any unevenness:
1. Select the rows or columns in the table.
2. Click on Table | AutoFit | Distribute Rows Evenly (or Distribute Columns Evenly).
NOTE: If you don't see the option on your Table menu, it probably means that you don't have your rows or columns properly selected.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
INSERTING ACCESS DATA INTO A DOCUMENT
Data is a valuable commodity. The power of a data source is that it can be accessed and manipulated time and again with many different programs. Microsoft Access is a powerful relational database program that interoperates with Word.
It's very simple to insert specific Access data into a Word document.
1. Move cursor to the location in the document where the data will be inserted.
2. Go to View | Toolbars | Database.
3. Click the Insert Database icon.
4. In the Database dialog box, click Get Data. In the resulting dialog box, select MS Access Databases from the Files Of Type drop-down list, and use the Look In drop-down list to browse to the location where the desired database is stored. Highlight the appropriate Access database and click Open.
5. In the resulting Microsoft Access dialog box, click either the Table or Queries tab, select the table or query you want to insert, and click OK.
6. Click Query Options to select fields or records, and click OK.
7. Click Table AutoFormat to apply formatting options to the table, if desired. Click OK to exit the Table AutoFormat dialog.
8. Click Insert Data.
9. Select the records to be included in the Insert Records area.
10. To link the data to the source (Access), enable the Insert Data As Field checkbox and click OK. The data will be inserted as a field. To update the field to show new or changed records, select the table and press [F9].
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
CONVERTING A DOCUMENT TO .PDF FORMAT
When you want to retain the formatting of a document and optimize the file size before distributing it electronically, consider using Adobe Acrobat. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and can be downloaded from Adobe. It's used to read documents in .pdf format, but can't convert them. Adobe Acrobat Exchange is the product used to convert documents to .pdf format. Once installed, it's a very simple process to perform the conversion from within Microsoft Word and other software applications. Upon installing the software, a new printer is added, named the Adobe PDFWriter.
Converting a document to .pdf format is as simple as changing printers!
1. Open the Word Document that you wish to convert to .pdf format.
2. Proofread the document prior to the conversion.
3. Go to File | Print.
4. Choose the Adobe PDFWriter printer option.
5. Click OK.
6. Type a subject, author, and keywords, if desired.
7. Click OK.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
While some users rely on menus to accomplish tasks, others prefer the keyboard method. Regardless of your preference, however, it's always helpful to know at least some keyboard commands.
If you're a former WordPerfect user and you're finding it difficult to adjust to Microsoft Word's commands, you can actually replicate the keyboard shortcuts you're accustomed to using by following these steps:
1. Go to Tools | Customize | Options.
2. Click Keyboard.
3. Select the category and command to which you want to assign or modify a shortcut.
4. Place your cursor in the Press New Shortcut Key field and type the key combination you wish to assign.
5. Click Assign.
6. Repeat process if necessary.
7. When finished, click Close to exit the Customize Keyboard dialog box.
8. Click Close again to exit the Customize dialog and return to your document.
9. Test the shortcut key(s).
To remove shortcut keys individually:
1. Go to Tools | Customize | Options.
2. Click Keyboard.
3. Select the command you want to remove.
4. Click Remove, and then click Close to exit the dialog.
5. Click Close again to return to your document.
Note: The Reset All option in the Customize Keyboard dialog lets you reset all keyboard shortcuts in one fell swoop; exercise caution if you're working with a specially designed template containing macros and the like.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
USING WORD TO CREATE A NEWSLETTER
It's pretty easy to create a professional newsletter using Word. Yet many users, when faced with this task, unnecessarily opt for more complex desktop publishing programs. Word uses a feature called Newspaper Columns to create a newsletter. Using text boxes, you can control how the text flows from one page to the next. Here are some hints you might find helpful when creating a newsletter in Word.
* To insert the desired number of columns, use the Columns button on the Standard toolbar.
* To change the column width, or to add a line between columns, go to Format | Columns.
* To control how the text flows from one page to the next:
1. Enable the Drawing toolbar (View | Toolbars | Drawing).
2. Click the Text Box button on the Drawing toolbar and draw a box where the text should start.
3. Click the Text Box button on the Drawing toolbar and draw a box where the text should end (on the next page).
4. Select the first text box and click Create Text Box Link on the Text Box toolbar.
5. Click in the second text box (boxes are now linked). Resize the text boxes to control how the text flows from one page to the next.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
WE FIGURED YOU'D WANT THAT TABLE
A Word document with numerous images, graphs, and tables may be informative, but it can also be cumbersome for users to navigate. If a user wanted to view only the graphical content, for example, there's no easy way to see that content. One solution to this problem is to create a Table of Figures for the document, and then switch to the Web Layout view, which makes each figure in the table a hyperlink.
