Word 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual

INTRODUCTION

WORD. Microsoft Word has been the world’s most popular word processor for so long, it needs only one name—like Oprah or Madonna. Unlike certain celebrities, though, Word has undergone a makeover that goes well beyond cosmetic. Microsoft has redesigned the way you interact with the program and has redefined the underlying document format (don’t worry; your old Word documents will still work).

Some things haven’t changed: Word 2007 still makes it easy to create professional-looking letters, business reports, and novels. But Microsoft has loaded the program with new features to make designing and formatting attractive documents easier than ever. So even if you’re well acquainted with its predecessors, Word 2007 needs an introduction and a new book too. Some of the commands that are old favorites—like Cut and Paste—are in new places.

What Word Does

You type words, and they appear onscreen, what else? Well, maybe in the first version of Word. But in Word 2007, the program does a whole lot more. Word’s designers knew what kinds of documents folks are likely to create, and stocked the program with predesigned templates that have all the important elements in place-headings, signature line, text boxes, and so on. You don’t even have to worry about making it look nice: Word comes with attractive, built-in color schemes—called themes—that you can apply with a single click. Here are just some of the things you can create:

• ▸ Letters, lists, notecards, and other personal documents. ...