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Word Tips

View an alphabetical listing of Word Tech Tips

Change Heading Styles in Word

To quickly change a heading style in Word, click in the line containing the heading and use these keyboard shortcuts:

	Ctrl + Alt + 1 to apply Heading 1 style to current paragraph
	Ctrl + Alt + 2 to apply Heading 2 style to current paragraph
	Ctrl + Alt + 3 to apply Heading 3 style to current paragraph

This tip works in Word 2007 as well as earlier versions.
 

Remove Formatting in Word 2007

To remove formatting in Word 2007:

	Select text
	Click the Home button on the Ribbon
	In the Font group, click the clear formatting button

Inserting Line Numbers in Word 2007

	Click the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon
	In the Page Setup group, click Line Numbers
	Select options from the menu

You can have line numbers run continuously through your document. You can also have the line numbering restart on each page or following section breaks.
 

Using Quick Parts in Microsoft Word 2007

Quick parts is a new feature in Word 2007 which allows you to add preformatted boilerplate text to documents. The text can be used as often as you need. For example, you can use Quick Parts to insert cover pages, footers with page numbers, tables, text boxes, watermarks, and more.

To use Word 2007's Quick Parts:

	Click Insert on the Ribbon
	In the Text group, click Quick Parts
	Click Building Blocks Organizer to browse the list of building blocks
	To preview an item, click it and it appears in the pane to the right
	When you find an item you'd like to insert, select it and click Insert
	Or click Close to close the dialog box without inserting anything

Inserting the Filename and Path in Word 2007 Header/Footers

1. Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon

2. In the Header & Footer group, click Header or Footer

3. Select Edit Header or Footer

4. In the Insert group, click Quick Parts and then Field

5. From Field menu scroll down and select FileName from the Field name list

6. Choose the desired Format

7. Select Add path to filename, if desired

8. Click OK
    

Viewing and Navigating Documents in Word 2007

To view a document's organization and jump to different sections:

	Click the View tab on the ribbon
	In the show/hide group, click Document Map

When working on a longer document use Thumbnail view to navigate:

	Click the View tab on the ribbon
	In the show/hide group, click Thumbnails

Lengthen Your List of Recently Used Documents in Word 2007

To increase the number of documents displayed on the recently used documents list:

	Click the Office button
	Click the Word Options button
	Click Advanced
	Scroll down to the display options and select Show this number of Recent Documents
	Click OK

Using BookMarks in Word 2007

There are many ways to move through a long document in Microsoft Word 2007 − such as the PgUp or PgDn keys or clicking the scroll bar. Or, you can use a bookmark.

To create a bookmark in a document:

	Click where you want the bookmark to go
	Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
	In the Links group, click Bookmark (or press Ctrl+Shift+F5)
	Type a descriptive name in the Bookmark Name box. (You cannot include spaces in bookmark names.)
	Click the Add button

 To go to a bookmark:

	Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
	In the Links group, click Bookmark (or press Ctrl+Shift+F5)
	Double-click the name of the bookmark (or select it and click the Go To button)
	Click the close button or press Enter

Entering the Current Date in Word 2007

	Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
	In the Text group, click Date and Time
	Choose the desired date format
	If you want the date to be updated every time you open the document, turn on the “update automatically” check box
	Click on OK

Save Word 2007 Frequently Used Tables

To easily enter frequently used tables in Word 2007, save the table in the Quick Tables gallery. Here's how:

	Select the table
	Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
	In the Tables group, click Table
	Point to Quick Tables
	At the bottom of the Built-In menu click Save Selection to Quick Tables Gallery
	Name your table and click OK

Change Default Location for Saving Files in Word 2007

In Microsoft Word 2007, to change the default location for opening and saving files:

	Click the Office button
	Click the Word Options button at the bottom of the window
	Click Save to display the “Customize how documents are saved.” information
	Click the Browse button next to Default File location
	Locate the folder that you would like to set as the default file location
	Click the folder to select it and click OK
	Click OK again to complete the change

Creating a Table of Contents in Word 2007

Before you use the Table of Contents feature, be sure you've applied the built-in styles (for example, Heading 1 and Heading 2) to the headings and subheadings in your document which you want included in the TOC.

