What great tips, shortcuts and other ingenious things have you learnt to do in WORD? Share them here!

[OverMyDeadBody]

Because I know I'm not using word to its full potential, and would really like to learn more.

My favourites (this is basic stuff!) that I've noticed others don't always use are the keyboard shortcuts for bold, italic and underline. Just hold down shift and press b for bold, of shift and u for underline, or shift and i for italics.

What have you got?

[Threadworm]

I like 'Find and Replace'; Track Changes; and the option to make certain invisible characters (paragraph marks, etc.) visible on-screen.

[pootleflump]

OMDB, it's actually 'ctrl' b,u,i

[pootleflump]

Not specific to word, but I love to 'Alt-Tab' to switch between all open applications.

[mustsleep]

does anyone know how you do a squared symbol, so that for example two metres squared would be like 2m2 (but with a little two)??

[Threadworm]

Go into the font tools and click superscript

[snowleopard]

I have learned to switch off almost all the f*ing irritating controls that make Word decide to change the capitalisation, layout, format etc etc of what I'm trying to do because it has decided I don't know what I want.

I have also learned to use a decent DTP program instead like Quark or InDesign but unfortunately most of the technopeasants I work with insist on me sending them stuff in Word instead so I have to copy it over.

I loathe Word!

[OverMyDeadBody]

oh bugger pootle, of course it's ctrl!

[OverMyDeadBody]

I like the autocorrect options, when writing long articles and essays, if I know I'll be using a long word or phrase a lot I make my own abbreviation for it so I don't have to type the whole word each time. So, for example, if I type QuaMa it automatically changes it to Quantam Mechanics. I love that!

[OverMyDeadBody]

sorry leaopard, I think I am a dedicated technopeasant! But, I do use programs other than word, but I've no idea what a DTP programme is!

[snowleopard]

Oooh OMDB, it's possible that if I did cunning things like that, I could get more out of it But I like to be in control and know that what I wrote is what is there!

I thin Word is evil though because it is the standard and a lot of people use it and have to use it - and it could be SO much better designed and easier to use.

DTP is desktop publishing - it means you see the pages of the book/page/etc on the screen exactly as they appear in RL and can position text and pics where you want them. Trouble is, DTP software is expensive (I use it for work but it's too expensive for everyone to get for use at home) so it's unlikely to take over.

[Threadworm]

But I guess that is only useful if you need to concern yourself with layout, snow?? Or do you find these programmes better even for the actual words?

I, too, turn off most of the autocorrect options. Word is really pushy. In an earlier incarnation, with the little paperclip animated character that gave you 'helpful' suggestions, my DS was afraid to type certain things in case the paperclip guy gor upset.

[snowleopard]

I just like to know that if I put something on the page, it stays where I put it. I can't stand finding Word has rearranged the lines to make it neater at the page break, or decided I need an indent when I never put one there. So I do actually use my DTP for all my own documents and letters too, not just for layout.

If you tried it, you'd never go back...!

[GeekBoy]

CTRL+ to make font size go up and down..

CTRL + L/R/E for Left/Right/Centre

CTRL+M for indent (CTRL+Shift+M to remove indent)

[snowleopard]

Holding down CTRL and shift then using the left and right arrow keys makes the text change - first to italic, then bold, then it changes size etc. I actually hate this and am always doing it by accident because it's a keystroke I use for another purpose in a different program! But someone might find it handy...

[Threadworm]

Keyboard shortcuts always seem like longcuts to me. What's wrong with the mouse?

[policywonk]

Agree that Word is like some sort of incredibly bossy American nanny or something - 'Do this! Do that! You don't want to do it like that!' ('Yes I farking well do!')

I like Ctrl-Shift-End to select text to the end of a document - quicker than endless scrolling.

Have occasionally set up my own macros but not very proficient at it.

Undoing ALL applied styles is usually my starting point - authors and their stupid formatting

[Bramshott]

Using ctrl and the punctuation marks for accents / umlauts etc - so ctrl " for umlaut; ctrl , for c cedilla; ctrl ' for acutre; ctrl ` for grave etc etc

[policywonk]

Mind you, for all that I moan about Word, you don't appreciate how good it is until you've tried to edit something in Quark XPress.

[spaghettoblaster]

Try tinyurl.com/3cjpcg

It has a list of EVERY shortcut. Use whatever makes you happy.

[Threadworm]

Like the idea of associating Word's bossiness with its American-ness. I'm imagining it saying 'Don't have that small glass of wine as you type: you are pregnant you know.'

[No1ErmaBombeckfan]

I'm a bit slow here....and was wondering if someone would help..

If you want to put in an eg. degree sign into a word doc, what key do you use with the ASCII code??

[policywonk]

LOL. 'Honey, that table formatting is just super!'

Thanks for the link spaghettoblaster (good name)

[snowleopard]

Nooo Wonk - it's because I use Quark that I'm so sure Word is shite! Quark can be intimidating at first but you just have to Feel the Power and realise you can do anything you like without Word going naggety nag nag do this do that.

Surely everyone has seen the comedy Word paperclip vid but I'm going to link to it anyway just in case:
ha ha

(warning - contains swear words!)