Administrative Assistant / Secretary: Using Microsoft Word

Word processing can greatly improve your overall productivity. And although there are great differences among word processing software programs, almost all allow you to create documents, edit and format these documents, and print them. Other features include spelling checkers, style and grammar checkers, mail merge, and the ability to store documents electronically.
The most common word processing software found in businesses is Microsoft Word.  This guide provides useful tips for administrative assistants on how to use Microsoft Word 2010 and 2013. Most tips here are useful in later versions too.
Microsoft Word’s screen features individual tabs, each with its own function-filled ribbon bar. Figure 20-1 shows an image of Microsoft Word with the various parts of the screen labeled.
The Home tab is used the most often, since it contains groups for making font choices, paragraph formatting, styles, clipboard functions, and find and replace.

Creating Documents
The first time you open Word, it will automatically create a blank document for you. If you need to create a new blank document while Word is already running, follow these steps:
1. Click the File tab.
2. Click NEW.
3. Click the Blank Document template.
4. (Word 2010) Click CREATE.

Typing
When a new document has been created, you can begin typing and entering data.

Moving Around an Existing Document
An on-screen pointer called a cursor shows where text will appear when typed. You can use your mouse to move the cursor from one character to another, up or down, or left and right, in order to make corrections, edit, or format the text. You can also move the cursor by using the arrow keys on the computer keyboard.

Microsoft Word functions.



Editing Documents
For administrative assistants, one of the best time-saving features of Word is the ability to make changes very easily, without retyping the entire document. Many administrative assistants start a document by typing without regard to format or the look of the finished document. They then come back, make revisions, and change the format. By coming back to spell-check, proof, and make corrections, they can remove most typos and sentence structure problems prior to printing out a copy of the document.

Deleting
To delete text from a document, several choices are available. Some keyboards have a BACKSPACE key, and others have a key marked DELETE.
When you type the BACKSPACE key, the cursor moves to the left one space and erases the character that was displayed there. When you type the DELETE key, the character that occupies the same space as the cursor is erased. You can also use your mouse to highlight the specific character or word to be deleted and then press the DELETE key.

Undo
When you delete text, it’s stored in a temporary memory buffer. The buffer stores the last thing you deleted, such as a word, sentence, paragraph, or even whole pages. In case you inadvertently delete something, Word has an Undo function.
You can access the Undo function by clicking the Undo Typing icon in the top left corner of the Word window. You can also access the Undo function by pressing CTLR + Z on your keyboard at the same time.

Cut and Paste
Moving text from one location to another is one more useful feature of Microsoft Word. Just click and drag the mouse to highlight a block of text such as a sentence, paragraph, or group of paragraphs. Once the text is highlighted, select CUT or COPY from the Home tab to put the text (or a copy of it) into the temporary memory buffer. Next, use the mouse to navigate through the document to the location where the text should be inserted. By clicking the mouse on this location and selecting PASTE from the Home tab, you remove the text from the memory buffer and insert it into the new location.

Search
Microsoft Word provides the ability to search for and find a particular string of characters or words anywhere in a document. This feature comes in handy for finding names in a mailing list or other specific information from a document.
In order to search an entire document, position the cursor at the beginning of the document. The Find function is on the far right end of the Home tab. Once Find has been selected, you’ll be asked to type the characters or words you want to find.

Search and Replace
A related function is Search and Replace. It is useful whenever a word that is scattered throughout a document must be changed. You can access the Replace function on the far right end of the Home tab. Once Replace has been selected, you enter the word or phrase you want to find and the replacement word or phrase. You have the option of replacing all of the instances of the search word or phrase at one time, or you can review each instance individually and make the replacement decision one at a time.
Many users save time by using Search and Replace as a time-saving shortcut. If these users frequently have to type a long, complicated word or phrase in a document, they will type substitute characters instead, such as “xxx.” Since “xxx” would normally not appear in a document, the user can later access the Search and Replace function. This function then finds “xxx” and allows the user to type in a replacement string—the long, complicated word or phrase.

