Social Distancing signs in Microsoft Word
Now we’re allowed out again, social distancing signs are popping up all over the place. They are simple to make in Microsoft Word using a few lesser known tricks. Here’s five examples that use some of the latest features in Word 365 like Cutout People plus some Word tricks learnt over many years. Text Boxes […]
Combined Drawing Tools in Word 365 and other Office programs
The Drawing Tools in Word 365 is now larger with separate tools like Lasso and Eraser now in a single combined gallery. There are other changes and new limitations on the Drawing Tools gallery, some of them undocumented. Compare that to the old Draw tab where the Lasso, Eraser and Add Pen were separate from […]
Great OPEN signs in Word for any business
Businesses are reopening, which is great. Here’s some suggestions for big signs to let customers know you’re open, with some Word tips to make the letters as big as possible. What’s needed is a BIG sign that catches the eye from a distance or when passing in a bus. Getting a special oversize sign is […]
Open multiple docs in Word or PowerPoint for iPad
It’s now possible to open two Word docs or PowerPoint decks side-by-side on an iPad. iOS has multiple window or side-by-side support already, but Word and PowerPoint didn’t allow more than one document open at a time. That meant you could have a Word document open alongside another app but not another Word doc. Now […]
X Æ A-12 in Microsoft Word and Office
Elon Musk and partner have named their child X Æ A-12 (no kidding) how do you type Æ in Microsoft Word and Office generally. The child’s name doesn’t trigger any spelling or grammar errors in Word. No squiggly lines. What is Æ ? Æ or æ is a a-e ligature that was used in English […]
Microsoft Word – the song and video
It was only a matter of time before someone became so bored in the lockdown that they made a song about Microsoft Word. Ghetts, a British ‘rapper‘ (translation: singer/songwriter in the modern styling) has ‘dropped‘ (released) a song and video entitled ‘Microsoft Word’. As a boring white man in his sixties, the song is beyond […]
Section Breaks in Microsoft Word
Section breaks are probably one of the most useful features in Word when you are formatting complicated documents. They allow you to change formatting aspects that would otherwise be the same throughout a document, such as page orientation, margins, columns, headers and footers. Column changes (2, 3 or more columns) need Section Breaks before and […]
Two ways to make Word remember your preferred font
There are two ways to make Microsoft Word open with your preferred font ready to go. Just like with Two Ways to Change Word’s Opening Paper Size there are two ways to change the default or preferred font. Change the base Normal style or open the main Word template and make the change directly. Either […]
Search My Files is the better way to find files, PDF and Office documents
Nirsoft’s SearchMyFiles has received a major boost. It can now search inside Office documents and PDF’s. SearchMyFiles is the Windows search tool that should be included with Windows. It’s interface might be old-fashioned but all the options are visible, including some not available in Windows. Some of the highlights in Search My Files ‘Use Windows […]
Single space after sentences now default in Word
Microsoft has changed sentence spacing default setting in Word 365. Now the default is set at a single space at the end of a sentence, not two spaces. You can still choose your own preference or stop the checks completely. Single sentence space vis double spacing is one of those details that people can get […]
Word Numbered List tricks
Word numbered lists can do a lot more than simple 1, 2, 3 so here we’ll show you some better (1st, 2nd) and maybe unusual options (First Level, Second Place etc). All these and more are possible with Microsoft Word’s numbering plus a little knowledge and cunning. Numbering controls are spread across several different dialog […]
Format Painter with Shapes and gradients
Format Painter in Office will work to copy formatting between shapes which is very useful for complex Gradients. But they don’t always format copy in the way you’d expect. We’re obliged to Office-Watch.com reader, Lorelei, for pointing out that Format Painter can copy gradient fills in most but not all situations. To copy the formatting […]
Six shortcuts for horizontal lines in Word and stopping them!
Word has six shortcuts to make horizontal lines, here’s how they work, change them, color the lines and how to stop lines when they get out of control. All six line shortcuts There are six horizontal line shortcuts. For each one type the same character three times at the start of a new line then […]
Microsoft revises Clippy history
Microsoft tries to rewrite history on Clippy. It wasn’t their fault, it was us customers! According to this fiction, there was nothing wrong with Clippy but it was ‘ahead of it’s time’ and customers didn’t understand. That’s complete nonsense. Anyone who used Office 97 knows that. Business Insider reports on comments by Microsoft on Clippy […]
April 2020 updates for Office come with a warning
The April 2020 security fixes for Microsoft Office come with a warning that some VBA code will stop working. There are workarounds to let some references through. The KB4557055 security fix blocks VBA references that link to Internet or intranet sources or have been downloaded from the Internet. That will effect some Office/VBA code which […]
Private Annotations in Word is Save As under a fancy name
Microsoft is adding what it’s calling ‘Private Annotations’ to Word 365 with OneDrive or Sharepoint, We’re not sure what all the fuss is about because anyone with any version of Word can do the same thing now. Microsoft is trying a ‘quick fix’ for a common user request. Private Annotations doesn’t do what the name […]
