Instructions for microsoft word

It's OK to combine short steps that occur in the same place in the UI. Use imperative verb forms. In instructions, customers really want you to tell them what to do. Use consistent sentence structures. For example, always use a phrase when you need to tell the customer where to start. The rest of the time, start each sentence with a verb. Examples On the ribbon, go to the Design tab.

Open Photos. For Alignment , choose Left. Use a period after each step. Try to format the text so that the user input appears on a new line. Limit a procedure to seven steps, and preferably fewer. Try to fit all the steps on the same screen. If you're using a consistent format for step-by-step instructions, use the same format for single-step instructions, but replace the number with a bullet. Example To move a group of tiles.

If you need to make sure the customer begins in the right place, provide a brief phrase at the beginning of the step. Example On the Design tab, select Header Row. Example On the ribbon, go to the Design tab. Abbreviate simple sequences by using right angle brackets. Include a space before and after each bracket, and don't make the brackets bold. Check with an accessibility expert before using this approach.

By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. This wikiHow teaches you how to create, navigate, and format a Microsoft Word document.

Part 1. Open the Microsoft Word application. Do this by double-clicking the Microsoft Word icon. Review the available templates. On the right side of the screen, you'll see several templates of interest: Blank document - A blank document with default formatting. Student Report with Cover Photo - A document format geared toward an academic demographic.

Fax Cover Sheet - A document to preface fax reports. You can also search for specific templates online from within Word by using the search bar at the top of this screen. Choose a template. Doing so will open the template in Word with whatever pre-determined formatting applies to it. Now that your document is open, you're ready to review your Toolbar options. When in doubt, open a blank document. Part 2. Click the File tab. It's in the top left side of the screen or in the menu bar for Mac users.

From here, you have several useful options on the far left side of your screen: Info PC only - Click this to review the documents statistics, such as when it was last modified, as well as any potential issues with the document. New - Click this to bring up the "New Document" page that lists all of the pre-formatted templates.

Opening a new document will prompt you to save your old one. Open - Click this to review a list of recently-opened documents. You can also select a directory e. Save - Click this to save your document. If this is your first time saving this particular document, you'll be prompted to enter a name, save location, and preferred file format as well.

Save As - Click this to save your document "as" something e. Print - Click this to bring up your printer settings. Share - Click this to view sharing options for this document, including email and cloud options.

Export - Click this to quickly create a PDF or change the file type. If you're using a Mac, you won't have this option--simply click your document to exit the "File" menu. Review the Home tab to see your formatting options. At the top of your screen--from left to right--are five sub-sections of this tab: Clipboard - Whenever you copy text, it is saved on your clipboard.

You can view copied text by clicking the Clipboard option here. Font - From this section, you can change your font style, size, color, formatting e. Paragraph - You can change aspects of your paragraph formatting--such as line spacing, indentation, and bullet formatting--from this section.

Styles - This section covers different types of text for various situations e. You'll also see the popular "No Spacing" option here, which removes excess spaces between lines of text. Editing - A couple of commonly-used tools--such as "Find and Replace", which allows you to quickly replace all appearances of one word with another--live here.

Click the Insert tab to review the types of media you can place in your document. Insert is to the right of the Home tab. The Insert tab allows you to add things like graphics and page numbers to your document. From left to right, a couple of notable options include the following: Table - Clicking this option will allow you to create an Excel-style table right in your document.

Pictures - Use this feature to insert a picture into your document. The Header places a space at the top of the document for comment, while the Footer goes at the bottom--page numbers are customizable. You can select these equations or symbols from the pertinent drop-down menu. Click the Design tab to create your own template. It's to the right of the Insert tab. The Design tab contains pre-designed themes and formats listed across the top of the page.

Click the Layout tab to customize your page's formatting. This tab contains options for changing the following aspects of your document: Margins Page orientation vertical or horizontal Page size Number of columns defaults to one Location of page breaks Indentation.

Click the References to manage your citations. If you have a bibliography page, you can also manage it from here. For quick bibliography formatting, click the Bibliography drop-down menu and select a template. The "Captions" group has an option to insert a table of figures. This is useful for scientific review papers or similar documents in which statistical data is prioritized over quotations. Click the Mailings tab to review your document sharing options.

You can review your email settings and share your documents from within this section. You can also print an envelope or label template by clicking the pertinent option in the top left corner of your screen. The Select Recipients drop-down menu allows you to choose Outlook contacts as well as an existing contact list within Word. Click the Review tab. The Review section is geared towards editing, so it includes options for marking up documents and proofreading.

The "Changes" section - This is to the far right of the toolbar. From here, you can enable the "Track Changes" feature which automatically formats any additions or deletions you make in a document to appear in red print. Decide on the set of options that best apply to your work. If you're a student, for example, you'll likely use the Insert and References tab often. Now that you're familiar with the toolbar options, you can format your first Word document.

Part 3.