Toolbar of word document in

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The ToolbarA toolbar is a bar containing buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. With toolbars, commands become just handy and easily accessible to users. The buttons contained in them are used to access commands more quickly than by opening the menus and the respective dialog boxes. ScreenTips I mentioned earlier that toolbars contain smart icons serving as shortcuts to the main menu commands. However, these toolbars offer too many buttons of various looks and shapes for a user to easily remember their names or their functions. You might well ask: ‘What is the use of a toolbar button if its name or function is not known?’ Well, the ever-creative programmers at Microsoft also once contemplated this problem. So they fashioned a tool known as ScreenTip. ScreenTips, also known as Tooltips, are little pop-up descriptions that appear when you rest the mouse pointer over a toolbar button. They appear on the screen to provide certain information about a toolbar button, tracked change, or comment or to display a footnote or endnote. So, any time you are at a loss as to the name or use of a toolbar button, simply rest the mouse pointer over such button and immediately, you’ll see a little text pop-up below the pointer, saying something. This is a ScreenTip or ToolTip. In case the ScreenTips don’t appear when you move the pointer over a button, it is possible the feature has been disabled/turned off. You can turn it on by doing the following: On the Tools menu, click Options and then click the View tab. Under Show, select the ScreenTips check box. That’s all. Those are the steps you’ll also take to deactivate the feature, for one reason or another, though not advisable. HOW TO DISPLAY/INVOKE A (MISSING) TOOLBAR Suppose a toolbar you need very much to hasten your work (e.g., the Formatting Toolbar) is not currently visible on screen, what would you do to invoke such ‘missing’ or ‘hiding’ toolbar from its hiding place? Well, anytime you face a situation like this, simply use any of the following methods to bail yourself out.

Displaying A Toolbar Using the View Menu

1. On the Menu bar, click View. This displays the View menu.
2. Then, on the View menu, point to Toolbars item.

This now displays the Toolbars sub-menu, in which the names of certain toolbars are shown. Here, you’ll find that some of the toolbar names have a check mark to the left of them, while some have none. The check mark indicates the toolbar bearing it is already displayed on screen.

3. Select and click the name of the desired toolbar from the Toolbars sub-menu.The toolbar you selected will then appear on screen.

Fig: Showing or hiding a toolbar using the View menu

Those are the steps you’ll also follow to hide a toolbar you no longer want on screen at a particular moment.

NOTE:

If you can’t find the particular toolbar you are really looking for on the Toolbars sub-menu, click Customize, and then click the Toolbars tab in the Customize dialog box that appears. In the Toolbars list, click the checkbox next to the name of the toolbar you want and then click Close. See figure below.

Fig: Showing or hiding a toolbar using the Customize dialog box

To Display a Desired Toolbar Using a Shortcut
Simply right-click an empty space on any toolbar, and then click the name of toolbar you want.

TIP:  If you do not see the toolbar you’re looking for on the  shortcut menu, click the Toolbar Options arrow, point to Add or Remove Buttons, click Customize, click the Toolbars tab in the Customize dialog box, and then, in the toolbars list, click the checkbox next to the toolbar you want and click Close when you are through.

Fig: Displaying the Customize dialog box via the Toolbar Options button

At this juncture, I’m quite confident to a reasonable extent that how to determine the name of any toolbar button/icon should never be a problem to you, since the ScreenTips are there to «tell-tale». Right now, your problem, I guess, should be: «What exactly is the function of each of these toolbar buttons/icons?» Well, if you have asked that question, it simply shows you are bright and ready to learn. The good news is, you are not helpless: I have dedicated the following sections to expatiate a little on the Standard toolbar, Formatting toolbar, and the Drawing toolbar, since you will be using them constantly.

Standard Toolbar

You have learned that the Standard toolbar is, by default, docked directly below the Menu bar, and that it contains buttons used for performing tasks similar to the commands available in the Menu bar. Let’s now take a moment to identify the name and purpose/use of each of the buttons on the Standard toolbar.

