Let Word Do the Work
star buttonFormatting the Font - Select the font and choose from the drop down Fonts list - OR - Click "Format" on the top Menu bar and then choose "Font." To get to a font in the list quickly, just type the first letter of the Font's name and it will bring you to those beginning with that letter.
Formatting Font Dialog Box
star buttonSetting Default Font - Chose the font, style, size, and color you want and click the "Default" button in the bottom left hand corner.
star buttonFormatting Toolbar Formatting Toolbar

-or -

  • Ctrl+B = Bold
  • Ctrl+I = Italics
  • Ctrl+U = Underline
  • Ctrl+Shift+A = ALL CAPS
  • Ctrl+Shift+D = Double Underline
  • Ctrl+Shift+K = small caps
  • Ctrl+= will make a subscript
  • Ctrl+Shift+= will make a superscript
star buttonSetting Text Size -
  • Text must be selected to change the size.
  • Most fonts can be sized from 1 to 1638 points.
  • 72 point size equals 1 inch high letters.
  • You can type any number into the point size box and hit "Enter."
star buttonChanging the CASE of your Text - Shift+F3 -or- Click "Format" on the top Menu bar and click "Change Case."
star buttonWhip Out the Highlighter -
  • Click the highlighter button on the Formatting Toolbar and your mouse changes to a highlighter. When you click and drag over the word that you want highlighted, it changes colors.
  • To change the yellow highlighter to green, pink, etc. click the downpointing arrow and choose a different color.
  • To turn the highlighter off, just click on the icon again or hit the "Escape" key.
  • To remove highlighting from text, select the text and click "None" on the highlighter tool.
star buttonAligning Paragraphs - Left, Center, Right, or Justified by clicking the icons on the Formatting Toolbar... - or -
  • Ctrl+L = Left aligned
  • Ctrl+E = Center alignment
  • Ctrl+R = Right alignment
  • Ctrl+J = Justified (equal on both sides)
  • Ctrl+1 = Single space
  • Ctrl+2 = Double space
  • Ctrl+5 = Makes 1 1/2 space lines
star buttonLine Spacing - Click the Line spacing icon icon on the Formatting toolbar or click "Format" on the top Menu bar and "Paragraph" then change the "Line Spacing" from Single, 1.5 spacing, or Double, etc.
Paragraph Dialog Box
star buttonIndenting Paragraphs
  • Click the "Special" drop down menu in the "Indentation" section of the dialog box above and choose .5" for a half inch indentation of your paragraph.
  • For Hanging Indents choose "Hanging" under "Special" and look at the Preview window to see what your Hanging Indent looks like. Ctrl+T = Hanging Indent; Ctrl+Shift+T Unhangs the Indent;
  • To indent the entire paragraph, select the paragraph and Ctrl+M or click the Increase Indent button Increase Indent icon on the Formatting Toolbar. Ctrl+Shift+M unindents your paragraph or click the decrease indent icon on the Formatting toolbar.
star buttonFormatting Pages - Click "File' on the top Menu, then "Page Setup." Here you can set the Orientation, Paper Size, and Margins. Don't forget to click the "Default" button in the bottom left corner to set your Default Margins, etc.
Page Setup Dialog Box
star buttonTwo Pages Per Sheet - Click the down pointing in the "Pages" section of the Page Setup dialog box ... and chose "2 pages per sheet."
star buttonPage Numbering - Click "Insert" on the top Menu bar and then the "Page Numbers" command.
Page Numbers Dialog Box
If you want to start the page numbering with another number other than 1, click the "Format" button on the bottom left and click "Start at" ... put the number you want to begin with.

star buttonStart a New Page - Ctrl+Enter - or - "Insert" on the top Menu Bar and "Page Break"
star buttonHeaders and Footers - Click "View" then "Headers and Footers"

Header and Footer Toolbar

You can insert date, page numbers, file names, etc. by clicking on the different icons on the toolbar. When finished click "Close."
star buttonDocument Templates - To personalize a document template click "File" and "New" on the top Menu bar and the "New Document Task Pane" will open on the right. Click the "General Template" link and the tab for the kind of document you are interested in.

Open the template and type in the information that will remain the same each time. For ex. Name, address, phone, fax.

Then click the downpointing arrow in the "Save as type" box and save it as a document template and rename it with your name, for example, Vicki Fax. This template will be saved under the General Tab in the Template folder on the hard drive of your computer.
star buttonAutomatic Numbered Lists - Type the first thing in your numbered list with a 1. in front of it, then hit the "Enter" key and Word will automatically put 2. and continue. To stop the list from automatically number everything else in your document, press the "Enter" key twice.
star buttonAutomatic Borders - Type three hypens for a single line border and press "Enter", three equal signs for a double line border and press "Enter', or three underlines for a bolder line and press "Enter".
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This page was last updated on Sunday, June 06, 2004.