Word-processing techniques

Introduction

This page contains minimal instructions for some techniques which make your word processor more than just an electric typewriter. Instructions are provided for Corel WordPerfect 8 and Microsoft Word 97.

Keep in mind that there are other ways of doing the same things, and that there are many other possibilities for things like numbering styles.

WordPerfect 8

Creating a header on every page

1. Position the cursor near the beginning of your document.
2. Select Insert Header/Footer.... (In WP 6.1, use Format rather than Insert.)
   
3. Select Header A and click on Create. You'll be put into a special mode for creating or editing headers.
   
4. Type in the text for your header. When you're finished, click outside the area of the header (or click on the Close icon on the special Property Bar) to return to the normal editing mode.
5. To suppress the printing of the header on the first page, select Format Page Suppress...
   
   In the Suppress dialogue box, select Header A and then click on OK.
   

Creating automatic page numbers

1. Position the cursor near the beginning of your document.
2. Select Format Page Numbering....
   
3. In the Select Page Numbering Format dialogue box, select the desired position and style and click on OK.
4. To suppress the printing of the page number on the first page, select Format Page Suppress..., select Page numbering and then click on OK.
   

Using styles for headings and subheadings

Use the drop-down Styles menu on the toolbar to select Heading 1 for headings, Heading 2 for subheadings, etc.

Creating automatically numbered headings

1. Select Insert Outline/Bullets & Numbering....
   
2. In the Bullets and Numbering dialogue box, select the Numbers tab and select one of the List/Outline styles, e.g., the one named Numbers 2, which produces a single level numbered 1., 2., 3. ... Click on OK. The first heading number will be inserted into your document automatically.
3. Type in the text for the first heading, followed by the Enter key. The number for the next heading will automatically be inserted.
4. To type in regular text, type Enter more than once after a heading. This will open up blank lines into which you can type your text.
   

Creating an indented quotation

1. At the start of a blank line, select Format Paragraph Indent.
2. Type the desired text and it will automatically be indented. The indenting will end at the end of the paragraph, i.e., when you type Enter.
   

Inserting an empty 2"-by-2" box

1. Move the cursor to the desired location.
2. Select Insert Graphics Custom Box.
   
3. In the Custom Box dialogue box, select a box style and click OK. (For a single box it doesn't really matter which style you select.) An empty box appears, and is automatically selected with its eight handles showing. The existing text wraps around the box by default.
   
4. To set the size of the box, position the pointer over it and press the right mouse button. From the resulting popup menu select Size....
   In the Box Size dialogue box, select the Set radio buttons for both Width and Height and specify the desired values, e.g., 5 cm x 5 cm. Click on OK.
   To set the position of the box, again use the right mouse button to invoke the popup menu and then select Position....
   In the Box Position dialogue box, specify the desired position, e.g., 0 cm from the left margin. Click on OK.
   

Microsoft Word 97

Creating a header on every page

1. Position the cursor near the beginning of your document.
2. Select View Header/Footer....
   
3. Enter the text for your header into the special header area.
   
   
4. Type in the text for your header. When you're finished, double click outside the area of the header, or click on Close on the special Header and Footer toolbar) to return to the normal editing mode.
5. To suppress the printing of the header on the first page, click on the Page Setup icon on the Header and Footer toolbar, select the Layout tab, put a check mark in the Different first page check box, and then click OK.
   

Creating automatic page numbers

1. Position the cursor near the beginning of your document.
2. Select Insert Page Numbers ....
   
3. In the Page Numbers dialogue box, choose whether you want the page numbers in the header or footer, and whether you want them aligned left, right, etc.
4. If you don't want the page number to be displayed on the first page, remove the check mark from the Show number on first page box.
   

Using styles for headings and subheadings

Use the drop-down Styles menu on the toolbar to select Heading 1 for headings, Heading 2 for subheadings, etc.

In Word 2000, if the drop-down Styles menu is not on the toolbar by default, click on the More buttons icon . Then click on Add or Remove Buttons and make sure that Style: is selected. There seems to be a bug in at least some versions, so the Styles menu at first doesn't appear on the toolbar even if selected. Unselecting it and then selecting it again seems to resolve the problem.

Creating automatically numbered headings

1. Select Format Bullets and Numbering ....
   
2. In the Bullets and Numbering dialogue box, select the Outline Numbered tab and then select one of the numbering styles that includes the word Heading. Click on OK.
   
3. The next line you type will be formatted as your first top-level numbered heading. After you press Enter at the end of the heading, the next line will be treated as normal text, not a heading.
4. To create another heading, click on the style drop-down list
   and then select the desired level of heading.
   

Creating an indented quotation

1. Select the paragraph that you want to indent.
2. Select Format Paragraph ....
   
3. In the Paragraph dialogue box, select the Indents and Spacing tab and set the desired value for the indentation of the paragraph from the left margin e.g., 1.5 cm from the left margin.
   

Inserting an empty 2"-by-2" box

1. Select Insert Text Box.
   
2. Notice that the cursor changes to a crosshair shape: . Click and drag to create a box where you want it to appear. The new box is automatically selected with its eight handles showing. Notice that the new box covers up the text behind it.
   
3. To adjust the size, position and text wrapping of the box, select Format Text Box ....
   In the Format Text Box dialogue box, select the Size tab and specify the desired Height and Width for your box, e.g., 5 cm by 5 cm.
   Select the Position tab and specify the desired position, e.g., 0 cm from the left margin.
   To wrap the text around the box, rather than hiding it behind the box, select the Wrapping tab and specify the desired style, e.g., Square wrapping.
   

Last substantive modifications 2002 Mar 16
Last modified: Tue, 2007 Mar 6 20:32:02