NAME	ICON	USE
New		Creates a new blank document based on the default or current template.
Open		Opens a document previously created and saved in Word.
Save		Saves new changes to the current document or file, with its filename, location and document format.
E-mail		Sends the content of the current document as the body of an E-mail message.
Search		Finds files, Web pages and Outlook items based on the search criteria you enter.
Print		Prints the active document or selection.
Print Preview		Shows how a document or file will look when you print it.
Spelling		Checks spelling in the active document, file or item.
Cut		Removes the selected item from the active document and places it in the Clipboard.
Copy		Copies selected text or object to the Clipboard.
Paste		Pastes the item you cut or copied into (the position of the insertion point) the document from the Clipboard.
Format Painter		Copies the format from a selected text or object and applies it to the text or object you click.
Undo		Reverses the last action or deletes the last entry you typed. Click the arrow next to this icon to select and reverse multiple actions at a time.
Redo		Reverses the action of the last Undo command. Click the arrow next to this icon to select and reverse multiple Undo command actions.
Insert Hyperlink		Inserts a new hyperlink or edits the selected hyperlink.
Tables and Borders		Displays Tables and Borders toolbar, which offers tools for editing/formatting a table and its content.
Insert Table		Inserts a table in the document. Click and drag to specify the number of rows and columns.
Insert Microsoft Excel Worksheet		Inserts a new Microsoft Excel worksheet at the insertion point. Click and drag to specify the number of rows and columns. Use the Excel tools on the toolbar to edit the table.
Columns		Changes the number of columns in a document or a section of a document.
Drawing		Shows or hides the Drawing toolbar.
Document Map		Used to turn on or off the Document Map. Document Map shows the outline structure of a document so that you can quickly navigate through the document and keep track of your location in it.
Zoom		Used to «zoom in» to get a close-up view of a document or «zoom out» to see more of the page at a reduced size.
Show/Hide		Shows or hides non-printing characters, such as tab characters, paragraph marks and hidden text.
Office Assistant (Microsoft Office Help)		Opens Help or invokes the Office Assistant to provide help topics and tips to help you accomplish your task.

Formatting Toolbar

The Formatting toolbar offers shortcut buttons to help format a document quickly. From the Formatting toolbar, you can quickly apply formatting attributes such as Font; Font Color; Alignment; Line Spacing; Bullets and Numbering, etc, document text, to save time.

The following table provides a list of Formatting toolbar buttons and a brief description of each.

NAME	ICON	USE
Style		Opens a Style drop-down list from which you can select one.
Font		Changes the font of the selected text or number. Click the drop-down arrow beside the box and select a font from the list.
Font Size		Changes the size of the selected text or number. Enter a size value in the box, or select an appropriate size from the drop-down list.
Bold		Applies or removes bold formatting to or from a selected text or number.
Italic		Makes selected text or number italic, but removes italic from selected text or number if it’s already italic.
Underline		Underlines (rules a line)  or removes underline formatting from selected text or number.
Align Left		Aligns the selected text, number or inline object to the left with a jagged edge.
Center		Aligns selected text, numbers or inline objects to the center.
Align Right		Aligns the selected text, number or inline objects to the right, with a jagged edge.
Justify		Aligns the selected paragraphs to both the left and right margins or indents.
Numbering		Adds numbers to or removes numbers numbers from selected paragraphs.
Bullets		Adds bullets to or removes bullets from the selected paragraphs.
Decrease Indent		Indents the selected paragraph to the previous tab stop or indents the content of the selected item to the left by one character width of the standard font.
Increase Indent		Indents the selected paragraph to the next tab stop or indents the content of the selected item to the right by one character width of the standard font.
Outside Border		Adds or removes a border around the selected text, paragraphs, cells, pictures or other objects.
Highlight		Marks text so that it is highlighted and stands out from the surrounding text.
Font Color		Formats the selected text with the color you click

Drawing Toolbar

The Drawing toolbar is located at the bottom of the window, between the Horizontal Scroll bar and the Status bar. Like every other toolbar, this also contains smart icons representing shortcuts to Main menu commands in Word.

It holds buttons/tools used in creating drwaings, such as rectangles, ovals, lines, arrows, WordArt text, etc. It also offers tools for inserting organizational charts and ready-made pictures and Clip Arts from their different locations.

Also included in this toolbar are tools for formatting inserted objects and for adding special effects such as shadow or 3-D to lines, rectangles, ovals, etc. Like every other toolbar also, the Drawing toolbar can be displayed or hidden.

