Five Microsoft Word Hacks You Probably Didn't Know
Despite being an expert user of Microsoft Word, I'm constantly discovering new methods to optimize the program's features and expedite my workflow. Here are a few useful tips you should be aware of.
Lists are sorted into order.
You may believe that Excel is the only program capable of organizing your data in chronological, numeric, or alphabetical order. But Microsoft Word offers an equally good tool for arranging dates, numbers, and words.
Organizing a List
Select the data and click the "Sort" icon in the paragraph group of the Home tab to sort a simple list of words, numbers, or dates that are displayed in discrete paragraphs or bullet points rather than in a table.
Effectively, dates written in different forms (such as Month DD, YYYY, or MM/DD/YYYY) can be sorted in Microsoft Word.
In the second drop-down box, choose "Paragraphs," and then tell Word if you want to order text, dates, or numbers. Finally, choose whether to sort the data in ascending or descending order before clicking "OK."
This is the final list of names in my example, arranged alphabetically.
Table Sorting
Put your cursor in any table cell and select the same "Sort" icon from the Home tab to sort a table according to the data in one of its columns.
Next, indicate to Word if your columns have headings using the "My List Has" option at the bottom of the dialog box. Next, you can choose the column to use to sort your table. If your table has headers, this is the column name; if not, it is the column number. In my situation, I would like to use the "frequency" column to sort my table.
Because each row is fixed, sorting your table by the first column will also reorder the remaining columns to keep the data consistent throughout your rows.
Fill in the remaining fields now, and if necessary, add more sorting rules. Lastly, click "OK," and enjoy your table that has been sorted.
Different Types
More dynamic sorts can also be made. The content beneath each heading in this example should remain unchanged, but I want to reorder the headers (formatted using Word's heading styles) into alphabetical order. I'll select every word and click the "Sort" icon in the Home page to accomplish this.
I'll select "Options," select "Other," and then select "OK."
"Headings" is now available in the first drop-down option when I create the criteria for this sort. Other methods of sorting my data, like by the nth word in each paragraph, are also options here.
I can click "OK" to view my headings in the proper sequence with the bullet points staying the same after choosing "Headings" and making sure the other fields have the necessary information.
2. Send the Kindle a Word document
Sending a Word document to a Kindle can be done for a variety of reasons:
When reading a lengthy paper, it can be helpful to select a more comfortable reading position.
You can alter the font sizes and page layouts, making the document simpler to read.
Compared to a laptop, a Kindle is more portable and typically has a longer battery life.
Many people believe that Kindles are better for your eyes because they employ E-Ink technology.
Open the "File" menu to send your document to the Kindle. To send documents to a Kindle, select Export > Send to Kindle.
In the dialog box that displays, log into your Amazon account.
Next, choose how you would like your Kindle to display the document. Select the "Like A Kindle Book" option if the document has straightforward formatting. With this option, you can change the page layouts and font sizes and, if necessary, add handwritten sticky notes.
However, if you wish to maintain the document's intricate layout, select "Like A Printed Document." With this option, you may examine the document and write right on the page.
Within minutes of clicking "Send," the document will be in your Kindle library.
It was common practice in the early 1900s to follow a period with a double space. You may come across a Word document with this outdated formatting, although it has been phased out over time. In this instance, manually eliminating the unnecessary spaces could take an eternity.
All instances of multiple spaces, whether they be double spaces or larger strings of spaces, can be reduced to a single space using Word's Find and Replace feature. Some of the words in this sample have two spaces between them, while others have three.
To begin, open the Find and Replace dialog box by pressing Ctrl+H. Type (){2,} in the "Find What" field. The second pair of brackets are braces, which are typically accessed by pressing Shift+[ or Shift+]. Be sure to leave a space between the rounded parentheses. Type \1 in the "Replace With" field.
Next, select "More" (clicking this will change it to "Less") and select "Use Wildcards."
All of the multi-spaces have been reduced to single spaces once you click Replace All > OK.
4. Include Top-Notch Graphics
The days of looking for excellent graphics online and worrying about copyright, royalties, and permissions are long gone. A seemingly limitless selection of royalty-free images, icons, cutout characters, stickers, illustrations, and cartoon characters are available in Microsoft Word.
Click Insert > Pictures > Stock Images after positioning your cursor where you wish to add the image.
Then, navigate between the various graphic types using the tabs at the top of the Insert Pictures dialog box, and search for an appropriate image by entering keywords into the bar.
After locating a graphic that suits your needs, select it by clicking on it once (notice the checked radio button in the graphic's corner) and then click "Insert." Multiple graphics can be selected and added simultaneously.
Now, you may use the Picture Format tab on the ribbon to format the graphics if necessary.
5. Make a copy of the Microsoft Word window.
Viewing multiple pages at once can be useful while working on a large paper. In a similar vein, using two views simultaneously, such as the Draft View and the Print Layout, may be helpful. Word's New Window feature, which may be accessed through the View tab on the ribbon, is useful in this situation.
An identical copy of your document opens in a new window when you click this icon. When you're ready to switch back to a single-window view, you can close either the original or the duplicate, and any changes you make to one copy will automatically update in the other.
To change the arrangement of your multiple Word windows on your screen, use Windows+Z.
Along with employing these tips to boost productivity, be sure to steer clear of certain common errors people make when using Microsoft Word.