Formatting Documents
Many administrative assistants start by typing text and later going back to make adjustments to the way the document will look when printed on paper. This is a process known as formatting. There are many different ways to format a document—for example, by changing the margins, the line spacing, or the type style and size of the characters.

Margins and Tabs
Microsoft Word allows you to set the left and right margins. A ruler that runs just below the tabs is used for setting margins and tabs. Tabs can be added by clicking in the desired spot on the ruler. Tabs allow you to indent your text at the beginning of a paragraph or to line up columns of data.
If the ruler is not visible, you can turn it on by clicking RULER on the View tab.

Line Spacing
Line spacing is changed by selecting the Line and Paragraph Spacing icon on the Home tab. The menu provides options for changing the amount of spacing between each line. There are options for adding a specific amount of space before and after each paragraph. You can change the spacing of an existing paragraph by selecting it with your mouse and then making a selection from the Line and Paragraph Spacing function.

Justification
Justification is the way a block of text lines up on the page with the margins. Word offers four options for justification. Any block of text can be aligned flush with the left margin or the right margin. Another choice is full justification, which aligns the text flush with both the left and the right margin—like typesetting in a book. This is done by adding spaces between the words of each line. A fourth option is centered justification, used to center titles and other text in the middle of a line.
The justification settings in Microsoft Word are available as icons on the Home tab.

Character Formatting
Another major document-formatting tool is the character format. Text can be printed in a variety of different styles, such as underlined, bold, and italics. In addition, the characters themselves can be printed in many different sizes and typefaces called fonts.
Microsoft Word comes with a number of fonts and font sizes already installed. Additional fonts can be purchased as software to increase your number of choices. Some fonts are used to display text on the screen, and others are used by the printer. Some printers include fonts that are installed when the printer drivers are installed on your computer.
You can select the character formatting using the icons on the Home tab. You can change the formatting of existing text by first highlighting the text with your mouse, and then selecting the appropriate formatting icon on the Home tab.

Page Formatting
Additional formatting options are available for entire documents or sections of a document. For example, the page layout determines the top, bottom, left, and right margins for all text on a page. In addition, headers and footers can be inserted on each page for page numbers, the date, or the name of a document.
You can adjust the page formatting on the Page Layout tab. Headers and footers can be adjusted on the Insert tab.

Styles
If you create a specialized format for a document, rather than manually format each section, you can create what are called styles. Styles allow you to define individual formatting characteristics such as margins, justification, font size, and font style and give them a name that can be accessed from a menu on the ruler.
Built-in styles are available in the Styles section of the Home tab. You can create a new style based on existing text that you have formatted by selecting the text, then right-click and select STYLES > CREATE A STYLE. (In Word 2010 select STYLES > SAVE THE SELECTION AS A NEW QUICK STYLE.)

Printing Documents
When a document has been created and formatted, getting that document printed on paper is the ultimate goal for most Microsoft Word users. The Print function allows you to specify additional information about the way the document should appear on paper: for example, which pages of the document are to be printed, whether the printing itself should be draft mode or letter quality, how many copies should be made, page orientation (portrait versus landscape), paper size, and whether the printing will be onesided or two-sided.
Microsoft Word has a print-preview feature that displays on the monitor the overall layout of how the printed document will appear on paper. In this way, you can see the formatting options before time and paper are wasted printing an incorrect document. Before printing any document, it’s important that you first save the document to your computer’s hard drive. Since printing involves a hardware connection between two different devices, occasionally there are problems that cause a computer to “hang up” when trying to print. If you have not saved your document, you could lose it if this happens.
Some of the biggest problems for many word processing users are printer related. The printer might print something you didn’t intend, or perhaps it might not print at all. In order for the computer to communicate with a printer, print driver software is required. This software is usually supplied with the printer but can also be included with some word processing software. It’s important that you specify the type of printer you are using and how it’s connected to the computer.
The Print function in Microsoft Word is available on the File menu. You can also access the Print function by typing CTRL + P on the keyboard.

