Using the Highlighter

Need to draw attention to some text? Consider using the Highlight tool, which functions just like the highlighter pens you pick up at the office supply store.

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Cannot Open Multiple Word Documents

What are you to do if you try to open a document and Word automatically closes your previous document? Word is not supposed to act this way, and it can be frustrating. Here are some ideas on how you can track down the problem.

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Use Tables Effectively

Microsoft Word is wonderful at presenting data clearly and easily. Creating a table is one of the ways you can present your data. Creating tables is easy, but using them effectively can be tricky. WordTips: Terrific Tables allows you to get the most from your tables.

Hiding Smart Tags

If you don't want to see Smart Tags displayed in your document, you can instruct Word to hide them. Here's how to make the simple configuration change to turn them off.

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Applying Numbers from the Keyboard

Creating a numbered list is often done by using tools on the toolbars or the ribbon. With a bit of preparation you can create numbered lists using keyboard shortcuts.

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Do you like to learn visually? Make sure you check out the WordTips YouTube channel. New videos are added weekly. (I typically try to add them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)

New video: Using Two Characters as a Drop Cap
Want to add drop caps to your layout? They can provide a nice, appealing design element, but how you actually create the drop caps can be critical to your success.

New video: Missing Top and Bottom Margins
You get your document set up just the way you want it, and then notice that all of a sudden Word doesn't show any top or bottom margins for your on-screen pages. This can be disconcerting, until you know that this is actually a feature in Word, as described in this Quick Tip.

I've been publishing WordTips for years. Decades, actually. The newsletter you are reading right now is for very old versions of Word. I still publish it because I know that some people are still using very old versions of Word. Most people, however, are using newer versions of the program. If you are are using a newer version of Word (2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, or the version in Microsoft 365), then you should seriously consider changing to the version of the newsletter designed for you. You can do so by clicking this link.

Thanks for your support of WordTips, and I hope you enjoy whichever version of the newsletter you receive. If you have any questions, just let me know.