1. Word 2019 basics

When you use a computer app to create, edit, and format text documents, you are performing a task known as word processing. Word 2019 is one of the most sophisticated word-processing apps available. You can use Word to efficiently create a wide range of business and personal documents, from a simple letter to a complex report. Word includes many desktop publishing features that you can use to enhance the appearance of documents so that they are visually appealing and easy to read.

The elements that control the appearance of Word and the way you interact with it while you create documents are collectively referred to as the user interface. Some user interface elements, such as the color scheme, are cosmetic. Others, such as toolbars, menus, and buttons, are functional. The default Word configuration and functionality is based on the way that most people work with the app. You can modify cosmetic and functional user interface elements to suit your preferences and working style.

This chapter guides you through procedures related to starting Word, working in the Word user interface, and managing Office and app settings.

When you start Word without opening a specific document, the Word Home page appears. The Home page is a simplified hybrid of the Open and New pages of the Backstage view. It displays file templates and recent files that you might want to reopen. If you’re using Word as part of an Office 365 subscription, it displays files from all the Word instances linked to your account.

The Word Home page

To start Word by opening a document

• In File Explorer, double-click the document.

• In Microsoft Outlook, double-click a document attached to an email message.

To start Word

1. Select the Start button, and then select All apps.

2. In the app list, select any index letter to display the alphabet index, and then select W to scroll the app list to the apps starting with that letter.

3. Scroll the list if necessary, and then select Word to start the app.

• Create professional-looking documents that incorporate impressive graphics.

• Give documents a consistent look by applying styles and themes that control the font, size, color, and effects of text and the page background.

• Store and reuse preformatted elements such as cover pages and sidebars.

• Create personalized mailings to multiple recipients without repetitive typing.

• Track reference information and compile tables of contents, indexes, and bibliographies.

• Find quotes, information sources, and images to support your document content.

• Coauthor documents with team members.

• Safeguard documents by controlling who can make changes and the types of changes that can be made, and by removing personal and confidential information.

When you’re working with a document, it is displayed in an app window that contains all the tools you need to add and format content.

A typical document displayed in Word

The title bar elements differ based on the file-storage location

The Quick Access Toolbar is located, by default, at the left end of the title bar. (You can move it below the ribbon if you prefer.) You can customize it to include any commands that you want to have easily available. The default Quick Access Toolbar in the Word app window displays the Save, Undo, and Redo/Repeat buttons. If the file is stored online in SharePoint or OneDrive, it also includes the AutoSave toggle button, and on a touchscreen device, it includes the Touch/Mouse Mode button.

You can change the location of the Quick Access Toolbar and customize it to include any command to which you want to have easy access.

The four buttons at the right end of the title bar serve the same functions in all Office apps. You control the display of the ribbon by selecting commands on the Ribbon Display Options menu, temporarily hide the app window by selecting the Minimize button, adjust the size of the window by selecting the Restore Down/Maximize button, and close the active document or exit the app by selecting the Close button.

• Standard ribbon tabs These tabs are available regardless of the content you’re working with. The Home tab, which is active by default, contains the most frequently used commands. Other standard tabs contain commands specific to the type of action you want to perform, such as Insert, Draw, and Design.

  

  The File tab leads to the Backstage view

  Tip

  The available ribbon tabs and the appearance of commands on the ribbon might differ from what is shown in this book, based on the apps installed on your computer, the Word settings and window size, the screen settings, and whether your computer has a touchscreen. For more information, see the sidebar “Adapt procedures for your environment” later in this section.

• Object-specific tool tabs When a graphic element such as a picture, table, or chart is selected in a document, one or more tool tabs appear at the right end of the ribbon to make commands related to that specific object easily accessible. Tool tabs are available only when the relevant object is selected. They are differentiated from the standard tabs by color and a tab group name above the tab name.

  

  Typical tool tabs on the ribbon

On each tab, buttons representing commands are organized into named groups. You can point to any button to display a ScreenTip that contains the command name, a description of its function, and its keyboard shortcut (if it has one).

