Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

Each of the Office applications allows you to configure a look for a document, spreadsheet, publication or presentation and then save it as a template so that you can reuse it anytime.

Templates in PowerPoint 2010

In PowerPoint you’ll create your presentation and then save it using File > Save As and select from the Save As Type list choose PowerPoint Template (*.potx). Give your presentation template a name and click Save.

save a presentationt as a template in powerpoint 2010 step1 e1334179034234 Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

In future you can locate this presentation by choosing File > New > My Templates and click on the template to use it as the basis of a new document.

save a presentationt as a template in powerpoint 2010 step2 e1334179064797 Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

Templates in Word 2010

In Microsoft Word choose File > Save As and from the Save As Type dropdown list choose Word Template (*.dotx). In the top left of the dialog click the Templates option to make sure that the template will be stored in the correct location and give the template a name.

save a document as a template in word 2010 step1 e1334179328964 Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

In future choose File > New > My Templates and select the template to use.

save a document as a template in word 2010 step2 Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

Templates in Excel 2010

In Microsoft Excel, you can save the look of your document so that it can be used as the basis of a new document by choosing File > Save as and choose Excel Template (*.xltx ) as the file type. Type a name and save the template file.

save a worksheet as a template in excel 2010 step1 Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

In future you can base a new worksheet on this template by choosing File > New > My Templates and select it from the Personal Templates list.

save a worksheet as a template in excel 2010 step2 e1334179097976 Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

Templates in Publisher 2010

In Publisher you’ll choose File > Save As and then select Publisher Template (*.pub). Type a name for the template and click Save.

save a publication as a template in publisher 2010 step1 e1334179120220 Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

In future you can access this template by choosing File > New > My Templates, select the template and click Create. You may need to close and reopen your software before the new templates are available.

save a publication as a template in publisher 2010 step2 e1334179151765 Office 2010 – how to save files as templates

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 8:00 amNo Comments links to this post

Friday, October 14th, 2011

Reformatting pasted text in Word

linebreaks Reformatting pasted text in Word

I recently grabbed some text from an email that I’d sent to someone. The text was in numbered point form and I wanted to add some more items inside the list of points. This is where everything started to go hair-raisingly wrong.

It seemed as if my list was no longer reformatting correctly and the numbers were everywhere. Worse still, that old standby of copying and pasting formats using the FormatPainter didn’t fix the problem.

By selecting the Show/Hide¶ icon on the Home tab in Word I immediately saw the problem. Instead of paragraph marks at the end of each paragraph there were bent arrows indicating a manual line break. I didn’t put them there but the email software had.

To get my list back to something that I could work with, I needed to quickly replace the manual line breaks with paragraph breaks.

If you open the Find and Replace dialog and click in the Find What: box you immediately see the problem – how do I tell it what a manual line break is and what a paragraph break is? The solution is to click the More button to show more options. Then click Special to get access to the Manual Line Break character. It’s actually a carat and what looks like a pipe symbol but it’s easiest to get this by clicking  this by clicking Manual Line Break because the pipe symbol on the keyboard isn’t the right one – go figure!

Then click in the Replace With box and select the Paragraph Mark  - this one you can type manually as it is carat + p (^p) but since you’re there why not click to insert it instead. Now click Less to return the dialog to what it looked like before and click Replace All to turn all the manual line breaks back to regular paragraph marks. Now my numbering worked just fine.

Labels: , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 5:47 pm1 Comment links to this post

Monday, January 24th, 2011

Join two tables together in Word

Word join two tables together1 Join two tables together in Word

Quite often you’ll find that you have two tables in a Word document and you want to join the two together to make just one table. The solution is simple but way from obvious.

To do this, first select over all the cells in one of the two tables. If the table is underneath the one you want to join it up to, then press Alt + Shift + Up Arrow to move the table up the document so that it joins the bottom of the table before it. Keep pressing the key until the top row that you have selected joins the bottom border of the one above.

If you have selected the topmost table, then press Alt + Shift + Down Arrow until the top table locks onto the table below.

