Microsoft Word Tips

Microsoft Word is powerful program and it’s functionality seems endless.

If you are an expert Word user, then the tips on this page probably won’t help you much. But if you are only an occasional user, we might be able to provide some ideas on how you can modify, edit and even personalize the documents on this site.

The focus of this article will be on style changes as this is one of the most requested piece of information when talking about using templates. The idea of using document templates is to get a quick start to building the letter, resume or other document. But once you modify the information, many users want to change the format/style to give the document a more personalized look.

Editing and Modify Microsoft Word Documents

Here are some simple ways to change the style of a Microsoft Word document.

1. Change Font and Font Size – This is one easy way to modify the document in your tool bar or by going to Format > Font. You may notice that changing this feature can change the layout of the document. If this happens you will either want to change the size of the font or go into File > Page Setup to adjust the margins.

2. Font Effects – Going to Format > Font you will see a section for effects. Some of these effects can add a nice touch to the font, specifically Shadow, Outline, Emboss, Engrave and Small Caps. For titles of your name on top of resume or any heading, the small caps can provide more subtle professional style.

3. Borders and Shading - Under Format > Borders and Shading you can find a number of options for shading and lines. It’s ideal to use the borders when separating sections of a document, such as the header of a letter from the body. You can use the drawing tools to make a line, but may find it a little more difficult to get the cleanest placement. By highlighting the entire heading and selecting a border line, you can ensure that the line will format across the page from left to right margin. When you select the box setting in the border tab, you can remove the left, right, bottom and top border of the box in the preview area. You can also choose to apply the border to the marked text or the entire paragraph.

4. Bullets and Numbering - If you have lists then don’t be afraid to include the bullets and numbering by going to Format > Bullets and Numbering. This section if self explanatory and to get the look you want, experiment with multiple options.