To create and insert a Table of Figures, follow these steps:
1. Select the first image or figure in the document.
2. Click Insert | Caption.
3. Repeat for each additional graphic element.
4. Position cursor where table is to be inserted.
5. Go to Insert | Index And Tables | Table Of Figures.
6. Change options as desired.
7. Click OK.
8. Go to View | Web Layout.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
There are several ways to bring Access data into a Word document. One way is to export the data from Access to Word. Another is to use the Word Mail Merge Wizard from within Access. The method you choose, of course, depends on how you plan to use the data.
To use the Word Mail Merge Wizard:
1. Open the Access database.
2. Go to the database window and click Office Links.
3. Follow the Wizard's directions to link to an existing Word document or to start a new document.
To use the export method:
1. Open the Access database.
2. Go to the database window and click on the table you wish to export.
3. Go to File | Export.
4. Select your desired file format from the Save As File Type drop-down list.
5. Save the file.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
INSERTING FILE LOCATION INFORMATION INTO THE FOOTER
Many offices require that the full file location path be placed in the footer of all documents created. This is a way of tracking where the file resides on a server, and helps if changes need to be made by an individual other than the one who created the file. By inserting this information into the footer, you save time by not having to perform an exhaustive search.
To insert the file location into a footer, follow these steps:
1. Go to View | Header And Footer.
2. Click the Switch Between Header And Footer icon on the Header And Footer toolbar.
3. Go to the menu bar and click Insert | Field.
4. Select Document Information from the Categories list.
5. Select FileName from the Field Names list.
6. Click Options.
7. Go to the Field Specific Switches tab.
8. Click Add To Field.
9. Click OK to exit the Field Options dialog.
10. Click OK again to exit the Field dialog.
11. Use Print Preview to see the field.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
THE PLEADING WIZARD WORKS LIKE MAGIC
So, you've got to go to court with a legal pleading. Microsoft's Pleading Wizard will save you valuable time by cutting out steps you normally have to take in order to create and reuse a template.
To create a court template using the Pleading Wizard in Word:
1. Go to File | New.
2. Click on the Legal Pleadings tab.
3. Click on the Pleading Wizard.
4. Set up the court template, following the directions.
5. Compile the case file, following the directions.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
USING THE CATALOG MAIL MERGE OPTION
It's been six months since you've updated your lists and directories, and now it's time to pay the piper. An efficient way to take care of this chore is to use Word's Catalog Mail Merge feature. Catalog allows users to edit data, remerge, and generate a new document with ease. Let's assume that you have a data source containing the information you want to include in your catalog document.
Here's how to use Word's Catalog Mail Merge feature:
1. Go to Tools | Mail Merge.
2. Click Create | Catalog | Active Window.
3. Click Get Data | Open Data Source.
4. Select the data source file.
5. Click Edit Main Document.
6. Insert the fields using the Mail Merge toolbar. The fields should look the way an individual record will look, including any tabs or formatting desired.
7. Press [Enter] to insert an extra paragraph mark, which is necessary for the list.
8. Save the main document.
9. Click the Merge To New Document button on the Mail Merge toolbar, and Word will generate the catalog containing the information specified by the fields in your main document.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
ALIGNING GRAPHICS AND TEXT WILL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK
If you're designing a brochure or business report, you may want to include graphics or images. Perhaps the largest hurdle you'll have to overcome is getting the images to align with the text. The first things you need to decide are where to place the graphics and how you want the text to behave with the graphics.
Once you've done this, follow these steps to align your graphics:
1. Insert an image in the general location where you want it to appear.
2. Click on the image and a box will surround the graphic.
3. Go to Format | Picture.
4. Click the Layout tab.
5. Select the wrapping style and horizontal alignment you prefer.
6. Click Advanced.
7. Choose the option you want for the picture position.
8. Click OK twice.
9. Once you drag your image to the desired location, the text should behave accordingly.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
WHO KNEW MERGING MAIL COULD BE SO DYNAMIC?
Have you always wanted to customize your Mail Merge? How about customizing it in such a way that a dynamic piece of information could be used as the basis for determining what appears in each merged document? For example, a lending institution might send a courtesy letter to all of its customers informing them of how their existing loan rates compare to the current lending rate. If the current lending rate were lower than a customer's existing loan rate, the customer would be prompted to consider refinancing that loan.
We'll start by creating ASK fields that will prompt for the dynamic information:
1. Open the main document.
2. With the insertion point at the top of the document, click Insert Word Field on the Mail Merge toolbar and select Ask.
3. Type CurrentRate in the Bookmark text box and type the prompt: What is the current lending rate?
4. Select the Ask Once checkbox and click OK. Note: Click OK or Cancel when Word presents your prompt.
5. Back in the main document, click Insert Word Field and choose Ask again.
6. Type CustomerRate in the Bookmark text box and type the first part of the prompt: What is the current loan rate for? (We'll manually complete the prompt in a minute.)
