Choosing a Preferred Font in MS Word:
What changes the appearance of the text majorly is the font style. When you choose a suitable font for your whole document, it will be a standard out amidst another document. To choose the perfect font for a text, kindly:
- Click on the Home tab and click on the Font menu arrow to access the list of the available fonts.
- Select your desired font style by typing the name of the font or by scrolling down the list.
Note: Fonts are arranged in alphabetical order, and thus, to make selection easy if you are looking for a font that starts with G downward in the list, kindly type the initial and you will jump over some fonts. As you place the mouse over each font, you will be provided with a preview of each font. You may decide to use one font throughout the document; you can as well use a different font for the heading and the remaining text.
Adding Special Character Format:
There are specific special character formats in the font group that can be used to make special marks or emphasize the text. We will consider them one after the other
The first formatting is bold; it makes text bold, and it is mostly used for headings or for other characters that need special attention, You can either Click on the Bold command button or use (Ctrl + B) to bold a character.
The second formatting is italic; it is used to italicize a text, it can also be used for headings, You can click on the italic command button or you press (Ctrl + I)
The third formatting is underline, Underline draws a line beneath a text, you can either click on the underline command or press (Ctrl + U).
Note: underline is of various types, such as dot line and double underline, To access them, Click on down arrow beside underline command at the right side.
Beside the underline arrow is strikethrough, which is a single line at the middle, It is used to clear a text in the document; it is putting to the document to indicate certain emotion.
The fourth formatting is subscript, which is used to write a certain character below the right or left of another character or text. You may click on the subscript command or press (Ctrl + =), and you will highlight the text you are sending below to the right or left.
The last formatting for special formatting is superscript; it is used to write a certain character above to the right or left of another character or text; you may click on the superscript command or press (Ctrl + shift + =).
Note: you can apply more than one or two over a text depending on the use of that text, You should type the text and select the text that is coming down or up when you are applying superscript and subscript
Adjusting the Font Size in MS Word:
Font size is the size you attached to your text, which portrays the higher or smaller your text will be depending on the size you selected; that is, the smaller the point size you pick, the smaller the text will be, though the size of the text may also be affected by the font type you selected. Under normal situations, the listed points are the standard points you should choose for your font text:
- Headings size point should fall between 16-22.
- The subheading point always falls between 14 and 16.
The body of the text should have a point size between 10 and 12.
The above point is not static; it may change depending on the type of document you are preparing. You have to study font to be used before selecting text size because the font size is affected by the font of the text. Check below; for instance, the text sizes are the same (11 points), but the moment you pick a font, the font altered the To select the size point for the font with either of the two methods of format application, kindly:
- Click on the Home tab and menu bar to the Font group, then click on the Font size down arrow beside the font size.
- Select your desired font size in MS Word. If the method of formatting you used is selected before the format application, as you scroll within the font size with the mouse, you will see your text will be fluctuating, reflecting each font size that you may select for your text.
Note: you may prefer to use another font size aside from the one the system lists above, simply navigate and click on font size, the one there will be highlighted, just insert your own and Click on enter, for instance, you may prefer to use 10.8-point size.
Change The Text Background By Shading It:
Shading color is used to set a color to the background of the text. To carry out shading activities, do well to:
- Click on the Home tab and menu bar to the paragraph group.
- Click on the shading menu and select any background for your text.
- Immediately you pick a shading color for the background of the selected text, and the text you are about to shade will have that shading color.
Note: shading color can be removed by picking no color at the bottom of the shading color palettes. You can use shading color to shade any cells in the table or any other object in the document.
Changing the Case in MS Word:
You might have typed your text in lowercase before in the sub-heading, and you perceive it is not pleasing to use lowercase for sub-heading, and thus you have to change the case. To change the case of the text, endeavor to:
- Locate the Change Case icon in the Font group under the Home tab.
- Click on the change case down arrow and select a proper case for your text in the drop-down list.
Note: You may use Shortcut to change the case by pressing Shift + F3 only between the three standard cases (upper, lower, and capitalize each word). Change cases can only affect the selected text.
