01 08 Chip Plus Handson With Ms Word

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Editorial........................................................................... 3 The Wonders of Word . ................................................... 4 Putting it all Together .................................................... 8 Divide and Format! . ......................................................13 Create your own Letterhead . .......................................16 Create an Impressive Resume .....................................19 Prepare for Mass Mailing! ........................................... 22 Design an Org Chart in a jiffy ...................................... 26 Converting Word Documents to PDFs ........................ 30 Let Word correct your documents .............................. 32 Compile your own Dictionary ...................................... 37 Automate Tasks using Word Macros . ..........................41 Installing Missing Components ................................... 45 Print Addresses on Envelopes .....................................47

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HANDS ON WITH MS WORD  EDITORIAL

Hands on with MS Word Monster.com has a service that creates a resume for Rs.1599/-. But would you actually spend 1599 bucks for a two-page resume? What if I told you that you could create an impressive resume in under 30 minutes for free? And that too in Word 2003! Like the Resume Wizard, there are several tools in Word that are rarely used. And even if they are used, they’re not utilized to the maximum. For Hands on with Word, we took a few scarcely used tools in MS Word and scratched our heads to try to find ways to use them to their potential. For instance, you’ve probably only heard of section breaks in Word, but we’ve shown you how to apply distinctly different styles to separate sections. We’ve also included some neat workshops like how to mail a single letter to all your contacts in just a few steps and how to automate a sequence of tasks using macros. Creating a MS Word document is easy but how do you create a stylish document with a great layout? Check out The Wonders of Word for some page layout tips from our in-house experts. Adobe PDF has become a widely acceptable standard for exchanging documents. PDF preserves the original formatting of a document created in a native application. Yet you do not need the native application to view the document. There’s a simple two-page workshop in this booklets that shows you how to convert your MS Word documents into PDFs. Have you ever had trouble linking a Word document and an Excel worksheet? In Putting it all together, we show you how to integrate MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook without any hassles. We’ve also thrown in a few workshops with step-by-step instructions on creating a swanky letterhead and compiling your own dictionary—you can start with maintaining a technology dictionary for your documents. Charmaine Fernandes [email protected]

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FEATURE  HanDs On WITH MS WORD

The Wonders of Word Word has a lot of features that can enhance your documents giving it a professional finish, be it your school project, business letterhead, invitations or newsletters. Let’s unearth the potential of Word and make the best use of it!

W

ord processing on a home computer used to be a tedious job. Those were the days of WordStar, monochrome monitors, and dot-matrix printers. You couldn’t even see effects like bold and italicized text on your screen and you weren’t sure what anything would look like until you held a printed copy of the document in your hands. Fast forward to 2006 and practically every home computer user has a copy of Microsoft Office, the gold standard productivity suite. Today, what you see on screen is what you get in print. Programs like Microsoft Word have grown tremendously in terms of features and functionality in the last 10 years or so and home and office users have far more power in their hands than they might be aware of. Before proceeding, it’s important to note that desktop publishing (or DTP) is not the function of a single application. There is no one single DTP program. Desktop publishers use word processors to prepare their matter and then use page layout programs to manipulate the appearance of that text on a page as well as the tables, charts, images and graphics that will accompany it. The most commonly used page layout programs for print publications

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today are Adobe PageMaker, Adobe InDesign and Quark Xpress. Page layout is what most people refer to as desktop publishing, but it is only one part of the process. Other programs that come into play include Adobe Illustrator or CorelRAW for creating vector illustrations i.e. drawings and diagrams, and Adobe Photoshop to edit images and photographs. In addition, desktop publishing now encompasses electronic and online publishing, so additional programs can be used.

What Word can and can’t do Today, the lines that separate programs like Word from specialized illustrating and page layout programs have blurred. Designed primarily to work with text, Word has evolved into a program that is fully capable of handling images, graphs, charts, and illustrations. It still isn’t on par with page layout packages such as Adobe PageMaker, Adobe InDesign or Quark Xpress, but most people don’t need that level of functionality for their dayto-day needs. First, your choice of program should depend on what you need it for. Word is a good option if you’re going to produce text-based documents with

only a few images, such as letters, official documents, pamphlets, flyers, and leaflets. However, image-heavy brochures, booklets that require extensive formatting, and anything that involves a lot of different formatting styles and designs is best left to page layout packages. The other major consideration is how you plan to print your work—Word is fine if you’re going to print only a dozen or so pages on your home inkjet, but high volume jobs require a page layout program that can handle the file formats used by professional printers. For home use, Word can handle pretty much anything you could possibly need to produce: school or college projects, great looking cards, invitations and letters. For offices, it’s suitable for internal documents, letterheads and reports. You’ll soon come to appreciate the advantages of page layout programs if you’re designing a newsletter or magazine, which means you’re dealing with a number of small articles and pictures rather than one continuous document. And don’t use Word (especially WordArt) to design logos since these often need to be printed at different sizes. An illustration program will intelligent computing CHip PLUS  JANUARY 2008

HANDS ON WITH MS WORD  FEATURE

How to get great looking results with Word

Your charts and graphs can look better and convey more information.

allow you to print it at any size without suffering a loss in quality.

Things you should know about page layout First and foremost, always remember the purpose of the matter you’re working on. Everything from the selection of fonts to the images and colors must be appropriate to your specific project. Your choice of fonts, layout and even the size of the paper will depend on the type of document you are producing and how it should be handled. Use larger point sizes and more white space for posters that will be displayed on a notice board, and more descriptive text in smaller font sizes for documents that people will hold in their hands to read. Page layout is all about manipulating text and images on screen, so don’t be afraid to try new ideas and see how they look. Feel free to experiment with margins, borders and the structure of your pages. Remember to save your work regularly or you can even save multiple versions of it so you have more choices. JANUARY 2008  intelligent computing CHip PLUS

It helps to type your text first, and then place images (including tables, charts and text boxes) to fit. Keep in mind which images you want to place where, and plan which page you want each one to be on. Inserting images will displace a large amount of text, so be a little flexible when imagining the end result. Pay attention to the visual appeal of each page. Try to follow the rule of thirds—divide your page into a 3x3 grid and align elements like pictures and text boxes along those lines—for a more striking look. Remember that humans tend to scan pages starting from the upper left and continuing in a “Z” pattern. Place your most eyecatching images on the upper half of the page, and try to avoid starting new subtopics too close to the bottom. Use white space (any blank space without text or images) generously, and plan pages so that the viewers’ focus is drawn to the points you want to emphasize. There are no set rules about whether or not to use justified or left-aligned text, so choose whatever you think is appropriate to the subject matter.

Creating good-looking documents with Word is just a matter of exploring the program and becoming familiar with all the options. First, change the default font! Everyone’s sick of 12-point Times New Roman. If you want to grab eyeballs, a nice, crisp font is the place to start. There are two main types of fonts: Serif and Sans Serif. Serif fonts have decorative “curls” on the ends of each character. These are considered classical and elegant and connote a sense of stability and formal establishment. Common examples are Times New Roman, Garamond, and Book Antiqua. Sans Serif fonts use straight lines without any curls. These are used to convey a sense of neatness and modernity, for example Arial, Tahoma, and Verdana. Similarly, thicker or “heavier” fonts project a more formal feel and lend a serious, credible image to your text. Thin, light fonts look crisp, fresh, and energetic. Decorative and novelty fonts should be used only after careful consideration. Whatever you do, do NOT type your resume using Comic Sans! The type of font you chose will have a major impact on how well your work is received, but that isn’t the only consideration. While you can use more than one font in your document, try to make it look as uniform as possible to avoid the impression of clutter. If you aren’t happy with the fonts you have, there are thousands available online for free. Try your luck at sites such as www.1001freefonts.com. Now it’s time to explore the lesser known font manipulation options in Word. Click “Format | Font…” and try out all the options there. Click on the “Character Spacing” tab, and you’ll find options to fine tune the appearance of your text. You can tweak the spacing between individual characters and also adjust kerning, a highly sophisticated method of adjusting the spacing between specific combinations of characters (like A and V) so they look better.

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FEATURE  HanDs On WITH MS WORD

Next, click “Format | Paragraph”, where you’ll find options to tweak the alignment, indentation, and spacing of paragraphs. One great way to make your document look better is to manually adjust the spacing before and after paragraphs instead of hitting Enter twice while typing. This is also an easy way to make pesky paragraphs that are running over into a new page fit where they should. The “Line and Page Breaks” tab in the same dialog box has a very cool option called Widow/Orphan Control. Checking it ensures that paragraphs will never start on the last lines of a page or spill over to a new page for one or two lines! Next, it’s time to tweak your images. You might be familiar with Text Wrapping, the art of making text flow around pictures, but here’s something you probably didn’t know. Double-click on any image to open the “Format Picture” dialog box. Select the “Layout” tab and click on the button labeled “Advanced”. You’ll see many more options for text wrapping, including how far text should stay from the edges of the picture. The “Picture Position” tab even lets you manually specify the exact position of the image on the page. (You can also add a border to your image using the Format Picture dialog box.) But that’s not all! If your picture

has an irregular shape, you can force Word to wrap text perfectly around it, rather than in a rectangle. Enable the Picture toolbar (select “View | Toolbars | Picture”) and select the second last tool, labeled “Set Transparent Color”. Now just click anywhere in the space surrounding the shape and voila! Instant wraparound text! Click the “Text Wrapping” button on the same toolbar and select “Edit Wrap Points” to further tweak the shape if you want to. Nothing looks as tiresome as the default charts in Microsoft Word, and luckily there are dozens of other options already built in. Effective chart design goes a long way in making your documents look professional. Tip: Use Microsoft Excel to make your charts, since it has a very flexible wizard that lets you specify all options in one go. Check out all the types of charts available, and make sure you know what you need; a single 3D 100 percent stacked column chart can often illustrate the data in five or six pie charts far more simply and effectively. Specify names and labels for all axes, and explore all the tabs in the wizard to suit the look of your charts to your document. To make data more easily understandable, try the options under the “Data Labels” tab, and enable the “Show Data Table” option to integrate

Wrap the text around the edges of an object or shape for an added effect.