ScreenTips can include the command name, keyboard shortcut, and description

Some buttons include an arrow, which might be integrated with or separate from the button. To determine whether a button and its arrow are integrated, point to the button. If both the button and its arrow become shaded, selecting the button displays options for refining the action of the button. If only the button or arrow becomes shaded when you point to it, selecting the button carries out its default action or applies the current default formatting. Selecting the arrow and then selecting an action carries out the action. Selecting the arrow and then selecting a formatting option applies the formatting and sets it as the default for the button.

Examples of buttons with integrated and separate arrows

When a formatting option has several choices available, they are often displayed in a gallery of images, called thumbnails, that provide a visual representation of each choice. When you select a block of content and then point to a thumbnail in a gallery, the Live Preview feature shows you what the selected content will look like if you select the thumbnail to apply the associated formatting. When a gallery contains more thumbnails than can be shown in the available ribbon space, you can display more thumbnails by selecting the scroll arrow or More button located on the right edge of the gallery. You can display the gallery in a separate floating pane by selecting the dialog box launcher.

You can scroll the gallery content or expand it as a pane

Related but less common commands are not represented as buttons in a group. Instead, they’re available in a dialog box or pane, which you open by selecting the dialog box launcher located in the lower-right corner of the group.

You manage documents and app settings in the Backstage view, which you display by selecting File on the ribbon

The available collaboration tools vary based on the document storage location

You can specify which items you want to display on the status bar

The View Shortcuts toolbar, Zoom slider, and Zoom button are at the right end of the status bar. These tools provide you with convenient methods for changing the display of document content.

You can change the onscreen display of document content from the View Shortcuts toolbar

For example, when sufficient horizontal space is available, the buttons on the References tab of the Word app window are spread out, and you can review the commands available in each group.

At 1152 pixels wide, most button labels are visible

If you decrease the horizontal space available to the ribbon, small button labels disappear, large buttons change to small buttons, and entire groups of buttons might hide under one button that represents the entire group. Selecting the group button displays a list of the commands available in that group.

When insufficient horizontal space is available, labels disappear and groups collapse under buttons

When the ribbon becomes too narrow to display all the groups, a scroll arrow appears at its right end. Selecting the scroll arrow displays the hidden groups.

Scroll to display additional group buttons

The width of the ribbon depends on these three factors:

• Window width Maximizing the app window provides the most space for the ribbon.

• Screen resolution Screen resolution is the size of your screen display expressed as pixels wide × pixels high. The greater the screen resolution, the greater the amount of information that will fit on one screen. Your screen resolution options depend on the display adapter installed in your computer, and on your monitor. Common screen resolutions range from 800 × 600 to 2560 × 1440 (and some are larger). The greater the number of pixels wide (the first number), the greater the number of buttons that can be shown on the ribbon.

• The magnification of your screen display If you change the screen magnification setting in Windows, text and user interface elements are larger and therefore more legible, but fewer elements fit on the screen.

You can hide the ribbon completely if you don’t need access to any of its buttons, or hide it so that only its tabs are visible. (This is a good way to gain vertical space when working on a smaller screen.) Then you can temporarily redisplay the ribbon to select a button, or permanently redisplay it if you need to select several buttons.

If you’re working on a touchscreen device, you can turn on Touch mode, which provides more space between buttons on the ribbon and status bar. (It doesn’t affect the layout of dialog boxes or panes.) The extra space is intended to lessen the possibility of accidentally tapping the wrong button with your finger. The same commands are available in Touch mode as in Mouse mode (the standard desktop app user interface), but they’re sometimes hidden under group buttons.

Touch mode has a greater amount of space between Quick Access Toolbar, ribbon, Navigation pane, and status bar elements

You can switch between Touch mode and Mouse mode from the Quick Access Toolbar. Switching any one of the primary Office apps (Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, or Word) to Touch mode turns it on in all of them.

To maximize the app window

• Select the Maximize button.

• Double-click the title bar.

