Albert

  Tips for Formatting Documents in MS Word 2007 for Windows
Carthage College, 2009

This document gives you tips to help make your documents look the way you want.  It advises you to use the features built-in to MS Word rather than trying to "force" the spacing you want.

Rule #1 – Avoid using spaces except between words!

Tabs and indents work SO much better to give you the spacing you need.

Rule #2 – Know how to use the RULER

Display the ruler by going to the View tab and clicking the "Ruler" item in the Show/Hide box.  Use the ruler to set tabs, change margins for small portions of text, etc.

Using Features on the Home Tab

Most of the basic formatting features are on the Home tab, including font settings, spacing, indents, copy/paste, find/replace, and bullets/numbering.

Also of note is the "show ¶" button.Use it to display the "hidden characters" in your text such as spaces, tabs, and carriage returns.

Using and fixing numbering:

If you want to number your paragraphs or create a numbered list, click the numbering button in the Paragraph section.  If you click the down arrow next to it, you can select your numbering format.  Once you have a numbered list, each time you press Enter, a new number will appear.  If you have ended your numbered list, press Enter twice to continue to type without the numbers.  Another way to "turn off" numbering is to click again on the Numbering button.  If you want to number or "un-number" existing text, highlight it first, then click the Numbering button.  If you want to start numbering with a different number (such as starting a new list, etc.), hit enter twice, then select the numbering list again.You will get a format "lightening bolt", click it and select "Restart numbering".

Using Insert Features

The Insert tab offers items from "symbols" to tables, pictures, and other objects.  Here are a few examples.

Page numbers:  To add page numbers, click the Insert tab and select the Page Number item in the Header & Footer section.  Select the location for the page number (top right, bottom center, etc.) from the drop-down menu that results. 

Cover page:  To add a cover page, use the Cover Page item in the Pages section of the Insert tab.  Select a style for your cover page by clicking on it.  It will be inserted at the beginning of your document.  Click and type to fill in the title and other needed information

Footers including file names and paths:  Click the Insert tab and click Footer.  Choose the style you want (or click Edit Footer if you have an existing footer already.  When the footer opens, click the down arrow next to Quick Parts in the Insert section and select Field.  From the field list, select File Name.  Up and to the right, click the box labeled "Add path to filename".  Click OK.

Note: Inserting a footnote actually uses the References tab (not the Insert tab as you might think.)  Click the Insert Footnote item in the Footnotes section of the References tab.  A superscripted number will be inserted, and you will be prompted to enter the footnote text below the line next to the numbered note.

Using Page Layout Features

Centering text top to bottom:

When creating a letter, you can automatically center the entire letter on the paper from top to bottom using the Page Layout tab in Word 2007.  Since there is no icon for it directly on the Page Layout ribbon, you'll need to click the small square in the lower right corner of the Page Setup box to display the Page Setup menu.  Click the Layout tab.  In the Page section, click the drop-down box next to Vertical Alignment box and select Center.  Click OK to accept the change and exit the dialog box.

Inserting page breaks:

Here's where they hid the "Insert Breaks" item – in the Page Setup section.  Click the down-arrow next to Breaks and select the type of break you need, including Page Breaks and Section Breaks. You can also press Ctrl-Enter to add a page break.  NEVER use carriage returns (blank lines) to force a new page.