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Use text boxes to break monotony as well as draw focus to important points.

the chart with a table for further clarity. Once the chart is created, double click on each area, i.e. the legend, background, walls of the chart, and even each individual column or line to bring up its Format dialog box. Experiment with colors, gradients, and background effects, and once you’re completely done, copy and paste the chart into Word. Text boxes are also a powerful way to make a plain text document look more interesting. They can be used to highlight important points. Here’s a quick tip to create the perfect sized text box quickly and easily—rather than creating a textbox and then resizing it to fit your text, just type the text first, select it and then click “Insert | Textbox”. You can double-click on the box border and format it just like a picture, including wrapping text around it. Use a different font, spacing, or paragraph style to make it interesting. There you have it! These are just a few pointers. Word has far more hidden tricks that can help you create some awesome looking work without complicated page layout programs. You’ll impress your friends and colleagues, but what’s more important is that you know they’re looking at your work and reading it with interest. A little attention to presentation goes a long way. So start exploring all the options in Word and your boring old documents will never be the same. intelligent computing CHip PLUS  JANUARY 2008

HANDS ON WITH MS WORD  FEATURE

WORD TOOLBARS There are a horde of options available in

of the text as the default name, accept

document in which you want to store the

Word that many of us are aware of but

it or type a new name with at least four

macro. You have the option of assigning the

seldom make use of. These useful tools

characters, as Word inserts an entry only

macro to a toolbar, menu, or shortcut key. If

can help you optimize your usage of Word.

after four characters have been typed. In

you don’t want to assign the macro to either

Let’s take a closer look at some of them:

case you want to rename an entry, go to

of them, click “OK” to begin recording the

WORD ART: Whether you want to jazz

“Tools | Templates and Add-ins”. Click on

macro. But if you want to assign the macro

up your title or watermark or make any

“Organizer” and select the “Auto Text” tab.

to a toolbar or menu, go to “Toolbars |

other text in your document stand out

From the “In Normal” box on the left, click

Customize” then click on the “Commands”

make use of Word Art. With this tool, you

the entry you want to rename, and then click

tab. In the “Commands” box, click on the

can make an impressive impact on your

“Rename”. In the “Rename” dialog box, type

macro you are recording, and drag it to the

documents. WordArt enables text effects

a new name for the entry. Click “OK” and

toolbar or menu you want to assign it to.

then click “Close”.

Click “Close” to begin recording the macro.

MAIL MERGE: Here’s a great feature that

To assign the macro to shortcut keys, click

creates a set of documents that are the

on “Keyboard”. In the “Commands” box,

same but each document contains unique

click the macro you are recording. In the

elements. For example, you want to send

“Press new shortcut key” box, type the key

such as skewing, shadowing, rotating, and stretching in a variety of shapes and colors. You can even include three-dimensional effects. You can access this option from the Drawing toolbar. Go to “View | Toolbar | Drawing”. Click on the “Insert WordArt”

sequence, and then click “Assign”. Click

button. WordArt displays a window with 30

“Close” to begin recording the macro. Now

built-in Word Art effects from which you

a letter to several people announcing a

perform the actions you want to include

can make your choice.

launch of a new product. By using mail

in your macro. Note that when you record

AUTO-TEXT: This is a very useful tool in

merge, you can have your company logo

a macro, you can use the mouse to click

case you want to reuse text or graphics

and the text about the product appear

commands and options but not to select

without having to manually type or insert

in each letter and you can change the

text. Use the keyboard to record these

them. Each selection of text or graphics

address and greeting line of each letter.

actions. For example, use F8 to select

is recorded as an AutoText entry and

Mail merge allows you to create labels for

text and press END to move the cursor to

is assigned a unique name. The text

envelopes, letters, e-mail messages, or

the end of the line. To stop recording your

faxes. How to use this feature? Open a new

macro, click “Stop Recording”.

Word document, go to “Tools | Letters and

SPELLING & GRAMMAR CHECKER: This is

Mailings | Mail Merge” to open the “Mail

probably one of the most popular features

Merge” pane. Use the hyperlinks at the

of Word. As you type, Word automatically

bottom of the task pane to navigate through

checks your spellings and the correct usage

the mail-merge process.

of grammar. Possible spelling problems

MACROS: Macros are there to help you

are underlined with red wavy lines and wavy

repeat a process using a shortcut key,

green underlines indicate grammatical

without you having to manually repeat

problems. You can also run a spelling and

every step of the process. You can create a

grammar check in one go. By default, Word

macro by using a macro recorder to record

checks both spelling and grammar. If you

entries are divided into categories such

a sequence of actions. Go to “Tools | Macro

want to only run a spell check, go to “Tools

as Salutation or Closings. If you want to

| Record New Macro”. Enter the name for

| Options” and select the “Spellings and

save text, select the text and go to “Insert

the macro under “Macro name”. In the

Grammar” tab. Check the “Grammar with

| AutoText | New”. Word will use the name

“Store macro” box, click the template or

spellings” checkbox and click “OK”.

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FEATURE  HanDs On WITH MS WORD

Putting it all together The individual Microsoft Office applications are designed to work closely. Here’s how to take advantage of this and exchange data between Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

W

hen working on a project, you’ll use the best features of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You are likely to use Excel to make a chart or prepare a spreadsheet; the text of the report and the cover page is usually done in Word. And finally, you may want to present a summary of this report using PowerPoint. The good news is that it is possible for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to exchange and share information. But how is this possible? Since Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are developed by the same company (Microsoft), there is a certain level of integration between the Microsoft Office applications. That’s what a software suite is all

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about; individual applications are each developed for a specific task, but they are designed to work seamlessly with each other. So how can you leverage on this integration and data exchange feature? The individual elements (charts, pictures, sounds) are treated as “objects”. A Word document page, a PowerPoint slide, or an Excel sheet may be thought of as “containers” for these objects. So it is possible to copy and paste objects between applications. Further, these objects can be linked to their native applications—the one used to create or modify that object. There is yet another aspect of

integration. Some features are common across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. For instance, the diagram tool, which is used for creating organizational charts and pyramids can be accessed from the “Insert” menu of all three applications; this is a common aspect of the MS Office suite. Moreover, there are other such common tools. Menus are similar across applications and some features like printing, tracking, and reviewing use the same routines. The spelling and grammar checker uses the same dictionaries across Office applications. Let’s review a few examples of how to exchange data between Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. intelligent computing CHip PLUS  JANUARY 2008

HANDS ON WITH MS WORD  FEATURE

What is OLE? Object Linking and Embedding is the technology that makes data exchange possible between Microsoft Office applications. There are two aspects of OLE: linking and embedding. You must also understand the concept of source and destination document. Suppose you create a graph in an Excel document called Graph.xls. Now if you want to put this same graph in a Word document called Report.doc, you’ll have to decide if you want to do this by linking or embedding. In this example, the Excel document Graph.xls is the source document and Report.doc is the destination document. Embedding When you embed an object in a destination document, it becomes a part of the destination document. It’s data is

stored there while it is also displayed. If you want to make modifications, just double-click on the embedded object. A mini-application will appear in a box, and you can edit the data for that object in the destination document. If you make changes, the source document will remain unaffected and unchanged. So the embedded object has no connection to the source document. This relation is the reverse of the relation with linked objects. Linking If you regularly update the data in the source document and want those new changes to be reflected in the destination document (where you’ve pasted a related object), then it is necessary to link the object to the

source. For instance, if you paste an Excel spreadsheet or chart in a Word document, and then double-click on this object, the Excel application will launch and the source document will open along with the object in it. You can then edit the data in the source file and either save or close it. The object will then incorporate those changes in the destination file. This will be demonstrated later in this story (See box: Linking Excel and Word). When you link source and destination documents, do not change the storage locations (folders) of either of the documents later. Otherwise, the object will not be updated in the destination document, as the source will not be found. So how do you link or embed objects? The following examples illustrate this.

Connecting Outlook mail to Word Word can be used as the default text processor for composing, editing, or reading e-mails. If you set up an option in Outlook, then whenever you compose a new mail, the Word formatting toolbar will appear, allowing you to use all the rich features of Word to prepare and format your e-mail message. Rich text is text that has formatting (bold and italics) and different fonts. If you receive e-mail messages in rich text format, then it makes sense to use Microsoft Word to read these messages—otherwise you will see only the text without the formatting and correct fonts.

In Outlook 2003, select “Tools | Options” and then click on the “Mail Format” tab. Under “Message Format”, make sure both the boxes “Use Microsoft Office Word 2003….” have a check mark. Also select “Rich Text” for “Compose in this message format”.

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In Outlook 2003, click on the “New” button to compose a new message. Notice that the Word formatting toolbar has appeared exactly below the subject line. Also notice that the “Word Count” box (which is a feature of Word) has appeared in the upperright side. You can now go about writing your message and applying colors, styles, and fonts to different words.

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You will also notice that the menus have changed and are similar to the Word menus. In other words, you are using Microsoft Word within Outlook! The Format menu offers commands like Fonts and Styles—which convert plain text to the rich text format. The other menus have also be modified to reflect MS Word commands.

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FEATURE  HanDs On WITH MS WORD

Embedding an Excel chart in a Word document With embedding, a copy of the source document data is placed in the destination document. So if you place an Excel chart in a Word document, the data relating to that chart is also placed in the Word document. The source document data remains unaffected when you make changes to the object in the destination document. In this case, Excel is the source document and the destination is the Word document.

Switch to the Word document (destination). Click in the document at the position where the chart should be inserted. Select “Edit | Paste Special”. A dialog box appears asking if you want to link the object to the source or just embed it in the destination. Select the “Paste” option and click “OK”. The object is now embedded in the destination Word document. You can close the source Excel document.

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Prepare a chart in an Excel spreadsheet (source), and a report in a Word document (destination). Save both the documents and provide suitable file names. Preferably, both documents can be saved in the same folder.

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To make changes to the embedded chart, just double-click on it. It’s data sheet is also embedded in the Word document. Click on the relevant tab to find the data (for instance Sheet 1 tab below), and then change the figures. Don’t forget to switch back to the sheet displaying the chart (for instance Chart 1 tab below). Click outside the chart area to update the chart.

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With both documents open, switch to the Excel document. Click once on the chart. The selection handles will appear around it. Now select the “Edit | Copy” command from the menu.

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HANDS ON WITH MS WORD  FEATURE

Linking Excel and Word Linking is quite different from embedding. In linking, you are dealing with the source document when making changes. Only an image of the source data is placed in the destination document, and this image (object) is linked to the source document. Therefore, when you double-click on the object,

the source document opens with the data, enabling you to make changes to the data. The image/object will be later updated in the destination document, as we shall see. In this case, the Excel document is the source and the Word document is the destination.

We assume that you have prepared an Excel chart and spreadsheet as well as a Word document. Now while keeping both the documents open, switch to the Excel document. Click once on the chart to display the selection handles around it. Now select the “Edit | Copy” command from the menu.

Switch to the Word document (destination). Click on the document at the position where the chart should be inserted. Select “Edit | Paste Special”. A dialog box appears asking if you want to link the object to the source or just embed it in the destination. Select the “Paste link” option and click “OK”. The object is now copied and linked in the destination Word document. You can close the source Excel document.

To make changes to the linked chart, double-click on it. The source Excel document will open at once. Click on the “Sheet1” tab, make the required changes, and then save the Excel file. Switch back to the destination Word document. You will notice that the changes are not reflected in the chart. Close the Word document and reopen it.

When you reopen the destination Word document, a dialog box appears and informs you that the document is linked to another file that contains data. It also asks if you want to update this document (with the changes made in the source document). Accept the changes by clicking “OK”. You will now see that the chart is updated with the changes.

