A Beginner's Guide to
Microsoft Word 2007

Microsoft Office Word 2007 has many improvements to the 2003 version.  For those who have never used Microsoft Office Word or if it has been a long time, we have a guide to help you get through the various options the word processor offers.  In our guide we will move through an introduction of the product to specific sections and how to options for Word, and then offer a summation.  Microsoft Office began in 1989 as a word processor and quickly became a favourite with businesses.  Now the programme is used by a great many individuals for more than just word processing.  You are able to create academic style papers, websites, and much more.

Microsoft Office Word 2007 is easier to use for many individuals because of the new options you have in the toolbar.  We will take a look at the toolbar first before moving onto other features of the Word document page.

The Ribbon

The ribbon is what the new style toolbar is referred to in MS Office Word 2007.  The ribbon has replaced the drop down style menu.  Instead you choose the command tab that you need to find the menu items you used in the past.  The command tabs are as follows:

1. Home
2. Insert
3. Page Layout
4. References
5. Mailings
6. Review
7. View

In each command box you have a dialogue box launcher.  The launcher will show any task you might wish to perform.  For example, under the paste tab you have a dialogue box launcher.  This will show you items that are on the clipboard for you to use or delete if you are down with them.  A group is another name for the toolbox section.  For example, under home a group would be paragraph options such as bullets, orientation of text, single or double spacing between lines, and more.  The last option in the ribbon is the gallery.  The gallery is a set of thumbnail graphics.  These thumbnails offer you choices in formatting.  In this case you may need a heading.  Instead of creating it with several buttons you have a simple click and the style is inserted.  One last element to the ribbon is the help button that looks like a question mark.  You can ask it any questions for off or online answers.

Microsoft Office button

In the toolbar area you have the Microsoft office button.  This is a symbol that offers a drop down menu.  In the menu you have the regular options such as new document, open, save, save as, print, page set up, etc.  This is also where you can publish documents you create if you wish.
In the Microsoft office button you have the save as button that should be explained.  In this area you can choose the type of format you save under.  It will offer you the option of saving in an older format of MS Word such as 97- 2003. 
You also have the option of inspecting the document or restricting permission to make changes within the document under this button.  Basically the finish option under the menu will make it ready for distribution and publication.  This is a final step that will not allow you to make changes unless you are the creator of the document.

Quick Access bar

The quick access bar is something you may be familiar with in other versions.  These options were available in the menu as well as for a quick select.  The quick access bar can be customized by clicking on the arrow to the right of the bar.  Your options include the save, undo, redo, new document, quick print, and print preview.  You can also have email or open on this quick access menu.  It makes it easier to access certain things you need all the time, but don’t want to hunt.

Mini Toolbar

The mini toolbar is found in the ribbon.  To help guide you through aspects you may use more often, we decided this section should be included.  The mini toolbar is what you are used to seeing in older versions, just spread out along the entire document toolbar.  You have the following options:

1. Font Type
2. Font Size
3. Grow Font
4. Shrink Font
5. Quick Styles
6. Format Painter
7. Bold
8. Italics
9. Centre
10. Text Highlight Colour
11. Font Colour
12. Decrease Indent
13. Increase Indent
14. Bullets
15. Paragraph
16. Sort

There are many other options that you can add when you customize the mini toolbar with the dialogue box launcher.  In the customization you can have any buttons that you use more often than others.  This means you can also subtract from these buttons to take something out you don’t need.  The buttons you use most often are typically the default options.

Save a PDF

With earlier versions of Microsoft Word you have a few save options; however MS Word 2007 has one more that may be important to you for online publication.  The PDF option allows you to save a document for an adobe reader format, which can be found under the Microsoft Menu Button.

Live Preview

Live preview is a new option to Microsoft Office Word 2007.  When you wanted to change the font before, you needed to select paragraph and page setup.  This allowed you to see the font or the headline you were choosing.  Now in 2007 you have the live preview option that you can customize.  Under styles you can hold the mouse over the style you would like to see.  The text on the page will change to show you what it will look like.  You don’t actually have to make changes until you are ready.

Themes

Under the tab page layout you have another option for your word document that has changed.  The themes are the first tab you can select.  The theme will offer an effect on the font from colour, size, or background options you might like to have.  In the theme tab you can select different fonts to help you create a PowerPoint presentation.  For example, in the Page Layout along with themes you have watermark, page colour, and page borders to enhance any document that may become a web page or PowerPoint presentation.

Smartart Diagrams

The SmartArt Diagrams are another interesting twist to helping create a presentation or enhance your web page.  Under Insert you have illustrations.  In this box you can choose from several options, one being the SmartArt Diagrams.  In SmartArt you can create a chart in the document.  For example, if you are interested in creating your genealogy you can click on the SmartArt Diagram that offers this option.  Then you just fill in the chart.  You can also make a diagram with arrows for a life cycle diagram in a biology report.  The options are almost endless.

Compatibility

We mentioned above in our guide that you have different save options for compatibility.  You can also save in html text for websites.  There is one other option that can help you create a word text document for certain needs.  The XML compatibility option is extensible markup language for programming.  It will help create a safer document, reduce the file size, improve security, improve damage file recovery, and allow for easier integration with other programmes.

Language Options

Under the start menu in programmes you will find the MS Office folder.  In this folder you can change the language settings you are working with. For example if you have a US based programme you can select the word document to type in UK language for spelling.  So if you spelled colour in the US language, which means without the U in a UK English document the auto correct feature would make sure the spelling was fixed.  You have more than English options, although some require an additional purchase.

Editing

Our final category to help you understand Microsoft Office Word is the editing section.  This section is found under home on the ribbon.  We saved this till last because it is pretty self explanatory.  You still have the find, replace, and select option in the menu.  Under find you can select to find a specific word in the document or go to a specific section.  The replace button will allow you to replace a word.  This can be used if you use a synonym in the document that is not caught with grammar check or for several other purposes.  The select button allows you to copy, cut, or select for format changes.

Summation

Microsoft Office Word 2007 has several changes to using the programme.  These changes have made using the programme tools easier for new and previous users.  You have several more options as you can see in the guide above to help you format a document for any purpose that you may have.  Microsoft offered these updates as a way to help create better reports, projects, and websites.  The best way to learn what each feature in MS Office Word 2007 does is to experiment with a document.  Each option will offer a description and allow you to make changes while you are learning.