7. Click OK, and then click OK or Cancel when Word presents your prompt.
8. Press [Alt][F9] to turn on the display of field codes.
9. Click in the second ASK field after the word "for" and type a space.
10. Use the Insert Merge Field button to insert the FirstName and LastName fields (or whatever fields you use to store customers' names) so that the ASK field looks like this: {ASK CustomerRate "What is the current rate for {MERGEFIELD FirstName} {MERGEFIELD LastName}"?}
Now, we'll manually insert an IF field that compares the two loan rates and inserts the special text if the current rate is lower than the customer's rate:
1. Position the insertion point where you want the custom information to appear.
2. Press [Ctrl][F9] to insert field braces and then type the IF field within them so that it looks like this: {IF CurrentRate < CustomerRate "Have you considered refinancing your loan?"}
3. Merge the document. Word will compare the value of CurrentRate with the CustomerRate you specify for each record, inserting the special text in the appropriate letters.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
CREATING A DOCUMENT WITH A COVER PAGE
Creating a document with a cover page is a relatively easy task, although it can be time consuming for those who seldom do it. It's very often the case that the header and/or footer elements within the body of a document are different than those of the first page or the cover. For example, you may have page numbers, the name of the document, and copyright information in the body of the document and wish to have only the copyright information appear in the footer of the cover.
You may be tempted to insert section breaks and the like, but there's an easier way to accomplish the task at hand.
1. Open the document and verify that the cover page is at the very beginning of the document.
2. Go to Insert | Page Numbers.
3. Choose the desired Position and Alignment.
4. Click to deselect the Show Number On First Page checkbox.
5. Go to Format | Start At.
6. Type a 0 (zero) in the blank area.
7. Click OK to exit the Page Number Format dialog box.
8. Click OK again to exit the Page Numbers dialog box. Now the header and footer on your cover page (page 0) will differ from those in the body of the document.
© KRMS Productions 2000
There are many options that pertain to what you see on the screen, and some of them control how your system reacts in certain situations. By changing View options, you may be able to enhance performance when it comes to scrolling through a graphics-intensive document, for example. Or, you might be able to see more of your document on the screen by turning off unused screen items. To change View options, simply go to Tools | Options | View. The View options are divided into four sections: Show, Formatting Marks, Print And Web Layout Options, and Outline And Normal Options. Each of the four sections lists a variety of options--simply enable or disable the check boxes as appropriate. It may not be clear from their descriptions what some of these options will do for your document view. The best way to learn which option does what is to use context- sensitive Help. The upper right-hand corner of the Options dialog box has a button with a question mark icon. Click it to activate context- sensitive Help (a question mark will appear beside your cursor), and then click on the text of the option you want described. A description box will appear, telling you what that option will do. Simply click again to make the description box disappear and return to the Options dialog box.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
Microsoft Word incorporates many different types of styles for text formatting. There are many preset styles in the Style Gallery, and it's also possible to create your own unique styles. Applying a style saves time because all its requisite formatting is already built-in--you don't have to apply each format individually. To use a preset style, simply highlight the text to which you want to apply the style and from the Style drop-down list (on the Formatting toolbar) choose the desired style.
To use the Style Gallery, follow these steps:
1. Press [Ctrl]A to select the entire document.
2. Go to Format | Theme | Style Gallery.
3. Select a style from the Template list on the left.
4. Click OK. If none of the preset or Gallery styles suit your taste, you can create your own.
Here's how:
1. Highlight the text to which you want to apply a unique style.
2. Go to Format | Style | New.
3. In the New Style dialog box fill in the applicable fields, define the formatting options you wish to apply (e.g., Font, Paragraph, Tabs, etc.), and click OK.
4. Click OK again to exit the New Style dialog box.
5. Click Apply.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
ADDING DYNAMIC DATA DURING A MAIL MERGE
A mail merge is an excellent way to combine a data source and main document. What if you need to add data to the mail document and this data doesn't reside in the data source? One reason the information might not be in the data source might be its dynamic nature--it changes too often. For example, let's say that a vendor provides a varying discount rate to its sales force each month based on the amount sold the previous month. A mail merge document can be used to create the letter that notifies each salesperson of his or her "new" discount rate.
Fill-in fields prompt the user completing the mail merge to enter the new discount rate for the current salesperson's data record, allowing for the entry of dynamic data into the mail merge.
1. Open the mail merge document.
2. Move cursor to where the dynamic data should go.
3. Go to Insert | Field.
4. In the resulting dialog box, highlight Mail Merge from the Categories list and Fill-In from the Field Name drop-down list and click OK.