Changing the Font Color in MS Word:
You are permitted to add color to your text and make it look more glamorous, but the issue is having a color printer that will print such. To adjust the color of your text, ensure you:
- Click on the Home tab and menu bar to the Font group.
- Then click on the font color and pick any color of your choice.
- The moment you pick a color, the selected text and you are about to type will be in that color.
Note: To return the font color to the default color, select Automatic from the font color; it is located at the topmost of the Font color palette. You can customize font color for yourself by clicking on more colors.
Clear All Character's Formatting:
Clear all formatting to remove all character formats in the selected object and the text you are about to type, except the change case because it is not formatting. To clear the character format of a text or selected text, kindly:
- Locate the Clear all Formatting icon in the Font group under the Home tab.
- Click on the Clear all formatting icon to remove every single format from the text or object.
Note: Use Ctrl + spacebar to summon the Clear all format command in MS Word.
Dig more with the Font Dialogue Box:
The Font dialog box gives you all formatting commands you need in just a single box. You can perform various formatting, even the formatting that is not visible in the Font and Paragraph group, such as small caps, all caps, and so on. Move to the Font dialog box, apply your format, check the preview, and once you are satisfied with the preview, click Ok, and it is done. To access the Font dialog box, do well to:
- Locate the Font dialog box launcher in the Font group under the Home tab.
- Click on the Launcher at the lower right of the Font group.
Note: You may use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + D to send for the Font dialog box.
Paragraph Formatting in MS Word:
What MS Word calls a paragraph is different a little bit from what we have known; it is when we are in school. A paragraph in school is a series of sentences organized to address a single topic or idea when we were in school, but to MS Word, a paragraph can be a title, subheading, word, sentence, or series of sentences provided an Enter character follows it. What makes a paragraph a paragraph is the striking of the Enter key; once you strike an Enter key, you have created a paragraph. A paragraph has an icon, but it is invisible until you remove its mask. To remove a paragraph mask and see its existence, please
- Click on the File tab and pick Option from File backstage to access the Word options dialog box.
- Inside the Word options, the dialog box selects the Display category and ticks the paragraph mark.
- Then click OK, and you will see all the paragraph marks that signify the existence of a paragraph in your document, which is a result of striking on the Enter key.
Various ways of formatting a paragraph:
- Formatting a block of a paragraph: highlight one or several commands, then apply formatting on them with the Paragraph formatting command, and all the commands within the block will be adjusted.
- Formatting the new text, you are about to type: select a paragraph formatting command, and such formatting will be reflected on the new text you will be typing.
- Formatting a whole document: when you have finished typing everything then select all with the Select All command and apply paragraph formatting on all the paragraphs at once.
- Formatting single paragraph: place a cursor pointer anywhere within a paragraph, then apply paragraph formatting, only the paragraph in question will be affected.
Familiarize With The Paragraph Formatting Command:
Paragraph formatting is so essential that you locate them inside the ribbon twice, even in the different tabs, that is Home tab and Layout tab.
You have a limited paragraph formatting command that you can access under these two tabs. To enjoy more paragraph commands, such as preview, line, and page break, click on either of the Launchers and bring out the Paragraph dialog box.
Paragraph Alignment and Justification:
Paragraph alignment deals with the position of your text within a paragraph, whether it is to the left, right, or center, while the justification arranges your text neatly between the right and left margins and gives it a refined appearance. Justification, together with other alignments, can be found in the Paragraph group under the Home tab.
Font Styles in MS Word:-
Creating New Styles in MS-Word:
Styles in MS Word are formats that determine the appearance of the text in the document. There are some predefined styles in Word like Normal, Title, Heading1, Subtitle, etc. These styles have a predefined font, size, color, etc. You can create your own style also.
Steps to Create a New Style in MS Word:
- Write the text/word on which the style is based (select fonts, size, color, etc. depending on your choice).
- Select the word and right-click.
- Now from the small menu, click on the drop-down menu beside Styles or Click Styles available at the end.
- Click on “Save Selection as New Quick Style.“.
- Name your style and click OK.
- If you want to change anything before saving, click on Modify.