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FEATURE  HanDs On WITH MS WORD

Linking PowerPoint and Excel Sometimes, you may want to insert an Excel Spreadsheet in a PowerPoint slide. This is usually done when marketing teams make presentations. Here too, you can choose to either embed it or just link it to the original spreadsheet. The same

OLE principles apply. In this example, the Excel spreadsheet is the source document and the PowerPoint presentation file is the destination document. In this example, we shall link the spreadsheet to the presentation.

2 We assume that you have prepared an Excel spreadsheet. To get the grid lines, select “File | Page Setup” and then click on the “Sheet” tab. Ensure that there is a check mark in the box near “Gridlines”. Then click “OK”.

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The inserted spreadsheet is small and needs to be resized. Click on it once to view the selection handles. Drag the upper-center selection handle upwards. Also drag the left and right selections handles to expand the spreadsheet table. Save the PowerPoint file.

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Select the table and then choose “Edit | Copy”. To make changes to the table data, double-click on the spreadsheet you just inserted in the slide; this will open the source Excel document. After making the changes to the source document, save it and close it.

Open your PowerPoint document and insert a new slide, if necessary, by choosing “Insert | New Slide”. Then choose “Format | Slide Layout”. Select a blank content layout from the task pane on the right (PowerPoint 2003). Then, paste the spreadsheet into the slide by selecting “Edit | Paste special”. Select the “Paste Link” option and click “OK”.

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Close and reopen the PowerPoint file. A dialog box will appear informing you that the PowerPoint file is linked to another file. Click on “Update Links”. The data is now updated according to the changes made in the source document.  intelligent computing CHip PLUS  JANUARY 2008

HANDS ON WITH MS WORD  WORKSHOP

Divide and format! Document sections are subdivisions that get exclusive page formatting. Here are practical examples of how to use various types of document sections.

STEP 1: Create a “Next Page” section

ReferenceS

Let’s say you want to create a special title page for your report. Unlike the rest of the document, it should not have a page number or text in the header and footer. Once we create the section, we’ll specify the title of the report and center it horizontally and vertically across the page (so that it appears exactly in the center of the page.) For the paper size, we’ll use “Letter” (8.5 × 11 inches), while the rest of the document is printed on A4-size paper (8.27 × 11.69 inches).

What is a section?

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Open an existing report or a new document.

For the alignment, click on the "Center" button on the formatting toolbar to align it horizontally.

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On the first line of the first page, type a title for the report, for example, "Quarterly-1 Performance Report".

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Hit [Enter] and position the cursor on the next line under the title that you just typed.

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Click on the "Insert" menu and select "Break".

The section break will be inserted after the title and the rest of the existing content on that page will be moved to the next section.

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When you start a new document, there are no sections since the document is one continuous section. So by making sections you sub-divide a document. Sections are created simply by inserting section breaks. These are shown as double-lined markers in the document. Create sections if you want parts of the document to look different.

What is a section USED FOR?

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Select the "Next page" option.

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Click "OK".

There are instances when a certain section of the document needs unique page formatting. For instance, you may want to format the top half of page one to print on an A5-sized card paper, while the rest of the document to print on an A4 paper. Moreover, you can have this special top half print from a different tray in the printer (where you load the special A5 card paper), and you can print the rest of the document on sheets in another tray.

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WORKSHOP  HanDs On WITH MS WORD

Reference

What type of formatting can be applied? Once you create a section, it can have its own special formatting, while other pages and sections follow the default settings of the document. Here’s a list of all the formatting settings that can be applied separately to a section:  Margin  Paper size and orientation  Page borders  Vertical alignment  Headers and footers  Columns  Page numbering  Line numbering  Footnotes and endnotes

Formatting the section

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Position the cursor on the first section by clicking on the report title. Select "File | Page Setup".

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Click on the "Paper" tab.

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Select A5 under Paper Size.

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Note that the changes will be applicable only to the current section.

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Click on the "Layout" tab and select "Center" under Vertical Alignment.

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Click "OK".

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Apply this by clicking "OK".

Click "Insert | Page number".

TIP

Deleting a section break When you delete a section break, the text takes the formatting of the other pages in the document. In other words, it becomes like any other page in the document. To delete a section, just click on the section break line and press the [Delete] key. It is important to remember that if you delete the section break, the text preceding the break will be formatted according to the section that follows the break and not vice versa.

2

Uncheck "Show number on first page".

Click "File | Print Preview". You can now see that the section at the beginning of the document has taken on a different formatting. Other pages in the document follow the default settings for page size and text formatting. You will also notice that other pages have page numbers (if you had put these earlier in their header/footer), but the page number is suppressed in the first section.

STEP 2: Create a "Continuous" section In Step 1, we showed you that creating a new section sends the remainder of the page to the next page. That creates a section as a separate page. But there are instances when you need to create sections on the same page. One example is newspaper-style columns. Suppose you want the top half of the page to follow a two-column text layout and the lower half of the page to follow a three-column layout. Here's how to create continuous sections and columns.

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1

Open a Word document that has at least a page of text.

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Position the cursor after the first two or three paragraphs.

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To see the section break marker, click on the "Show/Hide" button on the standard toolbar.

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It is important that you insert a third section break, otherwise the rest of the document will take the three-column format of the second section.

Click "Insert | Break" and select "Continuous".

Place the cursor after another few paragraphs and create another section.

Create a third section after that for the rest of the document.

Creating columns

1

Place the cursor in the first section that was just created.

2

Click "Format | Columns", and from the column presets, select the two-column format.

REFERENCE

Types of sections Which type of section do you need: Continuous or Next page? Next page: Word inserts a page break and starts the next section on the next page. Use this section break if you want to apply different page numbers, headers and footers, etc to the sections in the document. Continuous: Word inserts a section break and begins the new section on the same page. Use this section break if you want to have a different formatting for each column or margins on the same page. If there are multiple columns in the previous section, Word balances the columns above the section break and then fills out the page with the new section. TIP

3 4

Place the cursor in the second section and create a threecolumn format.

Click "OK".

5

The rest of the document (third section) follows a one-column format.

So section 1 has a twocolumn format, while section 2 has a threecolumn format. The rest of the document (section 3) is a single-column format.

Create an "odd/even" section Starting the next section on an odd- or even-numbered page is useful when creating the manuscript for a novel or for articles for a magazine. In the case of a novel, you may want the next chapter to start on a right-hand page, which has an odd number. In the case of a magazine article, you may want to force the next article to start on a left-hand (even-numbered) page.

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Copy a section break You have created a section and have taken great pains to format it. There’s a simple way to apply those same formatting changes to another section in document. You can copy the section formatting by copying the section break in normal view. When you paste a section break in a new location, the text above the section break takes on the formatting contained in the section break.

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Create your own letterhead Starting a new business and want to get a prospective clientele to notice you? Try using Headers and Footers in MS Word to create an eye-catching letterhead and watch your brand recognition grow! TIP

STEP 1: Create the header

Use character spacing

Once you know what your business is going to offer and where you’re going with it, create a header that provides the company’s name along with its graphical identity or logo. Follow these steps to create the header:

To give you letterhead a professional appearance, take advantage of Word’s ability to control the font size, character attributes, and character spacing. If your text is looking a bit cramped, expanded character spacing will give it a more professional look and feel. To expand the spacing, highlight the text you want to modify. Go to “Format | Font”. Click on the “Character Spacing” tab. Use the “Spacing” drop list to select the option “Expanded”. Increase the character spacing in 0.1-point increments until you like how the text looks. You can also adjust the position of the text, lowering or raising it to suit your design.

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Go to "View | Header and Footer".

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To format the text that appears in the header, go to "View | Toolbar | Formatting".

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Then type the name and slogan of your company in the header box. For example, type in the name of your business "Sullivan & Associates" along with the slogan "Travel the World with Education".

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Click on "Center" from among your aligning options to center the text in the header.

4

Use the Formatting toolbar to select the "Font","Font size", and "Font color" according to your preference. You could also "Underline" the company name.

STEP 2: Insert a logo Most business letterheads include a picture or logo and yours should too. You can scan an image from a hard copy, create a logo using a drawing program, import a logo from a clip art collection or download an image or graphic file from the Internet. To insert this saved logo from your PC:

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1

Click on the area in your worksheet where you wish to see your logo, and go to "Insert | Picture | From File".

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Click on the "Insert" button.

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From the "Insert Picture" dialog box, use the "Look in" drop list to select your company logo from the folder that contains it.

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In the "Format Picture" dialog box, click on the "Layout" tab.

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To adjust the logo according to your preference, go to "Format | Picture".

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Under the "Horizontal alignment" section, select the radio button "Other".

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Under the "Wrapping Style" section, select the option "Tight".

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Click "OK".

To move the image, click on the edge of the image in order to make the four-sided arrow appear.

STEP 3: Create the footer Besides your header, the letterhead should also feature important contact details that people can use for reference. This information can be featured on the bottom of your page as the page footer. Follow these steps to create a footer:

1

In the "Header and Footer" toolbar, click on the "Switch between Header and Footer" option.

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After entering and formatting the contact information, click on the "Close" button in the "Header and Footer".

As done in the case of the header, use the "Formatting" toolbar to format the text according to your preferences.

TIPs

Select a theme Depending on the occasion, you can also select a theme for your basic letterhead. In order to select a theme: Go to “Format | Theme”. From the “Choose a Theme” scroll list, select a theme of your choice. Click “OK”.

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Add a picture watermark You can also use a picture as a watermark. Go to “Format | Background”. Click on the option “Printed Watermark”. In the “Printed Watermark” dialog box, select the “Picture Watermark” radio button. Click on the “Select Picture” button to select a picture saved on your computer. From the “Insert Picture” dialog box, use the “Look in” drop list to select the picture of your preference from the folder that contains it. Click on the “Insert” button. After inserting the image, ensure that the “Scale” is set to “Auto” and checkmark the “Washout” check box. Click “OK”.

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In the "Footer" box, enter your contact information that could include information like your telephone number, e-mail address, and your company's address.

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TIPS

STEP 4: Save the letterhead as a template

Customize your logo

Once you're satisfied with the way your letterhead looks, save it as a Word document template to access it in the future.

Whether you are starting a new business or updating your existing identity package, an appropriate, eye-catching logo can go a long way in creating a lasting impression with potential customers. For example, a financial advisor should lean toward a more conservative logo by using visual cues that emphasize stability and trustworthiness. Your logo should describe your business at a glance, helping customers understand who you are while also giving them a feel of what your business is about. Check out www. cooltext.com to create your own logo.

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Go to "File | Save as".

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Give the template a name, for example, Letterhead.dot.

Download fonts If you need to add some spice to your letterhead but can’t seem to find the right font to do so, then check out Letterhead Fonts (http://www. letterheadfonts.com/ downloads/index.shtml). This website offers free downloads of some great fonts that are sure to jazz up your letterhead.

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Use the "Save as type" drop list to select the "Document Template" file type.

STEP 5: Use your letterhead The letterhead template is saved along with the other available templates in your Word document. Follow these steps to use the saved letterhead template:

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Go to "File | New".

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In the "New Document" task list, click on "On my Computer".

