Select any topic link, listed below, for a variety of Word Tips & Tricks:

Note: If the phrase "Tips & Tricks" is included in a topic link, there's numerous tips & tricks on that particular topic .

Add WordArt Button

To add the WordArt button into the Word toolbar:

• Select  "Toolbars"  from  "View" menu.
• Choose "Customize".
• The Customize dialog box opens, choose the "Commands" tab.
• In the Categories list, click AutoShapes to select it,  then drag the WordArt icon from the dialog box's right pane to your toolbar.
• Click "Close" to close the Customize dialog box.
• Now you can open WordArt with a single click.
• This method also works in Excel for Windows 97.

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Alphabetize Words

You can use the Sort command to alphabetize words if the words are in a list or arranged in a column of table cells.

• Select the list of words or table column containing the words.
• Select "Sort" from "Table" menu.
• Under Sort By, choose Ascending (to sort from A to Z).
• Click OK.
• Word arranges the words in alphabetical order!

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Borders

Although you can use the Format Borders and Shading dialog box to remove a border from a Word document, you can accomplish the same thing without any dialog box at all. 

• Let's say, for example, that you've formatted a paragraph with borders on and now you want to delete the borders:
  • Click the paragraphs and press CTRL+Q keys
  • This removes all direct paragraph formatting.

• Suppose you would like to remove the borders, but keep all of the other paragraph formatting:
  • Use the Tables and Borders button on the Formatting toolbar.
  • Click the paragraph that has the borders.
  • Then click the Tables And Borders button (its icon is a pencil over a four-pane square).
  • The Tables And Borders floating toolbar opens.
  • Click the arrow at the right side of the Borders button (it's the second button from the right).
  • Now select the last one in the list (no border).
  • Click the Close box to dismiss the floating toolbar."

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Caps Lock Key

Accidentally type with the Caps Lock key on?  Here's a way to solve the Caps Lock problem.

• Highlight the text.
• Choose Format, Change Case.
• The Change Case dialog box appears.
• Select the radio button labeled  tOGGLE CASE.
• Choose OK.

Your text will now appear in the correct case.

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Captions on Objects

To add captions to objects, such as images, tables, figures, or equations:

• Select the object.
• Choose Insert, Caption.
• The Caption dialog box appears,  type the caption in the Caption text box.
• Click OK.

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Checking the Style

• If you have a long document and would like to check the styles you used, you can press the SHIFT+F1 keys.
• The cursor turns to a question mark and a pointer.
• Click on the text you want to know about, and Word opens a dialog box telling you all about the style (it's font, formatting, etc.).
• This feature is called What's This, and you can also open it by choosing Help, What's This.
• Press ESC to turn off this option.

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ClipArt

Moving ClipArt Over Text

When inserting Clipart over or next to existing text in a document:

• To place ClipArt over text, right-click the picture and choose Format Picture.
• The Format Picture dialog box appears, click the Wrapping tab and (under Wrapping Style) select None.
• Click OK to close the dialog box and save your new settings.
• Now, you'll find that you can move the picture over existing text.

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Cutting Text

When you want text from another program's document, you can copy and paste that text into your Word document.  The Cut command does essentially the same thing--except that it deletes the text from the original document.  That may not sound like a big deal--unless you have some kind of trouble when switching between programs or when saving the document you pasted the text into.  Then you're lost.   So play it safe and use the Copy command instead so that, if you need that original text again, you'll have it.

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Disable Autoformat List

Every type a list of names using initials for the first names.   For example,  "I. Smith".    Word sees the "I."   as a Roman numeral and begins the next line of text with   "II".

• Choose Tools, AutoCorrect.
• The AutoCorrect Dialog box appears.
• Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
• Deselect the Automatic Numbered Lists check box.
• Choose OK.

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Exiting Word

There are several ways to exit out of Word:

• Choose File, Exit, or
• Press the ALT+F4 keys, or
• Click the Close Window X Button

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Files

Adding Useful Files to the Recent Files List

Word's Recent File list is great for quick access to files   most recently used.    Did you know that  you can have quick access to most often used files in the recent files menu.

Choose Tools, Customize. Select the Commands tab. Under Categories, select Built-in Menus. Under Commands, find the Work menu button then drag it into place on your File menu. It's recommended to place this new work menu list below the List of Recent Files option. Choose Close.     BACK TO TOP

Adding a File to the Work Menu List

To add a document file to the work menu list:

• Open the specific file that you'd like to add to the work menu list.
• Choose File, Work, Add to Work Menu.

The next time you want to open the file:

• Choose File, Work, Select the specific file name.

You can list as many files as you want on the work menu list.

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Removing a File from the Work Menu List

To remove a file from the work menu list:

• Press CTRL +  Alt  + (-) Minus Sign keys.
• Notice the mouse pointer changes in to a heavy minus sign.
• Choose File, Work, Select the specific file name.

The next time your choose File, Work that specific file will be gone from the Work Menu list.

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File Properties

You can sign your file--put your name to it so anyone who looks can see who created it and when.  Having such a signature can be especially important when you make lots of documents that you intend to share with others in a collaborative group.

To add a signature to your documents:

• Choose File, Properties.
• The Properties dialog box appear, click the Summary tab.
• In the appropriate text boxes, enter the title, subject, author, manager, company, category, keywords (for finding this file later, these are descriptive terms), and any comments.
• Note: The Author and Company may already be filled.
• Click OK.

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Recently Used Files

At the bottom of the File menu is a list of Recently Used Files.   With this list, you can open a file without using the Open command and working your way through folder directories.   Choose a file from this list.  

If you want more than 4 files shown in the  Recently Used Files list:

• Choose Tools, Options.
• Select General.
• Make sure the Recently Used File List box is checked.
• Put the number of files you want listed into the Entries text box.
• Click OK.