Once you have done that, to insert a TOC at the beginning or end of your document:

1. Click where you want to insert the TOC
2. Click the References tab on the Ribbon
3. In the Table of Contents group click the Table of Contents button
4. Select from one of the Built-in Styles from the TOC gallery and the TOC is immediately created, OR
5. Click Insert Table of Contents to display a dialog box which allows you to customize the appearance of the TOC, then click OK
    

Entering the Euro in Word 2007

To enter the Euro symbol in Word 2007, use this simple keyboard shortcut:
 

	Hold down the Alt key and the Ctrl key
	Type the letter e

This trick also works in earlier versions
 

Create a Cent Sign in Word

To create a cent sign in Word using a keyboard shortcut:

	Hold down the Ctrl key and press /
	Type the letter c

This tip works in Word 2007 and in older versions as well.
 

Remove Extra Space Between Paragraphs in Word 2007

By default Word 2007 adds a space between paragraphs. You cannot delete this space by backspacing. 

To turn off the space between paragraphs, follow these steps:

	Click the Home tab
	In the Paragraph group, click the small arrow in the lower right corner to display the Paragraph dialog box
	Select “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style"
	Click OK

To remove the space between paragraphs already typed simply select the text and follow the above steps.  This only affects the current document. To change this default for all documents, click the Default button in the Paragraph dialog box.
 

Creating Lines in Word 2007

One of my favorite shortcuts from previous versions of Word still works in Word 2007! To create lines across the page of a Word document:

	Type three consecutive hyphens and press Enter for a normal line
	Type three underscores and press Enter for a bold line
	Type three equal signs and press Enter for a double line

These lines extend from the left margin to the right margin and the size of these lines will change if you change the margins of your document or if you change the orientation from Portrait to Landscape.
 

AutoCorrect in Word 2007

Word ‘s AutoCorrect feature corrects typos and misspellings as they occur. For example, if you accidentally type “abbout” Word changes it to “about” — saving you time and eliminating errors. AutoCorrect is also used for entering special symbols.  For example (c) is automatically changed to the  copyright symbol ©.  This feature is very handy for entering frequently typed words or phrases.

To customize AutoCorrect in Word 2007:
 

	Click the Office button
	Select the Word Options button
	Click Proofing in the left pane
	Click the AutoCorrect Options button
	Select the AutoCorrect tab
	In the Replace box type the abbreviation
	In the With box enter the full word or words you would like replaced
	Click Add
	Click OK

Click here if you are using an earlier version of Word.
 

Add a Drop Cap in Word

A drop cap is when the first letter of the first word of a paragraph is displayed in a large font. To add a drop cap to a Word document:

	Position your cursor at the beginning of a paragraph where you would like to see a drop cap
	Choose Format from the pull-down menu
	Choose Drop Cap
	From the Drop Cap dialog box, choose the style and font for the drop cap
	Click OK

Using Mail Merge in Microsoft Word

Mail Merge is a feature in Microsoft Word that allows you to create documents that are basically the same but contain variable information, such as a form letter.  Mail Merge is also used to create envelopes, labels, and lists.  The following articles on the Microsoft Support Web site will help you learn to use this amazing tool:

Word mail merge: A walk through the process

How to design and set up a mail merge address list in Word

How to use mail merge to create form letters in Word

How to create mailing labels by using Mail Merge in Word

How to use mail merge to create a directory in Word
 

Entering the Current Date in Word

	Select Insert from the pull-down menu
	Choose Date and Time
	Choose the desired date format
	If you want the date to display the current date every time you open the document, turn on the “update automatically” check box
	Click OK

Type a Cent Sign

	Press Ctrl + /
	Type c

Transpose Names in Microsoft Word

Have you ever entered a column of names and then wanted to transpose them?  For example:

	Choose Edit from the pull-down menu
	Choose Replace to display the Find and Replace dialog box
	Make sure Use wildcards is checked (If it is not visible, click More, and then select the check box.)
	Enter the following characters in the Find what box: (<*>) (<*>) (Be sure to include a space between the two sets of parentheses.)
	Enter the following characters in the Replace with box: \2, \1 (Make sure you include a space between the comma and the second slash.)
	Click Replace to make sure the expression works.
	Click Replace All to make all the replacements (Be sure you have previously selected ONLY the names you want replaced otherwise this can be risky business! But remember, you can always press Ctrl+Z to undo replacements.)