Ensure that the header is comprehensible Feel free to use a stylized headline font for the company name or even a graphic logo, but make sure that the address, telephone number, etc is easy to read.

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In the "Templates" dialog box, click on the "General" tab.

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Double-click on the "Letterhead.dot" icon.

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You can use this template to type, print, and save any text or letters according to your preferences.

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Create an impressive resume Are prospective employers constantly showing you the door due to your weak resume layout? Now triumph over competition with a professional resume using Word’s Resume Wizard. STEP 1: Access the Resume Wizard

References

The Resume Wizard in Word is an inbuilt feature in Microsoft Word that allows you to present your credentials in a professional and aesthetically pleasing format. Follow these steps in order to access it in a Word document:

Avoid too many headings

STEP 2: Choosing the Resume style

With employers receiving hundreds of resumes, you must make sure that your resume hooks an employer’s attention within a 5-second glance. A great way to do this is to use job titles and skill headings that relate to and match the jobs you want. Additional information may sometimes clash with the job profile; for example, your hobby of “gardening” may not benefit the designation of “Sales Executive” that you are applying for.

Resume Wizard enables the user to create unique resumes by opting for specific layouts from available styles. The Style selection depends solely on how you would like the final resume to look.

Use Keywords

1

Go to "File | New".

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In the "New Document" section, select "On my Computer" under “Templates”.

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In the "Templates" dialog box, click on the "Other Documents" tab.

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In the "Resume Wizard" dialog box, click on "Next".

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Choose the "Resume Wizard" template.

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Select the radio button "Document".

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Click "OK".

You have just finished reviewing vacancy ads for positions that interest you. Use the keywords listed in these ads to match them to the bullets in your resume. If you have missed any keywords, add them to your resume. For example, use keywords such as “good communication skills” and “team player”.

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Quantify and Use Power Words Using numbers to describe your achievements and responsibilities can greatly expand and elevate your image. This method creates vivid images in the mind when read, whereas general statements are easy to skip over or forget. Typically the more specific you can be in describing your duties, the better it is. For example, these sentences quantify your achievements in terms of numbers.  Managed a department of 100 with a budget of $1,00,000.  Increased sales by 25% in a 15-state territory.

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In the next view, select the radio button "Professional" for the Professional Resume style.

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From the list of the types of resumes available, select "Professional resume”.

Click on the "Next" button.

Resumes need the user’s basic personal information. This helps the employer to revert back with the confirmation status. Always ensure that this information is updated in case of changes.

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You might have to enter additional personal information in the "Phone", "Fax" and "Email" fields.

You are navigated to a dialog box that asks for your "Name" and "Mailing address".

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Click on "Next".

STEP 4: Select suitable headings The headings in the resume will determine what you would like to bring to your interviewer's attention. Make sure that the headings selected are the ones that will best describe the user and the job profile.

1

From the list of headings, check mark the ones that would allow you to provide information such as "Education", "Languages", "Professional Experience", or "References".

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Click on "Next".

3

Once again, select the additional headings that would help customize your resume.

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Click on "Next".

STEP 3: Enter your personal information

Avoid Grammatical Errors Sometimes the minor details are really the most significant ones. Make sure that you have a single font format for the entire document. Ensure that the resume looks good in the Print Preview. Most resumes face instant rejection by the employer due to spelling errors, typos, or grammatical errors. Besides using spellcheck on the entire document, make sure you proofread your resume carefully. Having someone else review your resume is also a good idea.

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Click on "Next".

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STEP 5: Select suitable headings

TIPs

The headings in the resume will determine what you would like to bring to your interviewer's attention. Make sure that the headings selected are the ones that will best describe the user and the job profile.

Use a Cover Letter

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In the blank field that opens up, enter the custom heading you would like to see in your resume, for example, "Locations Preferred".

2

Click on the "Add" button.

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Click on "Next".

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You will then be navigated to the end of the Resume Wizard.

Since the main aim of creating a good resume is to get noticed, use a cover letter along with your resume to articulate your focus. Describing exactly how you are qualified for the position gives you an edge over others who leave it for the employer to figure how their skills would match the job profile. Always end your cover letter by requesting for an interview or an appointment.

Create a table in the resume It is advisable to tabulate certain information in a resume for better presentation. To insert a table in a Word document: Go to “Table | Tools”. In the “Insert Table” dialog box that opens, use the scroll buttons provided to select the number of rows and columns that your table will consist of. In the “Auto Fit Behavior”, select “Fixed Column Width” and use the scroll buttons to set it on “Auto”. Click “OK”.

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Click on "Finish".

STEP 6: Fill in your details The Resume Wizard conjures a resume layout that appears in a Word document. The details to the selected headings need to be entered here.

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You will be provided with directives along with each heading so as to understand the type of data required.

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Enter the information that would best describe your qualifications or the reasons for your application.

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Prepare for Mass Mailing! Need to send out a notice or invitation to a group of people? Use the Mail Merge feature to do this efficiently and quickly.

Reference

STEP 1: Create the Data Source

What is Mail Merge?

The Data Source contains the list of addresses. You can use either Word, Excel, Access or Outlook to create the list (See tips). We shall use Excel to create a list of addresses.

Send the same letter (such as an invitation) to several people is called mass mailing. Word offers a feature called ‘Mail Merge’ for this task. Data from two sources are merged to form a personalized letter in memory. This letter is then printed. The two sources are the address book (data source) and the main letter.

TIP

Mail Merge toolbar The Mail Merge wizard takes you through the steps of creating merged letters. It offers an easy step-by-step procedure. But after you have some experience using this feature, you can try out the Mail Merge Toolbar, which offers powerful features. Select “View | Toolbars | Mail Merge” to see this toolbar.

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Start Excel and open a new worksheet.

Split the address into three or four columns like ‘address-1,’ ‘address-2,’ ‘city,’ ‘zip code’, etc.

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Type the column names like ‘Name,’ ‘Company’, etc

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Widen the columns by pointing at the column borders and dragging them to the right.

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Type data in the rows corresponding to the headings.

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Save the file and note its name and location.

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Close the worksheet and exit Excel.

STEP 2: Create the Form Letter The second important thing to have is the actual letter. It’s called the ‘Form Letter’. It will not have variable data like an actual name or address. In the next step, we will insert ‘fields’ or placeholders for the variable data.

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Type a general letter like a formal notice or invitation.

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Leave some blank lines at the top (press the [Enter] key).

Do not type an address at the top.

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Do not type a name after the salutation.

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Save the letter and note its name.

STEP 3: Performing the merge In this step, we will link the data source to the letter (which is currently open).

REFERENCES

What are Fields? The form letter used in mail merge must have some way of indicating where the variable data (actual names and addresses) will appear. These are indicated by Merge Fields inserted during the merge. A field is a unit of data that appears in the columns in the address book. For instance, ‘NAME’ is a field.

What are Records?

1

From the “Tools” menu, select “Letters and mailings | Mail merge”.

A set of data belonging to one person or thing is called a ‘Record’. For instance: Garth, Fort, 5678 Ford Ave., Planter, WA, 10002. A data source file is a collection of records.

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The Mail Merge task pane appears on the right.

Data source

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Under “Select document type”, choose “Letters”.

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Under “Select starting document”, choose “Use the current document”.

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Click the “Next” link at the bottom of the task pane.

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Click the “Next” link at the bottom of the task pane.

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Under Select recipients’ choose ‘Use an existing list.

The data source is the place from where a name and address is picked up and placed in the corresponding merge fields in the letter. In other words, it’s a list of addresses. The data source can be your Outlook address book, or a list created in Excel, Word, or Access.

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Click on the “Browse” link under “Use an existing list”.

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TIPS

Field names The field names in the data source are used as merge fields in the letter. So do not leave a space within the field name. A field name like “Firstname” is acceptable but “First name” is not.

Select Data Source

1

In the “Select data source” box, under “Look in” point to the folder where the Excel address book (prepared in step 1) is stored.

2

Click on the address file and then click the “Open” button.

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In the “Select Table” dialog box, click “OK”.

Mail merge data source There’s a way to create the data source directly in mail merge. In the third step of the mail merge wizard, select “Type new list” and click on the “Create” link in the task pane. But we do not recommend this if there are many addresses or if you plan to use the addresses again in future.

Data source in Word If you choose to create your address list in Word, then be sure to put a comma after each field or field heading. The row of field headings should be made bold. The items in each row should correspond to the order of the headings. For instance, if the heading row is: FirstName, LastName, Address1, City, State, PostalCode, then each row of data will be written as follows: Garth, Fort, 5678 Ford Ave., Planter, WA, 10002.

Selecting Recipients

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The list of Mail Merge recipients appears.

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Click “OK”.

Choose the “Select all” option.

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Alternatively, choose “Clear all” and select the recipients to whom you want to send letters to.

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Click on the “Next” link at the bottom of the task pane.

STEP 4: Inserting the fields While typing the letter, you did not type variable data like names and addresses. In this step, you will insert placeholders or ‘fields’ for the variable data. While actually performing the merge (in the next step), actual names and addresses will be placed in the fields.

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Click at the top of the letter, where the address is to appear.

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Click on the “Address block” link.

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In the “Insert address book” box, select “Always include the country/ region”.

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Click “OK”.

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The field “Address Block” is inserted. This will later be replaced by actual addresses.

Click after the salutation, where the name is to appear.

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Click on the “More items…” link in the task pane.

Select “Name” and click “Insert”.

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Click on the “Close” button.

The field “Name” will be added.

STEP 5: Previewing and Printing The merge is almost complete. When the data source is merged with the letter, you can specify for which records (addresses) you want to print letters. You also get a chance to preview how the merged and printed letter looks.

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Also the “Name” field after the salutation is replaced by an actual name.

Notice that the “Address block” field is now replaced by an actual name and address.

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Click on the “Next: Complete the merge” link at the bottom of the page.

Click on the “Print…” link to begin printing the letters.

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In the Print Records box, select “All” and click “OK”.

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Alternatively, specify the series of records in the “From” and “To” box.

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Data source in Outlook If you choose to pick the addresses from the Microsoft Outlook address book, then Outlook must be the default email client. To ensure this, do the following within Microsoft Outlook: Start Outlook. From the “Tools” menu, select “Options”. Click on the “Other” tab. Under “General”, click to put a check mark for “Make Outlook the default program for e-mail”. Select “OK” and restart Outlook.

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Previewing merged letters

Click on the “Next: Preview your letters” link at the bottom of the task pane.

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TIPS

There’s a better way to preview and print letters for selective records. This can be done from the Mail Merge Toolbar. But this can be done only after you have completed the mail merge operation. Select “View | Toolbars | Mail Merge” to see this toolbar. Click the “Previous Record” or “Next Record” buttons on the mail merge toolbar. To print the currently displayed merged letter, select “File | Print”.

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Design an org chart in a jiffy The new version of Word lets you create an impressive organizational chart that was earlier difficult to create in Word 2003. Learn how to make an organizational chart in just a few minutes. Reference

STEP 1: Create an org chart

Why do I need an org chart?

