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Tip #1: How do I get started?

The office button in the upper left-hand corner contains many of the most important features that you will need. There, you will be able to open a NEW document. In fact, Word 2007 contains many interesting templates as well as an easier way to create your own customized templates.

You can store up to 50 recent documents and you can pin the documents you want to keep there.

Perhaps the most important new feature in the office button is SAVE to PDF. It’s quick and easy now to create, share, and view .pdf documents from within Word 2007.

If you’re looking for the help button, click on the “?” in the upper right-hand corner or just try press the F1 key.

Tip #2: Don’t like the default font?

The default font within Word 2007 is Cambria 11. If you want to change the default, perhaps to Times Roman, press Ctrl-D and then default…

Tip #3: Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

It’s easy to populate the Quick Access Toolbar at the top of the screen with your favorite, most used commands. Simply click on the down-arrow at the right of the toolbar to open a dialogue box that will permit you to add any command within Word.

Tip #4: Word Options

Click on the Office Menu button (at the top-left of the screen) and then select Word Options. Within the Proofing Tab, check out AUTOCORRECT OPTIONS. You can use AUTOCORRECT to enter abbreviations such as “gvt” and have Word expand that entry to government. You can develop a shorthand that will vastly increase your typing speed and enhance your typing accuracy. Word 2007 introduces a MATH AUTOCORRECT that will permit math users to easily enter mathematical symbols. In Word Option’s Advanced Tab, you can increase the number of documents that can be contained in the Recent Document list.

Tip #5: Styles are easy to apply.

Within the home ribbon, change styles gives you access to a number of style sets that can refine the look and feel of your document. Note that by moving your mouse over each style name, you can see how your document will look before you apply the style. Given the new power of styles, make sure that you consistently apply style headings throughout your document. For example, each chapter title might be in Heading 1. By so doing, you will easily be able to create a Table of Contents (see the Reference Ribbon) and take advantage of the Document Map (see the View Ribbon).

Tip #6: Create a beautifully formatted cover sheet.

Within the Insert Ribbon, you can choose from among numerous templates for cover sheets and even some spectacular pre-formatted headers and footers. You can also insert tables and charts very quickly. Once you are happy with your chart, table, or picture, click on it. Word 2007 will give you access to additional commands within a Format Ribbon.

Tip #7: Don’t use Word 2007’s Citation Manager!

Endnote or RefWorks are compatible with Word 2007 and are far better solutions for managing your citations and bibliographies. Word 2007’s facility is limited to ten citation styles and there’s no way to edit or create a new style. More important, perhaps, the Citation Manager requires you to enter each citation manually. Endnote or RefWorks, of course, can automate the data entry process.

Tip #8: Translate!

Check out the new translation feature in the Review Tab. It’s certainly no substitute to knowing a language, but it can provide a quick stab at the foreign text you are confronting.

Tip #9: When in doubt, highlight text and right-click.

The most frequently used features are also available by using the right-mouse button.

Tip #10: Don’t Despair… there’s help out there!

Microsoft offers free online training courses, a Microsoft Word 2007 Blog, and an interactive Word 2003 to Word 2007 command reference guide that will help you to locate needed commands. You can even test drive Word 2007 on the web.

Be sure to check OIT’s training page to see the current schedule for training at Princeton. All training is open to students, faculty and staff, and it is free.

On Tuesday, December 4, you can take Office 2007 for a Test Drive in the Convocation Room at Friend Center, 10 am to 2 pm. For those who would like a preview of the many new Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook features, OIT will offer an opportunity to try the updated versions while OIT staff are on hand to lend assistance and answer questions.

A podcast of the November 29 Productive Scholar session on Word 2007 is available.