Word transposes the names and separates them with a comma. For more information on using expressions in Microsoft Word, go to: office.microsoft.com
 

Using Paste Special in Word

When copying text into a Word document from another file or from the Web, Word will format the text to match the original file. To make sure the pasted text uses the formatting in the destination document, try this:

	Copy text
	Select Edit from the pull-down menu
	Choose Paste Special
	Choose Unformatted Text

Change the Default Directory for Saving Files

In Microsoft Word you can change the default directory that is used to open and save files.

	Click Tools from the pull-down menu
	Click Options
	Click on the File Locations tab
	Double click on Documents from the left column to open the Modify Locations dialog box
	Locate the folder that you would like to set as the default documents directory
	Click the directory to select it and click OK
	Click OK again to complete the change

Word's Built-In Calculator

Did you know that you can add a calculator to Word's toolbars?  To use this feature:

1. Select View from the pull-down menu
2. Choose Toolbars
3. Select Customize
4. Select the Commands tab
5. Choose Tools
6. Select Tools Calculate in the list of commands
7. Drag it to a toolbar

Count Words in a Word Document

When writing a report, essay, article or other document that has word count requirements, you can quickly find out how many words, lines, paragraphs, and pages are in the document.

	Click "Tools" from the pull-down menu
	Select "Word Count"

Using AutoSummarize in Word

An interesting little-known feature of word can help you summarize long documents. To use AutoSummarize:

1. Select Tools from the pull-down menu
2. Choose AutoSummarize.
3. In the AutoSummarize dialog box, select from the four summary options:

	Highlight key points
	Insert an executive summary or abstract at the top of the document
	Create a new document and put the summary there
	Hide everything but the summary without leaving the original document

4. In the Percent of Original drop-down box, select the length of the summary and click OK

If you don't want Word to update the file properties, deselect the Update Document Statistics check box.
 

Close all Open Files in Excel or Word

	Hold down the shift key
	Select "File" from the pull-down menu
	Click "Close All"

Insert the Euro Symbol with AutoCorrect

Last week we learned that typing 20ac and pressing Alt X will enter the Euro symbol on all keyboards. Another Word keyboard shortcut for entering the euro symbol is to hold down the Alt key, the Ctrl key, and the E key at the same time, and Word will enter the €

However, if you find it is easier to remember the word euro, you can add it to Autocorrect.  Here’s how:

1. Select Tools from the pull-down menu
2. Select Autocorrect options to display the Autocorrect dialog box
3. Make sure the Autocorrect tab is selected
4. Enter the word euro in the Replace box of the AutoCorrect dialog box
5. Place your cursor in the With box, and hold down Ctrl + Alt + E. Word will enter the € symbol in the With box
6. Click the Add button. Now whenever you type euro, Word will instantly put the symbol into your document

In the future, if you need to display the word euro you can press undo immediately after the word has been replaced with the symbol €.  This is how you undo individual autocorrect changes.  (Remember: you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctr + Z to undo as well as clicking the undo button or selecting Edit undo from the pull-down menu.)

Insert Euro Symbol in Word

The following keyboard shortcut is just one way to insert the Euro symbol €:

Type 20ac, and then press ALT+X.

This trick should work on all keyboards. In following weeks we will bring you more ways to create this important new symbol.
 

Typing Accented Characters in Word

All of the accented characters can be typed using a shortcut key combination. To do this, press [Ctrl] and the second symbol together, let go, then type the letter.

Keeping Titles With Body Text In Word

If you type a title for a paragraph near the end of a page, and then type the paragraph below it, the paragraph might go to the next page.  To keep the title with the paragraph, use the Keep with Next command:

1. Select the paragraphs

2. Pull down the Format menu and choose Paragraph

3. Click on the Line and Page Breaks tab

4. Turn on Keep with next

5. Click on OK
    

Change Font Sizes Quickly in Word

Shrinking a Document to Fit on a Page in Word

When printing a document and you need to fit one or two lines on a page, use the "Shrink to Fit" feature to fit everything on the page.

	Choose File from the pull-down menu
	Select Print Preview

Click on the Shrink to Fit button

Microsoft Word Online Tutorial

If you’re trying to learn to use Microsoft Word, try this online tutorial developed by Florida Gulf Coast University:

Or go to www.fgcu.edu
 

Track Changes to Word Documents

When a document is returned to you, it can be difficult to see changes others made. Word has a feature which allows you to see these changes.