Before you begin creating the chart, ensure that you have a rough idea of the type of organizational chart you want to create and where each employee will be placed in relation to the other employees. If your organizational chart is fairly large, change the page orientation to suit the chart.

An organizational chart, also referred to as a tree diagram, is a diagram that depicts the relationships among the staff or departments in an association or organization. This visual illustration is a concise explanation of the structure of an organization as compared to a long list of names and designations. It’s a handy tool for managers during decision making or communication in the organization. With an organizational chart in front of him/her, a manager can have a clear idea of the resources available in each department. However, this chart doesn’t depict the social relationships among people and it also tends to get outdated very quickly in a dynamic organization.

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Open a new document in Microsoft Word 2007.

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Click on the "Page Layout" menu.

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Select "Landscape".

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Click on the "Insert" menu.

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Next click on the "SmartArt" button.

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In the left panel, click on "Hierarchy".

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Then click on the "Orientation" dropdown box.

Now click on a chart pattern that best suits the structure of your organization.

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Click "OK".

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STEP 2: Insert the names and designations

TIPs

A basic organizational chart will appear in your document. Now you simply have to insert the names and designations of the employees in the organization.

Use an online org chart

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Click on the organizational chart that appears.

To begin entering the text, On the left of the organizational chart selection box, click on the box with two arrows to open the text pane.

As soon as you click on the chart to select it, the SmartArt Tools menu appears with two new tabs under it: Design and Format. You can also click on the “Text Pane” button under the Create Graphic section to view the text pane.

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Click on any of the text boxes in the chart to directly type in the text in them.

In the "Type your text here" window, enter the text, that is, the designations and the names of the personnel who hold those designations.

You want to create an organizational chart for your company but would also like to view samples of org charts of other companies before you start with you’re own chart. Well, you should definitely check out OrgChartWiki, which is a free service, where you can not only create your own organizational chart but also refer to other charts of publicly listed US companies such as Google, Intel, and other such bigwigs. So if you want to know who’s in charge of Finance in Google, then visit http:// orgchart.forbes.com.

Change the chart’s layout

STEP 3: Add a shape to the chart The organizational chart that appears by default only provides you with 5 text boxes, which will definitely be insufficient if you have a large organization. Therefore, you will have to add more shapes to the chart.

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Click on the Design menu under SmartArt Tools.

To choose the location of the new shape in relation with the select shape, click on the lower part of the "Add Shape" button.

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Click on the text box under which you want to insert the additional box. Select Add Shape After or Before to insert new shapes in the same level. Choose Add Shape Above or Below to add a new shape above or below the selected box. The Add Assistant option allows you to insert a text box below the selected box.

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There are different layouts of org charts. Another available layout in Microsoft Word 2007 is referred to as hanging layout. Once you’ve inserted a basic hierarchy chart in your document. Click on the “Design” menu under SmartArt Tools. In the “Create Graphic” section, click on “Layout”, and from the drop-down list, select one of these options: Standard (all text boxes will branch out from the selected box), Both (the text boxes will branch out on either side of one stem), Left hanging (the text boxes will be branch out to the left), Right hanging (they will emerge from the stem towards the right side).

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TIP

STEP 4: Customize its appearance

Animate your organizational chart

Making an organizational chart is a whole new experience with Word 2007. With a few clicks, you can add some amazing effects to your chart. Producing such effects using Word 2003 would be next to impossible.

While making a presentation about your association or organization, you might be required to add the organizational chart to the slide show to introduce the members of the team and its structure. It is a good idea to animate the chart in PowerPoint such that each text box appears at the click of the mouse. To insert the chart into the presentation: Copy and paste the chart onto a slide in PowerPoint. Select the chart graphic. Since PowerPoint and Word are part of the same package, each text box is treated separately and this allows you to make them appear one after another. Next click on the “Animations” menu and under the Animations section, click on the “Custom Animation”. Here, we’ll give each level a fly-in effect. In the right pane, click on the drop-down arrow near “Change” and select “Entrance | Fly-in”. Click on the dropdown arrow next to “Content Placeholder” and select “Effect Options”. Click on the “SmartArt Animation” tab. Next to Group graphic, select “By level one by one” or “By branch one by one” from the dropdown box and click “OK”.

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Select the organizational chart.

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Under the SmartArt Styles group, click on "Change Colors" and select a color combination from the ones listed below.

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Click on the "Design" menu under SmartArt Tools.

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As soon as you select a color combination, the colors will be applied to the SmartArt Styles next to it. From these, select a style for the chart.

Shape and Word Styles In addition to applying a style to the entire structure, you can also modify the color and text of individual boxes in the chart.

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Click on the chart to select it.

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Under the Shape and WordArt Styles sections, select the type of formatting that you want to apply to your chart.

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Next click on the "Format" menu under SmartArt Tools.

Applying Shape Effects The most innovative and interesting aspect of the new version of Word is the SmartArt Tools that adds a whole new dimension to the application. One look at the Shape Effects feature and you’ll be convinced that with this version Microsoft has definitely taken word processing to the next level. Follow these steps to apply an effect to your chart.

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Move your cursor over any effect and to get a glimpse of what your chart will look like with that effect.

Click on the "Format" menu under SmartArt Tools.

Select your chart by clicking on it

Next click on "Shape Effects" under the Shape Styles section. Select an effect from the ones listed below.

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Then click on "Bevel | Circle" to give the box a raised effect.

Here, we will apply a reflection and bevel effect. Select "Reflection | Tight touching" (the first reflection effect).

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To customize the direction of the chart, click on "Shape Effects | 3-D Rotation | 3-D Rotation Options".

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In the "Format Shape" dialog box, you can manually set the degree of rotation and the perspective.

8

Click "Close" to apply the settings.

STEP 5: Update the chart Once you've created a lucid and neat chart, you can document and distribute it. However, organizations are dynamic entities and there will inevitably be some type of structural changes that occur in the organization. You should regularly check to ensure that the chart reflects these changes. In case there is a change in the organizational structure, for example, a new designation has been created and the employee who was previously the Assistant Director (Finance) has been promoted and given the new designation of Executive Director (Accounts).

BEFORE

1

Click on the "Design" menu and select the text box that you wish to shift.

2

Under "Create Graphic", click on "Promote".

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AFTER Click on "Demote" to shift a text box to the next level.

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Insert text boxes of different sizes By default, when you insert an org chart in the document, all the text boxes that appear as part of the organizational chart are of the same size. There is an option whereby you can change their sizes. Select the box whose size you want to change. Click on the “Format” menu and click on the “Larger” or “Smaller” buttons to increase or decrease the size, respectively. To customize the size manually, click on the “Size” button on the extreme right and specify the height and width. You can change the size of the text boxes depending on the seniority of the designation. For instance, you can increase text box of the CEO or Director of a company and decrease those of other subordinates.

Reset the chart The new version of Word provides the user with a number of excellent effects. However, some of the effects of SmartArt Tools may not blend well with each other. To remove the effects you’ve applied, you can either press [Ctrl] + Z to undo the changes or select the original setting in each style option (if you remember what they were). There is a simple solution to this problem, just click on the chart and under the “Design” menu, select the “Reset Graphic” button.

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Converting Word Documents to PDFs Sharing a document that includes text as well as graphics is a smarter way than exchanging cumbersome Word files. Welcome to the world of the Portable Document Format.

Reference

STEP 1: Setting up PrimoPDF

What does PDF stand for?

Creating a PDF from a Word file (or any other text file) is easy. Professional PDF creation tools can cost USD40 or more, but utilities such as PrimoPDF are free and offer simple PDF conversion.

PDF stands for Portable Document Format. This is primarily used to distribute documents while preserving their formatting and design on any system. The biggest advantage is that the recipient need not have the program that was used to create the original document, but would still require a reader to view the file. Another plus point of this format is that the file size of a PDF document is modest. PDF files can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be freely downloaded from www.adobe.com.

To download the software, go to www. primopdf.com.

1

Click "Download Now". Note where you download the file. The file should be 9.7 MB in size.

2

Double-click on "FreePrimoSetup" and follow the onscreen instructions on the screen to install it.

Remember to close any text applications that may be open.

STEP 2: Creating your PDF The secret to making a PDF is to make the system recognize the PDF creator as a printer. PrimoPDF does just that—it installs itself as a PDF printer. Thus, you can use PrimoPDF to print your documents to PDF within any program on your computer that has a 'Print' facility. To create a PDF file, we'll use Word.

(See sidebar: Why use PDF?)

1

In Word, go to "File | Print".

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2

From the list of available printers, select “PrimoPDF" and click "OK".

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3

The "Create PDF" window pops up. Enter a name if needed and select a location for the PDF file.

4

Select whether the PDF will be used for Screen, Print, E-Book or Prepress. Depending on the selection, the PDF will be optimized for that purpose.

5

Click "OK", and your PDF is ready! Adobe Acrobat Reader should automatically open it now.

STEP 3: Exploring additional options To utilize the PDF functionality to the maximum, you could explore several other options.

Security concerns PrimoPDF allows you to set a degree of security for your PDF document, so that you can control user actions on the file.

1

If you are concerned about security, click on the "Security" button to access the security settings window.

3

Users will also need to enter a password to view the PDF— a perfect way to ensure security.

4 2

Users must enter a specified password in order to change any security settings in the PDF.

Under "Encryption", choose either 40-bit (for Acrobat Reader 4.0 and below) or 128-bit (for Reader 5.0 and above). The latter is recommended as it is more effective.

Document properties If you’re interested in entering a proper description, such as internal title of the file, author name, etc, go to Document Properties.

1

Click "Document Properties" to enter a brief description of the PDF.

2

Enter the respective details in their individual boxes. You can enter keywords if you want your document to be easily searchable online. Key in important words separated by commas.

3

Press "OK" when done.

Program options Program options enable you to control how the program behaves. You can tweak these options to speed up the PDF creation process.

1

If this option is selected, the default viewer for opening PDF documents (most likely Adobe Acrobat Reader) will automatically open.

2

PrimoPDF can save your security settings, so you can easily apply them to all PDF files that you create henceforth.

Reference

Why use PDF? PDF format is great for users who simply want to share documents on a read-only basis and don’t wish to edit them. Readonly privileges can be assigned in Word documents too, but you may face version incompatibility issues, and besides there’s no assurance that the receiving party has Word installed. TIP

Speeding up Acrobat Reader We recommend version 7 (7.02) of Acrobat because it is not only faster but also solves some security issues with previous versions. If you still find things slow, download a little utility called Acrobat Reader speedup to fix that. Go to www. tnk-bootblock.co.uk and download the 207 KB program. The program disables plugins that otherwise load whenever Acrobat launches. The fewer are the plugins (most of which you wont require), the quicker is the load time. Note: If the software fails to work, you may need to download VB runtime files. Go to http://www.tnkbootblock.co.uk/prods/ vbruntimes.

3

PrimoPDF can also save your document information settings (title, author, etc) so you can easily apply them to subsequent PDF files.

