Word Processing Program: MS-Word

A word processor is a software that allows us to create, edit, view, format and print text document in the computer. Most widely used computer word processing software is Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, Word Star etc. Ms-Word is one of the popular word processing software. Ms-Word is developed by Microsoft Corporation, USA. It allows us to create any types of text documents.

Ms-word program is available in different versions such as Ms_Word 2000, Ms-Word 2003, Ms-Word 2007, Ms-Word 2010, etc. With Ms-Word, we can create a simple document.

Starting MS-Word 2007

To start Word program, we should follow the following steps:

• Step 1: Click on the start button.
• Step 2: Move the mouse pointer over All Program Option.
• Step 3: Move the mouse pointer over Microsoft office option.
• Step 4: Click on the Microsoft Office Word 2007. Then Word window appears on the screen.

How to break page using Ms-Word?

A page break is a code inserted by the software program that tells the device where to end the current page and begin the next.

To insert a page break while in Microsoft Word we should follow the following steps:

• Step 1: Click Insert on the file menu.
• Step 2: Select Break from the drop down.
• Step 3: Select Page Break and click OK.

Or,

Microsoft Word supports the shortcut key Ctrl + Enter to insert a page break.

Formatting Text

There are lots of font types available in Ms-Word. We can follow following steps to change font type:

• Step 1: Select the text you want to change the font type.
• Step 2: Click on the drop down arrow of Font button in the Font group on the Home tab. The list of font types will appear.
• Step 3: Click on the font name that you want to apply.

Changing the Font Size

We can increase or decrease the size of the font in the document. We should follow following steps to change the size of the font:

• Step 1: Select the text whose size you want to change.
• Step 2: Click on the drop-down arrow of the Font size button in the font group of the Home tab.

Or, Microsoft Word support the shortcut key Ctrl + ] to increase or Ctrl + [ to decrease the font size.

Changing the Font Color

We can apply different color for the different text in the document. We should follow the following steps to change color of font:

• Step 1: Select the text whose color you want to change.
• Step 2: Click on the drop down arrow of the Font color button in the font group of the Home tab. Then color box with different colors will display.
• Step 3: click on the desired color from the list.

Highlighting the Word

We can highlight the important words or sentences in a document by using different colors such as red, yellow etc. We should follow following steps to highlight the word:

• Step 1: Select the word which you want to highlight.
• Step 2: Click on Highlight button.

Copy Formatting

The Format Painter will copy formatting from specific portions of your document and apply it to other portions of your document.

• Step 1: Select a portion of your document containing the formatting you would like to apply
• Step 2: Click the Format Painter button (It is positioned on the Standard Toolbar and looks like a paint brush)
• Step 2: Select the portion of your document where you would like to apply the formatting.

If you would like to apply the formatting to several portions of your document, double-click the Format Painter button after selecting the portion of your document containing the formats you would like to apply.

Changing the Font Style (Bold, Italic, and Underline)

Different font styles such as bold, italic and underline are available in Ms-Word.

• Step 1: Select the text you want to make Bold, italic or Underline.
• Step 2: To make the text Bold, click on the bold button in the Font group on the Home tab. Or Ctrl + B
• Step 3: To make the text Italic, click on Italic button. Or Ctrl + I
• Step 4: To underline the text, click on the Underline button. Or Ctrl + U

Adding Tables

Tables are used to display data in tabular format. We should following steps to create table using Ms-Word:

Step 1: Place the cursor on the page where you want to insert the new table.

Step 2: Click on the Insert Tab.

Step 3: Click the Tables Button on the Tables Group. You can create table by following ways:

• Highlight the number of row and columns.
• Click on Insert Table and enter the number of rows and columns.
• Click on Draw table, create your table by clicking and entering the rows and columns.
• Click on Quick Tables and choose a table.

Adding Symbols and Special characters

Special characters are punctuation, spacing, or typographical characters that are not generally available on the standard keyboard. To insert symbol and special characters follow the following steps:

• Step 1: Place your cursor in the document where you want the symbol.
• Step 2: Click on Insert Tab.
• Step 3: Click the Symbol button in the Symbols group.
• Step 4: Choose the appropriate symbol.

Adding Equations

Word 2007 also allows us to insert mathematical equations. To access the mathematical equations tool follow the following steps:

• Step 1: Place your cursor in the document where you want the symbol.
• Step 2: Click on Insert Tab.
• Step 3: Click the Equation Button on the Symbols Group.
• Step 4: Choose the appropriate equation and structure or click on Insert New Equation.
• Step 5: To edit the equation, click the equation and the Design Tab will be available.

Adding Picture

To insert picture we should follow following steps:

• Step 1: Place the cursor in the document where you want to insert the picture.
• Step 2: Click on Picture button from the Illustration group of Insert Tab. Then picture dialog box will appear.
• Step 3: Browse the picture from the box and select it.
• Step 4: Click on Insert from the Insert picture dialog box.

Adding SmartArt

It is a collection of graphics that can be utilized to organize information within your document. To insert SmartArt follow the following steps:

• Step 1: Place your cursor in the document where you want to insert SmartArt.
• Step 2: Click the SmartArt button from the Illustration group of Insert Tab.
• Step 3: SmartArt Graphic dialog box appear.
• Step 4: Choose the SmartArt types or style from the box.
• Step 5: Click on OK.

Developing Charts Using Excel Data

When we embed an Excel chart, information in the word file does not change if we modify the source Excel file. We can follow the following steps to add charts using Excel data:

• Step 1: Click where you want to insert the chart in Word document.
• Step 2: Click on the Insert tab then Click on the Chart option from the illustrations group.
• Step 3: In the Insert Chart dialog box, click a chart, and then click OK.
• Step 4: Office Excel opens in a split window and displays sample data on a worksheet.
• Step 5: In Excel, replace the sample data by clicking a cell on the worksheet and then type data you want. After you update the worksheet, the chart in Word will be updated automatically with the new data.
• Step 6: In Excel, click the Microsoft office Button, and then click Save As.
• Step 7: In the Save As dialog box, select the folder or drive that you want to save the worksheet to. Type a new name for the file then click on the Save button. Then close the Excel window.

Adding Watermark

Watermark may be any text or design that appears behind the text on our document. We should follow following steps to add watermark on our document:

• Step 1: Click on the Page layout tab.
• Step 2: Click on the Watermark button in the Page Background group.
• Step 3: Select the desired watermarks.

Adding Border and Shading

Borders can be applied to many different objects in word. The shading tab in the Borders and Shading dialog box allows us to apply shading to a paragraph or piece of text.

To apply border and shading follow the following steps:

• Step 1: Click on the Page Layout Tab.
• Step 2: Click on the Page Border button in the Page Background group.
• Step 3: Select different types, styles, colors, widths from the respective headings.
• Step 4: Click on OK button.

To apply shading:

• Step 1: From the Boarder and Shedding dialog box, click on the Shading tab.
• Step 2: Click on the fill drop down button and choose required shading color.
• Step 3: Click on OK button.

Spelling and Grammar Check

Ms-Word checks spelling mistakes and grammatical error in our document and then inform us where the mistakes are. The spelling mistakes words are underlined with red line and grammatical errors are underlined with green line.

• Step 1: Click on the Review tab.
• Step 2: Click on the Spelling and grammar button from the proofing group. Then the Spelling and Grammar dialog box will appear.
• Step 3: Select the correct spelling from the given list.

Use of Mail Merge

It is a powerful tool for writing and sending a personalized letter or e-mail to many different people at the same time.Mail Merge imports data from another source such as Excel and then uses that data to replace placeholders throughout your message with the relevant information for each individual you are messaging.