You can also drag one table up or down until it joins but this method is very slick. It also works on a single row so you can take one row from one table and move only it to join up with another table or to become a table all of its own. Experiment with this key combination – I’m sure you will love it.

Once you’ve done this, the tables will be joined to make one single table. If desired, you can then adjust the positioning of the columns so that the columns match between the two tables – this isn’t required but you may want to do it if the columns are supposed to be the same throughout.

Labels: , , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 9:36 am8 Comments links to this post

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Word – place a table over newspaper columns

Word place table over two columns Word place a table over newspaper columns

Sometimes you’ll need to include a table in a document but place it so that it’s placed over a series of columns rather than inside the column itself.

To do this, click where you want the table to appear and insert the table at this point.

Hold your mouse over the table and you’ll see the table selector above the top left corner of the table. Click it to select the table and drag the table into position.

The default text wrap settings for a table in Word is that the text wraps around the table so there’s no special option to set to make this happen.

You can widen the table cells as large as necessary. If desired, the table can be sized so it fits the full width of the page or you can make it any size that you want.

To adjust the wrapping of text around a table, right click the table selector (the little square above its top left edge) and choose Table Properties > Table tab. Here you can select how text flows around the table or you can make it not flow around it if you want the table to push the text completely out of its way.

Here too you can alter the alignment of the table – by choosing Left, Center or Right.

This table behavior is consistent across Word 2007, 2010, 2003 and earlier versions.

Labels: , , , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 9:19 amNo Comments links to this post

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Word: Inserting a line Between Columns

Word columns line between columns Word: Inserting a line Between Columns

One of the features of Microsoft Word is the ability to insert a line between columns in a Word document.

In Word 2003 and earlier choose Format > Columns and there is an option for Line Between in the dialog. Select it and click Ok and a line will appear between the columns.

In Word 2007 and 2010 the option is harder to find. You need to select the Page Layout > Columns > More Columns Option. This opens the Columns dialog, which gives you the opportunity to select the Line Between checkbox.

If you want to disable this feature, go back to the columns dialog and disable the checkbox.

Labels: , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 9:06 am1 Comment links to this post

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

Create and Undo Columns in Word

Word create two columns delete columns Create and Undo Columns in Word

Continuing the short series on working with columns in Word, here’s how to create a column layout in Word.

Create two columns

To turn an entire document into columns in Word 2007 and 2010 click the Page Layout tab and select Columns > Two. This immediately formats all the text in your document into two columns.

In Word 2003 you’ll choose Format > Columns, select Two (or Three etc.,) and click Ok.

Remove two columns

To undo the change and set your document back to one column in effectively undoing the two columns, repeat the process. In Word 2007 or Word 2010, choose Page Layout > Columns > One. The default for any document is one column so all you’re doing is going back to the default. In Word 2003 choose Format > Columns > One.

Make only part of the document into columns

If you want only part of a document to be in columns then select that part of the document first. For example, you may select all the content after the heading, leaving the heading unselected so it will be full width of the page. With that content selected, choose Page Layout > Columns and then select the number of columns.

This will make just the selected text into columns, leaving everything else full width of the page.

Again, if that piece of text ever needs to be returned to a single column just click inside it, choose Page Layout > Columns > One and it will be restore to the way it used to look.

So, that’s how to make text in columns in Word, how to delete columns and how to make only part of a document into columns.

Labels: , , , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 9:43 am1 Comment links to this post

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Moving between columns in Word

Word jump move switch between columns Moving between columns in Word
One of the most difficult things that people find with working with columns in Word is moving between the columns.

The reason is that the process itself is anything but easy.

The Tab key, which will move you between cells in columns in a table, doesn’t work inside newspaper style columns in Word so that key is out.

Instead, to move or jump from one column to the next you’ll press Alt + Page Down to go to the column on the right (the second column) or Alt + Page Up to move to the first column.

When you click Alt + Page Down, if you are in column 1 you’ll go to the very top of column 2. If you keep pressing the key you’ll flip between the top character in each column.

