Fact Sheet Introduction to Microsoft Word Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used word processing applications in the world. Developed as part of the wider Microsoft Office suite of programmes, Word is available either as a standalone application or purchased as part of the latest Microsoft Office 365 suite.

July 2015

Microsoft Word is powerful enough to cater for just about every business need, with templates enabling users of all abilities the option of creating professional looking documents. The list includes templates to help you create:

An Essential Business Tool Microsoft Word is an essential word processing tool for businesses of all sizes, enabling the creation and processing of complex business documentation as well as basic day-to-day paperwork, from invoices through to reports. Why should I use Microsoft Word for my business? Microsoft Word allows users of all abilities to create smart professional looking documents with ease, efficiency and confidence. Microsoft Word offers the business user a modern and powerful application, perfectly suited to help you create, edit and share business documentation and publications. What can business?

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Word processing needs will vary greatly from business to business, however even the smallest business will have basic requirements.

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Agendas Brochures / Flyers Business Cards Compliment Slips Contracts Invoices Labels Letters / Letterheads Quotations Tenders

Fact Sheet Customisable Templates The predefined Word templates can be customised further, allowing you to create and save a master template with your own layout, design and branding for future use.

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Word Features and Functions Microsoft Word offers a comprehensive range of features and functions, allowing users to create great looking documents (either from scratch or from customisable templates), manipulating text, inserting headings, creating borders, adding tables and inserting images. Word is the perfect business companion, compatible with both Windows and MAC based platforms and accessible from both desktop and mobile technologies, tablets and smart phones.

Word allows users to insert a wide range of content, including images, shapes, diagrams, headers and footers, page numbers, symbols, special characters and hyperlinks. This also includes the ability to add chapters and tables of content for reports and publications.

The flexibility of Word enables users to efficiently produce multiple pages of labels and mail shot letters, with the ability to “merge” in customer data from an external address lists. Cover pages can be added to make documents and reports look smart and professional, with signature lines, insertion of current date and time, cross references and bookmarks to aid the reader experience. Layout and design Tools are provided to enable users to customise their own margin settings, change the orientation of a document from portrait to landscape. You can also adjust the size of the document from an envelope through to an A3 sized flyer: suitable for almost every business need. Columns can be added to documents to allow text to be more easily read, with the facility to

Fact Sheet add watermarks such as “confidential” or “draft”, change page colour and add page borders.

WordArt Word includes the WordArt feature which enables the ability to incorporate text with graphical effects such as skewing, shadowing, rotating and stretching in a variety of colours, shapes and three dimensional effects.

Text Formatting Formatted text can emphasise important information and draw the reader’s attention to specific parts of a document.

Word offers the user the ability of formatting not only the font style (e.g. Arial), but also the FONT size and desired colour. Font can also be set to BOLD or italics, underlined or highlighted, with the ability to change / toggle from UPPERCASE to lowercase at the click of a button. Font can be set to align left, align centre, right or justify across the page margins. Bullets and numbering can be added to make document contents clear and more readable, providing a summary list or numbered section.

Users can apply formatting effects such as shadow, bevel, glow and reflection to their chosen text to create visual effects. Spelling and Grammar A handy on-board spell-check facility is provided which highlights mistakes by underlining them in red, enabling the user to right mouse click on the word to find the correct spelling from a list of suggestions. Word also does a great job of monitoring grammar as you create your documents, making suggestions for revising your written text to make it more readable. Finally, the Thesaurus feature is another welcome feature offering inspiration when considering your choice of words! Disclaimer: We have no commercial links with these companies or their products, and their appearance in this fact sheet is not an endorsement. This Fact Sheet does not constitute legal advice. © John Owens 2015