Using WordPad

In this article Create, open, and save documents

WordPad is a text-editing program you can use to create and edit documents. Unlike Notepad, WordPad documents can include rich formatting and graphics, and you can link to or embed objects, such as pictures or other documents.
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WordPad window

Create, open, and save documents

Click to open WordPad. Use the following commands to create, open, or save documents: To
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Do this Click the WordPad menu button

Create a new document , and then click New.

Click the WordPad menu button Open a document , and then click Open. Click the WordPad menu button Save a document , and then click Save. Click the WordPad menu button Save a document with a new name or format , point to Save as, and then click the format you want to save the document in.

Note
WordPad can be used to open and save text documents (.txt), rich text files (.rtf), Word documents (.docx), and OpenDocument Text (.odt) documents. Documents in other formats are opened as plain text documents and might not appear as expected.

Work faster in WordPad

There's a quick way to put the commands you use most often in WordPad within easy reach put them on the Quick Access Toolbar above the ribbon. To add a WordPad command to the Quick Access Toolbar, right-click a button or command, and then click Add to Quick Access Toolbar.

Format documents
Formatting refers to how the text in your document looks as well as how it's arranged. You can use the ribbon, located just underneath the title bar to easily change the formatting in your document. For example, you can choose from many different fonts and font sizes, and you can make your text almost any color you want. You can also

easily change how your document is aligned.

Click to open WordPad. Use the following commands to change the formatting of your document: To Change how text looks in your document Do this Select the text that you want to change, and then use the buttons on the Home tab in the Font group. For more information about what each button does, hover over the button for a description.

Change how text is Select the text that you want to change, and then use the buttons on the Home aligned in your tab in the Paragraph group. For more information about what each button document does, hover over the button for a description.

Insert dates and pictures to documents

Click to open WordPad. Use the following commands to insert the current date or a picture: To Insert the current date Do this On the Home tab, in the Insert group, click Date and time. Click the format you want, and then click OK. On the Home tab, in the Insert group, click Picture. Insert a picture Locate the picture that you want to insert, and then click Open. On the Home tab, in the Insert group, click Paint drawing. Insert a drawing Create the drawing that you want to insert and then close Paint.

View documents

Click to open WordPad. Use the following commands to view documents: To Increase or decrease the zoom level View the document at its actual size Display the ruler Display the status bar Change the word wrap settings Change the unit of measurement on the ruler Do this On the View tab, in the Zoom group, click Zoom in or Zoom out. On the View tab, in the Zoom group, click 100%. On the View tab, in the Show or hide group, select the Ruler check box. On the View tab, in the Show or hide group, select the Status bar check box. On the View tab, in the Settings group, click Word wrap, and then click the setting that you want. On the View tab, in the Settings group, click Measurement units, and then click the units that you want.

Tip
To zoom in and out in a document, you can also click the Zoom in

or Zoom out

buttons on the Zoom slider in the lower-right corner of the window to increase or decrease the zoom level.

Zoom slider

Change page margins

Click to open WordPad.

Click the WordPad menu button Page setup, and then select the options you want.

, click

Print documents

Click to open WordPad.

Click the WordPad menu button Print, and then select the options you want.

, click

Note
You can use Print preview to see how your document will look before you print it. To use Print preview, click the WordPad menu button

, point to Print, and then click Print preview. When you are finished previewing your document, click Close print preview. Was this helpful? Read the privacy statement online