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Sorting Files

Did you know that you  can sort the files by date and time? 

• Choose File, Open.
• The Open dialog box appears, click the Commands And Settings button (it looks like a window with a check mark in the foreground).
• When the menu opens, choose Sorting to open the Sort By dialog box.
• Now click the arrow at the right side of the Sort File By list box and select Modified from the list.
• Select the radio button labeled Descending.
• Click OK to close the dialog box and sort your files.
• Now you should see the last modified file at the top of the list.
• The new setting remains in effect unless you elect to change it.

NOTE:  This method works in all the Microsoft Office 97 programs.

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Find & Replace

Delete them All

To delete every occurrence of a word or phrase, replace it with nothing:

• Open Edit, Replace.
• The Replace dialog box appears, in the Find what line, type what you want to delete.
• Leave the Replace with line blank.
• Click on Find Next (to make sure you typed the Find what phrase correctly).
• If Word correctly found what you want deleted, click on Replace All.

As you use this deletion method, you'll discover that sometimes it works better to replace with a single blank space instead of with nothing at all.

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Repeating a Find

• When you want to find a specific word in a  document:
  • Press CTRL+F keys to open the Find And Replace dialog box.
  • Type the word and click Find Next.

• If you would like to locate all occurrences of the same word without leaving the Find And Replace dialog box open:

•  
  • Click the double down arrow at the bottom of the scroll bar.
  • This takes you to the next occurrence of the word you entered in the dialog box.
  • You can repeat this until you have located all occurrences.
  • When you click the double down arrow, Word searches from the current point downward.
  • If you want to search from the current point upward, click the double up arrow.

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Fitting a Document on a Single Page

Word  has a Shrink To Fit option.   This method works very well, as long as you don't have too much extra text.

• Open the document.
• Choose File, Print Preview.
• The Print
• Preview window appears, click on  the Shrink To Fit button in the toolbar (the icon resembles two pages with an arrow pointing at a single page).
• If you don't like the looks of the change, press the Ctrl+Z   keys to undo it.

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Fonts

Changing Fonts

To change the font in an entire document:

• Press the CTRL+A keys to select the entire document.
• Choose Format, Font.
• The Format Dialog box appear, select the new font.
• Click OK.

All the text in the document, including headers, will use the new font.  All formatting remains the same--only the font changes. 

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TrueType Font

Word 's TrueType fonts look nearly the same on-screen as they do in print.  Non-TrueType fonts don't always look the same on screen and paper and   some fonts are only available on-screen.   If you use these types of fonts, your computer has to substitute other fonts when it prints.  To tell whether you're using a TrueType, look for a TT beside the font name in the Font drop-down menu.    TT appears beside each TrueType font.

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When a Font isn't a Font

Font. Typeface. So often you see these words used interchangeably. 

• Typeface refers to the artistic design of a set of character. 
• Each typeface has a name, such as "Courier" or "Times."
• Font refers to one particular size and style of that typeface.
• For example, a complete set of 7-point (72 points to the inch), Italic, Courier characters.

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Get the Word Window Back

If Word's title bar is missing, how can you restore it?   The Word title bar might be missing.

1.  Word's Full Screen view is appearing.

• To get out of Full Screen view, click the Close Full Screen button located on the  Full Screen toolbar (it may be the only toolbar visible on the screen), or
• Press the ESC key.

2.  The other reason is that the title bar has somehow crept up beyond the top edge of your computer screen.  To resolve this problem:

• Using your mouse, drag the BOTTOM border of the Word window upward, until the window is two-thirds or less the height of the screen.
• Press the ALT +SPACEBAR keys.
• Press the M key.
• Press the DOWN ARROW key repeatedly until your title bar is visible.

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Headers & Footers

Path & Filename Appearing on Every Page

To have the path and filename appear:

• Choose View, Header and Footer.
• On the Header and Footer toolbar, click the Switch Between Header and Footer button to switch to the footer.
• Position the cursor where you want the filename and path to appear (press the TAB key once to center the cursor and twice to right-align it).
• On the Header and Footer toolbar, click Insert AutoText and choose Filename and Path from the list.
• Click Close to leave the footer and return to the document.
• The path and filename appear in the bottom of every page of the document.

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Save Yourself Some Work

When you create a header or footer,  Word is smart enough to automatically apply the Header or Footer style to the text. The only problem: The style uses the same size text as your Normal style, when what you usually want is something smaller. Guess you just have to change the size every time you create a header or footer, right?  Wrong.

Make the next time you change the header or footer text size the LAST time, as follows:

• Choose File, New.
• Select the template you most often use to create documents with headers and footers and click OK.
• Choose Format,  Style.
• In the Style dialog box, select Header under the Styles list; then click Modify, click Format, and then click Font.
• In the Font dialog box, select the text size you want (if you want to use another Font for your header, select that, too).
• Click OK.
• Select Add to Template and click OK again.
• Repeat the procedure to format the Footer style.
• From now on, whenever you create a header or footer in a document using this template, it is automatically formatted in the smaller font size.

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Setting Page Numbering

To have a page numbering sequence such as "Page 1 of 20" listed in the header or footer:

• Select View,  Header & Footer.
• When the Header & Footer toolbar opens, decided where you want your page numbers to appear.
• To set the position, either press CTRL+L(left), CTRL +C(center), or CTRL+R(right).
• On the Header and Footer toolbar, choose the Insert AutoText button.
• Select Page X Of Y.
• Choose Close.

When re-opening and editing a document, to update the page numbers, all you have to do is print the document or:

• Choose File, Print Preview.
• On the Print Preview toolbar, click Close.
  

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Help

The "What's This" help is often easier to use than the menu help because it doesn't force you to search through an index of help topics.

• Press Shift + F1.
• Move the mouse pointer to the screen area you're wondering about.
• Click the mouse button.
• Help information about that screen area appears.

