MS WORD Standard Toolbar

Below are some of the more commonly used buttons on the standard toolbar:

New - Use this to start with a blank new document.
 
Open - Use this to open a document you already have.

Save - Use this to save your document.  If you have not saved it before, Word will also ask for a name for the document.

Print - Use this to print the entire document.  If you wish to print only certain pages you need to choose Filefrom the Menu bar and then Print…

Print Preview - Use this to see how your document will look before printing it.

Spelling and Grammar - This runs a spell-check on your document.

Cut - Use this to remove a highlighted section from your document.  This is like deleting the section, except that the information is kept in the computer’s memory in case you need it later.

Copy - This makes a copy of a highlighted section into the computer’s memory for later use.

Paste - Use this to put into the document whatever you have cut or copied earlier.

Undo - Use this to undo the last thing you did, or click on the black down-arrow to choose which of several recent actions you wish to undo.

Redo - This re-does what you just un-did.

Tables and Borders - This opens up a toolbar to create and alter tables, borders, and shading.

Insert Table - This lets you insert a table in your document.  A table is made up of rows and columns of cells.

Insert Columns - This allows you to split sections of your document into columns like a newspaper.

Drawing - This opens up a Drawing Toolbar at the bottom of the screen, which allows you to insert neat graphics into your document.

Show/Hide - Use this button to toggle whether or not you can see spaces and end-of-line marks.  This is useful for editing.

The Formatting Toolbar

Font - Click the black down-arrow to choose a new font to type with.  A font is a type style that determines how the letters will look.

Font Size - Click the black down-arrow to change the size of the font, or type right in the box to enter a custom size.

Bold - Click here to begin typing in bold face.

Italic - Click here to begin typing in italics.

Underline - Click here to underline what you type.

Highlight - Use this to put color behind text.  Use the black down-arrow to choose the color.

Align Left - This makes the text line up along the left side of the page.

Center - This makes the text be centered on the page.

Align Right - This makes the text line up along the right side of the page.

Justify - This makes the text stretch all the way to both sides of the page.

Numbering - This puts a number at the start of each new line you type.  Good for tests.

Bullets - This puts bullets (little dots, squares, stars) at the start of each new line.  Good for making lists.

Decrease Indent - Move the start of the line to the left, usually 0.5 inch.

Increase Indent - Move the start of the line to the right, usually 0.5 inch.

Borders - Add a border line around your selected text.


Editing Your Text

One of the more important distinctions between a typewriter and a word processor is that with a word processor you can change whatever you type.  You can make text bold, italicized, underlined, bigger, smaller, a different font, and more!

There are two main ways to edit your work.

• The choose your format and then type method:  This is where you click a formatting button, like bold, and then start typing.  Everything you type is in bold until you click the bold button again to turn it off.
• The type first then change format later method:  Sometimes you may wish to change the format on a section of text you have already typed.

1. First you have to highlight the section you want to change.  To highlight you click and hold down the left mouse button at the start of the section.  Then with the mouse button held down, you drag the mouse to the end of the section.  Finally you can release the mouse button. 
   
   .  If not try, try again.  It takes practice.
2. Now that it is highlighted you can click on whatever format button you wish.  The format change will apply only to the highlighted section.  You can delete large sections this way when you press the Delete key on your keyboard.