A word processing application is one for handling text (and graphics). It has several advantages when compared to a typewriter:

It is faster and more efficient

Font types and font sizes can be changed

Pictures can be inserted and re-sized

Checks your spelling and grammar

Easy to edit mistakes

Prints as many copies as you want.

• Click on the Start icon to display the Start menu and then click on the Microsoft Word icon.
  

Click on the Close icon displayed at the top right of the Microsoft Word window

OR press Alt+F4.

If you have not saved your work, a dialog box will be displayed which asks you if you wish to save your changes. Make your choice from one of the following:

Yes: Saves the changes and exits the program.

No: Does not save the changes and exits the program. Choosing No will lose any work which you have done since you last saved the file.

Cancel: Cancels the command and stays in the Word program.

• Click on the Open icon and from the dialog box displayed select the required file.

• Use the Look in drop down menu to select the drive or folder which contains the file you want.
• To open the file you require either double click on the file name
  OR select the file name by clicking on it, and then click on the Open button.

• Click on the Open icon and a dialog box is displayed.

• Click on the down arrow to the right of the Look in section.
• From the list displayed select 3½ Floppy (A:)

• Select the required file and then click on the Open button.

You can use the buttons across the top of this dialog box to help you in selecting the required file.

See recent files: Click here to access recently opened files or folders (acts like a Back button within an Internet browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer).

Move up one folder level: Click here to move up one level through your folder (directory) tree.

Search the Web: Click here to search the Internet (assuming that you are connected to the Web!).

Delete the selected file: Click here to delete the selected file or folder.

Create a new folder: Click here to create a new folder beneath the selected folder.

• You can open files one at a time, or if you know how to select multiple files, you can open two or more files at the same time. This technique can save you time!
• Click on the Open icon, which will display the Open dialog box.
• Click on the first file of the block you wish to select, and then while depressing the Shift key, click on the last file of the required block. When you release the Shift key the entire block will remain selected.

• Click on the Open icon, which will display the Open dialog box.
• Click on the first file which you wish to select and while keeping the Ctrl key depressed, click on the other files which you wish to select. When you release the Ctrl key, the selected files will continue to be highlighted.

• In either case outlined above, clicking on the Open button, once multiple files have been selected, will cause all the selected files to open within Word.

Click on the New icon and a new blank document will be displayed on the screen. This document will be based on the default template within Word.

• To save your new document after you have entered your text, click on the Save icon and supply a name for the document file.

Click on the Save icon and from the dialog box displayed select the required folder. Enter a file name and then click on the Save button.

• After you have saved the file for the first time, clicking on the Save icon will automatically save your document with the filename you gave it. It does not give you the option to rename.

• Click on the Create New Folder icon, displayed within the Save As dialog box.
• This will display the New Folder dialog box. Enter the name of the new folder, and then click on the OK button.

NOTE: The folder will be created under the current folder.

• Click on the File drop down menu and select the Save As command. A dialog box will be displayed similar to that illustrated.

• Click on the down arrow to the right of the Save in section of the dialog box, which will display a drop down menu, as illustrated.

• Select the 3 1/2 Floppy (A:) icon.

• Enter a file name and then click on the Save button.

The Save As command can be used to save a file under a different name, to save a file in a different word processor format, or to save a file to a different drive and/or folder. From the File menu choose Save As command, or use the following keystroke:

Save As F12

Note: The File >Save As command will rename the document on the screen so that you can keep the earlier version, as well as saving any changes you have made.

Click on the Close icon displayed at the top-right of the document window. Be sure to click on the Close Window icon, (as opposed to the Close icon).

• Click on the View menu, and select the required view.

Normal
Allows you to type, edit and format documents, but does not display additional information such as headers and footers.

Web Layout
Displays the document as it would appear if published on the Web.

Print Layout
Allows you to display multiple columns, footnotes, and headers and footers in the document. You can also view graphics in this format.

Full Screen
Allows you to type, edit and format a document.

Zoom
Allows you to enlarge or reduce the view of a page on-screen.

• Use the Zoom icon on the Standard toolbar to quickly zoom to certain settings. Click on the down arrow next to the Zoom icon to display a drop down list of pre-set screen zoom values.

NOTE: You can enter any value you like, you do not have to accept the values offered to you.