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Highlight Text Quickly

• To highlight a word:
  • Double- click on the word.
• To highlight a line of text:
  • Click once to the left margin.
• To highlight a sentence:
  • Place the cursor anywhere in a sentence.
  • Hold down the  CTRL key.
  • Double-click the mouse.
• To highlight an entire paragraph:
  • Double-click on the left margin.
• To highlight a large area of text:
  • Click once at the beginning of text.
  • Hold down SHIFT key.
  • Click at the end of the text, or
  • While holding down the SHIFT  key, use the cursor key to expand the selection.
• To highlight an entire document:
  • Place the cursor at the very beginning of the document.
  • Press the CTRL + SHIFT+ END keys, or
  • With your cursor anywhere, press the CTRL + A keys.

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Hyperlinks

Editing a Hyperlink

You can't simply click on a hyperlink and then edit it. Clicking cues the link, transporting you to the linked element.

• Click outside the hyperlink and drag across it to select it.
• Then use regular editing commands.

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Removing a Hyperlink

It's very easy to  remove a hyperlink to a URL in a document.   

• After typing the URL with the hyperlink.
• Place the cursor anywhere within the hyperlink using the keyboard and not the mouse.
• Press CTRL+ SHIFT+F9 (the unlink field shortcut key).
• The hyperlink disappears.

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Keyboard Shortcuts

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Margin Settings

Different Margin Settings

If you  want to type a document in which the first six lines are set to the default margin, but the remainder of the document is set to a different margin.  Before you go to the Page Setup command, you have to insert a new section where you want the margins to change. 

• Position your cursor at the beginning of the first line you want to have a different margin (this really should be the beginning of a new paragraph).
• Choose Insert,  Break.
• In the Break dialog box, under Section Breaks, select Continuous and click OK.
• Choose File,  Page Setup.
• Change the margins as desired; then next to Apply To, select This Point Forward.
• Click OK.
• Your new margins take effect at the cursor location.

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Pictures

Framing a Picture

If you want a  formal division between the picture and the words, put a border around the picture:

• Right-click the picture and choose Format Object from the pop-up menu.
• The Format Object dialog box appears, click the Colors and Lines tab.
• In the Line section of the dialog box, choose a color for the line.  
• Black is generally the best.
• Select a different style and weight for the line if the default thin line doesn't suit you.
• Click OK.
• If you still don't like the look, right-click the line and format it again.

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Inserting a Picture

You may want to use pictures to help explain a concept or make the presentation more attractive.

To include a picture in a Word document:

• In the document, place the cursor where you want the picture.
• Choose Insert, Picture.
• Choose one of the following:
  • Clip Art (little drawings)
  • From File (drawings, photographs, or other types of images)
  • AutoShapes (geometrical basics)
  • WordArt (for special effects applied to readable text)
  • Chart (as in pie or bar that compares number values)
• Follow the on-screen instructions in the dialog boxes that appear.

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Word-wrap Text around a Picture

A picture in a document can be like a boulder in a stream.   The water--or, in this case, the words--can flow or "wrap" around it.

You can set the style of the wrap by following these steps:

• Right-click the picture.
• From the pop-up menu, choose Format Object.
• The Format Object dialog box appears, select the Wrapping tab.
• Choose the style you want: Square, Tight, Through, None, Top&Bottom.
• Depending on which style you choose, the Wrap To boxes may become enabled, indicating that you can choose which side of the image the words flow around.
• If necessary, change the setting at the bottom of the Format Object dialog box to indicate how close the words can come to the image.
• Click OK.

Often, you'll run through these wrap style steps several times before you get things just the way you want.  Even then, as you continue working, you may discover that on-screen elements jump around to positions you didn't expect.

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Returning to the Last Place Edited

Have you ever scrolled through a large Word document and then wished you could just jump back to the last place your edited or type in the document? 

• Press the Shift + F5 keys to return to the last place you edited in the document.
• When you press Shift + F5 keys repeatedly, Word jumps to the last 3 places you have typed or edited in the document.
• If you have several open documents in Word, pressing Shift + F5 will cycle between documents, if the last place your edited or typed was in another Word document.

Word remembers the last place you edited even after you saved and closed a document.  This is useful when you need to reopen a document and start to work where you left off. 

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Shortcut ScreenTips

When moving the mouse pointer over a toolbar button and leaving   it there for a few seconds, a ScreenTip appears describing  the function of that particular button.    You can also display the shortcut keystrokes on the ScreenTip. 

To add the shortcut keystrokes on a ScreenTip:

• Choose View, Toolbars, Customize.
• The Customize dialog box appears.
• Go to the Options tab.
• Select the Show Shortcut Keys in ScreenTips checkbox.
• Choose Close. 

Now the ScreenTip shows the description function and the shortcut keystroke for any button on a toolbar.

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Smart  Cut & Paste

When using cut and paste, Word takes care of adding the correct spacing--that is, if you have the Smart Cut And Paste option selected.

• Choose Tools, Options.
• The Options dialog box opens,  click the Edit tab.
• Select the Use Smart Cut And Paste check box .
• Click OK to close the dialog box and record your new setting.

With Smart Cut And Paste enabled, you can paste a word right next to another and Word adds a space for you. Also, if you insert a word before a period, Word makes sure there's no space between the end of the pasted word and the period.

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Spell Check

When you press F7 to check spelling in a  document, you also get a grammar check, but you can tell Word to check only the spelling.

• Choose Tools, Options.
• The Options dialog box appears, click the Spelling & Grammar tab.
• Deselect the check box labeled Check grammar with spelling.
• Click OK to close the dialog box and apply your settings.
• Now, when you press F7, Word checks only the spelling.

