Web Browser and Word Tips

To create a table: Table menu, Insert Table, select the number of rows and columns. Choose an auto-format style. The last three auto-format table styles are designed for use in web-pages.

To create a space (blank line) above a table: Click in the top left cell. Press Control-Shift-Enter.

To select the table: Use the icon that appears in the upper left corner.

To align a table: Select the table (click the icon in upper left corner of the table), then use the alignment icons on the formatting toolbar.

To resize the table: Move cursor below the lower right corner. An icon appears. Click and drag.

Changing the Interior Layout of Tables:

To add a row: Move the cursor into the lower right-hand cell and hit tab.

To add columns and rows: From the Table menu, select Insert.

To remove columns and rows: From the Table menu, select Delete.

To merge cells in a table: Highlight the cells. From the Table menu, select Merge Cells.

To split cells in a table: Highlight the cells. From the Table menu select Split Cells.

To resize column widths: Click and drag on the cell border, or on the ruler. To have the other columns automatically adjust, hold CONTROL when dragging the cell border.

Formatting Tables:

In general: Use Tables menu, Properties submenu, or the Tables toolbar, to control formatting.

To control alignment and appearance of text and borders in the table: Use the Tables menu, Table Properties submenu. Formatting icons work in individual cells, and with groups of highlighted cells.

To vertically align column labels: Highlight cells. From the Format menu, select Text Direction. Note: this won’t work for files saved as web pages. Try using word art instead.

To repeat column labels: From the Table menu, select Heading Rows Repeat.

To fit text to a cell: Highlight the desired cells. From the Table Menu, Properties Submenu, Cell Tab, Select Options, Select Wrap Text and Fit Text.

To clear all text from a table: Select the table. Press the Delete key.

To add borders or shading to a table: Select the table. Right click. Click borders and shadings.

To create dual shading effects: Select the cells. First apply shading to a “cell.” Then apply a different shading to a “paragraph.” This will work with both patterns and fill colors.

To create customized cell borders: From the Tables and Borders Toolbar. Select a Line Style and weight. Use the border colors “Pencil” to highlight lines in the table.

Miscellaneous Tips for Tables:

Convert a table to text and vice versa: From the Table menu, use the Convert submenu

Convert tables to spreadsheets and vice versa: Simply copy and paste from one application into another. Use an area with the same number of columns and rows. Adjust the column width.

To create a chart from a table: Select the Table. From the Insert menu, Picture submenu, select Chart. To alter the chart, double or triple click on any screen element. Select Format.

To add formulas to a table: Highlight the cell where you want the formula. From the Table menu, select Formula. =SUM(ABOVE) or =SUM(LEFT) will add columns or rows. If summing a series of rows, insert the +SUM(LEFT) command starting from the bottom row and working up.

Section Two - Working with the Drawing Toolbar:

To turn off the drawing canvas feature (RECOMMENDED): Tools Menu, Options, General tab, deselect “Automatically create drawing canvas when inserting AutoShapes.” The manual method is to press Escape whenever the drawing canvas rectangle appears in your document.

The drawing toolbar has three parts. The left part is used to manipulate graphics. The center part is used to insert graphics. The right part formats them.

Working With Lines and Shapes:

Lines and Arrows

To create a line or arrow: From the drawing toolbar, click on the line or arrow icon. Click on the spot where you want your line to start. Drag with the mouse. Release the mouse.

To add a horizontal line graphic: Format menu, Borders and Shading submenu, Horizontal Line button. Or, from the Drawing Toolbar, hold down Shift then press the line icon. Draw your line. Release Shift.

To add a bend to a line: On the Drawing Toolbar, select the pull down box next to the word Draw. Select Edit Points. Click on a line at the point where you want to bend it and drag. This works with curves too.

To change the alignment, direction, or length of a line: Click on an endpoint of the line. Drag.

To change the line’s thickness or style: First create the line. Then use the icons on the toolbar.

To change the lines’ color:

To change arrow points: Click on an arrow. Click on the arrowhead icon on the drawing toolbar.

Shapes

To create shapes automatically: Click on AutoShapes. Select a shape. Click in your workspace and draw an area for your graphic.

To create perfect circles or squares: Use the Drawing Toolbar. Hold down Shift then press the oval or rectangle icon. Draw your shape. Release Shift.

To quickly copy (replicate) a graphic: Select the object. Hold Control. Drag and release. Release Control. Alternatively, select the graphic and press Control-D.

Controlling Spacing

To evenly space graphics: Select the graphic and press Control-D. Drag the second graphic the desired distance. Press Control-D as often as desired.

To align objects horizontally or vertically: Select the objects as above. On the drawing toolbar, select Draw. Select Align or Distribute, Select horizontally or vertically.

To rotate an object: Click on the object. Click on the green circle and drag.