The following table shows a list of tools offered on the Drawing toolbar, and their functions:

NAME	ICON	USE
Draw		Offers a number of options for defining the relative positions, arrangements, rotation, etc, of drawings in a document. It also offers tools for changing the shape of AutoShapes.
Select Objects		Changes the pointer to a selection arrow so you can click to select objects in the active window.
AutoShapes		Offers a group of ready-made shapes that include basic shapes, such as rectangles and circles, including a variety of lines and connectors, block arrows, flowchart symbols, stars and banners, and callouts.
Line		Allows you to draw a straight line where you click or drag in the active window.
Arrow		Draws or inserts a line with an arrow head where you click or drag in the active window.
Rectangle		Draws a rectangle where you click and drag on the active window. You can also draw a square using this tool by holding SHIFT while you drag.
Oval		Draws an oval where you click and drag in the active document. To draw a (perfect) circle, hold down SHIFT while you drag.
Text Box		Draws a text box with horizontal direction where you click and drag in the active document.
Insert WordArt		Creates decorative text by inserting a Microsoft Office drawing objects.
Insert Diagram		Creates an organizational chart or a circle, radial, pyramid, or Venn or target diagram in your document.
Clip Art		Opens the Clip Gallery where you can select the clip art image you want to insert in your document or update your clip art collection.
Insert Picture		Inserts an existing picture in your  active document at the insertion point.
Fill Color		Adds, modifies, or removes the fill color or effects from the selected object.
Line Color		Adds, modifies, or removes the line color from the selected object.
Font Color		Allows you to add, modify, or remove the text color of the selected text.
Line Style		Used to select a thickness for the selected line.
Dash Style		Allows you to control the appearance of the selected line.
Arrow Style		Allows you to select the style of arrowhead.
Shadow Style		Allows you to select the shadow appearance of the selected drawing object.
3-D Style		Allows you to add depth to drawing objects such as lines, AutoShapes, and freeform objects.

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The Standard toolbar

This entire toolbar could become a floating window by
double-clicking on the control bar at the far left end of this
toolbar. That gives the following window, which can be placed
anywhere on the screen:

This toolbar can be restored to its original position by
clicking in the gray bar at the top and dragging it back to the
top of the screen. Push the top of the window up to the bottom
of the menu bar.

Function of commonly used buttons
	Creates a new blank document based on the default template		Opens or finds a file
	Saves the active file with its current file name, location and file format		Prints the active file — for more print options go to the File menu and select Print
	Print preview — Shows how the document will look when you print it.		Spelling, grammar and writing style checker
	Cut — Removes the selection from the document and places it on the clipboard		Copy — Copies the selected item(s) to the clipboard
	Paste — Places the content of the clipboard at the insertion point		Format painter — Copies the format from a selected object or text and applies to other objects or text
	Undo — Reverses the last command, use pull-down menu to undo several steps		Redo — Reverses the action of the Undo button, use the pull-down menu to redo several steps
	Displays the Tables and Borders toolbar		Insert a table into the document, or make a table of selected text
	Insert an Excel spreadsheet into the Word document		Columns — Changes the number of columns in a document
	Displays or hides the Drawing toolbar		Zoom — Enlarge or reduce the display of the active document

The Formatting toolbar

This entire toolbar could become a floating window by
double-clicking on the control bar at the far left end of this
toolbar. That gives the following window, which can be placed
anywhere on the screen:

This toolbar can be restored to its original position by
clicking in the gray bar at the top and dragging it back to the
top of the screen. Push the top of the window up to the bottom
of the menu bar.

Function of commonly used buttons
	Select the style to apply to paragraphs		Changes the font of the selected text
	Changes the size of selected text and numbers		Makes selected text and numbers bold
	Makes selected text and numbers italic		Underlines selected text and numbers
	Aligns to the left with a ragged right margin		Centers the selected text
	Aligns to the right with a ragged left margin		Aligns the selected text to both the left and right margins
	Makes a numbered list or reverts back to normal		Add, or remove, bullets in a selected paragraph
	Decreases the indent to the previous tab stop		Indents the selected paragraph to the next tab stop
	Adds or removes a border around selected text or objects		Marks text so that it is highlighted and stands out
	Formats the selected text with the color you click

The Drawing toolbar

This entire toolbar could become a floating window by
double-clicking on the control bar at the far left end of this
toolbar. That gives the following window, which can be placed
anywhere on the screen:

This toolbar can be restored to its original position by
clicking in the gray bar at the top and dragging it back to the
top of the screen. Push the top of the window up to the bottom
of the menu bar.