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Split Screen Editing

Word can show you two parts of the same document within the same window.  For example, you can work on the beginning of the document in the top part of the window (the top "pane") while you work in another part of the document in the bottom part of the window (the bottom "pane").

• Open a document.
• Press CTRL+ALT+ S.
• Point the mouse at the line separating the two panes.
• Click and hold the mouse button on that line and drag it to make the panes the size you want.
• When you're done with the split-screen look, use the mouse to drag the dividing line all the way to the top or bottom.
• You can also choose Windows + Remove Split.

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Switching Between Documents

If you have several  Word documents open and working on them simultaneously.  To switch from one document to another:

• Hold down the  CTRL key and lightly tap the F6 key.
• This will toggle between the open documents.

NOTE:  This method works in all the Microsoft Office 97 programs.

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Tables

Fast Tables

A table is a great way to place text and images precisely on your pages. To create the table you need in just a few clicks, follow these steps:

• Choose the Insert Table button on the Standard toolbar (it looks like an empty spreadsheet with a blue bar at the top).
• Continue holding the button down and drag to the right and down until the table displays the number of rows and columns you want.
• Release the mouse.

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Selecting Cells in a Word Table

Working with cells in Word is much like using cells in Excel.   

• To add text in the upper left cell:
  • Click the cell and type in your text.
• To move to the next cell:
  • Press the right arrow key.
• To move to the cell to the right:
  • Press the TAB key and select the text in the first cell.
• To select a single cell:
  • Triple-click that cell.
• To select an entire column:
  • Move the mouse pointer over the top edge of the cell.
  • When the pointer turns to a black down arrow, click the mouse button.
• To select the entire table:
• Choose Table, Select Table, or,
• Click inside the table and press Alt-Shift-5 (use the numeric keypad, because the 5 key at the top of the keyboard will not work).

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Templates

NORMAL.DOT

Does Word give you a way to change the default font and type size?" What you're calling Word's "default" font is actually the font used in the Normal paragraph style in Word's default document template, Normal.dot.

To change this font and type size, you must change the template, as follows:

• Close all open Word documents.
• Click the New button on the Standard toolbar to open a new document using the default template.
• Choose Format,  Style.
• Click Modify.
• Click Format and choose Font from the list.
• In the Font dialog box, select the font and size you want.
• Click OK; then select Add to Template, click OK, and click Close.
• Choose File, Save As.
• In the Save as Type drop-down list, choose Document Template.
• In the file list, find and select Normal.dot; then click Save and then Yes.
• The next time you open a new document by using the New button, your font and type size will be the new ones you set.

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Toolbars

To look up a toolbar icon's function:

• Place the mouse cursor to the left of the particular toolbar icon and wait.

• As you hover this way without pressing any button, you'll see the definition of the toolbar pop up.

• Now you know what that particular tool does.

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Undo & Redo

The purpose of the Undo and Redo buttons--and their menu counterparts under Edit--is quite clear.  Don't like some result of your typing?   Just undo it, and it disappears.  Decide, after all, that you do want what you just undid? Then redo it, and it reappears.

• You can use either button repeatedly, to back up or re-create a series of typing moves.
• You can also choose multiple Undos or Redos without lots of clicks.
• The small drop-down menus beside the Undo and Redo buttons on the toolbar are your key.
• Click on either of these drop-down menus to see a list of the steps you can undo or redo.
• Drag across the top item on the list and then release the mouse button for a single undo or redo.
• Drag across more of the list, and you can undo or redo several steps at once.

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User Information

To enter a user name in Word:

• Choose Tools, Options.
• The Options dialog box appears, click the User Information tab.
• Enter your name and information.
• Click OK to close the dialog box to record your new entry.

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Using What's This

If you want some quick information on a style in any Word document, you can use What's This to display the information.   For example, if you want to check a heading:

• Just click the What's This button in located in the Word toolbar the icon is an arrow with a question mark). 

• The cursor changes to an arrow with a question mark besides it.

• Click the text that interest you, and Word displays the style information.

• When you're finished with What's This, press the ESC key to get back to the default cursor. 

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WordArt

Buried in the Insert menu, under the Picture choice, is WordArt.  WordArt behaves almost like a separate utility program, one dedicated to bending and twisting words for effect.

To access WordArt:

• Choose Insert , Picture,  WordArt.
• The WordArt Gallery dialog box appears, select the style that fits your needs and mood and click OK.
• In the Edit WordArt Text dialog box, enter the words you want to use.
• For example, you may want to enter a title.
• Using the Font, Size, and Style menus and buttons, give your title the look you want and then click OK.
• Click OK again to see the result of your artistic wording.
  • To move the WordArt text to another place on your page, drag it from the middle.
  • To change the text's size and proportions, drag any of the handles around it.
  • To get rid of the text, press Delete.

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WordPerfect Users 

Reveal Codes

Word cannot reveal all the formatting codes in a document.  That's a disappointment to WordPerfect to disappointment to WordPerfect fans who have always been able to see every detail.  Still, Word can show some:

• Choose Tools, Options.

• In the Options dialog box, click the View tab.

• Select the check boxes for al the normally   hidden characters you'd like to see.

• Click OK.

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WordPerfect Help

One of the ways Word tried to make life easier for experience WordPerfect users is to offer special Help. 

• Choose Tools, Options.

• In the Options dialog box, click the General tab.

• Select Help for WordPerfect Users.

• Click OK.

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Word Perfect Keys

There are special Navigation Keys for WordPerfect Users.  Press a typical WordPerfect key combination, a special window pops up to tell you how to do that operation in Word. 

NOTE:  It doesn't actually perform the operation; you still learn the Word way. 

• Choose Tools,  Options.

• In the Options dialog box, click the General tab.

• Select Navigation Keys for WordPerfect Users.

• Click OK.