To gently nudge a graphic into place: Hold the Control Key while pressing an arrow key. Using just the arrow key also moves the graphic, but nudges it farther.

To center a graphic: Hold Control while selecting and inserting the shape.

To turn on gridlines: This is an option under Draw on the drawing toolbar. You can attach objects to the grid.

Altering Shapes

To convert several graphics into one large graphic object: Press Control while selecting a set of graphics with the mouse. (Alternatively, use the large white arrow on the drawing toolbar to draw a rectangle around your graphics.) Right click. Select Grouping

To change a grouped object into its parts: Select the object, right click and select Ungroup.

To adjust the form of a shape: Select the object. If a yellow handle appears click and drag on it.

To change a shape into a different shape: Select the object. From the Drawing toolbar, select Draw, then Change AutoShape. Select a new shape

Formatting Shapes

To format an object: Double click on it. You can alter line styles and add fill effects to graphics.

To format graphics and shapes from the toolbar: Use the line style or dash style icon to change lines in shapes. The Shading and 3-D effects icons will add depth to your shape. The Fill Color, Font Color and Line Color icons work with most graphics.

To add fill effects to graphics and shapes: Right click. Select Format. On the colors and lines tab, select the pull down box next to Color. Select fill effects from the drop down box.

To add shadowing or 3-D effects: Select the object. Left-Click on the Shadowing or 3-D icon. You can add effects to most graphics.

To create a poster-like font within callouts and labels: Select the Arial Black font and Bold it.

Word Art:

To add Word Art: Left-Click on Word Art, select a style, and then type in your message.

To wrap text around Word Art: Select Word Art, Right-Click, Format WordArt, Layout tab.

To alter the format of Word Art: Click on the Word Art and use the Word Art toolbar. You can add fill effects, change shapes, change font spacing, and change line style to create your own distinctive styles. Try it. It’s fun!

Text Boxes and Text:

To insert a text box: A Text box is a rectangular AutoShape. Left-Click on the text box icon. Click and drag to shape the dimensions of your textbox. You can insert text, pictures, Word Art and clip art inside text boxes.

To select a text box: Click on the text in the box. The mouse turns into an I-beam. Press Escape. Now just the text box is selected. Format changes applied to a text box affect all of its contents.

To add text to AutoShape graphics: Right click. Select Edit Text. This is useful for callouts and arrows.

To add a caption to a picture: Insert a textbox over the picture. Enter the caption in the text box. From the Format menu select AutoShapes. On the colors and lines tab, set the Fill color to no color. Set the Fill line color to No-line.

Pictures, Organization Charts, and Diagrams:

Pictures

To insert a picture: Clip on the Insert Picture icon.

To move pictures and graphics within a document: Double Click on the graphic. Click on the Layout tab. Set wrapping style to any style except “In line with text.” Click and drag the picture. If you need to fine-tune the graphic’s location, hold Alt while dragging. Or use the next tip.

To change dimensions while resizing a picture: Right click on it. From the Format Picture submenu, click the size tab. Uncheck the “lock aspect ratio” box.

To add a border to a graphic or picture: Double Click on the graphic. Click on the Colors and Lines tab. Select a line color, weight, and style.

To create an unusual shape for a graphic or picture: Insert an AutoShape that is a non-solid outline. Right click on the AutoShape. Select Add Text. Paste your graphic.

Clip Art

To insert Clip Art: Click on the Insert Clip Art icon. Enter a topic in Search For. Click GO

Charts and Diagrams

To insert an Organization Chart: Turn off the drawing canvas. Select the Insert Diagram icon.

You can also insert an Organization Chart from the Insert Menu under Pictures.

To modify an Organization Chart: Turn on the Organization Chart Toolbar. You can alter the chart’s appearance with the Auto-format icon, alter the layout, add or subtract boxes, or change the lines. To change the lines, click on select, then click on “all connecting lines”, then select line color or shapes from the drawing toolbar. Each box on the chart is an Auto-shape, so you can create a unique format for the backgrounds and text of each box.

To add a professional-looking diagram: Select the Insert Diagram icon. Choose one of the five types. You can also insert a diagram from the Insert Menu. Use the Diagramming Toolbar to change the chart’s appearance with the Auto-format icon. Use the diagramming toolbar to add additional diagram elements, or to change the diagram type.

Section Three - General Information

Annoying Features:

I like to turn off several features in Word for Office 2003 that I find annoying. Here’s how:

Automatic Bulleted lists: Use the Tools Menu/AutoCorrect/AutoFormat While Typing tab. Uncheck the box.

Automatic Numbered lists: Use the Tools Menu/AutoCorrect/AutoFormat While Typing tab. Uncheck the box.

Reading View at Start Up: Use the Tools Menu/Options/General Tab. Uncheck the box for Allow Reading Layout at Start Up.