• To display a toolbar, select the Toolbars command from the View menu to display the Toolbars drop down menu. A list of toolbars is displayed which includes: Standard, Formatting, Borders, Database, Drawing etc.
• Choose the Toolbar you want to display or hide by clicking on it from the list.

Word normally functions in Insert mode which means that text is added to a document without overwriting anything else. Alternatively, Word can function in Overtype mode which will overwrite existing text with any new text which you type in. The status bar at the bottom of the Word window indicates that you are in Overtype mode by highlighting the OVR indicator.

• In Insert mode, text is inserted into the document at the insertion point. This is the default mode. Text which already exists is moved forward to make way for the new text.
• Position the insertion point where you want to insert the new text.
• When you begin typing, the existing text will move to the right and wrap to the next line.
  

• When you press the Enter (Return) key, Word automatically creates a new paragraph. It is important to realise that Microsoft Word treats the area between depressions of the Enter (Return) key as a paragraph for formatting purposes.

Normally you will press the Enter (Return) key twice so that a blank line is inserted between your paragraphs.

• Ensure that you are in Print Layout view by clicking on the View drop down menu and selecting the Print Layout command.
• Double click on any empty area of the page. Word will move the insertion point to that location.
• Type in your text.

Normally when using a Windows based product such as Word the golden rule is select first, then manipulate. However because Word recognises the concepts of what a word is and what a paragraph is, in some cases you will not have to select first. Thus if you wish to apply font (i.e. word) formatting, such as making a word bold, then you only have to click anywhere within the word and then apply the font formatting, such as clicking on the Bold icon to make the word bold. In the same way if you wish to apply paragraph formatting to a whole paragraph, you need only click anywhere within the paragraph to apply the formatting.

For example to indent an entire paragraph, click within it and then click on the Increase Indent icon located on the Formatting Toolbar.

• Click just in front of the character you want to select.
• Hold down the Shift key.
  
• Press the right arrow key.
  
• Release the Shift key.
  

• Double click on the word.

• Move the mouse pointer to the left of the line which you wish to select, until the mouse pointer changes from an I bar to an arrow pointing upwards and to the right. You are now in the “Selection Bar”, a hidden screen element.
  
• Click once with the mouse button to select the line.

• Move the mouse pointer within the sentence which you wish to select. Hold down the Ctrl key and then click within the sentence.

• Move the mouse pointer within the paragraph which you wish to select and click three times.
  

• Press Ctrl+A
  OR select the Select All command, located under the Edit drop down menu.

• If you want to insert text into a document, click at the point you wish to insert the next character or word and start typing.

• If you want to change any text within your document, select the text which you wish to change and start typing over the selected text. The text you type in will replace the text you selected.

• In Overtype mode, text overwrites the existing text.
  
• Position the insertion point where you want to type the new text.
  
• Press the Insert key to switch to overtype mode. The OVR indicator on the status bar will be highlighted.
  
• When you begin typing, the existing text will be replaced with your new text.

• From the Edit menu choose the Undo command
  OR press Ctrl+Z
  OR click on the Undo button on the Standard toolbar.

• Repeat as required to perform multiple undo actions.

• From the Edit menu, select Repeat
  OR press F4
  OR click on the Redo button on the Standard toolbar.

• Move the mouse pointer over the down arrow located to the right of the Undo and Redo icons on the Standard toolbar and click the left mouse button.
  
• A scrollable list is displayed from which you can select actions to redo or undo.

• Place the insertion point to the left of the character to be deleted and press Delete
  OR place the insertion point to the right of the character to be deleted and press Backspace.
  

• Double-click on the word to be deleted and press the Delete key
  OR place the insertion point to the right of the word to be deleted and press Ctrl+Backspace.
  

• Place the mouse pointer in the left-hand margin, next to the first line of text or first blank line to be deleted. The mouse pointer changes to an arrow pointing up and to the right.
  
• Click on the left-hand mouse button to select the line of text or the blank line you wish to delete,
  OR drag the mouse pointer down the left-hand margin to select the lines you want to delete.
  
• Press the Delete key.
  

• Hold down the Ctrl key.
• Place the mouse pointer anywhere on the sentence to be deleted.
  
• Select the sentence by clicking the left-hand mouse button.
  
• Press the Delete key.
  

• Place the mouse pointer in the left-hand margin, next to the first paragraph to be deleted.
• To select the paragraph, double-click on the left-hand mouse button.
  
• Press the Delete key.