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  ABOUT AS COOL AS TABLES GET

Next time you want to create a table, try this:

1. Position your cursor at the beginning of a new line.
2. Type a line that looks like this:

+---------+---------+---------+

where the plus signs are where you want your columns to begin and end and the hyphens mark the width of each column (be sure to end the line with a plus sign).

3. Press Enter.

Word transforms the line of plus signs and hyphens into the first row of a table. It's a little more work, but you have to admit it's cool.

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When using your mouse to change the width of a Word table, it pays to remember the following:

• To change the width of a column and have the column to the right adjust to maintain the width of the entire table, simply drag the column's right border.
• To change the width of the column and have the entire width of the table change by the same amount, hold down the Shift key and drag the column's right border.
• To change the width of the column and maintain the width of the table by having ALL columns to the right change proportionately, hold down the Ctrl key and drag the column's right border.

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This tip allows text to wrap around a symbol used as a picture.

1. After entering the symbol you want text to wrap around, select it and press Ctrl-X to cut the selected symbol to the Clipboard.
2. Now, choose Edit, Paste Special.
3. In the Paste Special dialog box, select Picture and make sure the Float Over Text checkbox is selected.
4. Click OK to paste in the symbol and close the dialog box.
5. Back in the document, use the mouse to size and place the box surrounding the symbol,    

• You can move it anywhere you want in the document.
• You can right-click the picture and choose Format Picture if you want to change the colors, size, position, and wrapping properties.

6. To size the symbol the way you want it (and to get text to wrap properly), right-click the box that contains the symbol and choose Format Picture.
7. When the Format Picture dialog box opens, click the Size tab.
8. Deselect the Lock Aspect Ratio and Relative To Original Picture Size check boxes, then set the height and width to the same value--something such as 0.4 is OK for a start. Now click the Wrapping tab and select the type of text wrapping you'd like to use.
9. After you make the selection, click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box."

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Unclutter the Menu Bar

Remove unwanted menu items from your menu bar.

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + - (the minus sign, or hyphen). The mouse pointer changes into a heavy horizontal line.
2. Choose the menu command you want to delete.

Instead of executing the command, Word removes it from the menu. While you CAN put the command by choosing Customized from the TOOLS menu/, we heartily recommend making sure you don't need a command before you delete it in this manner.

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Can I preview the contents of the file before opening it?

Yes, you can get a file preview in Word. However, it's more of a Windows 95 and 98 feature than a Word feature.

To see how it works:

1. Run Word and then choose File, Open.
2. When the Open dialog box appears, click the Preview button in the Open toolbar (it's the second button from the right).
3. Now click any Word document, and you'll see the document in the preview pane.
   

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DROP SYMBOL?
Using Word's Drop Cap function with a symbol
Version 4.x, 95

A Word 97 user sent this Word question:

"In some books and magazines, you see drop caps used with special fonts. Is there a way to apply drop caps to a symbol in Word?"

Sure. Let's say you'd like to start a sentence with a symbol--perhaps a fancy R or F.

1. Click where you want to insert the character and choose Insert, Symbol.
2. Select the symbol you want to use and click Insert.
3. Now, with the symbol in place, click Close to close the Symbol dialog box.
4. Select the new symbol and choose Format, Drop Cap.
5. When the Drop Cap dialog box opens, click Dropped and then click OK to close the dialog box and save your selection.

Note: You can also use the Drop Cap command with any regularly typed letter.

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We recently published a macro designed to delete currently open Word documents. We have heard from several users who are having problems getting this macro to work. Let's look at how to get this macro to work properly.

To begin with, here's the macro in question:

Sub Delete()
Dim DeleteFile As String
DeleteFile = ActiveDocument.FullName
DoWhat = MsgBox("Do you really want to delete " + DeleteFile + "?",
vbYesNo + vbCritical + vbDefaultButton2, "Delete this file")
If DoWhat = vbYes Then
ActiveDocument.Close
Kill DeleteFile
End If
End Sub

To enter the macro:

1. Run Word and press Alt-F11.
2. When the Basic editor opens, click Normal in the Project pane at the upper left corner of the editor window.
3. Now choose Insert, Module and then enter the macro in the right pane of the editor.
4. After you enter all the code, choose File, Save Normal to save the new macro.
5. Press Alt-Q when you want to get back to your Word document.

Now let's address the problems reported.

1. The most common problem is that the line that begins with DoWhat and ends with Delete This File must be a single line. If this code is entered on more than one line, the macro will fail.
2. Another less common problem is that some people are trying to use the macro in Word 95. This macro will not work in Word 95.
3. A problem that some have reported with the macro is that it fails on an unsaved document. This is true--there is nothing in the macro that determines when a document has been saved. If you attempt to delete an open unsaved document, the macro halts and reports an error.

Another approach to entering a Word 97 macro is to enter all the code in Notepad and then import it into Word 97.

If you'd like to try this approach with the Delete macro, or any macro:

1. Run Notepad and maximize its window.
2. Now type in the code as shown. Don't forget to keep the DoWhat line on a single line.
3. After you've entered all the code, choose File, Save As and name the file Delete.bas.
4. Locate a folder for the file and click Save.
5. Now, in Word, press Alt-F11 to open the Basic editor again.
6. Choose File, Import File.
7. When the Import File dialog box opens, locate your Delete.bas file and double-click it.

This imports the macro into Word's Normal.dot template. The only reason for using this method is that you may find it easier to work with Notepad than with the Basic editor.

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Next time you want to create a keyboard shortcut to a Word menu command, try this shortcut to the shortcut:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + + (the plus sign ON THE NUMERIC KEYPAD). The cursor changes to a heavy plus sign.
2. Choose the menu command to which you want to assign a keyboard shortcut. The Keyboard dialog box appears, with the command already selected.
3. Type the shortcut key combination you want to assign to this command. (Tip in a tip: Try Shift + Alt + KEY combinations because they're the least likely to be already taken by Word).
4. Click Assign and then click Close.

