ary’s Tips To Make MicroSoft Word Work For You

Pictures in Word

Ways to get pictures:

1. Clips Online—Insert, Picture, ClipArt. ClipsOnline, follow instructions

2. Print Screen Instructions:

To copy the window or screen contents :

To copy an image of the window that is currently active, press ALT+PRINT SCREEN.

To copy an image of the entire screen, press PRINT SCREEN.

Note:

To paste the image into a document, on the Edit menu in the document window, click Paste

c. From Disks

d. from a scanner

Ways to manipulate pictures:

On View, choose Toolbars, then Picture.

1. TextWrap Button – Choose and click a layout choice to pick up and move your picture.

2. Cropping – Choose Crop Button. Move changed cursor over side, or top, hold down

mouse button, and drag.)

(Note that as you move your mouse over each button, Word tells you what each one

does)

Drop Caps

A drop cap is a large letter that begins a paragraph and drops through several lines of text as shown below.

Add a drop cap to a paragraph by following these steps:

Place the cursor within the paragraph whose first letter will be dropped.

Select Format|Drop Cap from the menu bar.

The Drop Cap dialog box allows you to select the position of the drop cap, the font, the number of lines to drop, and the distance from the body text.

Click OK when all selections have been made.

o modify a drop cap, select Format|Drop Cap again to change the attributes, or click on the letter and use the handle.

Adding Draw Objects

The Draw toolbar can be picked up and moved.

Drawing objects are different than pictures in Word. Drawing objects “float” on the screen and can be placed directly on top of text. There are two ways to get the text on top of the object:

Make the fill transparent.

Select and right click the object
Choose format object.
On the format menu, choose the colors and lines menu.
On fill, select “none” or check semi-transparent.
You can also perform other formatting tasks here if you prefer the menu over the draw toolbar.

Make the object go behind the text.

Select and right click the object
Choose “order” and then “send behind text.”
Or, Choose “Draw” then “Order” from toolbar.

Rotating an object: (PS—You Can’t Rotate a Picture)

Select Object.
Choose “Draw” from the toolbar, then “Rotate.”
To free rotate, center the circular arrow around the green dot. Click, holding your mouse button down, and rotate.

Insert a Table

There are two ways to add a table to the document using the Insert feature:

Click the Insert Table button on the standard toolbar. Drag the mouse along the grid, highlighting the number of rows and columns for the table. If the button isn’t there, check the double arrows for more buttons.
Or, select Table|Insert|Table from the menu bar. Select the number of rows and columns for the table and click OK.

Draw a Table

Draw the table by selecting Table|Draw Table from the menu bar. The cursor is now the image of a pencil and the Tables and Borders toolbar has appeared. Unclick the pencil when finished.
Draw the cells of the table with the mouse. If you make a mistake, click the Eraser button and drag the mouse over the area to be deleted.

Inserting Rows and Columns

Once the table is drawn, insert additional rows by placing the cursor in the row you want to be adjacent to. Select Table|Insert|Rows Above or Rows Below. Or, select an entire row and right-click with the mouse. Choose Insert Rows from the shortcut menu.

Using Fill, Color, and Merge and Selecting Cells, Rows, or Columns

Selecting: Cursor changes to a white arrow: Selects contents of one row.

Cursor changes to a black arrow: One click selects contests of cell, two clicks selects row.

Move cursor to the top of the column you want to select; changes to black arrow pointing down; selects contents of column.

Clicking on the cross arrow once selects contents of the whole table.

Deleting: To delete a table, use select it, then choose Table Menu, Delete, Table. Using the delete key deletes the contents but not the table.

Moving: Use the tab to move from cell to cell. “Enter” enlarges the cell. Use the down or up arrow to move one cell up or down.

Filling: Select the cell, row or column you wish to have filled with color, then click the paint

Click the paint bucket or pull down the menu to choose a different color.

Or, right click the table and use the borders and shading dialog box for more choices.

Text Alignment: Note that you can use right click for formatting options as well as the Tables and Borders for Text Alignment, sorting, and changing the borders.

Tip: Use tables to align pictures easily, especially if you want to use the document as a Web page. The pictures won’t move all over the page. To remove the table borders, right click the table, use the borders and shading button, and on the Borders tab, select “none” for the border line.

[Borders and Shading dialog box]

Printing and Text Box Tips:

Do you need to print one page, and you have two pages?

1. From the file menu, choose print preview.

2. From the print preview buttons at the top of the dialog box, choose “shrink to fit.”

Word automatically shrinks your text to fit on one printed page.

Text Boxes let you move text anywhere you want

From the draw toolbar, choose the textbox symbol or from the Insert menu choose Text Box.
Position the the TextBox by dragging; add format features like fill, line color, border or no border.
If you don’t want the border to show, right click the textbox; choose Format Textbox, then choose “no line” for border.

Glitter and Glitz

Word Art instructions:

Click on the WordArt Button on the draw toolbar, or on the View menu select toolbar then WordArt.

If you choose the toolbar, click the “A”, write your text. Click on each of the buttons in turn to see what happens. To free rotate, make sure the circular arrow is centered around the green circle, click and hold, then move your art. The WordArt toolbar will appear if you click once on any WordArt.

Also, click on the yellow diamond and see what happens.

Rounded Rectangular Callout: My dog has fleas.

Callout Objects:

Callout Objects can be lots of fun.

Click AutoShapes, then Callouts, then click on the shape you want.

Click and drag a callout shape.

To move the speech balloon in the right direction, click and hold the yellow diamond.

The Callout is a special textbox and allows you to write what you want on the inside.

Format Painter

If you don’t want to take the time to format a section but want it to be the same as another, click in the paragraph you want, then click the Format Painter from the top menu buttons (paint brush) and drag it over the text you want to change. Double click the Format Painter button to keep it active for more than one selection.

Special Characters

Need a degree sign? Or perhaps an umlaut? Use Insert, Symbols, and find the character. If you use it often, assign it a shortcut key or an autocorrect key.

Things that ‘bug’ you in Word:

Autocorrect and auto format

Turn it off by using the Tools Menu. “AutoCorrect”. The AutoCorrect dialog box has four tabs:

Uncheck any boxes to make Word quit typing for you.

AutoFormat as you Type has the infamous “automatic numbered lists” checkbox.

To turn off editing options or Spelling & Grammar options:

Choose Tools then Options:

Overtype mode:

If the OVR button at the bottom of the status bar is black, you’re in overtype mode. Doubleclick it to return your sanity. You have probably accidentally hit the “insert” key above the “delete” key, which is the keyboard shortcut for Overtype mode.

Other highlights of today’s session: pictures that won’t move, drawing objects that cover up text, and if time, Table Troubles.