Custom Shortcut Menus
What’s a shortcut menu, you ask? Not sure if you use them?
I’d bet that you use them all the time. You know when you’re working and you do that quick little right click? What happens?
Yep, that’s right. A small menu will open listing a few of the more useful options that are available. This is your shortcut menu.
So, now that you know you’re using… Continue reading
A Different Type of Tab
I’m sure that we’re all very accustomed to the usual left, center, right and decimal tab stops Word has used for years. But, if you’re using a newer version of Word, you may have noticed a new addition to the family.
When flipping through your tab choices, did you ever notice this little guy?
Well, I did and had to wonder what it was… Continue reading
Make Word’s Page Setup Changes “Permanent”
Okay, so maybe permanent isn’t the best word to describe this, but would you settle for a default setting?
Do you find that you’re constantly making changes to the Page Setup information in MS Word?
Are these changes the same each time?
Maybe you don’t agree with the default margins or maybe you’re always making adjustments to the header / footer settings.
Whatever changes… Continue reading
More Indent, Please
I have good news for my MS Word using keyboard enthusiasts!
I don’t know about you, but I’m thoroughly annoyed every time I have to take my hand off the keyboard to change paragraph formatting regarding indenting and hanging indents.
(Hanging indents happen when the paragraph’s first line is on the left margin and all other lines of the paragraph are indented).
Hands off keyboard, hand on… Continue reading
Formatting and Updating MS Word TOC
Now that you have the basics of Word’s TOC (Table of Contents), you’re probably wondering about appearance, updating and other uses.
Well, it’s good if you’re wondering, because that’s what we’re going to cover today.
Let’s begin with the appearance.
You may not be thrilled with the font style or size in the TOC. Fortunately, this is absolutely no problem.
You can highlight all… Continue reading
TOC What?
I’m confused. Do you mean as in “tic toc”?
Have you ever been working with MS Word’s online help and you surprisingly run into that little gem? Was it explained to you or did you file it in the back of your mind as another one of the many unexplained Microsoft mysteries?
Just in case it’s in your “unexplained” category, let me tell you they were referring simply… Continue reading
Only See the Document
Do you find that you are more annoyed than helped by the menus and toolbars at the top of your Word program window?
If you’re answering yes to that question, then I’d bet that you work with keyboard shortcuts a tremendous amount of the time.
Wish there was an easy way to work without looking at all the clutter?
Well, if a minimalist view in MS… Continue reading
Formatting the Numbers
Do you use Word’s automatic numbering feature?
Did you ever want to change the style, starting point or formatting of the numbering?
If having control over the way Word numbers your lists interests you, then read on. To take control of your numbered lists, you’re looking to go to the Format menu, Bullets and Numbering choice.
When the Bullets and Numbering window opens, you may have to… Continue reading
No More Splitting
Here’s the scenario: you’re working on a table in MS Word and suddenly a row splits in two. That is, part on one page and part on the next page.
You’re looking this new development over, all the while thinking to yourself, “This just won’t do. The topic in each row really can’t be split apart.”
At this point you’re trying to come up with a solution… Continue reading
Table Toppers
Did you know that with just a couple of clicks you could have MS Word automatically repeat your table headings at the top of each page containing the table?
If you answered “No,” then you’ll want to take a quick moment to read this tip, because here’s the trick to beautiful table headings.
First thing you’ll need to do is select the row or rows you want repeated… Continue reading
Controls For MS Word Page Breaks
Along with the ability to manually insert page breaks, MS Word gives you a few ways to control the soft (or automatic) page breaks inserted by the program.
Page break controls can be reached via the Format menu, Paragraph choice.
You’re looking to navigate to the Line and Page Break tab.
Your choices are found in the Pagination section at the top.
At… Continue reading
Page Break Basics
Page break? What’s that?
Are these questions you privately ask yourself when someone is busy talking in “computer jargon”?
Can you practically see the words flying right by you?
Well, reach out your hand and catch these two, because today we’re going to delve into the world of the mysterious page break.
To begin understanding, a page break is the point at which one page ends and… Continue reading
Taking Control of Cursor Movement in Word
While we’re still with yesterday’s thoughts of moving through files using the keyboard with some control and speed, I’d like to switch gears a bit and move over to MS Word. It’s in Word that we find today’s key combinations for cursor movements within a file.
Besides the usual arrow keys to move one space / line in the appropriate direction and the… Continue reading
The Page Setup Express
When using MS Word, do you like a display that includes the rulers (View menu, Rulers choice?) I know I do. I need to see them as I work. The convenience of tab stops and margins constantly displayed in such a small space is something I just can’t do without.