5. Click Cancel at the prompt in order to customize the prompt that will be presented during the mail merge.
6. Select the field and right-click it. NOTE: You won't see a gray field code in your document because this field is not the same as a form field. Move your cursor to the left of where you just inserted the field and click, you'll then see a selection (a black bar).
7. Click on Toggle Field Codes. The field should read Select \*MERGEFORMAT.
8. Replace with the desired prompt (e.g., "Please enter the discount rate for...").
9. Go to Insert | Field | MergeField.
10. Choose the qualifying field (e.g., SalesRep).
11. Merge the document and a prompt will appear for each data record.
By prompting the user with specific questions during a mail merge, you increase the probability that the dynamic data with be accurate.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
There are probably plenty of words specific to your company or industry that you won't find in your dictionary but that you must regularly use in your documents. Many users get frustrated when such terms or names, even when spelled correctly, get flagged during a spell check. Teach users to enter those kinds of items into the spell check dictionary or to create a new dictionary. To add words to the Main Dictionary during a spell check, simply click Add when a correctly spelled word is flagged.
To create a new dictionary, follow these steps:
1. Go to Tools | Options | Spelling & Grammar | Dictionaries.
2. Click New.
3. In the File Name field, type a name for the new dictionary.
4. Click Save.
5. In the Custom Dictionaries dialog box, select the dictionary you just named.
6. Click Edit.
7. Type the entries, one per line.
8. Save the dictionary.
To ensure that all dictionaries are consulted during subsequent spell checks, follow these steps:
1. Go to Tools | Options | Spelling & Grammar.
2. Deselect Suggest From Main Dictionary Only.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
INSERTING A CHART INTO A DOCUMENT
Some of the data included in typical Word files, no matter how well written, is best represented with a chart. Many people grasp information more readily when it's presented in a graphical format, and others like charts just because they look snazzy! No matter the reason, it's very beneficial for users to know how to insert a chart into a Word document.
Here's how:
1. Position the cursor where you want your chart to appear.
2. Go to Insert | Picture | Chart.
3. Type your data in the data sheet that appears.
4. Click outside the datasheet to update your document.
To edit the chart, follow these steps:
1. Double-click on the chart to open it in Edit mode.
2. Edit the data by clicking on the appropriate cell and typing the new information.
3. To modify the chart format, double-click on the part of the chart that you want to modify.
4. Make your changes using the options presented in the Format Data Series dialog box and click OK.
5. Click outside the datasheet to update your document.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
CREATING MASTER AND SUBDOCUMENTS
A master document is a document that contains a set of related documents. Master documents are often used to organize large documents by dividing them into several smaller subdocuments. For example, a user might create a master document to organize chapters of a manual or report. In a networked environment, a master document can be shared with many users, allowing users to work on different subdocuments at the same time.
To create master and subdocuments, follow these steps:
1. Open a new document.
2. Switch to Outline View to create an outline.
3. Type headings that correspond to the subdocuments (e.g., Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.).
4. Select each heading individually and click the Create Subdocument button on the Outlining toolbar. Word will name each subdocument based on the headings you create.
5. Save the master document.
6. Click the Collapse Subdocuments button to see the names of each subdocument.
Note that the documents are stored in the default storage location. If you want the documents stored on a server, move the documents to a central location on the server and then edit the hyperlinks in the master document. Now each subdocument can be accessed independently before being brought into the master document.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
In the fickle world we work in, it's not surprising that users sometimes need to convert data from text to table format or vice versa. This is especially true for those with a boss who tends to change his or her mind ten times in a day. Luckily, the conversion process is not a difficult or time-consuming task.
To convert text to a table, follow these steps:
1. Select the text you want to convert.
2. Go to Table | Convert | Text To Table.
3. Specify the table size, in rows and columns.
4. Choose the AutoFit behavior you want.
5. Choose the AutoFormat option, if desired.
6. Choose the Separator option that applies to your text.
7. Click OK.
Here's how to convert a table to text:
