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Word Processing For Beginners, Part I: Techcenter - The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County
Word Processing For Beginners, Part I: Techcenter - The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County
Word Processing For Beginners, Part I: Techcenter - The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County
INTRODUCTION
For the majority of the 20 th century typewriters were the preferred way to produce printed copies of
documents, forms, and letters. With the advent of computers however, the ability to type, correct, and save
content before producing a hard copy (print out) has made the typewriter obsolete. Of al l computer
applications, word processing is perhaps the most basic. To perform word processing, you need: A
computer
• A special program called a word processor (in many cases, this will be Microsoft Office Word).
• A way to save or print your final document.
A word processor enables you to create a document, store it (either on the computer, on your email, or on a
portable storage device such as a CD or flash drive), display it on a screen, modify it, and print it on a printer.
The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can make changes without
retyping the entire document. Word processors also make it easy to move sections of text from one place to
another within a document, or between documents. When you have made all the changes you want, you can
send the file to a printer to get a hard copy.
Word processors that support only these features (and maybe a few others) are called text editors. Most word
processors, however, support additional features that enable you to manipulate and format documents in
more sophisticated ways. Full-featured word processors usually support the following features (Topics marked
with an asterisk (*) below will be covered in the follow up class to this, Word Processing for Beginners, Part II):
• File management : Many word processors contain file management capabilities that allow you to
create, delete, move, and search for files.
Tip: Before you begin typing your information, it is good to know what the standard format for the
document looks like. For instance, a business letter has different line spacing and indentations than a
resume or a research paper. There are examples from a variety of sources if the document format is not
already clear in your mind.
SECTION III: BASIC MENUS & OPTIONS
Ribbon Tabs
Starting with the 2007 version of Microsoft Word, the idea of ribbon tabs were introduced. These tabs appear
across the top of the program and have the following labels: Home, Insert, Page Layout, References, Mailings,
Review, and View (note: other tabs will become available as you get more advanced in your word processing
adventures). Under each tab you will find options that relate to the tab name (you can insert pictures under
the Insert tab, for example). The Home tab is your starting point and contains the most commonly used
features in word processing.
File Menu
In addition to the ribbon tabs, the most important button on the Word screen is your File menu. Here you can
find options such as New, Open, Save, Save As..., and Print.
When you create a new document, one of the first things you should do is to save the file. It is a good idea to
do this at the beginning because should the computer shut down or freeze, your work will still be saved. If you
wait to save until you have finished typing, there is always a chance an error could occur and you would lose
While we are discussing the File menu, take notice of the small icons Customize Quick Access
directly above it. You should see one that looks like a floppy disk, one
that looks like an arrow flipping to the left, and one that looks like an arrow coming nearly full circle. The
floppy disk button is a shortcut to save your document (you don’t have to open the File menu every time).
The first arrow is called the undo button, and it allows you to undo the last thing you did (so for example if
you accidentally delete something, you can press undo and it will restore your content). The second arrow is
the redo button, which allows you to redo something once you have undone it (make sense?). For example,
you may delete a paragraph, undo the delete, then realize that, yes, you did want the paragraph deleted – so
you choose redo. On your home computer you can customize these quick access icons to include other
frequently used tasks like printing, spell check, and more.
Mouse Functions
When you are in a Word document, the mouse can be your best
friend. Depending on where you click (and how many times you
click) there are a variety of options at your disposal.
• The left mouse button is used most of the time for
selecting text.
o A single click moves the cursor o A double click
highlights the word o A triple click highlights the line
or paragraph The right mouse button reveals
formatting options available on the toolbars.
• The scroll mouse button lets you scroll through the document.
Fonts
The font is the style or design of the text that appears on the screen. The Font group tools (located on the
Home Tab) will affect how the text appears on the page. With the Font tools you can change the actual font
face (the way the letters look) of the text, as well as the size, style, and color. Popular font faces include Times
New Roman, Arial, and Calibri (as pictured below in the green box). Standard font size is typically somewhere
between 10 and 12, but can be adjusted by using the tools pictured in the purple box below. While the vast
majority of your text will be plain, you can make things bold, italicized, or underlined using the tools pictured
in the red box below. Finally, you may change the color of the font by using the options pictured below in the
orange box. To change any of the font attributes, highlight the text by holding down the left mouse button,
and dragging it across the entirety of the text. Choose the options you want (face, size, etc.) and you will see a
preview of how the text will look before you officially confirm it.