1. Open the edited copy of the document.
2. Select Tools from the pull-down menu
3. Click Compare and Merge Documents.
4. Select the original document, click the arrow next to Merge, and then do one of the following:

	To display the results of the comparison in the original document, click Merge.
	To display the results in the currently open document, click Merge into current document.
	To display the results in a new document, click Merge into new document.

For Word 97/2000: Click Tools. Go to Track Changes. Click Compare Document. Find the original Word document and click it once so it is highlighted. Click Open.
 

View Formatting in Word

Use the Reveal Formatting task pane in Word 2002 to view a description of any text in your document. Use it to modify or clear the formatting; compare the formatting of different selections, or find blocks of text with similar formatting. To use Reveal Formatting:

1. Select the text you want to examine or reformat

2. Choose Format from the pull-down menu

3. Select Reveal Formatting

4. Do any of the following:

	To change any formatting properties, click one of the underlined commands from within the task pane, and then change any options you want in the dialog box that appears.
	To determine the formatting source, such as whether the formatting comes from a style, select the Distinguish style source check box.
	To show formatting marks, such as paragraph marks and tabs, select the Show all formatting marks check box.
	To format a text selection like the text that surrounds it, select the text. In the Selected text box, click the arrow, and then click Apply Formatting of Surrounding Text.
	To view a feature-by-feature comparison of your text selection with another block of text, select the Compare to another section check box and then select another block of text.

Sorting a Table in Word

Did you know you could sort information in a Word table?  In other words, you can rearrange the rows in a table by text or numbers, in ascending order (A to Z or zero to 9) or descending order (Z to A or 9 to zero).

To sort a table:

1. Click in the table you want to sort by
2. Select Table from the pull-down menu
3. Choose Sort

Or you can:

1. Click in the column you want to sort by
2. Click one of the Sort buttons on the Table and Borders toolbar

Automatically Correct Typos

Word corrects many typos as you enter them. You can use Word's AutoCorrect feature to correct the typos that you make often and enter hard-to-spell words or long names on the fly.

To change the settings and make AutoCorrect work for you, choose Tools, AutoCorrect. The AutoCorrect dialog box appears.

	Remove the check marks from the AutoCorrect features that you don't want
	If a word that you often misspell isn't on the list, add it to the list and have Word correct it automatically by entering the misspelling in the Replace box, entering the correct spelling in the With box, and clicking the Add button

Fast Formatting

To use this feature:

	Click on the text which you want to copy a format from, click .  Format Painter copies the text formatting of the area where the cursor is located
	Next, "paint" the copied formatting into other parts of the document by simply highlighting text with the painbrush cursor
	By double-clicking on the Format Painter icon, you can apply the copied formatting repeatedly until you press Esc

The Format Painter Paintbrush icon should appear by default on the standard toolbar. To add it to the toolbar, go to Tools Commands, navigate to Format, and drag the Paintbrush icon to a toolbar
 

Keyboard Shortcuts for Word

Following is a list of keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Word. Many of these also work in Excel, PowerPoint, Access and other Windows programs.

Navigate Word Documents by Using the Table of Contents

When writing long documents in Microsoft Word, you'll find the table of contents (TOC) is an indispensable tool—even if you don't include the TOC in your final draft! Why? The TOC creates internal links (similar to the ones you find on a Web page) that you can use to quickly navigate a document as you work. And, if you're already using styles, adding a TOC is easy.

First, be sure that you've applied either built-in (for example, Heading 1 and Heading 2) or custom styles to all headings and subheadings in your document. To learn about how to use styles in Word, read David Schell's Reveal and Adjust Text Formatting in Word 2002 tip.

Once you have done that, you can insert a TOC at the beginning or end of your document. To do so:

1. Click where you want to insert the TOC
2. On the Insert menu, point to Reference, and click Index and Tables
3. Click the Table of Contents tab
4. Click Options and make sure a TOC level number appears next to every heading you want to include in your TOC
5. Select any other TOC options you want

Now, to go to a specific section in your document, click the corresponding page number in the TOC while holding down the CTRL key. To return to the TOC, click the Go to TOC button on the Outlining toolbar.

Note: To make the Outlining toolbar visible, open the View menu, point to Toolbars, and click Outlining.