1. Select the table you want to convert.
2. Go to Table | Convert | Table To Text.
3. Choose the Separator option that applies to your table.
4. Click OK.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
OPEN ALL THE DOCUMENTS YOU WANT
In Word 2000, when you open two or more documents at once, something completely different happens than in previous versions of Word. In Word 2000, a whole new Word window opens. In previous versions, the second (and third and fourth) files opened as individual documents within a single Word window. No matter what version of Word you use, don't be afraid to open more than one document at a time. You can leave some documents open all day, if you need to. In Word 2000, there are two ways to move between open documents. You can still open the Window menu and select a document from that list. Or you can use the Windows keyboard shortcut, [Alt][Tab], to display the taskbar and use it to cycle between open Word windows. (You'll also be able to switch to any other application that's visible on the Windows taskbar.) In versions of Word prior to Word 2000, press [Ctrl][F6] to cycle between multiple open documents. It's a bit of a stretch on the keyboard, but it makes it easy to navigate between open (maximized) documents. If you minimize a document, Word will ignore it when you're pressing [Ctrl][F6]. However, you can quickly open a minimized document by pressing [Alt]W. When the list of open files appears, just press the number associated with the file you want to view.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
A DESIGN TIP FOR YOUR USER MANUALS
When you create documentation for end users, you want your manuals to have a professional and consistent "look and feel." To create a comfortable and familiar look, try standardizing the format of the page header and footer. That way, the basic layout of your documents will always look the same, whether you're writing about how to change a Windows password or how to submit an expense report. Here's a layout scheme that looks good and is easy to set up. In the header of every page, center the title of the document. Underneath the title, draw a line extending from left margin to right margin. In the footer, center the word "Page" and the page number. On a new line, type three equal signs in a row and press [Enter]; Word will create a margin-to-margin double line for you.
To illustrate, here's a crude sample layout using plain text and equal signs.
In the header:
Ourware User Guide
======================================================================
In the footer:
Page 1
If you frequently upgrade your documentation, you can stamp the header and footer with the document name or version. If not, print that information on the first (or last) page of the document. Here are a couple of other suggestions: For the title, you may want to use a font that's significantly larger than the document text. Also, leaving a blank line between the line in the header and the first line of text can also make a document more visually appealing. To do so, just press [Enter] to insert an extra line after the line in the header.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
TWO TIPS TO ENSURE YOU NEVER LOSE YOUR WORK
Whether you're writing a novel or maintaining sensitive corporate documents, few things hurt as much as losing a file. No matter what the circumstances, and no matter who or what's to blame, you get a sinking feeling when you have to redo work. Here are two tips to help you avoid that feeling for good. First, make a backup set. You don't have to buy a crate of disks and point Microsoft Backup at your entire hard drive. Just create a folder on your desktop called My Backups. Then make a point to drag copies of your important files into that folder. (If you're using Windows 9x and you keep all of your files in My Documents, drag that whole folder into the My Backups folder. If you're using NT, copy the appropriate Personal folder.) The first time you do this, Windows will copy the whole folder. On subsequent backups, the system will ask if you want to overwrite files with the same names. Just answer Yes To All at the first prompt, and you'll create relatively safe, up-to-date copies of all of your files. It's a low-tech backup plan, to be sure. But if you accidentally trash a document in your main folder, you'll have ready access to a recent backup copy. The second tip is to get into the [Ctrl]S habit. In almost all Windows applications, [Ctrl]S saves the current file under the current name. Every few minutes, press [Ctrl]S, especially during bad weather
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
USING SAVE AS FOR VERSION CONTROL
How do you create a new document based on an existing one? You could rename a copy of the file on the Windows desktop. Or you could open the source document and use the File menu's Save As option to create, under a new name, an exact duplicate of the original. Then you're free to start editing away, and the original file remains safe and sound in its existing location. A basic approach to version control is to add a number or date to the end of the filename. Press [Alt]F,A (or click File | Save As) to open the Save As dialog box. Word by default selects the existing filename. Press the RIGHT ARROW key once to deselect the filename (or click on the right side of the field), type the version information, and then press [Enter] or click Save. If your system is set to display file extensions, you'll first have to place the cursor between the primary filename and the extension before typing the version info. Now your documents folder will display filenames showing version information, such as Mycontract1, Mycontract2, Mycontract20000701, Mycontract20000702, Userguide11point, Userguide14point, and so on.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
FINE-TUNING THE POSITION OF AN OBJECT
One thing that drives most Word users crazy is trying to use the mouse to perfectly position a graphic image, a text box, or any of the shapes you create with the Drawing toolbar. Here's what happens. You click on the object, the cursor changes to the four-arrow directional cursor, and you start dragging the object around in your document. (With a text box, you have to click once to select it and then click on the border to get the mouse to change to the directional cursor.) All too often, you overshoot your mark. You can't get the object precisely where you want it, so it's not aligned with the other objects or text in your document. Once you've selected an object, you can also move it by pressing the up, down, left, or right arrow keys. Unfortunately, doing so moves the object one character or one line at a time, and it's still hard to hit your mark. Here's the trick that can help you fine-tune the position of your object exactly: Click on the object once to select it; then, hold down the [Ctrl] key while you press any of the arrow keys. When you hold down [Ctrl] and press an arrow key, the object moves in very tiny increments (about a point or so at a time). You'll be able to move any object exactly where you want it! Then press [Esc] to deselect the object.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
SAVE TIME WITH THESE AUTOCORRECT TIPS
If you've ever typed "teh," you've probably noticed that Word's AutoCorrect feature, when turned on, fixes "the" misspelled word for you. That's because "teh" is on the default AutoCorrect list that ships with Word. Another built-in AutoCorrect item is the letter "I." When you type a lowercase "i" by itself, the program assumes you mean capital "I." But AutoCorrect does more than just correct commonly misspelled words. You and your users can save thousands of keystrokes by using AutoCorrect as a text-expanding tool. Just identify the words or phrases that appear frequently in your documents, and use the AutoCorrect feature to set up your own keyboard shorthand for those words or phrases. To create an AutoCorrect entry, open the Tools menu and choose AutoCorrect. Click the AutoCorrect tab (if it isn't selected by default), and type the two- or three-letter abbreviation you want to use for your keyboard shortcut in the Replace field. Then press [Tab] and type the full word or phrase in the With field. Click the Add button to add that AutoCorrect entry to the list and click OK. If, for example, you frequently type letters, you may want to use AutoCorrect to replace mr with Mr., mrs with Mrs., ms with Ms., and dr with Dr. Then all you have to do to type Mrs. is enter mrs and press [Space]. You'll never again have to bother pressing the [Shift] key or typing the periods!