Function of commonly used buttons
	A pull down menu with several drawing options		Changes the pointer to a selection arrow
	Rotates the selected object to any degree		A pull down menu with several libraries of shapes
	Draws a line where you click and drag. Hold the Shift key down to make the line straight		Inserts a line with an arrowhead where you click and drag
	Draws a rectangle where you click and drag. Hold down Shift to draw a square		Draws an oval where you click and drag. Hold down Shift to draw a circle
	Draws a text box where you click and		Create text effects with Word Art
	Add, modify, or remove fill color from a selected object		Add, modify, or remove line color
	Formats the selected text with the color		Changes the thickness of lines
	Selects dash style for dashed lines		Select arrow style; placement and shape of arrowhead
	A pull down menu offers shadow choices		Add 3-d effects to rectangles or ovals

Customize the toolbars

Removing items
from active toolbars

If any item on the toolbar is not useful to you it can be
removed. I am going to use a floating copy of the Standard
toolbar as an example:

In the above toolbar I plan to remove the Insert Hyperlink
button

• From the
  View
  menu select
  Toolbar
• From the
  Toolbar
  submenu select
  Customize
• Click on the button you want to remove
• Click and drag the button until you see an x attached to
  the pointer
• Let go of the button and it is removed from the
  toolbar

� The same procedure can be used
to move a toolbar button to a new location on any toolbar

Restoring items to an active toolbar

To restore any buttons that you removed from a toolbar
follow this procedure:

• From the
  View
  menu select
  Toolbar
• From the
  Toolbar
  submenu select
  Customize
• Choose the
  Toolbars
  tab
• Click on the name of the toolbar
• Select the
  Reset
  button
• Click
  OK
  in the
  Reset
  Toolbar
  window

Adding buttons to a toolbar

A large number of toolbars can be added to the window from
the View/Toolbar window. However, you may wish to add only a
button or two to the open toolbars. There are some actions that
I used regularly in Microsoft Works which are not listed on the
commonly used toolbars in Word, such as:

• Insert date
• 1.5 space and double space

If you browse in the Customize window you may find other
examples. In the example below I add the
Date
button
from the
Insert
menu. The following steps will allow you
to add any buttons to any menu:


• From the
  View
  menu select
  Toolbar
• From the
  Toolbar
  submenu select
  Customize
• Choose the
  Commands
  tab
• Select the name of the menu (I used
  Insert
  )
• Scroll in the right window to find the button
• Click and drag the button to the space on the toolbar
  where you want the button
• Release the mouse and the button is placed.

Changing the size of the window displaying the selected font

If I am using the font Arial there is more than enough room
to display the font name on the Formatting toolbar. If more
room is needed, the size of that window can be decreased. On
the other hand, if I am using the font Times New Roman MT Extra
Bold the size of the window will be too small to display the
entire font name. Using the Customize menu, the window can be
re-sized using the following steps:

• From the
  View
  menu select
  Toolbar
• From the
  Toolbar
  submenu select
  Customize
• When the Customize window appears click on the font name
  window
• When the black box outlines the window put your cursor
  on the right edge of the window
• When your cursor changes to a double-headed arrow click
  and drag

Using the Symbol toolbar button

I often use symbol characters in documents I produce. On my
Macintosh I use Keycaps to find the symbols, and on my IBM I
use the Character Map. However, Word has a toolbar button which
is easier to use than either of those two applications.

Using the steps outlined above I added the symbol button
(Greek letter Omega) from the Insert menu. One click on this
button brings up a window with all available characters in a
given font. Click once on a character to see an enlarged view.
Double-click a character to insert it into the document



If you perform any task repetitively in Word, there is
probably a button to use for the task. Search the
Customize/Commands window to find what you are looking for.

Internet4classrooms is a collaborative effort by
Susan Brooks and Bill Byles.
 

  

Learn how to create, navigate, and format a document in Microsoft Word.

If you’re new to MS Word or have just typed the occasional letter or short paper, you may be surprised at how much more it can do.

Word has hundreds of settings and tools to help you make professional-looking documents and use them for personal purposes.

Learning Microsoft Word like a pro will help you save time, increase productivity, and make your work and life easier, like comparing Word documents to know the differences.

You can download and use Microsoft Word for free if you only need to use basic features. There is also a version of Word for free on Mac.

RELATED: How To Get Microsoft Word For Free On Mac

How to Use Microsoft Word Step-by-Step

Here’s how to use Microsoft Word step by step.

