January 30, 2010
Word Tips Express
Volume 2, Issue 3
It's hard to believe January 2010 has already come and gone! Time seems to go by faster and faster these days. That's why it's important to save time when you can!
In this month's featured article, we discuss the biggest mistake Word users make, and how to avoid it so you don't waste time fixing documents.
In this Issue:
- New on Word-tips.com
- Word 2007 Shortcuts: Quickly Edit Fonts
- Featured Article: The Biggest Mistake Word Users Make
Are you enjoying the Word Tips Express? Whether yes or no, please let me know! It's easy...just reply to this newsletter. I appreciate your comments and suggestions!
All the best!
New on Word-tips.com
Newest additions:
- Document Formatting - With just a few clicks, you can create professional looking business documents such as business letters, reports, forms, and more. Go there now...
- Add Columns of Numbers in a Word Table - Did you know you can use basic math calculations in Microsoft Word tables? Find out how in the Formatting Documents Q&A! Go there now...
Word 2007 Shortcuts:
Quickly Edit Fonts
Press CTRL + D to open the fonts dialog box for quickly editing fonts and character spacing.
Featured Article:
The Biggest Mistake Word Users Make
You just finished writing your yearly report, and now for the final touches. ...Change the margins, add headers and footers, then hit Print and you're done.
Not so fast! Suddenly, all of your meticulous formatting is broken. And of course it's the middle of the night and your report is due at 8 o'clock in the morning!
Has this happened to you? If you have used Word for any length of time, I'm sure the answer is, "yes." And you are probably quick to add, "and that's why I hate Microsoft Word!"
But this scenario is easy to avoid!
Document Formatting Decisions Come First
The biggest mistake Word users make is not taking a few minutes to plan the layout design before typing. This step may not be needed for a one page letter, but if you are writing an essay, formal report, or thesis, or creating a brochure, it is vital!
Before typing, follow this list to create your basic layout design:
- Document: What type of document? Select (or create) a template.
- Page: Select page size and orientation. Set margins, create headers, footers, columns.
- Paragraph: Set paragraph and line spacing, indents.
- Font: Choose default paragraph and heading fonts and size.
Even if you use a Microsoft Word template, it is a good idea to review document formatting settings before typing.
If you start writing your document then find that the formatting isn't quite right, STOP! Change the document properties in the order listed, fix any layout problems, then resume typing.
Why? The natural tendency is to tweak line, paragraph, and character spacing while typing. Then if you change the page margins or orientation, all of that tweaking is for nothing! The extra white space, line breaks, and page breaks have to be deleted, wasting your valuable time.
The solution? Create the layout design first, then type. This will save you endless hours of fixing messed-up Microsoft Word documents!
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Do you have a messed-up Word document you can't seem to fix? I can help you! See my services page for information.
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