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Let Word correct your documents Tired of receiving Word documents with microscopic fonts and other difficult-to-read settings? Here’s how you can transform these files to reflect your preferred settings—at the click of a button! Reference

STEP 1: Customizing AutoCorrect options

How is AutoCorrect useful?

The AutoCorrect feature in Word has an inbuilt set of rules regarding spelling errors, capitalization, etc. From these options, you can choose which ones you wish to enable or disable. Follow these steps to navigate to the AutoCorrect dialog box.

AutoCorrect is an excellent feature in Word that relieves users from the time-consuming task of correcting errors in a document. Unlike the spelling feature wherein you have to run spell check through the entire document to fix errors, AutoCorrect automatically does that while you’re typing. This feature is useful in dealing with the following problems: Capitalization errors: While typing, you might accidentally forget to capitalize words that are usually capitalized. AutoCorrect fixes this for you. Misptyped words: AutoCorrect also fixes common typing errors such as in case you type “yoru” instead of “your”. Spacing errors: It also deals with words that require spaces between them, for example, “everytime” that should be written as “every time”.

1

Select "Tools | AutoCorrect Options".

2

Click on the "AutoCorrect" tab.

4 3

Insert checkmarks in the options that you wish to enable.

1 2 3

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Click on "Replace text as you type" to get Word to fix errors while you are typing.

5

Click "OK".

STEP 2: Adding and modifying entries Besides correcting spelling errors, AutoCorrect has another great advantage—you can get it to insert words, phrases, or even graphics as soon as it recognizes an AutoCorrect item that you’ve entered. Entering a plain text entry in the AutoCorrect dialog box is simple so we’ll show you how to insert your company logo.

1

First create the item that you want to insert in the documents. For example, create the company logo and apply the necessary formatting.

2

Select the item. Include the paragraph mark in the selection if required.

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3

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Now, navigate to "Tools | AutoCorrect options".

4

for frequently typed text

Click on the "AutoCorrect"

tab.

5

Enable the "Formatted text" option.

6

Under the "Replace" field, enter the text that you want to use to activate the replacement.

7

Click on the "Add" button to add this entry to the list.

8

Click "OK".

Now each time you type in that text, Word will automatically replace it with the company logo that you entered earlier.

Replacing or deleting entries In the same way, you can also make changes to or delete existing entries. Follow these steps to modify an entry.

1

Navigate to "Tools | AutoCorrect options".

2

Click on the "AutoCorrect"

tab.

If you usually type in your address or other such information while creating a document, then use AutoCorrect for the same. Simply, create an AutoCorrect entry using a neatly formatted address and enter “adrs” under “Replace”. To enter your address, simply type in “adrs” and the entire address will be entered at that insertion point.

Easier access to AutoText If you use Autotext frequently, then it is recommended that you enable the AutoText toolbar. This makes navigation to the AutoText entries much easier. To enable the toolbar, right-click on the blank area near the toolbars and then on “AutoText”. Once the toolbar is enabled, you can click on any option to insert frequently used words or phrases. REference

Why create a template with AutoText entries?

3

Select an entry from the list.

4

Make changes to the entry.

5

Now click on the "Replace" button.

To remove an entry from the list, simply select the entry and click on the "Delete" button.

STEP 3: Creating exceptions Although AutoCorrect is an extremely useful feature, there may be times when you might not want AutoCorrect to fix text that it considers to be incorrect. For example, if you’re typing a formula or an equation, you certainly wouldn’t want AutoCorrect to change any of the text without your consent. In such cases, you can add exceptions to the rules in the AutoCorrect dialog box. JANUARY 2008  intelligent computing CHip PLUS

If you’re working in a department wherein employees have to use certain terms or jargon often, then a template containing such AutoText entries will be very helpful. You can create a template with these entries and share it with others. This would also ensure consistency in terms of the documents created by different people in the department.

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Improve speed by disabling the AutoText feature Often users complain that advanced features such as Screentips, AutoCorrect, AutoText etc. tend to slow down Microsoft Word as well as the computer. If you feel that this is the case with your computer, then disable this feature in Word. Follow these steps to do this: Navigate to “Tools | AutoCorrect options”. Click on the “AutoText” tab. Clear the check mark next to “Show AutoComplete suggestions”. From now on, when you begin typing an AutoText entry, ScreenTips with suggestions for that word/ phrase will not appear.

1

Navigate to "Tools | AutoCorrect options".

2

3

Click on the "Exceptions" button.

Click on the "AutoCorrect"

tab.

1 2 3

Print AutoText entries You’ve made several modifications to the AutoText entries and now you want to check to ensure that you’ve made the necessary changes. Instead of going through them on the computer, you can print the entire list of AutoText entries. Follow these steps to print the entries: Navigate to “File | Print” or click on [Ctrl] + P to open the “Print” dialog box. From the drop-down list near “Print what”, select “AutoText entries”. Click “OK” to print the entire list of entries.

1 2 3

34

Here, you can enter exceptions under three categories: First letter (Word will not capitalize words after this text), Initial Caps (Enter words or names, such as INtech, that you don't want Word to fix), and Other Corrections (you can enter a list of words that should not be changed).

4

In the "AutoCorrect Exceptions" dialog box that opens, enter exceptions to the AutoCorrect feature.

5

6

Insert a checkmark near the option "Automatically add words to list" to let Word automatically modify the list.

Click on the "Add" button to add the entry to the list.

7

Click "OK".

AutoText Another excellent feature in Word is AutoText, which allows you to customize Word to automatically insert text in your documents. This feature is a real boon while typing commonly used words.

STEP 4: Inserting AutoText in documents You can choose from a long list of standard elements in documents such as salutations, attention lines, mailing instructions, etc. You can also customize the AutoText list to suit your requirements. Follow these instructions to insert text automatically.

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1

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Select "Insert | AutoText".

Inserting AutoText in Headers and Footers

You can also enter this text by typing in the first few letters of the AutoText. A box with a suggestion for that word or phrase will appear. Click on "Enter" if you want that text to be inserted in the document.

2

Click on a type of AutoText to access the various lists. For example, to insert a salutation, select "Salutation | Ladies and Gentlemen".

STEP 5: Creating AutoText entries To make optimum use of this feature, add frequently used text to the list of entries. Adding a new entry is really simple.

1 2 3 4

Type the text that you want Word to remember. Show the paragraph mark by clicking on this icon: ¶ Select the text. Don't include the paragraph mark. Click on [Alt] + F3.

While writing a large document, you might want to insert your name, the page number, the date and time, and other such details in the header or footer. AutoText allows you to insert fields, which get updated each time you open the document. Follow these instructions to insert AutoText in headers and footers. View the header and footer by selecting “View | Header and Footer”. Click in the header or footer, depending where you want to insert the field. Here, we will insert the author’s name, page number, and the date in the header. When you navigate to “Insert | AutoText”, the text that is usually inserted in headers and footers appears. Click on the fields that you wish to insert. Once inserted, the fields will be updated with the actual data from the document.

1 2 3 4

5

In the dialog box that opens, enter a name for the text.

6

Click "OK".

Now as soon as you start typing that text in the document, Word will ask you whether you want it to complete the text for you.

STEP 6: Managing AutoText entries Along with creating and deleting entries, you can also organize your AutoText entries by saving them in separate templates. Therefore, when you're working on a particular type of document, you can simply apply a template that contains the AutoText entries that you require for that document. JANUARY 2008  intelligent computing CHip PLUS

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Creating a sub menu in AutoText If you’ve enabled the AutoText toolbar, you’ll find that the new entries that you’ve added to the list tend to be added to a new sub menu “Normal”. However, if you have several entries that you’ve added for specific documents, then you might find it difficult to access them easily. Therefore, it is recommended that you organize your AutoText entries by creating separate menus and adding new entries under these sub menus. Follow these steps to do this: Select “Format | Styles and Formatting”. In the Styles and Formatting pane, click on the “New Style” button. Under the Properties section, type in a name for your new style next to the “Name” text box, for example, “Company information”. Insert a checkmark near the option “Add to template”. Click “OK”. Now enter the text that you want to add to the AutoText entry list and select it. In the Formatting toolbar, select and apply the style that you just created. Now press [Alt] + F3. In the dialog box, enter a name for the entry. Click “OK”.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 36

1

Select "Tools | Templates and Add-ins".

2

In the "Template and Add-ins" dialog box, click on the "Templates" tab.

3

Click on the button "Organizer", which is at the bottom.

To modify or import styles from the current document template to the normal template or any other template, click on the “Attach” button to open a template.

4

In this dialog box, click on the "AutoText" tab.

This list shows the AutoText entries in the current document.

This list shows the AutoText entries in Normal.dot.

5

To change the template from which you are copying entries, click on "Close file" on the right.

6 7

Click on "Open file".

Browser your folders and select another template.

9

Click on "Close" when you're done copying all the necessary entries.

8

Now select the entries in the left list and click on "Copy" to copy them to the template of the current document.

10

Click "OK".

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Compile your own dictionary Does Word keep flagging words only because they are not in its dictionary? Learn how to create and modify your own dictionaries in Word and run spell checks using them.

STEP 1: Add words to the Custom dictionary

Reference

When you run a spell check in Word, you’ll find that several words that aren’t incorrect are highlighted in red or green. This is because these words are not included in Word’s dictionary. In order to avoid these words from being highlighted, simply add them to Word’s Custom dictionary. For instance, in this document, the names of chemicals turn up in the “Not in Dictionary” section.

Dictionaries in Word

1

Click on "Tools | Spelling and Grammar" or press F7 to run the spell check.

2

When that particular word appears in the "Spelling and Grammar" dialog box, click on the "Add to dictionary" option.

Modify the Custom dictionary Instead of adding words to the Custom dictionary one at a time, follow these steps to customize the existing dictionary.

1

2

Select "Tools | Options".

3

Under "Spelling", click on the "Custom Dictionaries" button.

By default, Word comes equipped with dictionaries in different languages and you can choose your language by selecting “Tools | Language | Set Language”. Word also provides for flexibility by allowing you to add words to a separate dictionary that may not be in the dictionary. You can also create your own dictionary from scratch that includes words specific to a particular subject. The custom dictionaries are ANSI (American National Standard Institute) files and only characters that conform to the ANSI standard can be added to the dictionaries. You can add upto 5,000 words to the custom dictionary.

Click on the "Spelling and Grammar" tab.

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Associate a language with your dictionary For the purpose of writing or editing in a language other than the frequently used language, you can create and sort dictionaries in terms of different languages by linking each dictionary with one language. Click on “Modify” to edit a dictionary, and in the next dialog box, select a language from the dropdown list under “Language” and click “OK” to apply the new settings. As you do this, dictionaries will be classified under different languages in the “Dictionary list”.

4

Select "Custom.dic" and click on "Modify".

6

In the "Word" text field, enter the word you want to add, for example, "defragment".

7

5 8

Under the "Spelling" section in the "Options" dialog box, insert a check mark near the option "Check spelling as you type".