Part 1: Creating a Basic Document

1. Open the Microsoft Word application: Double-click the Microsoft Word icon to open it.

2. Review the available templates: You’ll notice several templates of interest at the top of the screen:

• Blank document – A blank Word document with the standard formatting.
• Welcome to Word – Take a tour of Word using this template to learn and do the basics.
• Creative Resume/Cover Letter – A neat, pre-formatted resume (and cover letter) document.
• Student Report with Cover Photo – A document format aimed at an academic audience.
• Fax Cover Sheet – A document used to preface fax reports.
• Cards – Premade templates to create postcards.
• You can also use the search bar on the Home screen to look for specific templates online from within Word.

3. Choose a template: It will open the template in Word with whatever pre-determined formatting it has. Now that your document is open, you can review your Toolbar options.

• When in doubt, start with a blank document.

RELATED: How to Download and use Microsoft Word for Free

Part 2: Navigating the Microsoft Word Toolbar

1. Click the File tab: It’s in the upper left corner of the screen (or in the menu bar for Mac users). On the left side of your screen, you have several valuable options:

• New – Click this to open the “New Document” page, which contains a list of all the pre-formatted templates. When you open a new document, it will prompt you to save your previous one.
• Open – See a list of recently opened or pinned documents. You can also search in a specific directory (for example, “This PC“).
• Info (PC only) – Click this to review the document’s statistics, such as when it was last modified or created and any potential issues like Spelling errors, etc.
• Save – To save your document, click Save. If you’ve saved this document the first time, you’ll see a prompt to enter a name, save location, and preferred file format.
• Save As – Click this option to save your document “as” something (e.g., save under a different name or file format). You can also use this option to save a Word document to a pdf file.
• Print – Click this option to access your printer settings to print a Word document.
• Share – Click this tab to see the document’s sharing options, including email and cloud options.
• Export – Click this to create a PDF, create a PDF/XPS document, or change the file type quickly.
• Transform – Click this to transform your document to a Microsoft Sway web page.
• Close – Click this option to close your document (you’ll see a prompt asking to Save or Don’t Save your document’s content).

RELATED: How to Save or Export a Word Document As a PDF

2. Click ← in the top left corner of your screen. You won’t have this option on a Mac; click your document to exit the “File” menu.

3. Review the Home tab to see your formatting options. At the top of your document screen–from left to right–you’ll see six sub-sections of this tab:

• Clipboard – Text is saved on your clipboard whenever you copy it. By selecting the Clipboard option, you can view copied text.
• Font – You can change text case, font style, size, color, formatting (e.g., bold or italic), effects, and highlighting from this section.
• Paragraph – This section allows you to change aspects of your paragraph formatting, such as line spacing, alignment, indentation, and bullet formatting.
• Styles – This section discusses various text types for different situations (e.g., headings, titles, and subtitles). You’ll also notice the famous “No Spacing” option, which eliminates extra spaces between lines of text.
• Editing – Here, you’ll find frequently used tools, such as “Find and Replace,” which quickly allows you to replace all appearances of one Word with another. You can also use the Select option to select objects or text in your document.
• Dictate (Voice) – This Office Dictation option allows you to use speech-to-text to create drafts or outlines, capture notes, and get your thoughts out. Click the Dictate button and wait for it to turn on. Start speaking to see text appear on the Word document.

4. Click the Insert tab to review the media types you can place in your document. It is to the right of the Home tab. Use the Insert tab to add graphics, pictures, comments, and page numbers to your documents. Among the notable options, from left to right, are the following:

• Table – By selecting this option, you can create an Excel-style table directly within your document.
• Pictures – Insert an image into your document using this feature.
• Shapes – Insert readymade Shapes using this feature.
• Comment – Add a note in your document using this feature.
• Header, Footer, and Page Number – These options are required when writing in MLA or APA format. The Header adds a space at the top of the document for comments, while the Footer adds at the bottom—you can customize page numbers.
• Equation/Symbol – These options use special formatting to display simple equations correctly. You can choose these equations or symbols from the relevant drop-down menu.
• Link – Add clickable hyperlinks to take readers or users to webpages or files within or outside your document.