This tip comes to us from www.microsoft.com, courtesy of Vicky Fling, Dickson, Tennessee.
 

Add a Watermark to a Word Document

1. Open a new, blank document. Type your report, and format it
   OR Open a document you've been working on and to which you would like to add a background image
    
2. When you are ready to place text or a picture in the background of the document, select Background from the Format menu, and then select Printed Watermark

3. Select either Picture watermark or Text watermark from the dialog box

If you select Picture watermark, click Select Picture, and then choose the picture you would like to use. Decide whether you want to scale the picture or wash it out (make it pale).

If you select Text watermark, either select one of the options in the Text drop-down list, or type your own text in the box. Set the font, size, and color that you want for your text.

TIP: Light gray text works especially well.

Finally, select either Diagonal or Horizontal, and then click OK.

You will now see your watermarked picture or text on the background of each page. Scroll down to take a peek. If you don't see the watermark, select Print Layout on the View menu.

4. If you need to move the background text or picture, first choose Header and Footer from the View menu, and then drag the text or picture elsewhere on the page. When you're finished, click the Close button on the Header and Footer toolbar

This tip comes to us from the www.microsoft.com/education
 

Selecting Text in Word

Have you ever had trouble selecting text with the mouse, especially between pages, and you just can't seem to get that pesky thing to stop?  One of my favorite tricks is selecting with the keyboard because you have total control over where the selection starts and stop.  To select text with the keyboard, position the cursor at the beginning of the selection, hold down the Shift key and move the cursor arrows.

	To select to the end of a line: Shift + End
	To select to the beginning of a line: Shift + Home
	To select everything in the document: Ctrl A

Selecting text with the mouse:

	To select a word: point to the word and double-click
	To select a sentence: hold down the Ctrl key, point to the sentence, and click
	To select a paragraph: position the cursor within the paragraph and triple click

Most of these tricks also work in Excel, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Access, and other Microsoft Windows-based programs.
 

White on Black Text

White text in a black box is an attention-grabbing technique. First create a black background, then white-colored text.

1. Mark your text as a block
2. Choose Format, Borders and Shading
3. Select the Shading panel
4. Click the black square in the Fill area
5. Click OK to exit the Borders and Shading dialog box
6. Click the Capital A or Font Color tool on the toolbar
7. Choose White
    

Remove All Formatting in Word

To remove formatting from text in a Microsoft Word document:

	Select the text or press Ctrl A to select all text
	Hold the [Ctrl] key
	Press the Shift and N keys

Remove Unwanted Formatting in Word

To remove formatting from text in a Microsoft Word document:

	Select the text
	Hold the [Ctrl] key
	Press the space bar

Creating Lines in Word

Shortcuts for creating lines across the page of a Word document:

	Type three consecutive hyphens and press Enter for a normal line
	Type three underscores and press Enter for a bold line
	Type three equal signs and press Enter for a double line

If it doesn't work, check this:

1. Select Tools from the pull-down menu

2. Select AutoCorrect Options

3. Click the tab AutoFormat as you type

4. In the Apply as you type section -- make sure Border lines has a check mark next to it
    

Using BookMarks in Word

There are many ways to move through a long document in Microsoft Word -- such as the PgUp or PgDn keys or clicking the scroll bar. Or, you can use a bookmark.

To create a bookmark in a document:

1. Click where you want the bookmark to go
2. Choose Insert, Bookmark (or press Ctrl+Shift+F5)
3. Type a descriptive name in the Bookmark Name box. (You cannot include spaces in bookmark names.)
4. Click the Add button

To go to a bookmark:

1. Choose Insert, Bookmark
2. Double-click the bookmark or select it and click the Go To button
3. Click Cancel or press Enter
    

Creating Custom Bulleted Lists

Word comes with many fonts that contain unusual characters. You can use these fonts to create bulleted lists that give your document a distinctive look.

1. Create a document that uses Word's automatic bulleted list feature
2. With your mouse, select the entire bulleted list
3. Right-click the list and choose Bullets and Numbering from the shortcut menu
4. In the Bullets and Numbering dialog box, click the Customize button
5. Choose a custom bullet. You can click the Bullet button to pull in additional bullets from other Word fonts like Wingdings, Symbol, and others
6. Click OK. The bulleted list is reformatted with the new bullet style