Reviewing Toolbar at Start Up: Use the Tools Menu/Customize/Toolbars Tab. Uncheck the Reviewing Toolbar box. Click Reset.

Task Panes at Start Up: Use the Tools/Options/View Tab. Uncheck the Startup Task Pane box.

Office Assistant:: Right click on the assistant. Click on Options. On the Options Tab, uncheck the Use Office Assistant box. Click OK.

Drawing Canvas: Use the Tools Menu/Options/General Tab. Uncheck the box for Automatically create drawing canvas. (It interferes with many graphics operations.)

Smart Tags: Use the Tools/Options/View Tab. Uncheck the Smart Tags box.

Main Toolbars sharing one row: Click and drag one toolbar to another row or use the Tools Menu/Customize/Options Tab.

Incomplete Menus: Double click when opening a menu, or use the Tools/Customize/Options Tab to permanently fix this.

Track Changes: Use the Tools Menu/Track Changes. Toggle On/Off. The reviewing toolbar opens automatically but doesn’t close automatically.

Margin Indicators in Print Layout View: These are a result of having language support installed for East Asian Languages. To uninstall this add-in Click on the Start Icon in Windows, Choose Programs/Microsoft Office/Microsoft Office Tools/ Microsoft Office 2003 Language Settings. In the dialog box, select and click remove for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. Restart.

Menus and Toolbars:

To show Standard and Formatting toolbars on two rows:

Use the Tools Menu, Customize Submenu, Options Tab. Select “Show Standard and Formatting Toolbars on two rows”. Then select “Show full menus”. Next, select “Show ScreenTips on toolbars”. Finally, select “Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips”. Click on Close.

To add/hide icons on toolbars: Use the toolbar options pull-down menu at the right end of the toolbar. You can click and drag icons from one menu to another by holding the Alt Key. Don’t do this in the computer lab!!!

To return to the default settings: Use the Tools Menu/Customize/Toolbars Tab. Select the toolbar. Click on reset. Click OK.

To show full menus: Use the Tools/Customize/Options Tab.

To show ScreenTips on toolbars: Use the Tools/Customize/Options Tab.

To increase the size of the icons: Use the Tools/Customize/Options Tab.

To show shortcut keys in ScreenTips: Use the Tools/Customize/Options Tab.

To show additional toolbars: From the View menu, select Toolbars. Toggle the toolbar on/off.

To show different views: From the View menu, select a View. Views also can be selected from the icons in the lower left hand corner of the document.

To open or close multiple toolbars simultaneously: Right click in gray toolbars background.

To change the default toolbars that appear at startup: Right click in gray toolbars background. Click Customize. On the toolbars tab select or deselect toolbars. Reset button.

To move or resize toolbars: Left-click on the toolbar and drag it.

To add or remove commands from a menu: Use the Tools menu, Customize submenu, and select the Commands tab. Select a menu, then click and drag a command.

To hide toolbars and frames: From the View Menu, select Full Screen.

To use a pre-existing template: Use the File Menu, select New. In Word 2000 the Templates menu appears automatically. Under Office XP a “New Document Pane will appear. Select General Templates.

To split the screen into two views: Drag on the rectangle at the top of the vertical scroll bar. This can also be done from the Window menu.

To resize the Task Pane: Click on the border and drag. You can move the task pane! Click on upper left corner and drag. Not recommended.

Section Four - Handling Text

Working with the Mouse:

To select a word: Double Left-Click on the word.

To select any amount of text: Drag over the text.

To select a row of text: Move the pointer into the margin, left of the line. Click.

To select multiple rows of text: Move the pointer into the margin, left of the line. Click and drag.

To select a sentence: Control-Left-Click on the sentence.

To select a paragraph: Triple Left-Click in the paragraph, or double click in the left margin

To select multiple paragraphs: Double click in the left margin. Drag up or down.

To select a block of text: Click at your starting point. Scroll down. Shift-Click at your end point.

To select an entire document: Triple Left-Click in the margin, or type control-A.

To select multiple blocks of text: Highlight the first block of text. Hold down Control, then use the mouse to highlight additional blocks of text. Release Control.

To select a vertical column of text: Put your cursor to the left of the column. Hold down the ALT key. Highlight the area. Useful for editing > symbols out of email, removing numbering.

To access a shortcut menu: Select something then Right-Click.

To find synonyms: Right-Click on the word.

To edit misspellings: Misspelled words have red underlines. Right-click and make a selection.

Short Cut Keys:

To access a shortcut menu: Select. Press Shift-F10. This simulates right-clicking a mouse.

Cut, Copy, and Paste: Control-X, Control-C, Control-V

Select the entire document: Control-A

Use the Office Clipboard: Control-C twice. First position the cursor in the document, then select an item from the clipboard to paste it. You can access the clipboard from the Task Pane drop-down list, or from the Edit Menu, Office Clipboard.

Go to the beginning or end of the document: Control-Home