5. Click the Draw tab to create your drawings. It’s to the right of the Insert tab.

• The drawing features in Word can help you add notes, create shapes, edit text, and more. The Draw tab is also available in Excel and PowerPoint.
• The Draw tab provides three drawing textures: pen, pencil, and highlighter, each with a unique look. Click one to select it, and you’re ready to begin drawing.
• If you want to change the color or thickness of the pen, click the drop-down arrow next to it and choose your preference. Click away from the menu to return to your drawing when you’ve finished.
• You can use the Ink to Shape feature to convert your ink drawings to various shapes.

6. Click the Design tab to create your template. It’s to the right of the Draw tab.

• The Design tab displays pre-designed themes and document formatting options at the top of the page.

7. Select the Layout tab to change the formatting of your page. This tab includes options for modifying the following aspects of your document:

• Margins – Set the margin sizes for the entire document using this feature.
• Orientation – Change your page orientation to landscape or portrait.
• Page size – Choose a document size for your page using this option.
• Columns – Number of columns on the page (defaults to one). You can also Add or Remove Columns.
• Breaks – Insert a section break to your page and select where the section starts using this option.
• Hyphenation – Hyphenate a word using this feature.
• Indentation (left or right)
• Spacing (before or after)
• Selection Pane – Select the object to change its order or visibility using this option.

8. Click the References tab to manage your citations. You can also manage your bibliography page from here.

• Click the Bibliography drop-down menu and choose a template for quick bibliography formatting.
• You can change the bibliography formatting from APA to MLA in the “Citations & Bibliography” group of options (or other citation styles).
• You can insert a table of figures from the “Captions” group. It is helpful in scientific review papers or other documents where statistical data is more critical than quotations.
• You can insert Authorities from the “Table of Authorities” group. It allows you to add statutes and other citations to your document.
• You can create a table of contents from the “Table of Contents” group. It allows you to give an overview of your document.

9. Click the Mailings tab to review your document-sharing options. You can check your email settings, start mail merge, select recipients, and share documents from within this section.

• You can also create and print an envelope or label template by selecting it from the “Create” group in the upper left corner of your screen.
• The Start Mail Merge drop-down menu allows sending a document to multiple people. You can also insert different fields, such as Name and Address.
• The Select Recipients drop-down menu lets you choose between Outlook contacts and an existing contact list in Word. Or you can type a new list of recipients.

10. Click the Review tab. Since you can use the Review section for editing, it includes document marking and proofreading options. Among the essential options are:

• Spelling & Grammar (Editor): Select this option (far left corner) to highlight spelling or grammatical mistakes and writing suggestions.
• The “Proofing” section is on the far left side of the Word toolbar. Use the Word Count feature to count the number of characters, Pages, Words, Paragraphs, and Lines in your document.
• The “Changes” section: This section is on the far right side of the toolbar. You can enable the “Track Changes” feature from here, which automatically formats any additions or deletions you make in a document in red print. You can also jump from the Previous to the Next tracked change.
• The “Protect” section: Use Restrict Editing option to prevent formatting changes, track changes, or allow only commenting on the document.

11. Click the Focus Mode to eliminate distractions. It’s in the status bar of your document. Or you can select the View tab at the top to find this feature. It’s to the right of the Review tab.

• It’s for eliminating distractions from your document to improve productivity.
• Press the Esc key on your keyboard to exit focus mode.

12. Decide on the options that best apply to your work. For example, if you’re a student, you’ll almost certainly use the Insert and References tabs. You can format your first Word document now that you’re familiar with the toolbar options.

Part 3: Formatting Your Writing

1. Open a new Blank Document in Word. If you already have a document, you can open it instead.

2. Enter text. Click on the blank section of the document and start typing.

• If you opened an existing document, make a backup before reformatting.

3. Highlight a section of text. Click and drag your cursor across your writing and let go of the cursor when you’ve highlighted the area you wish to edit.

4. Consider what you want to do to the writing. Some potential options include:

• Format your writing quickly. Right-click (or two-finger click) on your highlighted text and choose an option from the right-click menu.
• Change the font of your choice. You can select a new font from the drop-down bar at the top of the “Font” section (Home tab).
• Make your highlighted section bold, italicized, or underlined. Click the B, I, or U in the “Font” section of the Home tab.
• Change the color of your text. You can click the drop-down bar next to Font Color in the Font group of the Home tab and then choose a color.
• Change your document’s spacing. It is easiest to do by right-clicking your selected text, selecting Paragraph, and adjusting the “Line Spacing” value in the bottom right corner of this window.

