Basic Formatting on Microsoft Word

1. Basic Formatting on Microsoft Word By Mrs. Bushman Laird School

2. Get The Tools You Need. Make sure you have the toolbars you need for the job. • Go to View – Toolbars and make sure both Standard and Formatting are checked. If not, click on the ones unchecked.

3. Make Some Room For Editing. If your project will require editing, give it some room with double spacing. • Highlight any existing text. • Click on Format – Paragraph. • Click on the Spacing menu and select Double.

4. Quote This! To format quotations, separate the quote from the rest of the text. • Select the text. • Click on Format – Paragraph. • Change the text back to single space. • Indent 5 spaces in on the left and right sides.

5. Publishing Basics

6. Make the break. Columns Part 1: Split your data from what will not be in columns and what will be in columns. • Place your cursor on the line above the columned text. • Click on Insert – Break – Section Break (Continuous)

7. Publish your columns. Part 2: Make your columns. • Highlight the text below the break. • Go to Format – Columns. • Select 2 for this exercise.

8. Spread The Love. Make your text more eye-pleasing by aligning both the left and right sides to each column. This spreads the text across the page. • Highlight the text. • Click on the Justify icon in your Formatting toolbar.

9. Spice Up Your Title. Spice up your publication by using a graphic for your title. • Remove the title text and add about 8 spaces at the top for your WordArt. • Click on the WordArt tab at the top.

10. Moving On Up. • Select the format. The WordArt box will appear in the middle of the page. Click and drag it to the top. • Double click inside the box to get a pop up box to type the text.

11. Snaz it up. Stand out with a vertical title! • With the box around the WordArt highlighted, go to Format – WordArt • Click on the Size tab • In Rotation type in 90 or 270.

12. Show it off. • In the Format WordArt pop up box, click on the Layout tab. • Click on Square. • Click OK at the bottom. • Move your WordArt title to the side of the document for greater effect!

13. Storybook time. Use the Drop Cap feature on Word to turn your story into a memorable experience. • Highlight the first letter of the first word in the first paragraph. • Go to Format – Drop Cap.

14. Add that once upon a time. • Click on Dropped. • Change your font. • Press OK. It’s best if you leave the rest to the default settings, but you can change how many lines your letter drops.

15. Calligraphy adds that special touch.

16. Showcase Your Text Add a text box in the middle of the article to highlight a quote. • Click on Insert – Text Box. • Click and drag the cursor to a spot in the middle of the text. • Change the font and size for more effect.

17. Add a splash of color. • With the text box highlighted, click on Format – Text Box. • Click on the Colors and Lines tab. • Find a color that reflects the mood you wish to convey. • Click OK.

18. Choices, choices, choices • You can add effect by the background color of your text box… • Or you can add it by changing the color of the text itself.

19. Picture Perfect. Pictures are easy to add, but there is more you can do than just drag and drop. • Insert a picture by dragging and dropping it onto the document. • Reduce the size of the picture to allow for text to wrap around it.

20. Line It Up. • With the picture selected, click on Format – Picture. • Go to the Layout tab. • Click on Square. • The alignment boxes below will activate. Click on Left. • Click OK.

21. Picture Perfect. You can add a little more eye candy to the picture by adding effects. Later versions of Office have more picture effects than this current version. • Click on the Toolbox at the top. • Click on Shadow.