If you’re somewhere in column 2, when you press Alt + Page Up you’ll go to the top of column 1.

These are the only specialist keys for moving or switching between columns – we could use more – like jumping from a line in one column to the same line in the one next to it – but nada! Sorry!

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 8:03 am3 Comments links to this post

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Typing in the second column in Word

Word type text in second column Typing in the second column in Word

Ok, so you’ve formatted your text to be two columns in Word and you’ve typed something in the first column. You haven’t filled the first column because you don’t want to. Fair enough – it’s your document – your choice.

But you do want to type something in the next or second column but however hard you try – Word won’t play nice. It wants you to fill column one before you get to fill column two – you don’t want to – so you’re at a stalemate.

The solution is to force Word to the top of the second column and you do this by inserting a break. In Word 2002/2003 choose Insert> Break > Column Break.

In Word 2007 & 2010 choose Page Layout tab> Breaks > Column.

Now you can type at the top of the second column. Yeah!

Labels: , , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 7:40 am1 Comment links to this post

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

Picture between columns in Word

Word images span columns Picture between columns in WordI get a lot of folks at projectwoman.com who come looking for help with columns and Word – anything from Word 2002 through 2003 to 2007 and now 2010. I have to think the reason is that Microsoft doesn’t make it as easy as it thinks to work with columns.

In the next few posts I’ll show you some things to do with columns that I think most folk have trouble with.

First up, how to put a picture in between columns in Word. Start by formatting your text in columns and then add your picture.

Chances are it won’t move and sit between columns. The issue is that Word inserts images as In Line With Text by default which is the setting MOST OF US WOULDN’T USE IN 1,000 YEARS – but Microsoft doesn’t really understand most users and so that’s what we get – images that are stuck – they won’t move where we want them to go and they won’t rotate.

To fix this, in Word 2002/2003 from the Picture toolbar find the Text Wrapping button, click it and choose practically anything except In Line With Text – I choose Square because it is the best all round setting.

In Word 2007/2010 click the Picture and from the Picture Tools > Format tab on the ribbon click the Text Wrapping button and choose Square.

Now your picture does what you expected it to do in the first place – it moves, it can be rotated and when you drag it over the space between two columns it sits where it is put and it pushes the text out of the way around it. Neat huh?

One day… maybe Microsoft will hear our cries of frustration and insert images so they behave like they should without us having to jump through hoops to make them.

Labels: , , , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 8:23 pm4 Comments links to this post

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Microsoft Office columns at SmallBusinessComputing.com

Microsoft Office How to articles smallbusinesscomputing Microsoft Office columns at SmallBusinessComputing.com

I work for some totally cool people and organizations. One of them is SmallBusinessComputing.com. I write a lot of pragmatic Office columns for the site – I love getting down to the tools you most need to use every day and where you can make get the most time saved.

Well my editor loves my stuff so she has created a How To with Helen Bradley page which includes links to all my columns. You can either head over there and browse to find what you want, or read on – I’ve grabbed all the things there and the links to make it super simple for you to read any of the articles on the site. The first link to Time Saving tips for better letters in Word got picked up by one of the NYTimes business blogs:

5 Time-Saving Tips for Better Letters in Microsoft Word

[October 26, 2010] Does your small business software work as hard as you do? Helen Bradley offers five Microsoft Word tips to save you time and help you write great business letters.

Small Business Software: Microsoft Word 2010

[October 21, 2010] Microsoft Office 2010 is packed with changes and cool new features that can help any small business. Let our tour guide show you what’s different so you can make the most of this small business software staple.

How to Make a Small Business Website Banner

[September 20, 2010] Simple touches can make your small business Web design stand out. Helen Bradley explains how to create a great-looking collage banner for your small business website.

Small Business Solution: Manage Your Money in Excel

[August 23, 2010] Helen Bradley explains how any SMB can project and track cash flow with a budget in Excel.

5 Image-Editing Tips to Improve Any Photo

[July 20, 2010] Helen Bradley shows you five ways to make your small business website photos look better using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.