Click on "Add" and the word you just added will be in the list under "Dictionary".

Click "OK" twice.

9

Click "OK" to apply the new settings. The words that you inserted into the Custom dictionary will not be flagged by Word the next time you run the spell check.

Why can’t I add words to the Custom Dictionary? Despite adding a word to the Custom dictionary, you might find that Word still continues to flag it in your document. Moreover, this problem could occur if you frequently add words to this dictionary. This happens because the Custom dictionary has an upper limit of 64 KB and does not accept words if it exceeds this limit. In this case, you can create another custom dictionary to which you can continue adding new words.

STEP 2: Create a new dictionary If you're working on a document related to a specific subject, such as biology or economics, which has its own terms that may not be in Word's dictionary, it can be tedious to add each term to the dictionary. For this purpose, Word has an option whereby you can create your own dictionary and carry out a spell check using it. In the following steps, we will show you how to create and activate a medical dictionary.

1 2

Open a new Notepad file.

Type in words related to medicine. Each word should appear on a separate line.

3

Check the list to see that there are no extra spaces before or after the terms.

38

4

Name the file “Medical dictionary” and save it as a plain text file (.txt).

5

Copy it to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\(Username)\ Application Data\ Microsoft\Proof.

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Activate the dictionary

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The next time you work on a medical document, simply activate the dictionary so that words specific to the subject don’t get flagged when you run the spell check.

Create separate templates

1

Open the medical document that you are working on.

3

Click on the "Spelling and Grammar" tab.

2

4

Click on the "Custom Dictionaries" button.

6

Insert a checkmark next to "Medical dictionary".

7

Click "OK".

Select "Tools | Options".

5

The new dictionary will appear in the Dictionary list.

8

Ensure that the option "Check spelling as you type" is selected under the Spelling section.

9

To recheck the document using the new dictionary, click on the "Recheck Document" section under "Proofing Tools".

10

Click "OK".

Add words with special characters

Now only those words that are not listed in the Custom and Medical dictionaries will be flagged by Word.

Update the new dictionary You can keep on adding or deleting terms from your medical dictionary as and when you come across a new term. Follow these steps to modify any of the dictionaries:

4

1

Select "Tools | Options".

2

Click on the "Spelling and Grammar" tab.

5

3

Click on "Custom dictionaries".

6

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Customized dictionaries are a handy tool while working with subjectspecific documents such as computing or medicine that have their own set of terms. Moreover, a research paper or an article for an academic journal might require formatting as specified by the style sheet. In that case, you can create a template that includes standard formatting and a subject-specific dictionary. Create a new document with the text and formatting as required, select the relevant dictionary, and save the new file as a document template.

Select "Medical dictionary" and click on "Modify".

In the dialog box that opens, enter a new term and click on "Add".

Certain words that you want to add to the dictionary may have accents or you might want to add symbols to the dictionary. To insert special characters to words in the dictionary, click on “Start | Program Files | Accessories | System Tools | Character Map” or type in “charmap” in the “Run” dialog box. From the list of displayed characters, click on the required character and select “Copy”. Now in the dictionary’s dialog box, paste the character in the Word text box and click on “Add”.

Click "OK".

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STEP 3: Make an exclusion list

Create a dictionary of common names

Word allows you to create and modify a new dictionary; however, you cannot make changes to Word's inbuilt dictionary, that is, the LEX files. In case you don't want Word to automatically correct a particular word or you want it to simply flag a word to see if the correct word is used in each context, you can create an exclusion list containing a list of words that you don't want Word to flag when you run a spell check. For example, you might type "abut" instead of "about", but Word will not correct it since "abut" is also in the dictionary.

While writing a letter to a friend, your friend’s name might also get flagged since it might not be in the dictionary. To avoid common names from being flagged, create a dictionary of names that you often use in your documents so that the names you use frequently will not be underlined but only misspelled names will be flagged when you run the spell check.

Use the same dictionary for Firefox The dictionary you create will also be applied to other MS Office applications and not only MS Word. Therefore, you can be sure that even the mails you type in Outlook will be checked for spellings using your customized dictionary. But what about the e-mails that you type in mail clients such as Yahoo and Hotmail? You can use the same dictionary in Firefox. Locate the Profiles folder of Firefox: C:\Documents and Settings\(Username) \ Application Data\Mozilla\ Profiles. Copy the Custom dictionary or the one that you created and paste it here. The settings will be applied the next time you open Firefox.

40

3

1

Give the file an appropriate name and the extension ". EXC", the extension used for exclusion files.

In a new Wordpad or Notepad file, enter the words that you want Word to flag when you run the spell check.

4 2

Ensure that each word is typed on a separate line with no spaces before of after the word.

Save the list as a plain text file (.txt).

5

To save the file in the location where Word can access it, select "Tools | Options".

6

Click on the "Spelling & Grammar" tab.

7

8

Click on "New" to add the dictionary to that particular folder.

Select "Custom dictionaries".

9

Browse and select the exclusion list that you recently created.

You don't necessarily have to insert a checkmark near the exclusion list file, it only has to be saved in the appropriate folder for Word to utilize it.

Copy the exclusion list to the dictionary folder Instead of adding the exclusion list to the list of custom dictionaries using the “Custom dictionaries” button, follow these simple steps to insert the exclusion list in its right place.

1

Once you've created the exclusion list file, copy it.

2

Go to the Proof folder: C:\ Documents and Settings\(Username)\ Application Data\ Microsoft\Proof.

3

Paste your exclusion list file in this location.

The changes you've made to Word will only take place the next time you open Word, so close and reopen your document.

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Automate Tasks Using Word Macros Tired of receiving Word documents with microscopic fonts and other difficult-to-read settings? Here’s how you can transform these files to reflect your preferred settings—at the click of a button! STEP 1: Assigning a macro

Reference

Before you create your first macro, you will need to select a document to work on. Let us open a Word document with multiple paragraphs.

WhAT ARE macros?

1

Remove all existing text formatting by selecting the text in the document and pressing [Ctrl] + [Spacebar], and paragraph formatting by pressing [Ctrl]+ Q.

The text doesn't look very readable, does it? It would look much better if it were set in 12 point Arial, with 6-point space between paragraphs. Of course, you could do always this by going to the "Format | Font" and "Format | Paragraph" menus, but a simple macro can automate this boring task for you.

A macro is a series of keystrokes or mouse clicks that you can create, save, and run whenever you want to automate repetitive tasks. Macros are useful because they lighten your workload by combining multiple steps that can be run in sequence by clicking on a button or pressing a key combination.

Keep it simple

2

Go to "Tools | Macro | Record New Macro".

3

A "Record Macro" dialog box will appear. Type a name for your macro in the Macro name text box.

4

Select “All Documents” if you want your macros to be applicable to all your Word files.

Enter a description of your macro so you can easily identify what it does.

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Click on the Keyboard button.

 There are two ways of creating macros in Word. You can record them, or write them from scratch. Writing a macro requires that you learn a language called Visual Basic, so we won’t go into this.  It’s easier and just as effective to record your keystrokes or mouse clicks using the macro recorder in Word (also Excel and PowerPoint), so this is the method we shall use.

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The macro name may look a bit ungainly, but ignore it for now. We’ll learn how to change it later.

Name it right When you assign a name to your macro, remember that spaces should not be used. For example, a name such as “MyMacro” is acceptable but “My Macro” isn’t.

One or all? When you choose a location for your macro, you will be asked to specify whether you’ll be running it only in the current document or in all your Word documents. Most of the time, however, you’ll want to make the macro available in all documents so select All Documents (Normal.dot).

5

At the "Customize Keyboard" dialog box, you can assign a keystroke combination for your macro. Press a key combination to represent your macro (e.g. Alt+F).

6

Click on the "Assign" button and then on “Close”.

STEP 2: Recording the macro Once you have assigned your macro as described in the previous step, the mouse pointer turns into an arrow with an audiocassette icon. A Stop Recording toolbar also appears, which you can use to pause or cease recording your macro.

1

Go to “Edit | Select All” so that all the text in your document is selected.

In our example, we want to convert our documents to 12 point Arial with 6-point space between paragraphs. Accordingly, let’s press the keystrokes necessary to record your macro.

2

3

You can preview what your text will look like at the bottom of the dialog box.

4

Now go to "Format | Font" and select Arial from the drop-down list.

Set the Font style to Regular and the size to 12.

Assign a ‘free’ shortcut key When you assign a shortcut key combination that you’ll be using to run the macro (see Step 3), make sure you choose one that’s not already assigned for something else. For instance, if you select Ctrl+F, the “Record Macro” dialog box will warn you that this combination has already been assigned to the “Find and Replace” command. You could opt for Alt+F instead.

5

Now go to "Format | Paragraph". Click on the up arrow in the "Spacing after" box and set the value to 6 pt.

Click “OK”.

7

Click on the Stop Recording button only when you have finished recording all the keystrokes.

Preview your text here.

6 42

Click “OK”.

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Step 3: Assigning a toolbar button

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Your macro is now ready. But before we run it, let’s add a button to the toolbar so you don’t have to Assign an memorize the keyboard shortcut that we devised (Alt+F). After all, when you have created many macros, appropriate security level it becomes difficult to remember all the keyboard shortcuts.

Some viruses spread via

1

Right-click anywhere on any toolbar.

1 2 2

3

A Customize dialog box appears. Now click on the Commands tab.

4

Under the Categories list, select “Macros”.

macros, so Windows XP provides a choice of three security levels, High, Medium, and Low. To set or change the security level, do the following: Open the Word document Go to “Tools | Macro | Security” to open the Security dialog box. If your security is set to High, you won’t be able to run unsigned macros. To be able to run most macros, you will need to choose Medium. You may, however, have to put up with many alert messages.

Click on “Customize”.

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Find your macro in the Commands list, then click and drag it to a toolbar. Remember to keep the mouse button pressed while you are dragging the icon!

If you choose an off-limits location, Word displays an "X" near the mouse pointer. Otherwise, you'll see a plus sign and the pointer looks like an "I", indicating where the button will go.

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Once you have brought your macro over the desired location on the toolbar, let go of the mouse button. Your macro button will appear on the toolbar.

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If you are a more experienced user who creates macros frequently and don’t want to see a lot of alerts, you can choose Low. However, since this offers the least protection against malicious macros, we do NOT recommend that you try this. Play safe.

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When you are done, click on the “Close” button.

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Step 4: Customizing the macro button

Tweaking your macro button

The macro button you assigned to a toolbar (see Step 3) doesn't have to be a default text button. Word lets you brighten up the toolbar by allowing you to use one of several built-in images. Here's how you can customize your macro button with a little picture.

You can tweak your button further as outlined in Step 4. With the “Customize” dialog box still open, right-click on your new button to display its command menu. To display the text without the image, select Text Only (Always) on the command menu. To show the image without the text, choose Text Only (in Menus). To display both text and image, select Image and Text. Tired of your macro? To remove the button from your toolbar, choose Delete.

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Right-click the macro button you want to change. Now you will get another menu with several commands.

