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Category Archives: Word 2010

Free Microsoft Word 2010 articles

How to Change Default for Text Boxes & Callouts in Word 2010

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You can easily add text boxes and callouts to your Word 2010 documents. Folks use text boxes and callouts for all manner of reasons. You can format them to appear any way you like. Text boxes and callouts are referred to a Shapes. If you find that you are making the same changes to your Shapes, you can set the default values.

Follow the steps below to learn how:

  1. Set up the Shape to your specifications.
  2. Right-click the Shape which will display a Context menu.
  3. Select Set AutoShape Defaults from that menu.

Now, the next time you insert a Shape, it will retain many of the same default settings that you just specified. I will not, however, retain all of them. Word will remember things like line weight, type and color but it will not remember things like text attributes within your text box or the direction and length of callout tails.

There are ways around this problem though. If you are using the exact same Shape several times in the same document, select the one that is formatted to your specifications and hold down your CTRL key and drag the shape to a new location. Holding down your CTRL key tells Word that you would like to copy the Shape instead of moving it.

Another method is to define your shape as a Building block.

Follow the steps below to learn how:

  1. Format your Shape to your specifications.
  2. Select your shape by clicking it one time.
  3. Click Alt + F3 to display the Create New Building Block dialog box.
  4. Key in a name for your callout that is intuitive.
  5. Click on OK.

Your Building Block has now been created.

When next you want to use your Building Block, simply key in its name and click F3.

Your shape will be inserted into your document complete with all formatting settings.

Include Total Number of Pages with Current Page Number

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You can very easily include the total number of pages in your document along with the current page number.

When you insert page numbers in your document, you are actually inserting a {PAGE} field.

Using the {NUMPAGES} field with the {PAGE} field will allow you to include the total number of pages along with your page numbering.

Follow the steps below to learn one method:

  1. Position your cursor where you would like to have your page numbers appear in either your Header or Footer.
  2. On the Insert tab of your Ribbon, in the Text group, click Quick Parts.
  3. Click Field.
  4. To include the total number of pages, in the Categories list, highlight Document Information.
  5. Select NumPages in the Field Names list box.

The more direct way to accomplish this task, which gives you leeway is to do it manually.

Follow the steps below to learn how:

  1. Position your cursor where you would like your page numbers to appear in your Footer or Header.
  2. Click CTRL + F9 which will insert brackets in either your Header or Footer, with a gray highlight for entering your field name. Be aware that if you do not use these brackets this will not work. You cannot just manually insert brackets using your keyboard.
  3. Now, within the the bracket, key in PAGE.
  4. Move your cursor out of the brackets and click CTRL + F9 again to get another set of brackets. Inside this set, key in NUMPAGES \*MERGEFORMAT
  5. Click out of your footer.

To display the result of your field codes, click Alt + F9.

  • If the code itself appears rather than the number, click on File | Word Options | Advanced.
  • Under Show Document Content, be certain that Show Field Codes instead of their values is not selected.

Drawing a Table in Word 2010

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There are several ways in which you can create a table in your MS Word document. One that most folks do not use is the Draw method. I am not sure why more people do not use this method as it is pretty unique and you can make your table any which way you want! I love saving time and keystrokes as you all know and this is one sure way to do i!

Follow the steps below to learn how:

  1. Click the Insert tab on your Ribbon.
  2. In the Table group, click the Table option to display a drop-down list.
  3. Select Draw Table from the list of options available to you.

Note that you are now in Print Layout view if you were not already. Your mouse pointer has also changed into a pencil.

  1. Use the pencil to draw the outside borders of your table.
  2. Use the pencil to draw your columns and rows for your table.
  3. When you are finished, click Esc and your cursor will be back to normal.

If you play around with this, you will find that it is a very versatile feature that can come in very handy for customized tables.

Continue Numbering in Table Columns in Word 2010

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I just read an article covering this problem this week. I had never had use for this but thought it was a good tip to pass on as I can think of many instances when this would come into play – continuing numbering by column that is.

Word numbers by row first. It numbers the first two cells in the first row of a table before dropping down to the next row to continue the numbering.

