Speedy ways to open Office 2019 files
In the interest of getting to work faster, Office 2019 (and Windows 10) offers these speed techniques for opening files:
- Backstage: Click the File tab in any Office application to open what Microsoft calls the backstage. From there, you can quickly open files:
- On the Home window (go to the Home category), click the name of a file in the Recent list or Pinned list. The Recent list shows the names of files you recently opened. The Pinned list shows the names of files you deemed important enough to “pin.” To pin a file, click its push-pin icon.
- On the Open screen (go to the Open category), click the name of a file in the Pinned list or Recent list. The Pinned list appears at the top of the window. Scroll through files on the Recent list to find one you worked on recently.
- Windows Start screen: This screen (which appears when you click the Start button in the lower-left corner of the screen) offers a means of quickly opening files. Scroll to the name of an Office application and right-click its name. A pop-up menu appears. Under the word Recent on the menu are the names of files you recently opened. Click the name of a file to open it.
- Windows taskbar: Right-click an Office application icon on the taskbar to see a list of files you recently opened. Then select the name of a file. The taskbar is located along the bottom of the Windows screen.
- Ctrl+N: To open a new file in any Office application, press Ctrl+N. Pressing this keyboard shortcut opens a blank, default file.
Customize the Office 2019 Quick Access toolbar
The Quick Access toolbar is always there in the upper-left corner of Office applications. This toolbar offers the AutoSave, Save, Undo, and Redo buttons, as well as the Touch/Mouse Mode button if your computer has a touchscreen. Put your favorite buttons on the Quick Access toolbar to keep them within reach:
- Right-click a button and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar on the shortcut menu.
- Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button (located to the right of the Quick Access toolbar) and choose a button name on the drop-down list.
If you change your mind about putting a button on the Quick Access toolbar, right-click the button and choose Remove from Quick Access toolbar on the shortcut menu.
Change the background and color schemes of the Office 2019 applications
Want to play interior decorator with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, and Publisher? Follow these steps to change the look of the Office 2019 application screens:
- In any Office application, go to the File tab and choose Account.
The Account window opens. - Choose an Office Background option.
These options — Clouds, Spring, Underwater, and others — place a faint design motif in the upper-right corner of screens. - Choose an Office Theme option.
These options — Colorful, Dark Gray, Black, and White — change the overall color of Office screens. If you choose the Colorful option, each Office application appears in a different color. For example, the Word screen is blue; the PowerPoint screen is red.