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
USING ELECTRONIC WHITEOUT ON IMAGES
When you're documenting a custom application, how do you deal with screen shots containing information that might compromise someone's confidentiality? One alternative to using "live" data, such as Social Security numbers or telephone numbers, is to use "dummy" or scrambled data. But if you don't have a dummy database available, Word's Drawing toolbar provides a great tool to "white out" parts of your screen shots while preserving the look and feel of the application. Just place your screen shots in your document, click the Drawing toolbar's Rectangle tool, and draw a rectangle over the sensitive data. Then click on the rectangle and drag the border to shrink or enlarge it. You can also select the rectangle and position it by holding down the [Ctrl] key and pressing the arrow keys. By default, the rectangle will probably be white with a black border. To change the rectangle's appearance, right-click on the rectangle and choose the Format AutoShape option from the Context menu. To remove the border, click the Colors And Lines tab and, in the Line section, select the Color field's No Line option. If you want the rectangle to be some color other than white, just click on the Color field in the Fill section and select a new color from the palette. With this technique, you don't have to obliterate all the data. For instance, with 10-digit phone numbers, you might simply cover up the last seven numbers, leaving the area codes intact.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
How do you change the color of new or existing text? If you use the Font dialog box, you typically open the Format menu, choose Font, click on the Color field, select a color from the palette, then click OK. (Or, unless you've remapped your keyboard and assigned some other function to [Ctrl]D, you can press that shortcut combination to summon the Font dialog box.) But when you need green type one minute and blue the next, consider these alternatives to the Font dialog box. First, you can change the color of new or selected text with just two clicks using the Font Color tool. (It's on both the Formatting and Drawing toolbars. It's the one with the big "A" above a horizontal bar. If you don't see your Formatting or Drawing toolbars, open the View menu, select Toolbars, and choose one of them.) The first time you change the color, click on the tiny dropdown arrow, not on the "A" itself. The color palette will appear, and with a second click on a new color, you've set the color of the text you'd selected and for any new text you type. Now the Font Color button will reflect the color you just picked (in the bar under the "A"). From this point forward, you can click on the "A" to start typing new text in that color and change selected text the same way. Click on the dropdown arrow only when you want to select a new color.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
SAVE PAPER WITH WORD'S COLUMNS
Recently, we suggested that using Word's Print Preview feature more often will help users save paper. Our hypothesis is that the more things you fix onscreen before printing a draft, the fewer drafts you'll have to print. Here's another way for you and your users to save paper with Word: Use the Columns feature. All too often, someone disseminates a hard copy of a report or list that's 10 pages long but only contains an inch or so of columnar text on each page. You can cut in half the number of printed pages in such a document simply by taking advantage of Word's Columns feature. Here's how it works. You don't even have to select any text. Just click the Columns icon on the Formatting toolbar. When you do, a drop-down menu appears that's rather cryptic because its four vertical panels are identical, and the only text is Cancel. But when you move your mouse over the panels, each column will in turn highlight, and tip text will tell you that they represent one, two, three, and four columns, respectively. Click on the appropriate panel to reformat your whole document. (The "1 Column" option simply keeps or restores the document's original margin settings.) Selecting a two-, three-, or four-column setting will lay out the text in "snaking" columns, as in telephone books. If a document contains nothing but a series of short text entries, you'll get more text per page, and you'll print fewer pages per report.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
We've observed a bizarre behavior in Word 97. Type three asterisks in a row in a Word 97 document and press [Enter]. The program will assume you want a margin-to-margin border, and it will replace those asterisks with a fancy line. But what if you don't want the fancy line--you only want three asterisks in a row? If you catch yourself immediately after you press [Enter], just undo the change by pressing [Ctrl]Z or clicking the Undo Typing button on Word's Standard toolbar. If you notice the unwanted line too late, you may have made so many changes to the document that you can't undo the fancy line no matter how many times you press [Ctrl]Z. The conventional "select-and-delete" approaches don't always work either. You can select it, press [Delete], and it stays there.
