Word Processing SoftwareThe word processor, like the typewriter, was designed to make it easy to input, process, save, edit and revise written communications and to create professionally formatted documents. We use Microsoft Word in our lab, but the word processing skills you will learn are transferable to other programs.

Let’s examine some of the most common features of word processing software programs.

Page SetupThe two most common paper sizes used in North America are letter and legal. Letter size paper is 8.5” x 11” and legal size paper is 8.5” x 14”. We can also change the orientation of the pages – when the page is longer than it is wide, then the paper has a portrait orientation; when the page is wider than it is long, the paper has a landscape orientation. In Word, you can change the page size and orientation in the Page Setup menu.

MarginsThe white space around your text can be increased or decreased by changing the margin settings in your document. Margins are included in documents for aesthetic reasons – they look nicer – and for practical reasons – to allow pages to be printed properly and inserted into binders or report covers. Keep in mind that most printers cannot print on the outermost part of the page; for that reason, keep your margins at a minimum of 0.5”.

To change margins for the entire document, you should make the change before you begin typing. After you begin, it is possible to make changes to margins but you will have to ensure you are applying the changes to the “Whole Document”.

It is possible to have different margins, page sizes and page orientations in different sections of your document – if you are interested in how to do this, ask me!

Text AlignmentOnce page setup is complete, you are ready to begin typing. Notice that text is automatically wrapped around to the start of a new line as you type; the only reason to use Enter is to start a new paragraph.

The default alignment for text is left justified – the lines of text are even (justified) at the left-hand margin and uneven (unjustified) on the right-hand side. There are four alignment options in a word processor – left, right, centre and full justification.

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You can choose the alignment option you prefer by clicking on the icon at the top of the page on the Home tab. Like most other features, the alignment can be changed at any time by highlighting the text and then selecting the preferred alignment.

Your Turn!

From the list you created on what might a business use word processing for:

Centre the title Centre the list Right-justify your name

Text FeaturesYou can easily change the features of the text in word processors using the Font menu. To start, there are many different fonts available and the appearance of each is unique. Some fonts resemble handwriting, while others are more playful. Be sure to choose a font that is legible and suitable for the document you are creating.

You can also change the size and appearance of the font. The most common size of font for business documents is 12 point. Titles and headings are typically larger to make them easier to find. Common features of text that can be found in the toolbar include bold, italics and underline. Highlight the text you wish to format and then select the appropriate icon. Note that you can also use shortcut keys to bold (Ctrl + B), italicize (Ctrl + I) and underline (Ctrl + U) highlighted text.

Other effects found in the font menu include strikethrough, superscript, subscript, shadow, outline and SMALL CAPS among others.

Line SpacingThe amount of space between lines can also be changed to make documents easier to read. Line spacing options can be found in the Paragraph menu. The most common selections are single, double and 1.5 line spacing.

Your Turn!

Experiment with the appearance of the document using different fonts, sizes, effects and line spacing.

Save your file as business list 2 to capture the differences between the two files.

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Bullets and Numbers Most word processors easily allow you to create bulleted or numbered lists for text in point

form or that you wish to be highlighted. Use a numbered list if you are indicating steps in a process or items in order of preference;

otherwise, when order does not matter, use a bulleted list. You can create different bulleted and numbered lists using the Bullets and Numbering icons in

the toolbar on the Home tab.

ColumnsWord processors also offer the ability to organize your text into

columns of information, like you might see in a newspaper or magazine.

Highlighted text can be put into columns by selecting the Columns

icon in the toolbar on the Page Layout tab.

PicturesYou will often want to insert pictures into your documents to improve their appearance or to highlight important information. One way that you can insert a saved picture file is by selecting the Insert tab at the top of the page and clicking on the Picture icon. The icon will take you to a directory of files such that you can find and select the picture you wish to insert.

Another way to insert a picture is to take a screen print of an image and then paste that image into your document. To take a screen print – which captures an image of your computer screen – hit the Print Screen button on your keyboard. Note that when you paste the image into your file, you will need to crop the image to remove the unwanted parts. To crop the image, you can click on the picture and select Crop from the Picture tab.

To be able to move the picture in your document, you will need to change the text wrapping in the Picture Tools menu to Square. The text will automatically adjust to wrap around your image, regardless of where you place it.

Your Turn!

Insert a picture that is appropriate for your list if you have not already done so. Be sure your file is professional in appearance and that you are completely satisfied with how it looks!

Show me when you are done.

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