Saving and Loading Documents
One of the main benefits of using Microsoft Word is the ability to save your documents electronically and to retrieve them to use again. In this way, common business documents such as letters, invoices, and contracts can be created once, saved, and then customized as needed. This feature eliminates having to re-create a letter or document every time it is needed.
Saving a document is an electronic way of recording the data on the computer’s hard drive or some other storage medium. Before you can save a document, you’ll be asked to name the document and to designate where you want to save it. Give your document a unique name that will make it easy to find later. Some administrative assistants include the date and draft number in the document name.
If your computer is equipped with multiple hard drives, you must specify on which drive you want to save the document. It is also a good idea to create folders and filing system on each drive (read this guide for more).
Loading or opening a document that has been previously saved involves specifying the name of the document you want to open and telling the computer on which drive it is saved. When a document is loaded from the hard drive into the computer’s memory, only a copy of the document is loaded. The original saved version is still stored on the disk. If you make changes to the document and save it again using the same name, only the most recent version will be saved on the disk. The original version is wiped out, and the new version is saved in its place. To save both versions of a document, you need to alter the name of the new version. Even if you change just one letter or character in the name, the new version will be saved in a different space, and the original version will still be intact on the disk.

Review tab in Microsoft Word.


Screen shot used with permission from Microsoft.
Fortunately, Microsoft Word has built-in protection that warns you when an original version of a document is about to be overwritten. Microsoft Word tells you that a previous version of the same document already exists and asks you to confirm that you really want to wipe out the old version.

Advanced Word Processing Features
Microsoft Word has some advanced features that may be of use to you in your work. For example, if you create long manuscripts or reports, features such as indexing, sorting, footnote tracking, automatic hyphenation, and tables may be of help. Check the online help for Microsoft Word if you wish to employ these powerful tools.

Spelling and Grammar Checker
Microsoft Word’s spelling checker automatically looks for spelling errors. There is also a grammar and style checker that can analyze the mechanics of your writing. A built-in thesaurus can provide synonyms for words used in your document.
You can access the spelling and grammar checker and thesaurus on the Review tab. Figure 20-2 shows the Review tab.

Macros
Microsoft Word can utilize macros to help customize and shorten repetitive processes. A macro is a way of recording a series of keystrokes or commands and recalling them by using a single keystroke or key combination. For example, you might have to type a long medical term repeatedly throughout a document. Rather than type it over and over, you might create a macro that with just a two-key combination automatically types the longer word.
You can create a Macro by selecting MACROS on the View tab, and then select RECORD MACRO. You will be asked to name the macro and assign a keyboard combination that will call the macro. You then record the keystrokes you want to save in the macro.

Creating an Address List
You may need to keep a list of contacts, such as employees or customers, for use in correspondence and telephone calls. In addition to being able to use the list as a reference source, you can use your address list with the mail-merge feature in Microsoft word to create customized form letters and emails. For information on creating mail- merge letters, see Printing and Emailing Mail-Merge Letters.

Page Layout tab in Microsoft Word.



Insert tab in Microsoft Word.



To create your address list, gather information about your contacts and decide the types of information you want to include. A simple address list includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Other information may be added as needed by you and your manager, such as department, hire date, spouse’s name, children’s names, and so forth. These categories of information will be the headings for your address list table.

Follow these steps to create an address list table in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW, then click BLANK DOCUMENT.
2. Click the Page Layout tab.
3. In the Page Setup group, click ORIENTATION. From the submenu, click LANDSCAPE. Your page layout should change to landscape view.
4. Click the Insert tab.
5. In the Tables group, click TABLE. From the submenu, click INSERT TABLE. The Insert Table dialog box will display.
6. Select the number of columns based on the categories of information you want in your address list. For example, first name, last name, address, city, state, zip, phone, and email would require eight columns.
7. Select the number of rows based on an initial estimate of the number of people you need to add to the list. (You can always add more rows later.)
8. Click the OK button. The table will be inserted into the document.
9. Add the categories of information as the headings in the top row of the table. Put each one in a different table cell.
10. To format the heading, select the first row in the table to highlight it, click the Home tab, and click the Bold icon in the Font group.
11. To add shading to the heading, if it is not still selected, select the first row in the table, then click the Shading icon in the Paragraph group on the Home tab. From the submenu, select one of the light gray colors.
12. To repeat the same heading on additional pages of the table, select the heading row, then right-click. From the right-click pop-up menu, select TABLE PROPERTIES. The Table Properties dialog box will display.
13. Click the Row tab on the Table Properties dialog box, then click the checkbox for REPEAT AS HEADER ROW AT THE TOP OF EACH PAGE.
14. Click the OK button.
15. To add a title to your address list, click the Insert tab, and in the Header and Footer group, click HEADER.
16. From the submenu, click EDIT HEADER. The Header and Footer tools will display, allowing you a space to type the header.
17. Right-click in the header and from the pop-up menu, click the CENTER JUSTIFICATION icon to center your text on the page.
18. Type the title of your address list. When you are finished, click the CLOSE HEADER AND FOOTER icon in the Close group.
19. Save your address list and give it a name.
20. You are now ready to enter the personal information about your contacts in the list. Remember to save your work often.