From now on, the keystroke you entered executes the command.

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COPY WITH DRAG AND DROP
Using drag and drop in Word documents
Version 4.x, 95

A Word 97 user asks if you can use Word's drag-and-drop feature to copy text from one place to another.

Although we usually use drag and drop to move text rather than copy it, you can use it for copying, if you like. Just select the text you want to copy, just as you would if you were going to move it. Now, press Ctrl while you use the mouse to drag a copy of the text to a new location.

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In the last tip, we discussed some of the problems that users encountered with a macro designed to delete open files in Word 97. Almost all of the reported problems had a cure. The exception was the macro generating an error when attempting to delete an unsaved file. This makes sense, of course--you can't expect a macro to delete a file that doesn't exist. We decided to add some error handling to the original macro to prevent the macro from terminating when it encounters an unsaved file.

To generate this macro:

1. Run Word and press Alt-F11.
2. When the Basic editor opens, choose Insert, Module and type the code shown here. Don't forget to be careful to watch for line wrapping, which can cause problems, as described in the last tip.

Sub Delete()
Dim DeleteFile, Dummy As String
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
DeleteFile = ActiveDocument.FullName
Dummy = FileLen(DeleteFile)
DoWhat = MsgBox("Do you really want to delete " + DeleteFile + "?",
vbYesNo + vbCritical + vbDefaultButton2, "Delete this file")
If DoWhat = vbYes Then
ActiveDocument.Close
Kill DeleteFile
End If
ErrorHandler:
If Err.Number = 53 Then
MsgBox ("File not saved. You can't delete an unsaved file.")
Exit Sub
End If
End Sub

3. After you enter all the code, choose File, Save Normal to save the new macro.

This version of the macro attempts to get the file length of the current document before it tries to delete a file. If the file length is successfully returned, then the deletion program proceeds as before. If the file hasn't been saved, then you can't get the file length, and the macro opens a dialog box informing you of that fact.

To add this macro to your toolbar:

4. Open a new Word document and save it as Test.doc.
5. Now choose View, Toolbars, Customize.
6. When the Customize dialog box opens, click the Commands tab, then click Macros. Your new macro appears in the right pane of the Customize dialog box.
7. Use the mouse to drag the macro to the toolbar.
8. Click Modify Selection and then click in the Name box.
9. Name the button Delete and press Enter.
10. Click Close to save your changes and close the dialog box. You can now click the Delete button in your toolbar to test the new macro.

To make sure error handling works properly:

1. Open a new document and don't save it.
2. Click Delete, and you'll get the message box reading "File not saved. You can't delete an unsaved file."
3. Click OK to close the dialog box. No deletion will occur.

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If you've got a table--or even several rows of tabbed text and numbers--you're just two steps away from turning that table into a more interesting chart:

1. Select the table or tabbed text and numbers.
2. Choose Insert + Picture + Chart.

Word instantly creates a chart and displays the Chart toolbar, which you can use to modify the chart if you like.

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Here's a warning tip and a question from a Word 97 user:

"I recently lost an entire Word document. I was trying to enter an uppercase A by pressing Shift and A. I entered the A and started typing and suddenly my document went blank. Unfortunately, I didn't think quite fast enough and ended up losing the entire document."

"I decided to examine what had happened. It appears that I accidentally pressed A and the Ctrl key instead of the Shift key. This selected the entire document. Then, I continued typing (not realizing anything was wrong at this point) and my typing replaced all the text in the document. If I hadn't panicked, I could have simply pressed Ctrl-Z and restored my work. As it was, I saved the document (the blank document) and lost everything. This may not happen often, but I thought others might like to know about the potential problem. Shift and Ctrl are very close together on the keyboard."

"Now, for my question: I would feel better if I could disable Ctrl-A. Is there a way to deactivate a key combination the programmers assigned?"

Yes, you can disable the keystroke. You can also reassign it, if you'd prefer.

To do either:

1. Run Word and choose View, Toolbars, Customize.
2. When the Customize dialog box opens, click Keyboard.
3. In Customize Keyboard, under Categories select Edit.
4. Under Commands select EditSelectAll.
5. Under Current Keys you'll see Ctrl-A.
6. Select it and click Remove.

To enter a new key combination:

1. Click the Press Shortcut Key entry box and then press Alt-A (this combination is not assigned in our Word installation).
2. Click Assign to assign the new keys.
3. Click Close to dismiss the Customize Keyboard dialog box, and then click Close to close the Customize dialog box.

From this point on, you can use Alt-A to select an entire document--and the Alt key is usually well removed from the Shift key.

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Last time, we told you how to create a chart from data in a table or lines of tabbed text and numbers. It's a great little technique--except for those occasions when, like a rude guest, the resultant chart interrupts your table, splitting it in half. If this happens, put the table back in its place as follows:

1. Select the entire chart (click its outer edge once).
2. Right-click the chart and choose Format + Object.
3. Click the Position tab.
4. Deselect Move with Text and click OK.
5. With your mouse, move the chart to a new position, away from the table.

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Crafty little you. You're using a fancy, multicolumn layout to create your own newsletter within Word. The only trouble is that you wish your headlines would "span" the columns, for a more newsletter-y look.

As you may know, you COULD get the look you want by typing your headlines into text frames that span the columns. But there's an easier way:

1. Select the headline.
2. Click the Column button on the Standard toolbar and choose 1 Column.

Word immediately transforms the headline paragraph into a one-column format but leaves the rest of the text alone! Plus, the headline remains in the same position, relative to the text, as you edit. We're not saying this will make you into the next William Randolph Hearst, but you will save time.

