Columns

Columns are located in the Page Setup section of the Page Layout tab. Clicking the icon will give you several column options. For more options, click More Columns at the bottom of the list. On this menu, you can choose the number of columns, the spacing, and where to apply the column.

There are a couple of different ways to apply columns.

To apply columns to the whole document:

  1. Under the Page Layout tab, in the PageSetupsection, click the columnicon.
  2. Select MoreColumns.
  3. Select the number of columns.
  4. Under the Applyto drop down menu select “WholeDocument.”
  5. Continue typing.

Apply columns by selection:

  1. Select the text you wish to put in columns.
  2. Under the PageLayouttab in the PageSetupsection click on Columns.
  3. Choose the column format and the selected text will bet automatically put into columns.

Starting and Stopping columns as you type:

When you are at the point where you wish to begin columns:

  1. Under the PageLayouttab, in the PageSetupsection, click the columnicon.
  2. Select MoreColumns.
  3. Select the number of columns.
  4. Under the Applytodrop down menu select “Thispointforward.”
  5. Continue typing.

When you are finished with the column section:

  1. Under the PageLayouttab, in the PageSetupsection, click the columnicon.
  2. Select MoreColumns.
  3. Select OneColumn
  4. Under the Applyto drop down menu select “Thispointforward.”
  5. Continue typing

1Last Edited: 10/10/2018

Tables

Tables can make it easy to compare multiple pieces of information, or communicate that information quickly and accurately.

To insert a table:

  1. Click theTableiconon theInserttab. This will give you a drop down menu with many blocks.
  2. Highlight these blocks (by moving your arrow over them) to indicate how many columns and rows your table needs.
  3. Once you have highlighted the amount of squares you want, just click your left mouse button and the table will be created at your insertion point.

If you would like to have more cells than are available from the dropdown:

  1. Click the InsertTableicon below the grid.
  2. A pop up menu will appear with more options.
  3. Select the size and set the behaviors for your table.
  4. Click OK.

If you already have a table created in Microsoft Excel, you can click ExcelSpreadsheetto insert that table into word.

Hovering your mouse over the QuickTablesbutton will give you a menu of built in preformatted tables.

Once you have inserted your table, Designand Layoutribbons will appear. Use these to customize your table by adding colors, borders, merging cells, etc. Note the Sortbutton in the Datasection. We will use this in our exercise later. This allows you to sort the information in your table alphabetically by whichever column you choose.

Note: It’s important to always give your tables headers, like the table below. This helps MS Word determine where your information begins and what type of information it is. This will be useful in using the Mail Merge feature later.

Exercise 1: Create a Table

  1. Go to the Filetab and open a new, blankdocument.
  2. Go to the Insertribbonand clickTable.
  3. Create a table with3columnsand 6rows. Once you have a table, type in the following information:

Owner Name / Type of Animal / Pet Name
Sue Brown / cat / Snowball
Carrie Black / dog / Kody
John White / iguana / Izzie
Lara Green / hamster / Whiskers
Bill Blue / horse / Runner
  1. Once you’ve created your table, use the Designribbonto select a tablestyle. Remember, the table must be selected for this ribbon to show up.
  2. Once you have the table styled the way you like it, open the Layoutribbon. Under the Alignment section click AlignCenter.
  3. Highlight the names in your firstcolumn(Not including Owner Name)
  4. Click Sort, under the Data section.
  5. Click OKto sort the names alphabetically. Notice the other fields move with the names.
  6. Go to the Filetab and save your document under MyDocumentsor Desktop. Give your file the name PetOwners. Once saved, close the file.

Mail Merge

Mail Merge is a useful function if you are writing form letters, making envelopes, or creating some other type of document which will go to many different people. Essentially, mail merge allows you to save a list of names, with their addresses, phone numbers, or other information associated with them, and then can insert these into your document where you indicate all at once. This way, you can write a letter once, and Microsoft word, can make many copies, each addressed to a different person on your list.

When you type up your document, leave either place holders to mark where the information from the list will be inserted.

You can create your list from scratch as you go, but it is best to already have the information recorded in either a table or an Excel spreadsheet.

Once you have a both your document and your list, you are ready to begin the mail merge.