Creating and Printing Address Labels
Labels can be printed using Microsoft Word for use in addressing correspondence, organizing paper files, and creating items such as name badges.
The best place to start is with the label or paper stock that you want to use for the desired type of label. Avery makes a variety of label stock ranging from sticky labels for addresses to labels for DVDs. Each type of label is identified with a product code number.
While Avery is the dominant brand of label available at most office supply stores, you can find less expensive alternatives. Just make sure the Avery equivalent code is located on the packaging somewhere.
Microsoft Word allows you to customize your labels using templates that match the Avery label coding. You can customize the font, font size, font style, color, and layout. You can also add graphics or pictures to your labels.
When you use Microsoft Word to create labels, you’ll have several choices:
- You can create an entire page of the same label.
- You can create a page of unique labels.
- You can create and print one single label.
- You can print mail-merge labels using an existing address list.

Mailings tab in Microsoft Word.



When creating labels and mail merges, you will use the Mailings tab. 

Entire Page of the Same Label
When you need to organize numerous items with the same information, such as the materials for a meeting or workshop, you can use Microsoft Word to print an entire page of the same label. Before you get started, make sure you have your label stock product code number.

Follow these steps to create an entire page of the same label:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW, then double-click BLANK DOCUMENT.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Create group on the Mailing tab, click LABELS. The Envelopes and Labels dialog box will display with the Labels tab active.
4. Click the OPTIONS button. The Label Options dialog box will display.
5. Select the label brand from the Label Vendors drop-down list, then select the label stock product code from the Product Number list. Click OK to continue.
6. In the Address text box, type the text for your labels.
a.   To pick the font, right-click and select FONT.
b.   On the Font dialog box, select the FONT tab.
c.   Select the font, font size, font style, color, and layout.
d.   Click OK to continue.
7. On the Envelopes and Labels dialog box in the Print pane, make sure the radio button for FULL PAGE OF SAME LABEL is selected.
8. Load the labels into the printer.
9. Select the paper source in Microsoft Word by clicking the OPTIONS button, then select the correct tray on your printer, then click OK.
10. To print just one sheet of labels, click the PRINT button.
11. To print several pages of labels or to save your labels as a Word document, click the NEW DOCUMENT button. A new document will display.
a.   Save the labels by clicking the FILE tab, and then clicking SAVE. Name the file, select the location to save it, then click SAVE.
b.   To print several pages of labels, click the Microsoft Office button, and then click PRINT > PRINT. Make any adjustments necessary on the Print dialog box and then click OK.

Page of Unique Labels
When you need to print many different labels, such as address labels, you can create a new document label page and manually type your labels. Before you get started, make sure you have your label stock product code number.
Follow these steps to create a page of unique labels:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW, then double-click BLANK DOCUMENT.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Create group on the Mailing tab, click LABELS. The Envelopes and Labels dialog box will display with the Labels tab active.
4. Click the OPTIONS button. The Label Options dialog box will display.
5. Select the label brand from the Label Vendors drop-down list, then select the label stock product code from the Product Number list. Click OK to continue.
6. Load the labels into the printer.
7. Select the paper source in Microsoft Word by clicking the OPTIONS button, then select the correct tray on your printer, then click OK.
8. Click the NEW DOCUMENT button. A new document will display with a table. Each table cell represents one label.
9. Enter the contents for each label. To move from one label to the next, press the TAB key on your keyboard.
10. Save the labels by clicking the FILE tab, and then clicking SAVE. Name the file, select the location to save it, then click SAVE.
11. To print the labels, click the Microsoft Office button, and then click PRINT > PRINT. Make any adjustments necessary on the Print dialog box and then click OK.

