Take a look at using Text Boxes
in Word – and some basic Word functions.
Microsoft Word -- Text Boxes
Word has the ability to do desktop
publishing. One of the features that you would use for this would be text
boxes and linking them so that your text would flow from one to another.
To create linked text boxes
you must first create two or more unlinked text boxes, then link them together.
Choose INSERT – TEXT BOX. The pointer changes from an I-beam to a crosshatch.
Click the cross-hatch where you’d like the text box to begin, then without
releasing the mouse, drag the pointer downward slightly to the right to
create a box. Release the mouse button. If you draw a box over existing
contents, the box will hide those contents. Begin typing inside the box.
Alternatively, click inside the box, then paste text copied from another
document, or click File (Insert menu), navigate to the document you want
to insert, click its icon, then click Insert.
If you have existing text
on your page, you will notice that the text box covers it up. To display
the text lying underneath a text box, click the text box to select it (handles
should appear around its border). Choose FORMAT from the top menu and then
TEXT BOX to bring up a FORMAT TEXT BOX dialog box. Click the LAYOUT tab,
then click the SQUARE option and OK. The text and graphics that were beneath
the text box now wrap around it.
To link the first text box
to another, click the document where you want a second text box, then insert
it as before. Format it for text wrap so it doesn’t hide any text that
may lie beneath it. Click inside the first text box, click VIEW, point
to TOOLBARS, then click the TEXT BOX toolbar to display it. Click the chain
link button on the Text toolbar. Position the pointer over the first text
box. The pointer changes to an upright pitcher. Now position the pointer
over the second text box, and the upright pitcher pointer changes into
a pouring pitcher shape. Click the text box you just created to pour in
the text. You can create as many additional text boxes as you need, but
keep in mind that Word does not display any markers indicating that oveflow
text exists, you’ll have to keep track of how much text is left in your
last text box.
Text boxes default to a
small black border surrounding the box. If you wish to change this – or
remove it – click on the text box so that it is selected. Then from the
FORMAT menu, choose TEXT BOX. click on the BORDERS AND COLORS tab. Here
you can determine the color that the box is filled with and the color –
width – style of the border including having no border.
Text boxes are not limited
to conventional rectangles. You can also use circles, triangles, flow chart
shapes and other AutoShapes as text containers. To change the shape of
your text box, click the DRAW button (on the Drawing toolbar), point to
CHANGE AUTOSHAPE, point at a category, then click the shape you want.
Microsoft Word Basics
Setting Margins To set your margins ---
from the FILE menu, choose PAGE SETUP. Here you can set the left – right
– top and bottom margins. If you click on the DEFAULT button, these are
the margins that will be used for every new document you create.
Making changes to existing text The secret to changing the
font – size of the font – bold – underline – italics – is TO FIRST SELECT
THE TEXT. To select the text, you must hold down the left mouse button
and drag your mouse over the text that you want to change. This will highlight
your selection. Once your text has been highlighted, you can make your
changes to the selected text.
Support For Windows
If you are still using any version
of MS-DOS – Windows 3.1 – or Windows 95, you should be aware that Microsoft
will be dropping their support of these systems on December 31, 2001. What
does this mean? You will no longer be able to call Microsoft for any help
with these systems.
Microsoft will be discontinuing
their support for Windows 98 and Windows NT 4 on June 30, 2003 – which
isn’t that far away.