As an application that has been around for decades, Microsoft Word provides its users with a huge selection of tools and chances are that even people who have been utilizing it for a long time have not been able to learn every single thing about it. Being the most popular word processor software, Word has many uses in both professional areas as well as personal needs, meaning that the interface is appealing and easy to use for all demographics. In this article, you can find seven tips and tricks to further improve your productivity and learn more about Microsoft Word.
Shortcuts
Performing repetitive little actions over and over again can be tedious; this applies to Word as well. Sure, it might not take that long to perform a few extra clicks, but those additional seconds can add up to minutes wasted. You can see the list of keyboard shortcuts on Office.com and choose which ones you want to utilize when working with Microsoft Word.
Delete entire words
You can delete an entire word by holding the Ctrl key along with Backspace to speed up your work a little.
Add placeholder text
Did you know that there is an integrated ‘Lorem ipsum’ generator in Microsoft Word? You can use it to quickly add in placeholder text without having to leave the application and find it online, then calculate how long you want it to be. To get placeholder text in your document quickly, type in =rand(p,l) or =lorem(p,l) but replace the letters in the brackets with numbers. The letter 'p' corresponds to the number of paragraphs you want, while 'l' defines the number of lines each paragraph has. For example, typing in =lorem(2,6) will generate a 'Lorem ipsum' text that is two paragraphs long, each paragraph containing six lines of text.
Type anywhere on your page
Similarly to Microsoft Publisher, you have the ability to write anywhere on your page in Word by simply double-clicking on the spot you want your text to start at and typing like you normally would. This can make the creation of tables and layouts a whole lot easier.
Smart Lookup
By selecting a word and right-clicking on it, you have the ability to use a tool called Smart Lookup. By utilizing it, you can quickly search the web from inside Word itself and get information about a word such as a definition, the word’s origin, pronunciation and much more.
Customize your Ribbon
Do you have a set of tools you want to reach easier and faster, or have you simply grown tired of the default Ribbon provided by Microsoft? You can quickly and easily alter the Ribbon by navigating to File, then Options, then Customize Ribbon. Here, you can see the Ribbon broken down to tabs and you can alter what commands appear inside it to make your experience using Word more personalized.
Avoid eye strain
If you have sensitive eyes or simply prefer a different look rather than the bright white and blue default, you have the opportunity to change to a more mellow ‘Sepia’ color scheme or use the dark ‘Inverse’ theme to make pages easier to read for you. No need to worry - for everyone else, the document remains the same.