Single Label
When you need just one label, such as a single address label, you can specify the row and column where you want your label printed on your label stock. Before you get started, make sure you have your label stock product code number.
Follow these steps to create and print a single label:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW, then double-click BLANK DOCUMENT.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Create group on the Mailing tab, click LABELS. The Envelopes and Labels dialog box will display with the Labels tab active.
4. Click the OPTIONS button. The Label Options dialog box will display.
5. Select the label brand from the Label Vendors drop-down list, then select the label stock product code from the Product Number list. Click OK to continue.
6. In the Address text box, type the text for your labels.
7. To pick the font, right-click and select FONT.
8. On the Font dialog box, select the Font tab.
9. Select the font, font size, font style, color, and layout.
10. Click OK to continue.
11. On the Envelopes and Labels dialog box in the Print pane, make sure the radio button for SINGLE LABEL is selected. Then, select the row and column on the label sheet where you want your label to be printed.
12. Load the labels into the printer.
13. Select the paper source in Microsoft Word by clicking the OPTIONS button, then select the correct tray on your printer, then click OK.
14. Click the PRINT button. The label will be printed without accessing the Print dialog box.

Mail-Merge Labels
Whenever you have a list of addresses as a file in Word or Excel, you can use the mail- merge feature in Word to set up a label and print one for each address in the file. You can also use this same feature to print mail-merge envelopes (see Printing and Emailing Mail-Merge Letters. Before you begin this procedure, you must first create your address list.
Follow these steps to print mail-merge labels:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW, then double-click BLANK DOCUMENT.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailing tab, click START MAIL MERGE. The Start Mail Merge submenu will display.
4. Select LABELS from the submenu. The Labels Options dialog box will display.
5. Specify the paper tray to use on your printer by clicking the Tray drop-down arrow and making a selection from the list of trays.
6. Select the label manufacturer by clicking the Label Products drop-down list.
7. Select the type of label you are using by clicking the Product Number scroll box. The most common address labels are Avery 5160 Address.
8. Click the OK button to continue.
9. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailing tab, click SELECT RECIPIENTS. From the submenu, click USE EXISTING LIST. The Select Data Source dialog box will display.
10. Click the Look In down arrow to locate and find the address list file on your computer. Select the file, and then click the OPEN button.
11. To select the names and addresses to use for the mail merge, in the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box will display.
12. Select the recipients you want to print by making sure the check box next to the name and address is selected. Click the OK button to continue.
13. To insert the merge fields, click your cursor in the top left label on your document.
14. In the Write and Insert Fields group on the Mailings tab, click INSERT MERGE FIELD, then select the correct field from the submenu. For example, select FIRST NAME. Add a space on your document to separate fields such as first name and last name. Add any additional fields. Press ENTER on your keyboard to move to the next line in your document to add other fields, such as the company name or address. Press ENTER again and repeat the process to add fields for the city, state, and zip. You will need to add the comma in your document between the city and state fields.
15. To use the same fields for all the labels on the page, in the Write and Insert Fields group, click UPDATE LABELS.
16. When you are finished adding all the necessary fields to the address, click PREVIEW RESULTS. You will see a preview of the first recipient’s label.
17. When you are ready to print, in the Finish group, click FINISH & MERGE. From the submenu, click PRINT DOCUMENTS. The small Merge to Printer dialog box displays.
18. To print labels for all the recipients, click ALL. To print an envelope only for the record currently selected, click CURRENT RECORD. To print the labels in batches, enter a range in the text boxes. Click the OK button when you are finished. The Print dialog box will display.
19. Make any necessary adjustments on the Print dialog box.
20. Load the label stock into your printer.
21. Click the OK button on the Print dialog box.