Exercise 2: Mail Merge

  1. Go to Fileand Openthe MailMergeFormLetterthat is saved in the WordExercisesfolder.
  2. Notice the places in the letter where, instead of a word, there are just three X’s. These are place holders, indicating where we’d like Microsoft word to insert information for us.
  3. Go to the Mailingsribbon, click StartMailMergeand select the bottom option Step-by-Step MailMergeWizard.
  4. In the panel that appears along the right side of the screen select lettersas your document type.
  5. At the bottom click Next: Starting Document.
  6. Our form letter is already open so select Usethe current document.
  7. At the bottom click Next: SelectRecipients.
  8. We will be using the table created in Exercise 1, so select Usean Existing Listand click Browse.
  9. Select the file PetOwners. Once you click open, a window will pop up displaying the information from the table in that file.
  10. Click Ok.
  11. Click Next: Write your letter.
  12. Highlightthe first place holder, the XXXafter the word Dear.
  13. Click Moreitems. It will come up with a list of the fields in your table.
  14. Click OwnerName.
  15. Click Insert.
  16. Click Close.

Note: Be careful. If you highlight the space next to the placeholder as well, Word will get rid of that space, and you will end up with no space between the word you inserted and the word after it.

Fill in the other place holders. In the second place holder, we want the type of animal, in the third and fourth we want the pet name.

Once the place holders have all been filled in with one of the table fields:

  1. Click Next: Preview your letters. You can use the arrows to scroll through the different letters.
  2. Scroll to recipient number 3, John White.
  3. We’ve just realized that we misread the date. John’s Iguana is not due for a check-up yet. While on his letter, click the button that says ExcludeThisRecipient.
  4. At the bottom, click Next: Complete the merge.
  5. Under Merge, click Edit Individual Lettersto open a copy of each letter.
  6. In the little box that pops up, leave Allselected and click Ok.

Customize MS Word

You can customize many things in Microsoft Word to make its set-up most efficient for your use. If you have a font, text size or color that you prefer you can set up Word to automatically use that font, without you having to change to it each time you open the program. You can do the same thing with margins, and other aspects of the page layout if you prefer something different than the current default.

  1. Click on the arrowat the bottom right corner of the Font or Paragraphsection under the Home ribbon.
  2. In the window that pops up, change your settings to the way you want them.
  3. At the bottom click Set as Default.

This will save your current font and paragraph settings as the default settings that Word starts up with from now on. Any place you see that arrow in the lower right corner it means there are default settings you can go in and change.

Tabs

When you open the Paragraph section, there is also a button at the bottom of the window, next to SetasDefault called Tabs. Click this button to set your default tab settings. This controls where your cursor moves to on a line when you press tab on the keyboard.

Quick Access Toolbar

There is also a way to choose what buttons you’d like to see on your quick access tool bar. Click the downward pointing arrow to the right of the toolbar, and select which items you’d like to be visible on the toolbar. Items visible on the toolbar have a checkmark by them. If something has a checkmark that you don’t want on the toolbar, click the item to remove the checkmark. If you want a command you do not see click More Commands… to find it and use the add button to place it on the Quick Access toolbar.

For More Customization Options…

For the option to customize more items, such as your ribbons, click on the Filetabto the left, then click Options. It is the bottom button on the left hand side. General categories of settings are along the left side. Click the category name to see the settings come up in the area on the right.

Proofingcontrols spellchecking and those changes Word makes automatically to formatting. Capitalizing words at the beginning or a sentence, for example. Click the button called AutocorrectOptionsto see how you can customize what types of things Word is allowed to correct automatically.

InSave, you can change the type of file Word saves as. This may be useful if you’re sharing your document with someone who has an old version of MS Word that cannot open .docx files. In that case, you could change the type of file Word saves as to .doc or another file type useable by both parties. Here you can also change how often MS Word auto-saves and the location it auto-saves to.

In Advancedyou’ll find a variety of options not found in the other sections. They have to do with editing text, copy and paste, images, printing and more.

With CustomizeRibbonyou can decide which buttons you’d like to show up on a particular ribbon. The left side shows available commands. Use the dropdown at the top to choose which group of commands is shown. The right list shows commands and ribbons. Along the bottom of the right hand list are buttons called NewTaband NewGroup. Use the New Tab button to create an entirely new tab. A new group can be inserted into an existing tab. (The Font or Paragraph sections in the Home tab are groups). If you want to add commands from the left list to a certain tab, you must create a new group to put them in first.

1Last Edited: 10/10/2018