Here's the trick:
1. Press [Enter] just above and below the fancy line.
2. Select the top blank line and continue through to one line past the fancy line.
3. Instead of pressing [Delete], open the Format menu and choose Borders And Shading.
4. In the Setting section, click the icon labeled None, and then click OK. Doing so should make that border go away!
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
CHECKING THINGS OFF YOUR TO-DO LIST
Here's a great way to use Word as your electronic project manager. Create a document for your to-do list that consists of a table with at least five columns, starting with Date, Description, Due By, and Status. Key in the things you need to be reminded to do, including the date you assigned it to yourself and the date by which the task must be done. In the Status field, type notes to yourself about where you are and what you need to do. But when you complete a task, don't type Done or Fini or Completed in the Status column. Instead, select the whole table row and format it for Strikethrough. (To do so, open the Format menu, choose Font, enable the check box for Strikethrough, and click OK.) There's just something satisfying about popping open your to-do list document and knowing you don't even have to read the items that have been struck through. The benefit is that whether you read this document onscreen or in a hard copy, you know at a glance which items have been completed and which haven't. And here's a bonus tip: Once you've formatted one item with the Strikethrough option, you never again have to go back to the Font dialog. Just click once in any of the completed items and click the Format Painter tool in the Standard toolbar. Doing so picks up the strikethrough format. Just select the table row you want to "paint" with the strikethrough brush.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
MAKING PRINTOUTS EASIER TO PROOFREAD
When you and your users print a document for someone to proofread and edit the old-fashioned way--with pen or pencil--you have a duty to leave some white space. Give your editor (or your boss, coworker, or significant other--whoever is helping) plenty of room to write. No one needs the hassle of trying to deal with insertions, changes, and questions scrawled over the printed text, in all the margins, or on colored sticky notes. Here's one way to make manual editing an easier job. To begin, create the draft with whatever margin and line-spacing options you need for the final document (there's no need sacrificing WYSIWYG for the sake of an editing pass) and save your work. Then, before you print the draft, change the right margin to 4 inches, so that the printable area is only a few inches or so wide (depending on the width of your left margin). Of course, you'll use more paper this way, but you'll have a hefty column of white space on the right side of the page for editorial comments. After you print the draft in that format, either close the document without saving it, or press [Ctrl]Z to undo the change to the margin setting.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
ANOTHER TIP FOR MAKING PRINTOUTS EASIER TO EDIT
Yesterday, we showed you how changing the right margin can free up room for editorial comments when your colleagues are proofreading printed documents. Even if your editors like the idea of extra white space, some of them may not like that extra-wide margin. Fortunately, there's another way to let your proofreaders have their white space and edit in it, too. If your editors don't like the right-margin trick, here's another way to add white space: Double-space your document. Here's how. Changing vertical spacing is easy. Press [Ctrl]A to select the whole document (or select just the sections of text that you want to double- space). Then open the Format menu and choose Paragraph. When the Paragraph dialog box appears, select Double from the Line Spacing drop- down list, and press [Enter] or click OK. Print the document in that format, then exit the document without saving the changes (or press [Ctrl]Z to undo the change to the vertical spacing).