The Modifying Styles in MS Word:
- Click on Modify before saving the style.
- The Create New Style from Formatting dialog box appears.
- Make the required changes like name, style based on, alignment, size, font etc.
- Then Click on OK.
Explanation: First picture contains the previous formatting we made, in Second picture we changed the style based on, color and alignment.
- To modify the already saved style, right-click on the style and select Modify.
Font Editing in MS Word:
In MS Word, the main toolbar at the top of the screen is called the ribbon. The ribbon offers many of the font options most users will need for general content.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon.
- Select the text with the font you want to change. To select the entire document, press Ctrl + A on your keyboard.
Alternatively, select Select in the Editing group, and then select Select All from the drop-down menu.
- Select the Font menu arrow to choose a new font.
- Select the Font Size menu arrow to choose a new font size. Alternatively, you can select the Increase Font Size or Decrease Font Size buttons to increase or decrease the font by one point.
- Select the Font Color menu arrow to choose a new color in MS Word.
For additional color options, select More Colors in the Font Color drop-down menu. Choose a color in the Standard tab of the Colors dialog box. Or, enter a custom color in the Advanced tab.
Note: Select the Change Case button to choose sentence case, lowercase, UPPERCASE, Capitalize Each Word, or GOGGLE CASE.
Text Alignments in MS Word
Text alignment refers to the positioning of text within a block of text or a page. It determines how the text is distributed horizontally across a line or within a text container. Here are the common types of text alignment
Left Alignment:
Left alignment is used by the majority; according to research, out of 100 percent of the users, 70% will align their paragraph to the left, while the remaining 30% goes for right and center alignment. To align the paragraph to the left side, kindly:
- Click the left alignment command; it is the first alignment on the paragraph group under the Home tab to align your paragraph to the left.
- You may use shortcuts as well by pressing (Ctrl + L).
Center Alignment:
Center alignment occupies the middle position or is centered between two edges, which is between the left and right alignment, this alignment is mostly used for headings and subheadings or pages. To center a text in the page, do well:
- Click on the center alignment command, the second alignment on the paragraph group under the Home tab, to center your text.
- The shortcut for it is (Ctrl + E).
Right Alignment:
Right alignment places the text to the right edge; the probability of meeting people to right align their work is very slim. To right-align text on the page, take cognizance of the following:
- Click on the right alignment command; it is the third alignment on the alphabet group under the Home tab
- The right alignment shortcut is (Ctrl + R).
Justify Between Left and Right Paragraph:
This regulates the spacing by adding additional space between words and arranged them properly to occupy the entire line so that the alignment will be a balance between both left and right alignment. To justify a text on the page, kindly:
- Click on the justify command, it is the last command inside the alignment section on the paragraph group under the Home tab.
- The justified command shortcut is (Ctrl + J)
Note: this is the alignment used majorly in producing online textbooks and magazines.
Spacing Before, Within, And After A Paragraph:
Space is of two types: paragraph spacing and line spacing. Line spacing is the space within a paragraph that regulates the distance between lines of text. The adjustment you make to the line spacing will determine how readable your text will be, while paragraph spacing is the space after and before a paragraph; it shows how much of the space will be available after and before a paragraph. Both commands are located in the paragraph group under the Home tab.
Spacing out the Line of a Paragraph:
To create a space line within a paragraph, you just have to.
- Click on the Home tab and locate the line and a spacing paragraph on the paragraph group.
- Click the line and spacing down arrow, and you will see a drop-down menu.
- Select a spacing value you preferred from the list.
The line spacing value will affect the new paragraph you will be making, the current paragraph, or the selected paragraph.
Creating A Space Between Paragraphs:
When you create a paragraph space, you determine the amount of space above or below a paragraph, and immediately you press Enter to begin a paragraph. To adjust the space above or below the paragraph, simply study the below steps:
- Click on the layout tab and menu bar for the paragraph group.
- Insert the space before a paragraph into the box provided for the before field, and insert the space after a paragraph into the box provided for the after field.
Note: ensure you do not press Enter twice to create a meaningful and orderly document; striking Enter twice portrays you as unprofessional.