MS Office Live Brings Small Business Computing Online

[June 21, 2010] Helen Bradley explains how you can leverage your small business software using Microsoft Office Live Workspaces and SkyDrive.

Microsoft Small Business Software: OneNote

[May 20, 2010] Helen Bradley introduces Microsoft’s note-taking and research tool (not to mention unsung hero), OneNote 2003.

Small Business Software: Survey Forms in Word 2007

[April 28, 2010] Surveys are a great way to find out what your customers are thinking. This Word 2007 tutorial will teach you how to create your own survey forms, plus it offers a few tips on writing better surveys.

Customer Databases as Marketing Tools

[April 21, 2010] A strong customer database is a valuable asset and a great small business marketing tool. Are you making the most of yours?

Small Business Software: 7 Tips for Excel Charts

[April 8, 2010] Use small business technology to your advantage. These seven handy Excel charting features make the data in your charts easier to read and comprehend.

Small Business Marketing: How to Create a Web Site

[March 22, 2010] A Web site is one of the most essential Internet marketing tools for a small business. Helen Bradley explains the basics of creating a Web site without spending a fortune.

Multimedia How-To: Producer for PowerPoint 2007

[March 8, 2010] Need a creative boost to your small business marketing materials? Helen Bradley shows how to add multimedia to your presentations with Producer for PowerPoint 2007.

E-mail Marketing: Create a Newsletter in Publisher

[February 19, 2010] Give your small business marketing a boost by making your own custom e-mail newsletter. Helen Bradley shows how easy it is to do in Microsoft Publisher 2003.

How To Make Image Maps in PowerPoint 2003

[January 4, 2010] Helen Bradley explains how to create clickable hotspots, or image maps, that simplify navigating a PowerPoint presentation.

Find Info Fast: How to Create an Index in MS Word

[December 17, 2009] Helen Bradley walks you through Word 2007’s built-in indexing tool and shows how to make document indexes — by hand or automatically.

PowerPoint 2003: How to Animate a Slide Background

[December 10, 2009] Helen Bradley explains how to create a moving picture background that, when used sparingly, makes a more compelling PowerPoint slideshow.

Web Site Design: Simplify with CSS

[November 23, 2009] Whether you’re redesigning your Web site or starting from scratch, consider using CSS — it’ll make future style changes much easier down the road.

Microsoft Tips: How to Make Signs in Word

[November 4, 2009] Ready for do it yourself signage? Our Microsoft tips guru explains the basics of creating professional, functional signs in Word.

Good Web Design Turns Visitors Into Customers

[November 3, 2009] A consistent Web design not only makes visitors more comfortable on your site, it increases your chances of converting them into customers.

How-To: Make a Feedback Quiz in PowerPoint

[October 9, 2009] Helen Bradley shows how you can gather information from someone while they view a Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 presentation.

How to Create Lists in Microsoft Word

[October 8, 2009] Helen Bradley walks you through the steps to create and customize bulleted and numbered lists in Word 2003.

How to Make Charts in Microsoft Access

[September 28, 2009] Helen Bradley explains how you can chart your data without ever leaving Microsoft Access.

Create Custom Functions in Excel 2007

[September 2, 2009] Helen Bradley shows how custom Excel functions save time and effort and how you can use your custom functions in all your workbooks.

How To Design Brochures in Microsoft Publisher

[August 26, 2009] Helen Bradley shares design tips to create great-looking brochures in Microsoft Publisher.

Microsoft Excel: Design Error-Free Worksheets

[July 29, 2009] Helen Bradley looks at simple ways to avoid introducing errors in Excel worksheets.

How To: No-Hands PowerPoint 2007 Presentations

[July 1, 2009] Helen Bradley walks you through building a PowerPoint slide show that can run automatically – a handy promotional tool to use at events or in reception areas.

Working with Word 2003: Add a Professional Look

[May 28, 2009] Helen Bradley shows you how to add finishing touches that make Word documents look polished and professional.