Margins
Margins are the spaces between the text and the edges of the page. The standard margin is 1” around the
page, and this should only be modified on rare occasions. You can change your margins by going to the Page
Layout tab and selecting Margins under the Page Setup group.
Paragraph Settings
The Paragraph tools are further ways you can format the shape of your document. The Paragraph buttons to
make note of are the List buttons (bulleted, numbered, multi-leveled – highlighted in green), the Text
Alignment buttons (left, center, right, justified – highlighting in red below), and the Line Spacing button (used
for no spacing, single spacing, double spacing, etc. – highlighted in purple). The small box at the bottom right
of the Paragraph tool (highlighting in orange) will reveal more paragraph options.
The Ruler
The Ruler is one of the most useful tools in your formatting arsenal, as it helps you visually measure the
alignment of your text. Text alignment is a key attribute to a “clean” looking document. Margins, indentations
and tabs are all used to set up consistent placement of text, and they are all tools on the Ruler. If the Ruler is
not visible on your document, click the View tab, locate and check the box titled Ruler. The Ruler will appear at
the top and left sides of your document.
Now release the left mouse button. With the cursor over the highlighted text, right click the mouse for
options, and select “copy”. Now move your cursor to the destination of the copied text. Right-click your
mouse again, and select “paste.” In newer versions of Word, you will be given a number of “Paste Options.”
If you are copying something that, say, is in huge green underlined font, but you want it to match the
smaller black text in the rest of the document, click the black “A” – “Keep text only.” Clicking the first option
with the paintbrush will paste it in the huge green font in which it was originally typed – “Keep source
formatting.”
Cutting and pasting works roughly the same way except when you cut
something it completely removes it from its original location.
Page Orientation
Depending on the project you are working on, you may need to change the layout of the page. For example if
you are working on a greeting card, you may want the page to be oriented in the landscape format, rather
than the default portrait format. In Word, this is located under the Page Layout tab in the Page Setup group.
Tip: Keep in mind, the spell check function is not foolproof. Proper names such a person’s first name, or
the name of a company, acronyms, etc. may not be part of the dictionary that the program is using. If
you are using a
program installed on your home computer, or one that allows you to personalize your settings, you can
actually add words to the dictionary by right-clicking the word and clicking “Add to dictionary.”
If you are liked our Word Processing for Beginners, Part I class, you may also find these related classes of
interest:
Word Processing for Beginners, Part II Excel for Beginners
Feel free to ask for a copy of any class handout at the Technology Center desk or talk to your instructor today.
Online
The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County offers a variety of databases to all card holders which
provide excellent learning opportunities on a variety of topics, including computers and technology.
Learning Express Library offers a wide variety of interactive computer classes (Complete Microsoft Office
Suite, Adobe CS3, Windows, and Mac OSX). Videos and screencasts make learning easy while quizzes help
assess your progress. Free with your library card. From http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org, click on Research &
Homework > Research Databases > Education > Learning Express Library.
Universal Class offers more than 500 classes on many topics. These classes are instructed by real teachers who
guide your learning and provide feedback on your work. Learn about Microsoft Office, Web Design, Computer
Basics, Business Applications, and more! Free with your library card. From http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org,
click on Research & Homework > Research Databases >Education > Universal Class.
SECTION VIII: GLOSSARY
Copying: The act of duplicating text to be pasted into another part of a document.
Cutting: The act of selecting and removing text to be pasted into another part of a document.
Hardcopy: A printed copy of a document.
Find: An option available in most word processing applications that searches your documents for the use of a
certain word or phrase.
Font Color: The color of the text on the screen.
Font Face: The look of the printed text on a page. There are thousands of font faces available to choose from.
Font Style: The style in which the font is displayed, i.e. bold, italicized, underlined, etc.
Google Docs: A word processing application based on the internet. Requires a (free) Google or Gmail account.
Home Keys: The A, S, D, F, J, K, L, ; and Space Bar buttons on the keyboard. These are the keys your fingers
should start out on when you begin typing.
Indentation: The space left between the margin and the start of an indented line.
Landscape: A page layout option in which the page width is greater than the height. Typically used for making
cards and other projects.
Margins: The spaces between the text and the edges of the page.