Table Columns

Follow the steps below to learn how to continue your numbering in table columns:

  1. Highlight the first column only.
  2. In the Paragraph group on your Home tab, click the Numbering option. Word will number your items in columnar order.
  3. Click your second column and click the Numbering option. Word will assign the same set of numbers to your second column.
  4. Right-click the number in the first row of your second column and select Set Numbering Value.
  5. In the resulting dialog box, click the Continue From Previous List option a
  6. Then check the Advance Value option and enter the next number in the sequence.

I suggest numbering your columns when your table is completely finished so as to avoid having to reset your numbering.

Continued Numbering

If anyone out there knows a better solution, please let me know!

Quick Parts in Word 2010 and More

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Just about every document we create in Word is unique, but there are those times when your content is in some way a repetition that you have already created. I know you are thinking no way, but think about it for a second or two. How many times have you keyed in the words "Thank you for your time and attention to this matter" at the bottom of a letter? Or, if you work in a law office, how about that Certificate of Service that you put at the end of your pleadings? Pretty much standard language isn’t it? How about when you have to key in the name, address, phone, and fax number of a client or a business? I don’t care how fast you type this is definitely a waste of time and keystrokes!

This is where Quick Parts come in to make your life easier. Key in that content once and be done with it!

Follow the steps below to learn how:

  1. Key in your content.
  2. Select the content you just keyed in.
  3. Click the Insert tab on your Ribbon.
    In the Text group, click the Quick Parts drop-down to display the Quick Parts menu.
  4. Click Save Selection to Quick Parts Gallery to launch the Create New Building Blocks dialog box.
  5. Key in a name for your Quick Parts object.
  6. Click OK.

Once you have created your Quick Part, you can use it by simply clicking the Quick Parts button and selecting it from the drop-down menu. I think you will agree that this is a huge saver of time and effort.

The Quick Part you just finished creating is just a part of a larger category of tools in Word, called Building Blocks. A Building Block is any kind of saved content that is not a document, but rather, a portion of a document and it is not saved on it’s own, but in Word’s interface. Once you have saved it, you can use that Building Block over and over again. What this means is that this is another way you can use complex design elements in many documents without having to spend the time re-creating it!

So now you already know how to create a Quick Part which is one type of Building Block, but it is not the only type!

Suppose I have spent a lot of time creating a header for my business letterhead. It involves a graphic logo and the usual (Name, address, phone, fax, and e-mail address) and perhaps a slogan.

Now that I have spent the time on this and have it formatted just so, I certainly want to save it so that I can use it in the future. A problem? I think not!

Follow the steps below:

  1. Simply select it, click on the Header button in the Insert tab to display the drop-down menu.
  2. Click Save Selection to Header Gallery.

Just as I did with the Quick Part above, my custom header will now appear whenever I click on the Header button.

Creating a custom footer is done in exactly the same manner!

Introducing the Drawing Grid in Word 2010

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It can sometimes be difficult to align objects when you are working with the Drawing Tools in Word. I am sure you have encountered this if you work regularly with the Drawing Tools. Luckily, there is a feature that you can use to help you. It is called the Drawing Grid. It will provide you with a temporary non-printing straight edge to work from which allows you to very easily align other objects in your drawing.

The degree of ease with which to use this feature depends entirely on the version of Word that you use. If you are using a version later than 97, the Drawing Grid is a bit more flexible and you can display it on your screen whereas in 97 you could not although it was still there helping to draw straight lines. Word 2007 saw the demise of the familiar Drawing Toolbar in earlier versions.

Follow the steps below to learn how to use the Drawing Grid in Word 2010:

  1. Click on the Page Layout tab of your Ribbon.
  2. In the Arrange group, click the Align drop-down to display a list of commands available to you.
  3. Select View Gridlines and then Grid Settings.
  4. Use the controls in that dialog box to set the specifics of your grid. You can actually specify the horizontal and vertical spacing insed in your grid. Also, make sure the Snap to Grid option is selected.
  5. Click on OK.

How to Clean your Final Documents in Word 2010

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If you have been sharing documents with your colleagues during the preparation phase and using the Track Changes feature in the process, you may want to be certain that you are not sharing all comments, etc., when you forward your document to someone outside your firm.

The quickest method to be sure that you have turned off your Track Changes is to check your Status Bar at the bottom of your screen or the Review tab. If you do not see where it says Track Changes off, you may not have your Status Bar set to alert you to that. Simply right-click (Remember, left click selects and right-click gives you choices) on your Status Bar, navigate to the Track Changes feature and select it.