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
DON'T BE BASHFUL ABOUT USING TEXT BORDERS
Here's a great timesaving tip. Suppose you want to print a paragraph enclosed by a border. Do you have to go to the trouble of creating a text box? The answer is absolutely not! Just select the paragraph, making sure to select the paragraph mark (hard return). Then open the Format menu, select Borders And Shading, and click the Borders tab. In the Setting section, click an icon to select a pre-defined border style (or click Custom to design your own). Then click OK. When you do, Word will draw the border around the paragraph you've selected. You aren't limited to adding borders to paragraphs. You can add a border to a letter, a word, or an entire page. Here's a useful application for this tip. Suppose you're documenting an application and you want to underscore the need to press a particular key by including an illustration of the key in your text. You could try to locate an image of such a key, but that might take some time. Instead, just type the key's letter, number, or other text, and then select it. Follow the steps above, choosing the Shadow border option to create the image of a key.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
BUMP YOUR RUF SETTING UP TO NINE
If you teach beginning Word 97/2000 users, showing them how to use the Recently Used File (RUF) list is a guaranteed hit. You press [Alt]F or click on File, and at the bottom of the File menu, you'll see a numbered list of the files you've used most recently. You can open one of those files by typing its number or by clicking on it. Using the RUF list is usually faster than using the Open feature. Whether you use the File menu's Open option or click on the Standard toolbar's Open tool, you still have to navigate to the file you want. The File menu offers two-click access to the documents you've recently opened. By default, Word displays only four entries in the RUF list. However, you can increase that number to a maximum of nine, and why not do it? (Sure, it requires a bit more of Word's resources to remember those extra four files, but the added convenience is worth it.) To customize the MRU setting, open the Tools menu and choose Options. Click the General tab and increase the value of the Entries field beside the Recently Used File List option.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
PUT ANY TOOLBAR RIGHT IN YOUR FACE
No matter which version of Word you use, Toolbars save precious time and make you more productive. To display a toolbar, open the View menu, choose Toolbars, and click on a toolbar option. When you do, Word displays the new toolbar on your screen. The problem is that Word by default puts different toolbars in different locations and forms. The thing toolbar enthusiasts often overlook is the ability to customize a toolbar's location and shape. Suppose you like all of your toolbars in horizontal rows at the top of your screen. When Word displays a new toolbar floating out in the top- right corner of your screen, click on it and drag it under the other horizontal toolbars. When the "ghost" image of the toolbar you're dragging changes from its original shape to a thin, horizontal rectangle, release the mouse. On the other hand, for convenient access, you can drag any horizontal toolbar out into your document area at any time. Just click on the "handle," that heavy white, shadowed line at the far-left edge of the toolbar (or click in the space between any two icons on the toolbar--a bit trickier, but possible), and drag. The "ghost" outline image of the toolbar will be a rectangle. Drag it to where you want it and release the mouse. To fine-tune that rectangular shape, click on the borders to make the floating rectangle taller and thinner or shorter and wider.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
PUT SOME MOTION IN YOUR DOCUMENTS
In many companies, no one prints and copies memos and sends them via office mail any more. Now we exchange fancy documents as e-mail attachments. Word provides many tools to help you capture the undivided attention of your reader and focus in on your most important points. Everybody uses bold fonts and bulleted lists, but to kick your documents up a notch, try formatting key words, phrases, and paragraphs with Word's Animation or Text Effects properties. Just select some text, open the Format menu, choose Font, and click the Animation tab (or Text Effects tab, if you're using Word 2000). To draw attention to an important part of your document, try formatting the title as Blinking Background. When the document is open, the formatted text will blink, alternating between normal text (black on white background) and highlighted text (white on black background). The Marching Red Ants and Marching Black Ants effects display a broken- line border that rotates around the text you format. Those draw attention to a section without creating too much of a distraction. Save the Las Vegas Lights or the Sparkle Text styles for when you're sending around a note about a company social activity or a birthday party. Obviously, those styles aren't appropriate for most business writing. Shimmer is an effect you also probably want to avoid. Just previewing it in the Font dialog box is enough to give you a headache.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
A DESIGN TIP FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Content is usually more important than appearance. But if you're writing a novel, a user's manual, a marketing brochure, an annual report, or any other document where you enjoy the luxury of creative flexibility, try using drop caps for dramatic effect. Creating a "drop cap" means formatting the first letter of a sentence with an oversized, ornate look. You don't have to select any text. Just click anywhere in the paragraph whose first letter you want to change to a drop cap. Open the Format menu and choose the Drop Cap option. Then click either Dropped or In Margin. The Dropped option keeps the drop cap within the text margins, and the In Margin option displays the drop cap just outside the left margin. (Use the None option to undo a drop cap setting.)
When you choose Dropped or In Margin, you can change three attributes before you click OK:
* The font for the drop cap
* The height of the drop cap
* The amount of space between the drop cap and the text
When you click OK, Word will insert a text box with the first letter of the current paragraph. It will be formatted using the options you selected. Press one of the arrow keys or click in the text to deselect the text box. If you don't like the way the drop cap looks, change it by re-opening the Drop Cap dialog box.
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000
There's nothing in the world wrong with using Word's toolbars and menus to format text. However, once you've discovered the speed and efficiency of formatting text using these keyboard shortcuts, you may never reach for your mouse again. Create a new document, enter some sample text, and practice these formatting tricks.
A CASE FOR CHANGE
Select some text and press [Shift][F3]. Each time you do, Word will change the format of the selected text, cycling between Initial Caps, ALL CAPS, and all lowercase letters.
A CAPITAL IDEA
Many Word users format speeches and other documents using the "small capitals" style. With that style, every letter is a capital letter, but the "capital" (shifted) small caps are taller than the unshifted letters. Try it for yourself. Select some text, and press [Ctrl][Shift]K.
CAP EVERYTHING OFF
If you want to quickly change all of the selected text to capital letters, press [Ctrl][Shift]A. To undo that change, press [Ctrl][Shift]A again. (You can also press [Ctrl]Z or click the Undo button.)
Technical Tips © KRMS Productions 2000