Word 2007: Working with Numbered Elements

[May 15, 2009] Helen Bradley shows how to create duplicate and sequential numbering in Microsoft Word 2007.

How to Create Custom Formatting in Excel

[February 17, 2009] Helen Bradley demonstrates Excel formatting tricks that will help you when things don’t work as planned.

Microsoft Excel 2007: Outlining Worksheets

[February 10, 2009] We show you how to summarize important data in your Excel 2007 worksheets and reduce the data to more manageable levels with the ultra-efficient outline tool.

How To Make Templates in Microsoft Word 2003

[January 27, 2009] Helen Bradley shows you how to create Word document templates to quick start your day-to-day tasks.

How to Use Teamwork Tools in Microsoft Word 2007

[January 7, 2009] When working on documents with other people, tracking changes has the potential to save time and help keep others well informed and on the same page.

Excel 101: Create Worksheets and Charts

[December 19, 2008] Helen Bradley introduces the basics of creating a worksheet and chart in Microsoft Excel.

Link or Embed: How To Add an Excel Chart to a Word Doc

[December 1, 2008] Microsoft maven Helen Bradley explains how to place an object from one Office application inside of another.

Microsoft Access: Customize Forms and Reports

[November 10, 2008] Our Microsoft application guru Helen Bradley explains how to make Access database forms and reports more functional and attractive.

Create a Web Site in Publisher 2003

[September 18, 2008] Helen Bradley shows how to use Microsoft Publisher to build a basic Web site for your business. Bonus: you can use the same design set for your Web site that you use for your print marketing materials.

Basic Formatting in Microsoft Word

[August 28, 2008] Our resident document diva, Helen Bradley takes us on a tour of the rudimentary, but essential, formatting features in Word 2003.

Create Custom Headers and Footers in Word 2007

[August 13, 2008] Tapping into the new document properties and content controls in Word 2007 generates some very sharp-looking professional building blocks.

Create Marketing Materials in Publisher

[August 4, 2008] Our designing diva, Helen Bradley shows you how to create your own sharp, professional marketing materials using Microsoft Publisher.

How-To: Animate Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations

[July 30, 2008] Our application expert Helen Bradley explains ways you can add animation effects to your slide shows.

Office 2007: Keep Excel Data Visible At All Times

[July 3, 2008] With a little imagination and skill you can work on one part of a spreadsheet and see data in other areas at the same time.

Microsoft Word: Working with Field Codes

[June 24, 2008] We look at ways to harness the power of Word Field codes to automate and simplify document production.

Discovering Dashboards in Excel 2007

[June 6, 2008] We step through the process of creating a Dashboard chart and data display in Excel 2007 for more efficient analysis of and quick access to your critical information.

Access 2003: Extracting Data Through Queries

[May 22, 2008] You’ve put in the time and effort to build and populate a database — now what? We take a look at the ways to create queries to find pearls of business wisdom. Plus: watch the video.

Microsoft Word Tips: AutoCorrect and AutoText

[March 10, 2008] Don’t get caught up in repetitive typing and correcting common typos. The AutoCorrect and AutoText tools in Word can help you to increase your efficiency and speed up your day.

Exploring Office 2007: Error-Free Worksheets in Excel 2007

[February 19, 2008] It’s critical to understand the problems that might occur in your Excel worksheets. In this article, we’ll show you how to keep them as error-free as possible.

PowerPoint Tips: Slide and Title Masters

[February 14, 2008] Mastering the art of PowerPoint masters will save you time, repetition and a whole lot of aggravation.

Hand-Drawn Charts in PowerPoint 2007

[January 24, 2008] We take a look at handy new features in PowerPoint 2007 that let you create attractive hand-drawn charts to give a visual boost to your presentations while still getting your message across to your audience.

Build Your First Database with Access

[January 14, 2008] Creating a database in Access can be a bit daunting for the uninitiated. We’ll walk you through how to build your own, plus a report and a query, too.

