15 Essential Tips for Designing in Microsoft Word

by Chelsea Camper | Last Updated December 30, 2015

Not everyone has access to graphics programs such as Photoshop, InDesign, or even Microsoft Publisher. Microsoft Word® wasn’t created to be a designing program but with the right tips and tricks you can turn it into one.

Here are 15 Essential Tips you’ll need for designing in Microsoft Word®.

Positioning Objects15 microsoft word designing tips

  1. Utilize the Exact Positioning options.
    For Microsoft Word® 2000-2003: On the Format menu click the Layout button. Then click the Picture Position tab to move objects to exact locations.
    For Microsoft Word® 2007-2010: Click on your graphic then click on the Format tab. Click the Position button then click on the “More Layout Options” at the bottom of the drop down menu.
  2. Use the Text Wrap option. Get your image to float around, in front, or behind your text by using Text Wrap.
  3. Position Text Exactly with Text Boxes. Sometimes you need to get text positioned exactly in one place when you’re designing and text boxes can help with that. They are not bound to inline text constraints; they’re free floating.
  4. Draw Text Boxes Instead of Using Defaults. By drawing your own text box you can get it to be approximately the size you need it to be and in roughly the right area.
  5. Be Aware of the Send to Back/Bring to Front options. If you’re working on a design with many elements you should be aware of the options to shift the top to bottom order of the elements. If an element you need on top is in the middle use the Bring to Front option to bring that element to the top.

Viewing Options

  1. Turn on Table Gridlines if Needed. If you’re working with borderless tables you’ll want to turn on the table gridlines so you can see where your table borders are.
  2. Use Text Direction to Rotate Text. There is no way to rotate Text Boxes in Microsoft Word®; you have to Rotate the Text.
  3. Edit the Default Margins. Typically the default margins in Microsoft Word® are too big for your design. Go to page layout then margins to change your margins.
  4. Always Use Print Preview Before Printing. Sometimes quirky things can happen to your design, use Print Preview to help save you paper by spotting errors before you print. Go to  Print then Print Preview to view it.
  5. Use Thumbnails View for Long Documents. If you’re designing several different layouts or have a large amount of designs in one document, turn on thumbnails view for easier navigation.

Editing Shortcuts

  1. Copy and Paste Keyboard Shortcuts:
    ctrl + c = Copy
    ctrl + v = Paste
  2. Undo and Redo Keyboard Shortcuts:
    ctrl + z = Undo
    crtl + y = Redo
  3. Text Formatting Keyboard Shortcuts:
    ctrl + b = Bold
    ctrl + i = Italicize
    ctrl + u = Underline
  4. Highlight Text then Hover Over it for a Mini Formatting Ribbon. (Only for newer versions.) You can highlight a section of text you want to format then immediately hover over it. A mini formatting ribbon will appear near it.
  5. Use Paste Special to Keep Formatting Uniform. If the text in your document is green and the text you copied is red, when you paste the copied text normally it would stay red. By using the “unformatted text” text option in Paste Special you can paste the red text and it will be automatically turned green to match the rest of your document.

 

Do you have any other Microsoft Word® tips?

 

Not endorsed by, or affiliated with any of the following: MICROSOFT WORD® and MICROSOFT PUBLISHER® are trademarks of MICROSOFT®; PHOTOSHOP® and INDESIGN® are a trademark of ADOBE®.