You can now toggle Track Changes on and off by clicking that indicator in your Status Bar. Having said that, it will do nothing toward keeping other folks from seeing any changes you have previously made.

To make certain that nobody sees your changes follow the steps below:

  • Click on the Review tab of your Ribbon and be certain that the drop-down at the top of the Tracking section says Final: showing Markup.
  • The buttons in the Changes and Comments section of your Review tab will allow you to review and accept or reject any other marked edits or comments that still appear in your text.

There are options in Word that are normally turned on by default to alert you when you open, save or print a document with tracked changes or comments. Are yours set to alert you??

Follow these steps to be certain:

  1. Click the File tab on your Ribbon.
  2. Click the Word Options button.
  3. On the left, click the Trust Center button.
  4. Click the Trust Center Settings button.
  5. Click Privacy Options and in the Document specific settings area, you will see two checkboxes that you will need to select:
  • Warn before printing, saving or sending a file that contains tracked changes or comments; and
  • Make hidden markup visible when opening or saving.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention that Word has a Document Inspector feature that will double-check your documents for comments, revisions, XMLdata, invisible content, hidden text, etc.

To access the Document Inspector in Word 2010, follow the steps below:

  1. Click on the File tab of your Ribbon.
  2. Click Info on the left.
  3. Click Check for Issues and Inspect Document.

Word will report anything it finds and give you the opportunity to clean your document before you send it to someone.

How to Use the Index Featrure in Word 2010

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Some documents, notably legal documents, contain many terms that have to be defined and they are used throughout that document, so it is very helpful to have a list citing the usage of those terms within your document. This is where the Index Feature in Word 2010 comes in very handy.

Each use of a term definition has to be marked to included in your Index. Marking is the process of applying codes to the text. When the text is marked, the codes prepare the text for inclusion into an alphabetized Index table.

Follow the steps below to learn how to create an Index for your document:

  1. Select the term definition you would like to mark.
  2. Depress your Alt + Shift + X keys, which will launch the Mark Index Entry dialog box and your selected text will appear in the Main entry window.
  3. Select the Page number format option.
  4. Click Mark to mark the selected entry or click Mark all to select each occurrence of the selected definition in your document.
  5. Repeat the steps above for each term definition.

If you would like to forgo the Mark all option and include only a certain number of term definition instances, follow the steps below:

  1. While the Mark Index Entry dialog box is still open, on the Home tab of your Ribbon, in the Editing group, select Find to open the Find and Replace dialog box.
  2. Key in the name of the next entry in the Find What area.
  3. Click Find Next.
  4. Close the Find and Replace dialog box and click Mark Index Entry dialog box.
  5. Repeat until all entries are marked.
  6. Click Close.

To Generate your Index Table:

  1. Place your cursor at the point in your document where you would like your Index to appear.
  2. From the References tab on your Ribbon, in the Index group, select Insert Index and the Index dialog box will launch.
  3. Select the table options of your choice.
  4. Click OK.

Where is the Table Tools Tab in Word 2010?

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A reader recently wrote to me asking where he could the Table Tools tab. Apparently I had referenced the Table Tools tab in an article and he could not find it.

My response:

It is there although not readily intuitive for everyone. Follow the steps below to enable the Table Tools Tab in Word 2010:

  1. Click inside any table.
  2. Table Tools will display above your Ribbon.
  3. Once Table Tools is enabled, there are two tabs just for tables – Design and Layout.

Table Tools Tab

Not so difficult when you know how to access it is it?

How to Change your Bullet Type in Word 2010

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We have the luxury of choosing from a pretty large variety of different bullets when we want to apply bullet formatting in paragraphs in our documents.

You can therefore, easily create bulleted lists in your document. The default bullet type in Word 2010 is a black dot, but you can easily change that benign black dot to any character you like!

Follow the steps below to learn how:

  1. Click the Home tab of your Ribbon.
  2. In the Paragraph group, click the down-arrow at the right of the Bullets tool to display a palette of options.
  3. Select a bullet style from those shown.
  4. If you do not like any of the styles shown, click Define New Bullet to display the Define New Bullet dialog box.
  5. Click the Symbol button to display the dialog box.
  6. Select a symbol to use as a bullet.
  7. You can select a different set of symbols by selecting a different typeface in the Font drop-down list.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Click OK one more time to close the dialog box.