• Drag the borders of a non-maximized window.

• Drag the window to the top of the screen. (When the pointer touches the top of the screen, the dragged window maximizes.)

To change the screen resolution

1. Do either of the following to open the Display pane of the System settings page:

   • Right-click the Windows 10 desktop, and then select Display settings.

   • Enter screen resolution in Windows Search, and then in the search results, select Change the resolution of the display.

2. In the Display pane, in the Resolution list, select the screen resolution you want. Windows displays a preview of the selected screen resolution.

3. If you like the change, select Keep changes in the message box that appears. If you don’t, select Revert or wait for the screen resolution to automatically revert to the previous setting.

To change the magnification

1. Do either of the following to open the Display pane of the System settings page:

   • Right-click the Windows 10 desktop, and then select Display settings.

   • Enter screen resolution in Windows Search, and then in the search results, select Change the resolution of the display.

2. In the Display pane, scroll to the Scale and layout area.

3. In the Change the size of text, apps, and other items list, do either of the following:

   • Select the standard scaling option you want.

   • Select Custom scaling and enter a custom scaling size from 100 percent through 500 percent.

To completely hide the ribbon

1. Near the right end of the title bar, select the Ribbon Display Options button.

   

   The Ribbon Display Options button is on the title bar so that it is available when the ribbon is hidden

2. On the Ribbon Display Options menu, select Auto-hide Ribbon.

   Tip

   To redisplay the ribbon, select the Ribbon Display Options button and then select Show Tabs or Show Tabs And Commands.

To display only the ribbon tabs

• Double-click any active tab name.

• Near the upper-right corner of the app window, select the Ribbon Display Options button, and then select Show Tabs.

• In the lower-right corner of the ribbon, select the Collapse the Ribbon button.

• Press Ctrl+F1.

To temporarily redisplay the ribbon

• Select any tab name to display the tab until you select a command or click away from the ribbon.

To permanently redisplay the ribbon

• Select any tab name, and then in the lower-right corner of the ribbon, select the Pin the ribbon button (the pushpin).

• Double-click any tab name.

• Near the upper-right corner of the app window, select the Ribbon Display Options button, and then select Show Tabs and Commands.

• Press Ctrl+F1.

To optimize the ribbon for touch interaction

• On the Quick Access Toolbar, select the Touch/Mouse Mode button, and then select Touch.

To specify the items that appear on the status bar

1. Right-click the status bar to display the Customize Status Bar menu. A check mark indicates each currently enabled item.

2. Click or tap to enable or disable a status bar indicator or tool. The change is effected immediately. The menu remains open to permit multiple selections.

3. When you finish, click away from the menu to close it.

The Account page of the Backstage view in Word displays information about your installation of Word (and other apps in the Office suite) and the resources you connect to. This information includes:

• Your Microsoft account and links to manage it.

• The current app window background and theme.

• Storage locations and services (such as OneDrive and SharePoint) that you’ve connected Office to.

• Your subscription information and links to manage the subscription, if you have Office through an Office 365 subscription.

• The installed version and build number, update options, and links to information about Word and recent updates.

Account information in Word

Two ways you can personalize the appearance of your Word app window are by choosing an Office background and an Office theme. (These are specific to Office and aren’t associated with the Windows theme or desktop background.) The Office background is a subtle design that appears in the title bar of the app window. There are 14 backgrounds to choose from, or you can choose not to have a background.

Backgrounds depict a variety of subjects

In addition to setting a background, you can set an Office theme. At the time of this writing, there are four Office themes:

• Colorful This theme displays the title bar and ribbon tabs in a color specific to the app (blue for Word), and the ribbon commands, status bar, and Backstage view in light gray.

• Dark Gray This theme displays the title bar and ribbon tabs in dark gray, and the ribbon commands, status bar, and Backstage view in light gray.

• Black This theme displays the title bar, ribbon tabs, ribbon commands, and status bar in black and dark gray.

• White This theme displays the title bar, ribbon tabs, and ribbon commands in white, and the status bar in the app-specific color.