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Can't seem to get an object--a picture, a bit of WordArt, or a text frame--into precisely the right position with your mouse? Try nudging it, pixel by pixel, using the keyboard.

First, make sure Word's snap-to-grid feature is turned OFF:

1. On the Drawing toolbar, click Draw and choose Grid.
2. Deselect Snap to Grid and click OK.

Next, nudge away:

1. Select the object you want to nudge.
2. Press the appropriate arrow key to move the object, one pixel per key press, in any direction.

It's a lot easier to make precision movements this way than with the mouse.

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Last time, we told you how to use the "nudge" keys to position objects precisely on a page. Which may or may not have led others among you to ask, "What about tabs, column marks, and other stuff on Word's ruler? How can I position those things more precisely?"

Well, whether you asked or not, here's the answer:

1. Hold down the Alt key.
2. Drag the item on the ruler. Instead of Word's default ruler grid, you see little numbers that guide you as you move the marker in one-thousandth-inch increments.

That's about as precise as things get here in Wordland.

Note that this Alt + drag technique also works when you're resizing table columns and rows with the mouse.

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Remember last time, when we showed you how to display more precise increments on Word's ruler? (Good heavens, you ought to remember--it was literally hours ago.) Well, there's another way to do it:

Drag the item in question using BOTH the right- and the left-mouse button.

Just another example of our continuing efforts to make your life easier. Someday you'll understand all that we've done for you.

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A Word 97 user submitted this tip:

"I always like to start with the document I was working on when I stopped the previous evening. I know it isn't much of a problem to choose File, Open and choose the last document, but I decided I would like to have the last used document open automatically when I start Word in the mornings. So I wrote a simple macro to do the job for me."

Here is her macro:

Sub Autoexec()
RecentFiles(1).Open
End Sub

To enter the macro:

1. Run Word and press Alt-F11.
2. When the Basic editor opens, choose Insert, Module.
3. Enter the code in the new module and then choose File, Save Normal.

With this macro in place, Word automatically opens with the last document loaded.

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NO SMART QUOTES
Smart quotes in Word 95
Version 95

A Word 95 user asked this question:

"Many of the Word documents I generate need to eventually end up in text-only format. The problem is that the text editor we use doesn't recognize smart quotes, and I can't get Word to make straight quotes. Can you help?"

By default, Word uses AutoFormat to automatically replace straight quotes with smart (curved) quotes. If you don't want this to happen, you'll need to tell AutoFormat what you do and don't want automatically replaced.

To modify AutoFormat:

1. Choose Tools, Options.
2. When the Options dialog box opens, click the AutoFormat tab.
3. Now, select the radio button labeled AutoFormat As You Type.
4. Next, make your choices by selecting and deselecting the appropriate check boxes.

For example, to stop Word from replacing straight quotes with smart quotes, deselect the check box labeled Straight Quotes With Smart Quotes.

5. After you make all your selections, click OK to close the dialog box and record your changes.

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EASY TABLE BORDERS

Word's options for adding borders to tables make MOST such operations easy. However, if you want to add more than one border style to a single cell--or combine several border styles within the same table--you usually have to go to the sample diagram in the Borders dialog box. Which, we're sure you'll agree, can be a real pill.

Fortunately, we've discovered an easier way:

1. If your Tables and Borders toolbar box isn't displayed, display it by right-clicking any toolbar and choosing Tables and Borders in the shortcut menu.
2. Use the Line Style drop-down box to select a border line style.
3. Click the Border Color button to select a border color.
4. Click the Draw Table button.
5. Using the pencil-shaped pointer, "draw" on the cell edges to which you want to add the current border style.
6. Repeat Steps 2 through 5 to add other borders to other cell edges.

Beats the border diagram with a large, pointed stick, doesn't it?

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WORD MAKES CENTS
Using the Cents sign in Word
Version 95, 4.x

A user asked if there is a tip on how to enter the Cents sign in Word. Yes, there is. All you have to do is press Ctrl / (slash), then press C. Although you can enter the Cents sign in a Word document, the standard way to enter such amounts is with the Dollar sign. For example, 25 cents would be correctly entered as $0.25.

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Like most word processors, Word lets you specify font sizes in points--anywhere from 1 point (1/72-inch) to 1,638 points (several feet tall) as it turns out.

But Word also lets you specify half-point font sizes. For example, suppose you decide you absolutely must use 11.5-point type in your next document. All you have to do is this:

1. Select the text.
2. In the Font Size indicator on the Standard toolbar, type "11.5" (without the quotation marks) and press Enter.

Word changes the font size to your exacting (some might say over-exacting) specifications.

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In an earlier tip--heaven knows how long ago--we told you how to add a space between bulleted paragraphs WITHOUT CREATING ANOTHER BULLET:

Press Shift + Enter and then press Enter after each paragraph.

Today, we offer an easier way:

1. Type your bullet paragraphs as usual--without any Shift + Enters or extra spaces.
2. Select the bulleted paragraphs.
3. Press Ctrl + 0 (zero).

Word adds a space above each paragraph--neatly separating your bullets without adding all sorts of hard returns that you have to keep track of.

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A user submitted this macro tip:

"I usually work with the standard Word 97 DOC files, but I frequently need to save some of my Word documents in Rich Text Format (RTF) for compatibility with other word processors. I know it isn't all that difficult to choose File, Save As, then choose RTF as the file type. Even so, I decided to make the job easier by writing a macro so I could have a button in the toolbar to do the job. I thought some of your other readers might like to try my macro, so here it is."

To enter the macro (which she named SaveRTF):

1. Save your RTF document.
2. Then run Word and press Alt-F11.
3. When the Basic editor opens, click Insert, Module and enter the macro as shown below.

