Word 2013 For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Getting to know the Word 2013 screen

Behold Word 2013’s screen. You see the promise of a new document and a bewildering number of buttons and gizmos. Here are the important points to remember:

Understanding the Word 2013 ribbon

Microsoft Word 2013’s Ribbon presents tabs that you can click to reveal groups of helpful icons. These icons represent command buttons, input boxes, and menus.

Keyboard command roundup

Whether you use a phone’s virtual keyboard or the real thing on your computer, word processing remains a keyboard-bound activity. The following tables show how to access Microsoft Word 2013’s commands and functions.

Using special-character keyboard shortcuts

Some key combinations insert characters into your Word 2013 document. If you find these characters useful in your day-to-day typing duties, consider using their keyboard shortcuts:

Word 2013 tricks to remember

Here’s a short list of the most helpful Microsoft Word 2013 tricks. Keep these suggestions in mind when you compose a new document:

• Press Ctrl+Enter to start a new page. This inserts a hard page break, which forces a new page automatically.

• Press Shift+Enter to insert a soft return. This is useful for breaking a line of text, such as in a document title or an address.

• Use tabs to line up your text. Never use spaces for this task. One tab is all you need. If you’re inserting more than one tab, you need to reset the tab stops.

• Always use one tab between columns to line them up. It makes editing the information easier if you have to do it.

• If you need to change the page formatting in the middle of your document, start a new section.

• Save your styles in a template! That way, you can use them for new documents you create without having to rebuild all your styles over and over.