From the Connected Services area of the page, you can connect Word to YouTube accounts to access videos, and to SharePoint sites and OneDrive storage locations to share documents. You must already have an account with one of these services to connect Office to it.

Until you connect to storage locations, they aren’t available to you from within Word. For example, when inserting a picture onto a page, you will have the option to insert a locally stored picture or to search online for a picture. After you connect to your SharePoint or OneDrive accounts, you can also insert pictures stored in those locations.

The changes that you make on the Account page of Word apply to all the Office apps installed on all the computers associated with your Microsoft account. For example, changing the Office background in Word on one computer also changes it in Outlook on any other computer on which you’ve associated Office with the same account.

Some of the settings on the Account page are also available in the Word Options dialog box, which you open from the Backstage view. This dialog box also contains hundreds of options for controlling the way Word works. Chapter 16, “Customize options and the user interface,” provides in-depth coverage of these options. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the dialog box content so you know what you can modify.

To display your Office account settings

1. With Word running, select the File tab to display the Backstage view.

2. In the left pane of the Backstage view, select Account.

To manage your Microsoft account settings and connection

1. Display the Account page of the Backstage view.

2. In the User Information area, select Change photo, About me, Sign out, or Switch account to begin the selected process.

To change the app window background for all Office apps

• On the Account page, in the Office Background list, point to any background to display a live preview in the app window, and then select the background you want.

To change the app window color theme for all Office apps

• On the Account page, in the Office Theme list, select Colorful, Dark Gray, Black, or White.

To connect to a cloud storage location or social media service

1. On the Account page, at the bottom of the Connected Services area, select Add a service, select the type of service you want to add, and then select the specific service.

2. To add a SharePoint or OneDrive storage location, select Storage and then the specific service you want to add.

3. To add a Facebook or YouTube connection, do either of the following:

   • Select Other Sites, select Sign in, and then sign in with your Microsoft account credentials.

   • If you’re already signed in, select Images & Videos and then the specific service you want to add.

You can connect to OneDrive and OneDrive For Business sites by selecting the OneDrive link

To manage your Office 365 subscription

1. On the Account page, in the Product Information area, select Manage Account to display the sign-in page for your Office 365 management interface.

2. Provide your account credentials and sign in to access your options.

To manage Office updates

• On the Account page, select Update Options, and then select the action you want to take.

You can install available updates from the Backstage view before the automatic installation occurs

To open the Word Options dialog box

• In the left pane of the Backstage view, select Options.

You can get information about a specific topic or command, or locate a person or file, by using the Tell Me feature that is conveniently located to the right of the ribbon tabs.

The easy path to help in Word

The new Help tab provides access to app information and training resources, as well as a way to contact the Microsoft Support team or submit feedback about your experience using Word. You can browse general information about Word, and find links to additional training resources, in the Help pane.

The Help pane displays online content from a variety of resources

As you use Word and find things that work or don’t work for you, you can provide feedback directly to Microsoft from within the program. You can review and vote for existing feature requests, and add your own requests. This functionality has been available to early reviewers in the past but is now available to all Office users.

Send feedback and feature requests

To use the Tell Me feature

1. On the ribbon, to the right of the tabs, select the Tell me what you want to do box.

2. In the search box that appears, enter a term to display a list of related commands and links to online resources, contacts, and documents.

To display the Help pane

• Press F1.

• On the Help tab, in the Help & Support group, select Help.

To display the Feedback page of the Backstage view

• At the right end of the ribbon, select the Feedback button (the smiley face).

• On the Help tab, in the Help & Support group, select Feedback.

• Select the File tab to display the Backstage view, and then select the Feedback tab.

To send positive or negative feedback about a Word feature

1. If you want to include a screenshot of something specific with your feedback, display it on-screen before proceeding.

2. Display the Feedback page of the Backstage view.

3. Select either Send a Smile or Send a Frown to open a feedback window.

   

   Send detailed feedback to the Office team

   Tip

   The feedback window is a modal window, so you can’t perform other activities while it is open. If you want to close the window without submitting your feedback, select the Close button in the window’s upper-right corner.