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Click Name on the popup menu and type a new, brief, sensible name in the menu instead of the earlier name.

Ignore the dialog box that opens (but let it remain on the screen) .

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With the menu still on screen, click on “Change Button Image”.

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Choose an image that you like, and your button is ready. If you don’t want any text with your image, click “Default style”.

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Finally, click on the “Close” button.

Keep it simple Finally, remember it’s best to keep things simple. Very complex macros don’t always work like you’d expect and it can be a bother tweaking them to work right. Moreover, keep in mind that the simplest macros tend to be the most useful.

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Right-click any toolbar. In the the menu that appears, choose “Customize”.

Step 5: Running your macro Your macro is now ready to run. You can launch it by choosing one of the following three ways.

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Go to "Tools | Macro | Macros", click on your macro, name it, and click on the “Run” button. (You can also press Alt+F8 to bring up this dialog box.)

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You can also press Alt+F to run your macro (the keyboard shortcut that we assigned in Step 1).

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Or you could simply click on the new button you just created in the toolbar. All three techniques will produce the same result.

Look at your document now. Isn't it much more readable? Now that your first macro is ready, you can write similar macros to automate other repetitive tasks.

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Installing Missing Components If you are a person who regularly keeps on changing between work stations that have Word 95 or 97 installed, you might want to save your documents in these formats. Let us see how you can enable Word to provide you with this feature, in case it’s not already installed. STEP 1: Open Control Panel To install or remove any file from the Windows program, you need to access the “Add and Remove” utility in the Windows Control Panel.

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Click "Start | Control Panel".

Now click on "Add or Remove Programs". This will display the "Add or Remove Programs" utility window.

STEP 2: Change the configuration Next, locate Microsoft Office in the program list displayed in "Add or Remove Programs". You can install Microsoft Word as a part of Microsoft Office or as an individual program. Depending on the manner in which you have installed Word, the item that you need to locate in the program list will vary. In this case, we are using Microsoft Word that has been installed as part of the Microsoft Office package.

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Click on "Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003". This can vary with the version of Office installed on your machine.

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Now, click on "Change". This will display Microsoft Office's Standard Configuration Wizard.

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Select the "Add or Remove Features" radio button.

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Reference

Control Panel View Windows Control Panel can be seen in two views—Category View and Classic View. The Category view is modern and displays all the Control Panel utilities arranged under certain categories. On the other hand, the Classic view is more descriptive and displays all the utilities simultaneously. You can switch between different views by clicking on the link available on the leftside of the “Control Panel” window. For instance, if your Control Panel is currently displayed in category view, then the link would read as “Switch to Classic view”.

4

Click on "Next". This will display the "Custom Setup" screen.

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Activate Product If you have not activated Word, then certain features might be disabled or you might not be allowed to edit Word documents. To resolve this issue, click on “Help | Activate” and follow the onscreen instructions. This is done to reduce the piracy of Microsoft products. Registering your product also gives you access to many other features, which otherwise might not be available.

By default, the check boxes for all Office programs are selected. You can keep them selected for all the Office programs for which you want to install the new feature.

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If you want to install the converter only for Word, clear all the check boxes except for Word.

To access the advanced customization options, select the "Choose advanced customization of applications" check box.

Office allows you to make changes, install, or remove individual components using the advanced customization options.

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Click on "Next".

Repair Office The “Custom Setup” dialog box also offers you the option of repairing problems with Office and reseting it to the original configuration. To repair Office, select the “Repair Office” option, click on “Next” and follow the onscreen instructions. Alternatively, click on “Help | Detect and Repair”.

Help If you are unable to access Word’s Help, then it might not have been installed during custom installation, wherein you have to select the features that you want to install along with Word. Moreover, it is possible that someone else could have disabled Word’s Help. To activate Help once again, expand the “Word for Windows” group, click on “B”, and then on “Run from My Computer”.

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On the "Advanced Customization" screen that appears, click on the "+" sign next to the "Office Shared Features" group to expand it. Click on the down arrow next to "Word 97-2003 & 6.0/95 RTF Converter".

You need to install this converter to save Word files in formats supported by Word 95 and 97. However, you need not install this converter if you want to open Word 95 and 97documents.

Now, expand the "Converters and Filters" group.

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Expand the "Text Converters" group.

Next, from the drop-down menu that appears, click on "Run from My Computer".

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Repeat the procedure for all the converters that you want.

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Click on "Update" and follow the onscreen instructions .

Now, the installers that you have selected will be installed on your computer. intelligent computing CHip PLUS  JANUARY 2008

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Print addresses on envelopes Printing addresses on envelopes is customary especially in business correspondence. Since there are various envelope sizes available and there is no standard printing method for printing envelopes, this can be a tricky proposition. But here’s an easy way. STEP 1: Prepare the letter with the address

Reference

The final objective is to print the recipient's address on the front face of the envelope. This address can be picked up either from the letter or from the Outlook Address book. In this step, we'll type a letter with the recipient's name and address.

Printers and envelopes

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Type the address on the top of the letter.

Leave a blank line immediately after the address.

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Save the file and give it a suitable name.

STEP 2: Define the delivery address In this step, we'll start developing the envelope for printing. Here, we'll pick up the recipient's address typed in Step 1, put it on the face of the envelope, and align it.

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Select the address in the letter.

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Notice that the address text has already been picked up for the envelope.

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Select "Tools | Letters and Mailings | Envelopes and Labels".

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Click on the "Options" button, and then click on the "Font" tab.

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If required, define the font, font style, and size of the address text on the envelope.

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How do you insert the envelope into the printer input tray? Face up or face down? To the left or right? At what angle should it be rotated? There is no single method that is common to all printers. We suggest that you refer to your printer manual for this information. See the section on loading or printing envelopes. The input tray on some printers has an attachment for feeding envelopes. Drag the attachment to one side and feed the envelope (either face up or down). The input tray may also show an engraved symbol of the envelope, indicating the direction in which the envelope should be fed into the tray.

Complete the process by clicking "OK" until you return to the "Envelopes and Labels" dialog box.

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STEP 3: Define the return address

Change Fonts

The return address will appear in a smaller font at the top of the envelope (near the postal stamp). You can either type it out or pick it up from the Outlook address book.

If you don’t want to use the default fonts for the addresses on the envelope, then do the following. In the “Envelopes and Labels” dialog box, click on the “Options” button. Click on the “Font” button for “Delivery Address” or “Return Address”. Choose a desired font, font size, and font style. Complete the process by clicking on “OK”.

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Type your own name and postal address.

Click in the “Return Address” box.

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Change the font and other parameters as you did earlier for the recipient's address.

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Custom size envelopes

If the listed envelope sizes do not match the dimensions of your envelope, then in the list of envelope sizes, choose the last option “Custom size”. Specify the width and height that you earlier measured on your envelope.

If your name and address had earlier been entered in the MS Outlook Address book, then click on the "Insert Address" button. Select your address from the list and click "OK". Before doing this, ensure that MS Outlook is open.

STEP 4: Set the envelope dimensions Word recognizes a list of standard envelope sizes that are used globally. There are standard international sizes (recognized by Word). But in case your envelope is of a non-standard size, you can either take the closest available size (in the list) or define your own custom size.

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Click on the "Options" button.

Click in the box under "Envelope Options".

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Use your scale to measure the dimensions of your envelope in millimeters or inches. Make a note of these measurements.

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Scroll through the list of sizes and choose the size nearest or equivalent to the dimensions of your envelope.

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Complete this by clicking "OK". intelligent computing CHip PLUS  JANUARY 2008

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STEP 5: Set up the envelope feed

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Among all the various printers, there is no single method for loading envelopes in the printer. To determine the proper method to feed the envelopes into your printer, consult your printer manual and also look at the paper feed tray. In this step, we'll inform Word in advance how you plan to feed the envelope.

Paper types

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In the “Envelopes and labels” dialog box, click on the “Options” button.

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Select the "Printing Options" tab.

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Depending on how your printer accepts envelopes, choose either the "Face up" or "Face down" option.

One should carefully consider the finish of the paper of the envelope. Some printers cannot print properly on glossy or glaze finishes. It is a good idea to consult the printer manual to check the type of papers that your printer can print on. You can also check the “Printer Properties” (under “File | Print”) to get an idea about the supported paper types.

Add to document

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If you've chosen the "Face down" option, then you can choose the "Clockwise rotation" option in accordance with your printer's requirements.

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Under "Feed from", select "Manual Feed".

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Click on "OK" to complete the procedure.

It makes sense to save the envelope format if you intend to send the same letter again in future. The envelope format will become a separate section at the top of your letter. It preserves the envelope size, and the delivery and return addresses. After defining the envelope, following instructions in Steps 1 - 4, do the following: Select “Tools | Letters and Mailings | Envelopes and Labels”. Click the “Add to document” button. A separate section is created at the top of the letter. This is your envelope format. To see exactly how it will print on a real envelope, select “File | Print Preview”.

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After all the envelope printing options have been selected, load the envelope in the manner specified, and then click on the "Print" button in the dialog box.

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Essential tips for MS Word AutoSave and AutoRecover Word can automatically save your document every few minutes. So if your PC hangs or reboots, you can recover the document and will lose only the text generated after the last save. But you must save your document manually at least once. To enable the AutoSave option do the following: 1. On the “Tools” menu click “Options”. Under the ‘Save’ tab enable the options “Save AutoRecover info every” and specify the interval in minutes (say every 5 minutes). 2. Also enable the options “Allow Fast Saves” and “Allow background Saves”. Preview before print Before you print a document, we advise you to define its dimensions in the page setup and also preview it. In doing so you can prevent paper wastage. 1. Click “File | Page Setup”. 2. Specify the margins, page orientation, and paper size. 3. Then click “File | Print Preview”. 4. Reduce the zoom view to 50 or 75 percent. 5. Go back to the Page Setup (if you need to) and make some more

adjustments to accommodate more text on the page, or leave more spacing. 6. Finally close the Print Preview mode and print the document. Save in RTF To avoid infections from Word Macro viruses we advise you to chose RTF (rich text format) instead of DOC as the default save format for documents. 1. On the “Tools” menu click “Options”. Click the ‘Save’ tab. 2. Click in the box near “Save Word file as” and chose ‘Rich Text Format.’ Avoid the clutter Word offers as many as 20 toolbars, each for a different function. These can be selectively displayed or hidden. Two toolbars can also be merged together. To maximize the area for text display, enable only the ‘Standard’ and ‘Formatting’ toolbars. Display a particular toolbar only when you need its functionality. To hide or display toolbars: 1. Click “View | Toolbars” 2. A list of toolbars appears. Click on the toolbar name to add or remove the check mark (enable/disable a toolbar).

Next month in CHIP Plus Save time and work smart with easy projects for MICROSOFT EXCEL - Organize and sort your data to find anything quickly - Use advanced formatting tools to impress your boss - Discover lesser-known features that make work simpler - Use charts, graphs and tables to communicate effectively - Secure your private information from prying eyes