• Select the block of text you wish to delete by dragging the mouse pointer over the text with the left mouse button depressed. Once the text is selected press the Delete key.

• Select the text to which you wish to apply a different font. This can be any amount of text in the document from a single character, a word, a sentence, a paragraph, or the entire document.
  
• A quick way to change the font type or size is to use the icons on the Formatting toolbar.

• Select the text of which you wish to modify the font size.
  
• To make the font bigger depress the Ctrl key and while keeping it depressed,
  repeatedly press the key on your keyboard. Each time you press the key the selected text will get bigger by a point size.
  
• To make the selected text smaller use the same procedure, but use the opening square bracket key.
  

• Font: Also called a typeface, specifies the overall look of the character set.
  
  
• Font Style: Determines the emphasis given to a character, i.e. Bold or Italic.
  
  
• Size: Determines the size of the character in points.
  
  
• Underline: Determines underlining style.
  
  
• Color: Determines the colour of the text.
  
  
• Strikethrough: A strikethrough line is drawn through selected characters.
  
  
• Double Strikethrough: Two strikethrough lines are drawn through selected characters.
  
  
• Superscript: Text is raised above its normal position on the text line.
  
  
• Subscript: Text is lowered below its normal position on the text line.
  
  
• Shadow: Adds a shadow behind the text.Outline: Displays the inner and outer borders of each character.
  
  
• Emboss: Text appears to be raised off the page in relief.
  
  
• Engrave: Text appears to be printed or pressed into the page.
  
  
• Small caps: Text is formatted in small capital letters.
  
  
• All Caps: All text is formatted in capital letters.
  
  
• Hidden: Characters are hidden on the page.
  
  
• Preview: The effect of the font is displayed before you apply it.

• Select the text you wish to format as bold or italic.
  
• Click on the Bold or Italic icon in the Formatting toolbar.

• Select the text you wish to underline.
  
• Click on the Underline icon in the Formatting toolbar.
  
• To switch off the underline re-click on the Underline icon in the Formatting toolbar.

• Select the text which you wish to underline.
  
• Click on the Format drop down menu and select the Font command.
  
• Click on the down arrow next to the Underline option. This will display a drop down list of options, as illustrated. Select the required option and then close the dialog box.

• Select the text which you wish to format as subscript or superscript.
  
• From the Format menu, choose the Font command. The Font dialog box is displayed.
  
• From within the Effects section of the dialog box, select either the Subscript or Superscript command.

Subscript: Text is lowered below its normal position on the text line. Take as an example the chemical formula for water. If we type in H2O, it is not formatted correctly. We need to select the 2 within the formula and then format it as subscript. The effect is illustrated below.

Superscript: Text is raised above its normal position on the text line. Take as an example Albert Einstein's famous formula relating mass and energy. If we type in E=MC2, it is not formatted correctly. We need to select the 2 within the formula and then format it as superscript. The effect is illustrated.

• Select the text of which you wish to change the case.
  
• Click on the Format drop down menu and select the Change Case command. From the dialog box displayed, select the required case, and then click on the OK button.
  
  
• Remember that you can get help about each of these options by clinking on the question mark icon (top-right of the dialog box) and then clicking on an option within the dialog box. In the example shown, help is displayed for Sentence Case.

• Select the text to which you wish to apply a colour.
  
• Click on the down arrow next to the Font Color icon, which will display a drop down dialog box.
  
• Click on the colour you wish to apply. De-select the selected text to see the effect of your formatting changes!

• Select the text to which you wish to apply a background colour.
  
• Click on the Format drop down menu, and select the Borders and Shading command.
  
• Within the dialog box displayed, select the Shading tab.
  
• Select the required colour, and then click on the OK button.

• To align text, place the insertion point at the beginning of your new document or where you want to enter new text
  
  

OR select the text you wish to align.

• Use the alignment icons located on the Formatting toolbar.

• Select from the list to achieve the following results:

Align Left: Aligns text flush with the left margin. This is the default setting.

Center: Centres text between the left and right margins.

Align Right: Aligns text flush with the right margin.

Justify: Spreads text evenly between the left and right margins by expanding or reducing the space between individual words.

Most formatting options within Word are found under the Format drop down menu. The Document setup options are located under the File drop down menu and accessed via the Page Setup command.

• Select the Page Setup command from the File drop down menu.
  
• Ensure that the tab is selected so that the Paper folder is displayed and select the paper size you wish to use from the Paper Size drop down list as illustrated.

