Word 2016 For Professionals For Dummies. Dan Gookin

or click a down-pointing triangle next to the button. The text directs you whether to click the button or its menu.

      When a menu features a submenu, this text uses the following format to show how the submenu or command is chosen:

      Page Number ⇒ Current Position ⇒ Plain Number

      This direction tells you to click the Page Number button and, from its menu, choose the Current Position submenu and then the Plain Number item.

      Other, more specific directions for some of the unusual things Word does are explained throughout the text.

      Foolish Assumptions

      This book assumes that you have a basic knowledge of Word. You know how the program works, and you’ve created crude and ugly documents. Perhaps you didn’t believe them to be crude and ugly, but they are. And that’s why you purchased this book, because you want to create more professional, respectable documents.

      You are using Word 2016, which is the current version of Word as this book goes to press. Some of this book may apply to Word 2013 and possibly Word 2010, but the material isn’t specific to those releases. You can have the stand-alone version of Word 2016, or you can use the Office 365 subscription version. Any differences between versions are noted in the text.

      This book does not cover Word for the Macintosh. If you see an Apple logo on your computer, I can’t promise that anything in this text applies to your software.

      Parts of this book reference other Office applications – specifically, Excel and Outlook. Even so, you don’t need to have these programs installed to get the most from the book.

      If you need more basic information on Word, I can recommend Microsoft Word 2016 For Dummies (Wiley). That book covers material deemed too basic or common for this book, though it’s still good material. For example, that book covers mail merge, which this book shuns like that steaming pan of gray goo at the back of an all-you-can-eat five-dollar buffet.

      Icons Used in This Book

      Festooning this book’s pages are icons and micons. The icons consist of the traditional four For Dummies margin icons. They are:

      This icon flags a useful suggestion or kindhearted tip. I’d like to think of all text in this book as a tip, but my editor dislikes it when I overuse the Tip icon. So only the very bestest tips are flagged.

      This icon appears by text that gives you a friendly reminder to do something, to not forget something, or to do something else, which I don’t recall at the moment.

      This icon highlights things you’re not supposed to do, like try to put sheet metal into a computer printer. That sounds cool, but if you really want a document to shine, I have better advice.

      This icon alerts you to information you can happily avoid reading. I use it to flag parts of the text where I get technical, go off on a tangent, or mention material that’s not really necessary to the topic, but my inner nerd just can’t control himself. Feel free to avoid anything flagged with the Technical Stuff icon.

      Along with the icons, you’ll find margin art. These marginal masterpieces represent various items you see on the screen while using Word. They might be command buttons, doodads, controls, gizmos, or flecks of paint that look interesting. These micons (margin icons) help you navigate through steps in the text.

      Beyond the Book

      The publisher maintains a support page with updates or changes that occur since this book has gone to press. You’ll also find bonus content in the form of an online cheat sheet, which isn’t really cheating and definitely isn’t a sheet.

      To peruse the online content, visit www.dummies.com, but that’s not the right page. You’ll need to search for Word 2016 For Professionals For Dummies, and open the Download tab on this book’s dedicated page. I’d offer more specific information, but I don’t have any further details. Even I don’t know where the online material is really hidden. When I asked, the publisher muttered something about “elves” and she then proceeded to consume dry coffee grounds.

      Where to Go from Here

      The first thing you need to do is stop reading the introduction. I’m serious: It’s over. The book’s vast pages await a bright reading light and your eager gaze.

      Check out the table of contents and see what interests you. Peruse the index and look up a special topic. Or just flip to a page and become enlightened. Word does so much and offers so many tools to help you make better documents that you can truly start anywhere.

      My email address is [email protected]. Yes, that’s my real address. I reply to all email I receive, and you’ll get a quick reply if you keep your question short and specific to this book or to Word itself. Although I enjoy saying Hi, I cannot answer technical support questions or help you troubleshoot your computer. Thanks for understanding.

      You can also visit my web page for more information or as a diversion:

      www.wambooli.com

      This book’s specific support page can be found at

      www.wambooli.com/help/word

      I provide frequent updates and posts on that page, offering bonus information on Word, supplements to this book, tips, tricks, trivia, and fun. And, there’s only one little advertisement on the page and no pop-ups.

      Enjoy this book. And enjoy Word as much as you can stand it.

      Part 1

      Fancy Formatting and Froufrou

      IN THIS PART …

      Discover how to best use fonts.

      Find out how to lay out a paragraph.

      Learn how to organize text with tabs and lists.

      Work with tables and information in a grid.

      Customize columns of text in a document.

      Get to know about page formatting.

      Apply informative headers and footers to a document.

      Use styles to quickly format text.

      Get familiar with templates, and start creating documents quickly.

Chapter 1

      Font Fun

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      Understanding fonts

      Using typefaces appropriately

      Accessing text formatting commands

      Setting text scale and spacing

      Raising or lowering text

      Exploring oddball text effects

      Working with hidden text

      Replacing text formatting

      When graphical computer operating systems appeared in the 1980s, users found themselves infectiously attracted to fonts. People played with text formatting, spicing up documents in frivolous and crude ways. It was fun, but odious: Documents looked like someone had hired a color-blind man to paint a house.

      The adoration for fonts hasn’t diminished over time, but people today have a bit more respect for a document’s text. In a professional environment, you want to choose a font that’s appropriate, tasteful, and consistent with a good layout and design. You can hire a graphic artist, but while you remain cheap, you can rely upon Word’s various typeface tools to assist you.

      A Knowledge of Fonts

      I blame the Macintosh.