5. Continue working with Word. Your preferred options for your documents will vary depending on the purpose of creating them. So the more you work within your format, the more experienced you’ll become.

RELATED: How to Update Microsoft Word on Windows PC and Mac

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Reference:

1. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/basic-tasks-in-word-87b3243c-b0bf-4a29-82aa-09a681999fdc

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Explore the Ribbon and learn how to use it

The Ribbon is the toolbar that runs across the top of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and other Microsoft 365/Office applications. The Ribbon consists of tabs that keep related tools organized and accessible no matter what kind of project or device you’re working on. The Ribbon can be hidden completely, shown in various capacities, or customized to meet your needs.

Instructions in this article apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.

Explore View Options for the Ribbon

Depending on your current settings, the Ribbon will be in one of three forms:

• The Show Tabs setting displays the tabs (File, Home, Insert, Draw, Design, Layout, References, Mailings, Review, and View).
• The Show Tabs and Commands setting displays the tabs and the command icons.
• The Auto-Hide Ribbon setting hides the tabs and commands.

If the Ribbon is currently hidden, a three-dot icon displays in the upper-right corner of the Word window.

1. Select the Ribbon Display Options icon (which is located in the upper-right corner and is a small box with an upward-pointing arrow inside).

2. Select Auto-Hide Ribbon to hide the ribbon. Select the bar located at the top of the window to display the ribbon.

3. Select Show Tabs to display ribbon tabs only. Choose a tab to display the related commands.

4. Select Show Tabs and Ribbon to display ribbon tabs and commands at all times.

To collapse the Ribbon to see more of a document, double-click any ribbon tab or press CTRL+F1. To expand the Ribbon, double-click any ribbon tab or press CTRL+F1.

Using the Ribbon

Each tab on the Word Ribbon has commands and tools underneath it. Change the view to Show Tabs and Commands to see these commands. If the Ribbon is set to Show Tabs, select a tab to see the related commands.

To use a command, find the command you want, then select it. If you aren’t sure what an icon on the Ribbon stands for, hover the mouse over it to see a description of the command.

Here are a few examples:

• To insert a picture into a Word document, select the Insert tab and choose Pictures. Browse to the picture you want to insert, then select Open.
• To start a bulleted list, select the Home tab and choose the Bullets icon.
• To start a numbered list, select the Home tab and choose the Numbering icon.
• To choose a design for the entire document, select the Design tab and choose the design you want to use.
• To check spelling and grammar, select the Review tab and choose Spelling & Grammar.

Many tools work differently when text or an object is selected. To select text, drag the mouse over it. When text is selected, any text-related tool (such as Bold, Italic, Underline, or Font Color) is applied only to the selected text. If no text is selected, those attributes are applied to the subsequent text you type.

Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is located above the Ribbon. By default, it contains shortcuts to the Save, Undo, and Redo commands. Save time and become more productive by adding shortcuts to the commands you use most. For example, make it easier to work with documents by adding shortcuts to the New, Print, and Email commands.

To add items to the Quick Access Toolbar:

1. On the Quick Access Toolbar, select Customize Quick Access Toolbar (the down arrow icon located to the right of the last item).

2. To add a command, choose any command that does not have a checkmark.

3. To remove a command, choose any command that does have a checkmark beside it.

4. To see more commands and add items, select More Commands to open the Word Options dialog box.

5. In the left pane, choose the command you want to add to the Quick Access Toolbar.

6. Select Add.

7. Repeat these steps to add as many commands as you want, then choose OK.

Customize the Ribbon

Add or remove tabs from the Ribbon and add or remove items on those tabs to customize the Ribbon to meet your needs. As a precaution, don’t make too many changes until you are familiar with how the Ribbon is set up by default.

Advanced users might want to add the Developer tab and other tabs to streamline Word so that it only shows exactly what they use and need.

To access the options to customize the Ribbon:

1. Select File, then choose Options to display the Word Options dialog box.

2. Choose Customize Ribbon.

3. To remove a tab, go to the Main Tabs list and clear the checkbox next to the tab.

   To add a tab, select the check box next to the tab to put a checkmark in it.

4. To remove a command from a tab, go to the Main Tabs list and select the plus sign to expand the tab.

5. Select the command.

   You might have to expand a section again to find the command.

6. Select Remove.

   To add a command, go to the left pane, choose the command, then select Add.

7. Select OK to save the changes.

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