• To select the paper orientation, click on the Portrait or Landscape buttons in the Orientation section.

• From the File menu choose the Page Setup command, the Page Setup dialog box is displayed. If it is not already displayed, select the Margins tab.

Top: To set the top margin.

Bottom: To set the bottom margin.

Left: To set the left-hand margin.

Right: To set the right-hand margin.

Gutter: To set the gutter margin width between pages to allow for binding etc.

There are also several other options available under the Margins tab

From Edge Header: To adjust the distance of the Header from the top margin on a page.

From Edge Footer: To adjust the distance of the Footer from the bottom margin on a page.

Preview: To display the adjustments made to margins.

Mirror Margins: This check box option ensures margins are the same between left and right pages.

Apply To: To apply the margin adjustments to the Whole Document or Selected Text.

• To set the margins, choose OK or press Enter.

• Make sure that the Drawing toolbar is displayed. If it is not, then click on the Drawing icon displayed within the Standard toolbar.
  
  
• Click at the location where you wish to insert the clipart picture.

Click on the Insert Clip Art icon, located in the Drawing toolbar. You will see the Clip Art options displayed to the right of your screen.	In the Search section enter a search word such as computers. Then click on the Search button. Matching Clip Art will be displayed, as illustrated.	If necessary use the scroll bars to display the required picture. Click on the picture which you wish to insert.

• Click within your document at the location where you wish to insert the picture.
  Click on the Insert drop down menu and select the Picture command.
  From the submenu displayed, select From File.
  
  
  
• Use the dialog box which is displayed to select the required file. You may have to select a different drive or folder if the file is stored in a different location. You will see a preview of the selected file, as illustrated.
  
  
  
• Once you have selected the required file, click on the Insert button.
  

• Click once on the graphic. The selected graphic is surrounded by 8 'handles' (small black squares) as illustrated. The same technique applies to pictures or images.

• Select the graphic by clicking on it once.
  
• Move the mouse pointer to one corner of the selected graphic, until the mouse pointer changes to a line at 45 degrees with an arrowhead at each end.
  
• Depress the mouse button and drag to resize the image within the document.
  
• Release the mouse button.

• Click once on the image to select it.
  
• Press the Delete key.

Click on the Print Preview icon. The Print Preview screen appears. Click once in the document and the mouse cursor will change to a Zoom tool. Click on the document again to view it more closely and click again to zoom back out.

The Print Preview Toolbar Icons

Print
The document is sent to the printer.

Magnifier
The same as clicking inside the document. It gives a single-level zoom.

One Page
Single-page view.

Multiple Pages
Allows you to print preview up to six pages at a time on the screen.

Zoom Control
Allows you to control Zoom view percentages.

View Ruler
Allows you to view the ruler showing tabs and measurements.

Shrink to Fit
Enables you to fit a document which is just more than one page long onto a single page.

Full Screen
Allows you to change to Full Screen view.

Close
Allows you to leave Print Preview and return to the Word screen.

Help
Allows you to get Help on Print Preview.

• Click on the File drop down menu and select the Print command.

• Make changes as required within the Page range section of the dialog box

• To print the entire document, click on All.
  
  
• To print only the page you are viewing, click on Current page.
  
  
• To specify the pages you wish to print, click on Pages and enter the pages which you wish to print. For instance if you want to print page 3, and also pages 6-7 inclusive, you would enter 3, 6-7
  
  
• To specify the number of copies required
  
  
• Click on the File drop down menu and select the Print command. Enter the number of copies required within the Copies section of the dialog box.

• Click on the File drop down menu and select the Print command. Within the Printer section of the dialog box select the Print to file option.

• A dialog box will then be displayed in which you can specify a file name and storage location.

Word requires a Windows printer driver to be installed which matches the printer you are currently using. All Windows programs share this same printer driver. If you change your printer type, then another printer driver suitable for that printer must be installed.

If more than one printer driver has been installed, you can easily and quickly change from one printer driver to another. Windows will only allow one printer driver to be active at any one time.

Most printers are only supplied with limited amounts of printer memory in which to store the images to be printed. If you have problems printing documents which contain a large amount of graphics you should consider adding more memory to your printer.

From the File menu, choose the Print command to display the Print dialog box.
Click on the down arrow to the right of the Name section of the Printer dialog box, and select the required printer. This list you see will depend on how your IT Support people have set up your computer.