Organizing Your Paperwork with Word

Create a document template

1. Do one of the following:

To base a new template on an existing document, click Open on the File menu, and then open the document you want.

To base a new template on an existing template, click New on the File menu. Click a template that is similar to the one you want to create, click Template under Create New, and then click OK.

2. On the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the Save as type box, click Document Template. This file type will already be selected if you are saving a file that you created as a template.
4. The default folder is the Templates folder in the Save in box. To save the template so that it will appear on a tab other than General, switch to the corresponding subfolder within the Templates folder.
5. In the File name box, type a name for the new template, and then click Save.
6. In the new template, add the text and graphics you want to appear in all new documents that you base on the template, and delete any items you don't want to appear.
7. Make the changes you want to the margin settings, page size and orientation, styles, and other formats.
8. Click Save, and then click Close on the File menu.

  

• Benefits of Creating a Template:
   Timesaving for documents used often!
   Allows for a clean document each time you need it.
   Requires you to rename the document so that you don’t overwrite the template.

How do I start a mail merge?

You can use the Mail Merge Helper to create form letters, mailing labels, envelopes, or catalogs. The Mail Merge Helper guides you through organizing the address data, merging it into a generic document, and printing the resulting personalized documents.

1. Open or create a main document, which contains the generic information that you want to repeat in each form letter, mailing label, envelope, or catalog.
2. Open or create a data source, which contains the data that varies in the merged documents — for example, the name and address of each recipient of a form letter. The data source can be an existing spreadsheet, database, or text file, or a Word table that you create by using the Mail Merge Helper.
3. In the main document, insert merge fields, which are placeholders that tell Microsoft Word where to insert data from the data source.
4. Merge data from the data source into the main document. Each row (or record) in the data source produces an individual form letter, mailing label, envelope, or catalog item. You can send the merged documents directly to a printer, or to e-mail addresses or fax numbers. Or you can collect the merged documents into a new document so you can review and print them later.

What types of data sources can I use?

You can use just about any type of data source that you want, including a Word table, Microsoft Outlook contact list, Excel worksheet, Microsoft Access database, or ASCII text file. If you haven't already stored information in a data source, Word guides you step by step through setting up a Word table that contains your names, addresses, and other data.

Create form letters

Step 1: Open or create the main document

1. Do one of the following:
   • Open an existing letter.
   • Create a new letter.
2. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
3. Under Main document, click Create, and then click Form Letters.
4. Click Active Window.

The active document becomes the main document.

Step 2: Open or create the data source

1. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, do one of the following:
   • Create a new data source. Use this method if you haven't already stored the names, addresses, and other data in a data source, and want to store the data in a Word table.
   • Use data in an existing data source. Under Data source, click Get Data, and then click Open Data Source. Select a Microsoft Word document, or a worksheet, database, or other list, and then click Open. Click Edit Main Document.
   • Use addresses from an electronic address book. Under Data source, click Get Data, and then click Use Address Book. Select an address book, and then click OK. Click Edit Main Document.

Step 3: Edit the main document and insert merge fields

1. In the main document, type the text that you want to appear in every form letter.
2. Insert merge fields where you want to merge names, addresses, and other data from the data source. To insert a merge field, click in the main document, click Insert Merge Field on the Mail Merge toolbar, and then click the field name you want.

For more information, see tips on inserting merge fields.

3. After you complete the main document and insert all of the merge fields, click Save As on the File menu. Name the document, and then click Save.

Step 4: Merge the data into the main document

1. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
2. If you want to specify the order in which data is merged, or to merge only part of the data, then you can sort and select data records to merge.
3. If you want to see how the merged data will appear, then you can preview the merged documents.
4. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Merge under Merge the data with the document.
5. If you want to check the data source for errors before you merge, click Check Errors. Choose an option, and then click OK.
6. Do one of the following:
   • Send the merged letters directly to a printer. In the Merge to box, click Printer, and then click Merge.
   • Store the merged letters in a new document, so you can review, edit, and print them later.
   • Distribute the merged letters to e-mail addresses or fax numbers.

How To Create A Newsletter in Word:

1. Change your margins – if you have a lot to say make them wider.  Click File – Page Setup – Margins.
2. Open the space down your page by hitting enter several times, then move your cursor back up to the top of the page.  This will allow you to get below your headline later.
3. Now we’ll set up the heading.  Headings work best if all of your elements are in a text box.  You’ll need a box for a picture and for your text.  Then we’ll draw a line to separate the heading from the body.
   1. To Create a Text Box Click on Insert – Text Box.  Your cursor will change into a plus sign, you will need to draw the box where you want it in your heading.  Click on the left side and drag out your text box.  Draw a second box next to this one for a picture or graphic.
   2. To Insert clip art into the box:  Click inside the text box – then Insert – Clip Art – and choose the picture.  It will insert inside the box you have drawn.
   3. Add your text – you’ll want to work with the font size to make it larger. You can center it also and it will center between the left margin and the text box.
   4. If you don’t want the actual box to appear you can turn off the box, but keep the benefits of a text box.  To do this point your arrow to the edge of the text box and double click.  This brings up a box to format the text box.  In the center where it says Line – Color – Click the drop down arrow and choose no line – OK.  Now when you click off of the text box, no line will appear around it.
   5. Now let’s draw the separating line.  Your drawing toolbar needs to be on – it starts with Draw and is usually at the bottom of Word.  If it is not on – View – Toolbars – Click on Drawing to turn it on.  Look for the straight line on the toolbar and click it.  Again your cursor becomes a plus sign and you can click and drag across your page to draw the line.
   6. Now let’s group all these items together so you make your heading an image.  Hold down your shift key and Click on both text boxes and the line.  On the drawing toolbar, click the work Draw and choose Group.  You have now made those 3 items one graphic.
4. Setting section breaks so that you can make columns:
   1. Get your cursor below your separating line and click Insert – Break – Click on Continuous. 
   2. Now we’ll set up the columns – Format – Columns – select the number of columns you will use (2 or 3)
5. Now type your information.  Word will automatically put it into 2 columns as you go.

 

How to create a brochure:

1. Set your margins.  I suggest changing top, bottom, right, & left to ½ inch.  File – Page Setup – Margins.
2. Now we’ll have to change to Landscape Orientation.  In the same box as the margins – File – Page Setup – Paper Size – Choose Landscape.
3. Now we’ll turn it into 3 columns – Format – Columns – Choose 3.
4. You are now ready to start typing.