Word: 10 Tips and Tricks for Beginners

1. How to Create Header and Footer

How To:

• Insert a Header:

  1. Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
  2. Select Header in the Header & Footer group.
  3. Choose a header style (e.g., Blank or Three Columns).
  4. Type your text in the header area (e.g., document title or company name).

• Insert a Footer:

  1. Follow the same process, but select Footer instead.
  2. Add text like a revision date (e.g., "Revised: 01/01/2025").

• Exit Header/Footer Mode:

  1. Click anywhere outside the header/footer or press Esc.

2. How to Create Page Numbers

How To:

1. Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
2. Click Page Number in the Header & Footer group.
3. Select the location:
   • Top of Page or Bottom of Page for common placements.
   • Page Margins for more creative options.
4. Choose a style (e.g., Plain Number 3 for bottom-right alignment).
5. To format:
   • Click Page Number > Format Page Numbers.
   • Choose numbering styles (e.g., Roman numerals or starting from a specific number).
6. To remove:
   • Select Page Number > Remove Page Numbers.

3. How to Increase and Decrease Font Size

How To:

• Using the Ribbon:

  1. Highlight the text you want to resize.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
  3. In the Font group, click:
     • Increase Font Size (A↑) to make the text larger.
     • Decrease Font Size (A↓) to make the text smaller.

• Using Shortcut Keys:

  1. Highlight the text.
  2. Use the shortcuts:
     • Press Ctrl + Shift + > to increase font size.
     • Press Ctrl + Shift + < data-preserve-html-node="true" to decrease font size.

4. How to Develop Lists: Ordered and Unordered

How To:

• Unordered Lists:

  1. Highlight the text you want to format.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
  3. In the Paragraph group, click Bullets (•).
  4. Press Enter to add a new bullet. Press Enter twice to exit the list.

• Ordered Lists:

  1. Highlight the text.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
  3. In the Paragraph group, click Numbering (1, 2, 3).
  4. Press Enter to add a new number. Press Enter twice to exit the list.

5. How to Insert/Create a Table

How To:

1. Go to the Insert tab.
2. Click Table in the Tables group.
3. Drag your mouse to select the number of rows and columns needed.
4. Enter your data in each cell.

• Modifying the Table:
  • Add Rows/Columns:
    • Right-click inside the table, select Insert, and choose to add rows/columns.
  • Delete Rows/Columns:
    • Right-click the row/column you want to delete, select Delete, and choose Delete Rows or Delete Columns.

6. How to Use Formatting Structures

How To:

1. Highlight the text.
2. Go to the Home tab and use the Styles group to apply formatting:
   • Heading 1 for main headings.
   • Heading 2 for subheadings.
   • Normal for body text.
3. Adjust spacing and alignment as needed in the Paragraph group.

7. How to Use the Review Feature (Edit Grammar, Find and Replace)

How To:

1. Go to the Review tab.
2. Track Changes:
   • Click Track Changes to monitor edits.
   • Use New Comment to add notes.
3. Spelling & Grammar:
   • Click Spelling & Grammar to check for errors and fix them.
4. Find and Replace:
   • Press Ctrl + H to open the Find and Replace tool.
   • Enter the word or phrase you want to find and the replacement.

8. How to Save Your Document and Use Print Preview

How To:

• Save Your Document:

  1. Click File > Save As.
  2. Choose a location and file name.
  3. Select a file format (e.g., Word Document or PDF).

• Turn On AutoSave:

  1. If working on OneDrive or SharePoint, toggle AutoSave in the top-left corner.

• Print Preview:

  1. Press Ctrl + P to open the Print Preview.
  2. Review how the document will look when printed.

9. How to Set Protections on a Document

How To:

1. Go to the File tab.
2. Click Info and select Protect Document.
3. Choose an option:
   • Mark as Final to make the document read-only.
   • Encrypt with Password to restrict access.
4. Save and share the document securely.

10. Top 10 Shortcut Keys and What They Do

Why It’s Useful:

Shortcut keys save time by allowing you to perform actions without navigating through menus. These are some of the most useful shortcuts for beginners:

1. Ctrl + S: Save your document.
2. Ctrl + C: Copy selected text or objects.
3. Ctrl + V: Paste copied content.
4. Ctrl + X: Cut selected text or objects.
5. Ctrl + Z: Undo the last action.
6. Ctrl + Y: Redo the last undone action.
7. Ctrl + A: Select all text and objects.
8. Ctrl + P: Open the Print menu.
9. Ctrl + H: Open the Find and Replace tool.
10. Ctrl + B/I/U: Bold, italicize, or underline selected text:
    • Ctrl + B: Makes text bold.
    • Ctrl + I: Italicizes text.
    • Ctrl + U: Underlines text.