Sub SaveRTF()
Dim Doc As String
Dim Period As Integer
Doc = ActiveDocument.Name
Period = InStr(Doc, ".")
NewDoc = Left$(Doc, Period) + "rtf"
ActiveDocument.SaveAs FileName:=NewDoc, FileFormat:=wdFormatRTF
MsgBox ("Your New File is " + NewDoc)
End Sub

4. After you enter all the code, choose File, Save Normal and press Alt-Q to get back to your Word document.

To add the macro to your toolbar:

5. Choose View, Toolbars, Customize.
6. When the Customize dialog box opens, click the Commands tab and then click Macros.

Your new macro appears in the right pane of the Customize dialog box.

7. Use the mouse to drag the macro to the toolbar.
8. Click Modify Selection and then click the Name box.
9. Name the button SaveRTF, then press Enter.
10. Click Close to save your changes and close the dialog box.

You can now click the SaveRTF button in your toolbar to save the current document in RTF.

Note that you don't lose the original DOC version of the document--you will have both the DOC and the RTF versions in your default folder.

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QUICK PAGES
Moving between pages in a Word document
Version 95, 4.x

Here's a tip from a Word user:

"There are times when you need to get to the next page quickly. For example, if you're on page 2, you might want to get to the next page (page 3) quickly. If so, all you have to do is press Ctrl-Alt-PgDn. Word will move you to the first line of page 3. To get to the previous page, press Ctrl-Alt-PgUp."

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Want to create a table that you can wrap text around? A table you can move into any position on the page, whenever you like? Try this:

1. Choose Insert + Text Box.
2. Draw a text box wherever you want your table to be.
3. Choose Table + Insert Table, specify the number of rows and columns, and click OK.

Word creates your table within the text box, which you can move to any position on the page and around which you can wrap text as you would around any picture or object.

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"In MS Word, users are given an option of creating a horizontal line by typing in --- (three dashes) and then pressing Enter. I get that part, but sometimes that line becomes undeletable. Is there a way to delete it?"

Captain James Kirk didn't believe in no-win situations, and we don't believe in undeletable lines.

1. When you create a horizontal line, create it between paragraph marks.
2. To delete the line, hold down Shift and use the arrow keys to select the paragraph marks above and below the line.
3. Now press Delete, and the line will disappear.

What if you created that line at the very end of the page and then you deleted the last paragraph mark? This leaves you with an apparently undeletable line. When you enter text, the line just moves down to accommodate the added text. Anytime you press Enter, the line moves down. You can't delete it. What to do?

Here's a secret:

When you create a horizontal line by typing three dashes and pressing Enter, what you are actually doing is creating a border. To get rid of the border:

1. Click the last paragraph mark above the line and choose Format, Borders And Shading.
2. When the Borders And Shading dialog box opens, click Borders.
3. Click None under Setting, then click OK to close the dialog box and save your selection. The line vanishes.

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Word offers several heading styles: Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, and so on. The obvious reason to use these styles is to organize your document, making it easier for you to write and for your reader to read. But the heading styles also make your document easier to navigate, too. When you drag the vertical scroll elevator up and down in a document that contains heading styles, Word displays the current heading, together with the page number, in the scroll screen tip, enabling you to zip directly to sections and subsections of your document. Just thought you should know.

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TEXT AND SHAPES
In Word documents (Version 95 )

Here's a Word question:

"In PowerPoint, I'd like to add text to an AutoShape and then rotate the shape, text and all. Is this practical, or do I have to use WordArt to rotate the text? Can I rotate the shape and the text in

Word 95?"

You can add text to PowerPoint shapes as you draw the shapes or after the shape is already drawn and in place. To see how this works:

1. Open a blank slide and select the Rectangle tool.
2. Draw a rectangle and then, while the rectangle is still selected, type Test Text
3. Click somewhere away from the drawing to deselect the shape.
4. Now, click the shape to select it and then click the Rotate tool in the Drawing toolbar (its icon shows a point with a circular arrow).
5. Use the mouse to rotate the rectangle approximately 45 degrees.

• You'll find that the text is rotated along with the shape.
• You can move, resize, or rotate the shape, and the text will remain anchored to the shape.

To answer your second question:

No, you can't rotate the shape and text in a Word document. However, you can create a shape with text and rotate it in PowerPoint and then copy it into a Word document.

To do this:

1. Click your PowerPoint shape to select it and choose Edit, Copy.
2. Next, move to your Word document and click where you want to insert the shape.
3. Now, press Ctrl-V to paste the rotated shape into your Word document.

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So you think you can see all the styles available in your document just by clicking the Style drop-down list, huh? Think again, pal. In order to save screen space and time, Word displays only the most commonly used styles when you click the list. We bet you'd be surprised to know how many MORE styles are available. So take a look:

• Hold down the Shift key as you click the Style drop-down list.
• Word displays the full style list--including styles for multiple levels of headlines, indents, bullets, numbers, index entries, and more.

Knock yourself out. (Easy--it's just a figure of speech.)

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You've got a document--a memo or a letter, for example--that absolutely, positively has to fit on one page but insists on running a line or two over. Our advice: Before you cut one word of your precious prose--or before you make your page look ridiculous be halving your margins--try this:

1. Choose File + Print Preview.
2. On the Print Preview toolbar, click Shrink to Fit. Word reduces--proportionately--the size of all the text in the document so that it fits perfectly on a single page.
3. Click Print to print the document.

Again, use this technique only when a line or two (or three) spills onto the next page of the document. Shrinking multipage documents to a single page results in microscopic, illegible text.

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A word 97 user sent this question:

"I read somewhere that it's possible to link two text boxes so that text from one flows into the other. If this is possible, could you discuss how it is done?"

You can definitely link text boxes. Let's run through an example.

1. Open a blank Word document and type a few paragraphs.
2. If you don't have the Drawing toolbar, in your Word window choose View, Toolbars, Drawing to activate it.
3. Now click