4. In the Tell us what you liked (or Tell us what you didn’t like) box, enter your feedback. Be as specific as possible; if you’re reporting a problem, detail the steps that led to the problem.

5. If you do not want to submit the current screenshot that appears in the window, clear the Include screenshot check box.

6. If you do not want Microsoft to follow up with you on your query, clear the Include email address check box. Otherwise, enter the email address Microsoft can contact you at for further information.

7. If you’re submitting negative feedback and you do not want Microsoft to receive system data that might help to diagnose a problem Word is having, clear the Include diagnostic and usage data check box.

8. Select Submit to send your feedback.

To suggest changes to Word

1. Display the Feedback page, and then select Send a Suggestion to go to the online feedback forum for the app you’re working in.

2. In the Enter your idea box, enter basic terms related to your idea to filter the existing ideas.

3. If an existing idea is the suggestion you want to make, vote for it by selecting Vote to the left of the idea title.

4. If your idea hasn’t already been suggested, select Post a new idea, enter a detailed yet succinct description of your idea, enter your email address (for Microsoft’s use only), and then select Post idea.

1. Use one of the procedures described in this chapter to start Word.

2. When the Word Home page appears, press the Esc key to create a new blank document.

1. On each tab of the ribbon, do the following:

   • Review the available groups and commands.

   • Display the ScreenTip of any command you’re not familiar with. Notice the different levels of detail in the ScreenTips.

   • If a group has a dialog box launcher in its lower-right corner, select it to display the associated dialog box or pane.

2. Change the width of the app window and notice the effect it has on the ribbon. When the window is narrow, locate a group button and select it to display the commands.

3. Maximize the app window. Hide the ribbon entirely and notice the change in the app window. Redisplay the ribbon tabs (but not the commands). Temporarily display the ribbon commands, and then click away from the ribbon to close it.

4. Use any of the procedures described in this chapter to permanently redisplay the ribbon tabs and commands.

5. Display the status bar shortcut menu and identify the tools and statistics that are currently displayed on the status bar. Add any indicators to the status bar that will be useful to you.

6. Keep the document open in Word for use in the next set of practice tasks.

1. Display the Account page of the Backstage view and review the information available there.

2. Expand the Office Background list. Point to each background to display a live preview of it. Then select the background you want to apply.

3. Apply each of the Office themes and consider its merits. Then apply the theme you like best.

   Tip

   If you apply a theme other than Colorful, your interface colors will be different from the interface shown in the screenshots in this book, but the functionality will be the same.

4. Review the services that Office is currently connected to. Expand the Add a service menu and point to each of the menu items to display the available services. Connect to any of these that you want to use.

5. Select the Update Options button and note whether updates are currently available to install.

   Tip

   When updates are available, the update process takes from 1 to 5 minutes and requires that you exit all the Office apps, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer. If updates are available, apply them after you finish the practice tasks in this chapter.

6. On the Update Options menu, select View Updates to display the What’s New webpage in your default browser. Review the information on this page to learn about any new features that interest you.

7. Return to Word and open the Word Options dialog box.

8. Explore each page of the dialog box. Notice the sections and the settings in each section. Note the settings that apply only to the current file.

9. Review the settings on the General page and modify them as necessary to fit the way you work. Then close the dialog box.

10. Close the document without saving changes.

1. Using the Tell Me feature or Help pane, locate information about inserting 3D models into documents. Then research any other topics that interest you.

2. From the ribbon, display the Feedback page of the Backstage view and review the options available there.

3. Select Send a Suggestion to go to the Word online feedback forum. Review the feature requests that have already been made. If you find a feature request that would be particularly helpful to you, vote for it.

4. Close the webpage and return to the Feedback page of the Word Backstage view.

5. If you have already found a feature that you like or dislike, display that feature or an example of it, and then send feedback that includes a screenshot.