Well, it turns out that the rulers I’ve been looking at had a secret they were… Continue reading
Just Like New
Well, we’ve spent quite a bit of time recently customizing our Word menus, and it’s time to talk about “undoing” our changes.
For those of you who have tried these tricks as we went along, you may find yourself in a predicament. Are you wishing you could put it all back?
Did you make changes you now regret and want to start all over?
Or, the unthinkable… Continue reading
What I Want, Where I Want It – In MS Word
Last Friday we discussed adding toolbar button commands to MS Word’s menus. Not a bad idea for people who like an “uncluttered” window to work in. (The clutter being all the extra toolbars and buttons many of us have constantly displayed).
But, I can already hear the clamoring of Word users everywhere who want to add items to the… Continue reading
Customizing MS Word Menu Items
Do you hate having a bunch of toolbars open all the time?
I’ve worked with many different people over the years and I’ve noticed that some people just hate having their workspace cluttered with open toolbars. In their perfect world, everything is accessed with either a menu or a key combination.
Not a bad idea, if that suits your work style.
However, it seems to… Continue reading
Repetition Made Easy
Ever find that you’re looking to repeat the last string of typing you did in MS Word?
Perhaps you have a phrase that needs to be repeated throughout a document, or maybe a repetitious list. Whatever the case, I simply have to ask…what did you do?
Maybe you went the difficult route and retyped the text.
Maybe you highlighted, then copied / pasted the text. That’s definitely… Continue reading
Quick Word Customize Keyboard Trick
Do you find yourself using a menu item or toolbar button constantly in MS Word?
Does the item/button have a keyboard shortcut?
No?
Do you wish it had one?
Yes? (I thought you might).
If you know how to set custom keyboard shortcuts, then you know about the Tools menu, Customize option and then the searching through the Commands tab looking for the right category… Continue reading
Preserve Formatting in MS Word
Do you find that you’re frequently disappointed with your copy / paste actions in MS Word? I mean, you just spent all kinds of time beautifully formatting the text only to find that it was stripped of its formatting when pasted?
If you’re using an older version of Word, you probably feel this frustration far more often than you’d like. (Word XP doesn’t behave this… Continue reading
Back To The Beginning
Over the last year or so, we’ve discussed assigning keyboard shortcuts for several different purposes in MS Word.
By now, some of you may have an incredible list of custom shortcuts. Do you still know what’s what? Or, have you simply created them as we went along then forgotten all about your new handy-dandy keys?
Wish there was a way to start all over? You know… Continue reading
Back to the Original
Do you use graphics or word art frequently in MS Word?
How many times have you been dismayed to find that you’ve resized an item so many times that it’s looking a bit squashed or stretched, or just plain wrong? I know I’ve hit this point and wished for nothing more than to have the chance to start over.
I’ve tried the Undo feature but usually… Continue reading
Quick Paragraph Relocation In MS Word
Do you sometimes find yourself highlighting entire paragraphs in a Word document for relocation?
(Keep in mind that anytime you hit the Enter key you’ve finished a paragraph and are creating a new one, so as we discussed yesterday, just keep in mind that “paragraphs” in Word could be as small as a single word in a bulleted list).
What do you do?
Did You Know…
…that a paragraph in MS Word doesn’t necessarily mean complete sentences and all that other stuff the English teacher taught you?
Well, to Word it doesn’t.
You can be sure that English teachers will disagree, but here’s the scoop.
Word considers a paragraph to be the text between two paragraph marks.
Okay, so I can already hear you asking …paragraph marks?
Yep. They look like this.
The Magic of F2 in MS Word
When you go to move text in Word, what do you do?
Highlight the text to be moved, then use the mouse to drag and drop it to a new location? Or, do you highlight the text then use the cut / paste options?
Either way, it’s a lot of steps and for many people it involves removing your hands from the keyboard… Continue reading
An Update On Updating
In the last issue of the MS Office Tips newsletter (Thursday, October 27, 2005), we discussed formulas and using them in MS Word. At the time, my common sense meter must have been a quart or two low, because I simply wasn’t coming up with any of the good ways to get your formulas to recalculate and reflect any changes you’ve made to values.… Continue reading
Mark It Up
We all know about watermarks, those light pictures or text placed behind our text on printed documents. They can mark a document as a draft or as confidential, or they could be used to enhance the appearance of a document.
With older versions of MS Word you had to do quite a bit of work to get that watermark. You were forced to go through the header… Continue reading
