Everyone who works with text documents in the office Word editor knows that the readability and appearance of the typed text often plays a paramount role in the perception of the material and the document as a whole. For this, the so-called formatting is used. Next, it will be shown how to format the text in Word using a few simple rules. These tips will be useful to everyone, without exception, and the created document will look more presentable.
What does it mean "Format text in Word"?
Let's start the concept of text formatting. What it is? Roughly speaking, this is the design of the material in such a way that it is easily perceived visually when read.
Agree, because small or too large letters are not accepted by everyone. The same applies to moments when, for example, some of the main points are not highlighted, and the reader may simply lose the main idea of the content. All sorts of catchy fonts can also make the text completely unreadable, not to mention the use of color schemes or fills (if this is absolutely unnecessary) and the absence of paragraphs when the text is “crumpled”.
How to format text in Word, and what to look for first?
So, what kind of design tools are available in the editor itself? Speaking about how to format text in Word, the following can be distinguished among the fundamental principles of processing:
- font design (type, size, case, spaces between letters and characters, color, fill, etc.);
- alignment of text on the page;
- setting paragraphs and indents;
- assignment of parameters of document pages;
- text processing with the creation of additional design elements (headers, columns, footers, lists).
Working with fonts
Let's start with the simplest - setting the font options. How to format text in Word using this toolkit? Very simple. To do this, in the editor (if you do not take into account sections of the main menus of the main panel), all the necessary tools are placed on the toolbar and are located in a special section with buttons and drop-down menus.
In principle, the question of how to format the text in Word 2007, 2003, 2010, 2013 or 2016 is easily solved in all versions. First, select the desired font from the drop-down list (for example, Times New Roman), then set the font size from the same list (it is better to use 12 or 14).
After that, by pressing the highlight buttons, you can set its type (bold, italics, underlined, crossed out). To the right, there are buttons for changing the color of the font itself or its background fill. You should not get carried away with the use of such a design, and use it only in extreme cases when it is necessary to emphasize the importance of content. The same goes for setting the previous parameters.
Text alignment
The next step will be to set the text alignment options. By default, the editor is set to left alignment. But such a position of the text for reading is not always convenient.
The toolbar has four main buttons for setting alignment:
- on the left edge;
- in the center;
- on the right side;
- in width.
Alignment along the edges or in the center is usually applied in case of creating “caps” or setting a place, say, for signing in a contract. The most convenient is justification in width, in which the first and last letters of each line are located at the same distance from the edge of the page, not counting paragraphs. How to format text in Word in width? Yes, just select the desired fragment and press the corresponding button. You can also click it if you are only supposed to enter text (empty line).
Indentation
Now you need to highlight paragraphs or red lines. In the simplest case, when entering text from the red line, you can use the Tab key, for which the default horizontal indentation is 1.25 cm.
You can change it and additional parameters by moving the slider in the form of triangles and corners on the horizontal ruler (but only if the corresponding document display mode is active).
Pay attention to the view buttons located on the panel in its right part. To quickly set vertical intervals, you can use the predefined view settings (for example, without an interval, normal, headers, etc.).
In the case when you need to apply strictly defined parameters, in Word versions 2010 and above, you must use the Layout menu and the section for setting the interval between paragraphs. Here, all custom indents can be specified manually. Particular attention should be paid to the line spacing menu. Many users who at one time typed diplomas in the editor know that the requirements indicate a one and a half interval, which can be selected from the drop-down list or set the value yourself.
Page settings
Another point in considering how to format text in Word is related to setting the parameters of the page itself, which can be accessed in the latest versions of the editor through the design menu with a choice of margins, orientation, or sheet size.
Typically, when creating documents, an A4 sheet format with a portrait (vertical) orientation is used. When choosing the desired values, these parameters can be changed at your discretion. As for the installation of the fields, returning to the issue of completing the thesis, it is necessary to set the left margin of 3 cm, the right margin of 2 cm, upper and lower margins of 1.5 cm. If there are no requirements, as such, the default values can be left untouched or changed them, depending on your preference.
In the design section for the page, you can apply the setting of borders and substrates, change the color or apply special themes (unless the document was created or opened in compatibility mode with file saving in DOC format of older versions of the editor, and not in DOCX format of the current version of the program).
Headers, Lists, Columns and Headers
You can easily select headers using the buttons on the main panel, where you can select the desired view from several built-in templates.
When creating lists, special buttons for setting markers, numbering or multi-level lists are used. Each has a expandable menu where you can select a specific template or configure the list display options yourself.
Headers in which the input text is displayed on each page can be set from the insert menu (top or bottom). Their parameters can also be changed. There are also tools for inserting page numbers, notes, links, etc. (if provided for by the structure of the document).
Pattern formatting
Finally, suppose you formatted a piece of text that you need or a specific section. The editor has an interesting opportunity to use formatting according to the model.
The button for its application is located on the panel, if the main menu is used. Simply select the desired fragment of text, click on the button (it will turn into a brush with a pointer), then move the cursor to another fragment and click the left mouse button. After that, the format will be applied without changing the text content of the fragment.
Note: you can also use all kinds of templates, styles and many other tools that were not discussed in detail here, since the emphasis was on manual formatting.