Exploring Office 2007: Quick and Efficient Data Entry in Excel

[January 4, 2008] There are many times in Excel when you find yourself entering the same data over and over again. In many cases, you can spare your fingers the work of typing and fast-track repetitive data entry. As the latest article in our Exploring Office 2007 series shows, it’s all about working smarter and more effectively.

Exploring Office 2007: Collaboration in Word 2007

[December 11, 2007] Microsoft Word 2007 is a great editing tool to use when you’re working with others on a project. We explore the features in Word 2007 that allow you to manage workgroup changes and contributions to documents.

Working with Action Buttons in PowerPoint 2003

[December 6, 2007] Action buttons let you navigate quickly through a PowerPoint presentation, add sounds or any number of other interactive effects. We’ll show you how easy it is to do.

Working with Images in Word

[November 20, 2007] They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, but wait ’til you see what Word can do with that picture. We take a look at the application’s image tools and how using them lets you add pop to any document.

Working with Tables in Word 2003

[October 22, 2007] Tables let you organize information in a concise, visual way, but working with them in Word can be a bit tricky. We’ll take a look at some of the tools and show you how to make the most of Tables.

Take the Guesswork Out of Printing in Excel 2007

[October 1, 2007] With a little pre-planning and some knowledge of the print options that can be configured to your advantage in Excel, you can turn your next Excel print job from an exercise in frustration to an effortlessly simple and successful procedure.

Learning About Lists in Excel

[September 11, 2007] Excel offers a simple way to manage lists of data without resorting to the complexity of a database. We show you how it works in both Excel 2003 and 2007.

MS Office 2007: Applying and Customizing Themes

[August 24, 2007] One of the new features in Microsoft Office 2007 that has everyone talking is Themes. Discover how this new feature can improve your everyday productivity and efficiency while helping you create attractive, professional-looking documents and presentations with minimal effort.

Analyzing with Excel

[August 23, 2007] Excel makes comparing business decisions a bit easier with its Scenario Manager tool. We take a look at how you can use the spreadsheet to set up different scenarios whether it’s comparing products or budget numbers.

Exploring Office 2007: Top Ten Excel Chart Tips

[August 2, 2007] Excel charts have been given a makeover in Excel 2007 and the Chart Wizard of earlier versions is now gone. Our Exploring Office 2007 series continues with a list of the top tips for creating functional and attractive charts in the new Excel 2007 release.

Three Must-Know Excel Tools

[July 25, 2007] Excel jockeys saddle up. We take a look at how using Reports, Views and Outlining saves you time and simplifies your spreadsheets.

Exploring Office 2007: PowerPoint 2007 Tips and Tricks

[July 3, 2007] PowerPoint 2007 delivers a wealth of new features and enhancements that make it easier to create attractive, professional-looking presentations. Our Exploring Office 2007 series continues with a list of the top tips for getting the most out of the new PowerPoint 2007 release.

Exploring Office 2007: Outlook 2007 Tips and Tricks

[June 15, 2007] While Outlook 2007 may look a lot like older releases, there’s a great deal to like about the upgrade and plenty of new tools to help you be more productive. Our Exploring Office 2007 series continues with a list of ten top tips for using Outlook 2007.

Word Mail Merge: It’s not Just for Letters

[June 11, 2007] Microsoft Word can merge more than just mail. Use the popular app’s mail-merge feature for create lists, nametags and even catalogs with images. We’ll show you how.

Exploring Office 2007: Using SmartArt Graphics

[May 22, 2007] Office 2007 delivers an abundance of new features and enhancements, many of which aren’t exactly obvious at first glance. The first article in our new Exploring Office 2007 series takes a closer look at working with the SmartArt tool to easily create everything from simple diagrams to cutting-edge business graphics.

Take Your Excel Charts Beyond the Basics: Five Cool Tips

[May 3, 2007] Add some life to your spreadsheets and make your data easier to understand. These five tips can make Excel charts sing.

Labels: , , , , ,

Categories:Uncategorized

posted by Helen Bradley @ 6:08 pmNo Comments links to this post

Page 1 of 212