Printing Envelopes
Printing address information directly on an envelope gives your correspondence a professional look.
Before you begin this procedure, you should familiarize yourself with how to load an envelope into your printer. Generally this is accomplished by manually feeding an envelope in one of the paper trays. Sometimes this requires removing the normal paper stock. Check the printer’s user manual for instructions.
You’ll also need to know what size envelope you will be using in order to make the correct settings in Microsoft Word. The most popular size is the Number 10 envelope, which measures 4⅛ inches by 9½ inches. A variety of other envelope sizes are also supported.
There are several options for printing envelopes:
- You can access the envelope feature in Word and type in the address.
- You can highlight an address in a letter and print an envelope of the address.
- You can print multiple envelopes using the mail-merge feature and an existing address list.

A New Envelope
Follow this procedure whenever you want to print an envelope in Microsoft Word and you don’t already have the address available in a Word document:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW, then double-click BLANK DOCUMENT.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Create group on the Mailing tab, click ENVELOPES. The Envelopes and Labels dialog box will display with the Envelopes tab active.
4. Click the OPTIONS button. The Envelope Options dialog box will display.
5. Select the correct envelope size by clicking the Envelope Size drop-down arrow.
6. Click the Feed Options tab on the Envelope Options dialog box.
7. Select the correct feed method and whether the envelope is inserted face up or face down, based on your printer manual’s recommendation. Also, select the correct printer tray by clicking the Feed From drop-down arrow. (If you don’t know, leave the default setting and if the envelope does not print correctly the first time, make changes to these settings.)
8. Click the OK button. This returns you to the Envelopes and Labels dialog box.
9. Type the address for the person who will receive the letter in the Delivery Address text box.
a.   To change the font, right-click in the Delivery Address text box. The Font dialog box will display.
b.   Make any changes you want to the font, font style, and size. When you are finished, click the OK button.
10. Enter your return address in the Return Address text box. You will have the option of saving your current return address as the default address for future envelopes. You also have the option of omitting the return address by clicking the OMIT checkbox.
a.   To change the font, right-click in the Return Address text box. The Font dialog box will display.
b.   Make any changes you want to the font, font size, font style, color, and layout. When you are finished, click the OK button.
11. Insert the envelope in your printer according to your printer’s specifications.
12. Click the PRINT button. Depending on your printer, you may be prompted to manually insert the envelope.

An Envelope for an Existing Letter
Follow this procedure whenever you already have the address available in a Word document, which will often be the case if you have just finished writing a letter:
1. Select the address in the letter or other Word document.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Create group on the Mailings tab, click ENVELOPES. The Envelopes and Labels dialog box will display with the Envelopes tab active.
4. Click the OPTIONS button. The Envelope Options dialog box will display.
5. Select the correct envelope size by clicking the Envelope Size drop-down arrow.
6. Click the Feed Options tab on the Envelope Options dialog box. You can adjust the fonts for the delivery address and return address by clicking the appropriate font button. Make any changes you want to the font, font size, font style, color, and layout. When you are finished, click the OK button.
7. Select the correct feed method and whether the envelope is inserted face up or face down, based on your printer manual’s recommendation. Also select the correct printer tray by clicking the Feed From drop-down arrow. (If you don’t know, use the default setting and if the envelope does not print correctly the first time, make changes to these settings.)
8. Click the OK button. This returns you to the Envelopes and Labels dialog box.
9. Confirm the address in the Delivery Address text box.
10. Enter your return address in the Return Address text box. You will have the option of saving your current return address as the default address for future envelopes. You also have the option of omitting the return address by clicking the OMIT checkbox.
11. Insert the envelope in your printer according to your printer’s specifications.
12. Click the PRINT button. Depending on your printer, you may be prompted to manually insert the envelope.

Mail-Merge Envelopes
Whenever you have a list of addresses as a file in Word or Excel, you can use the mail- merge feature in Word to set up an envelope and print one for each address in the file. You can also use this same feature to print mail-merge labels (see Mail-Merge Labels. Before you begin this procedure, you must first create your address list (see Creating an Address List:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW, then double-click BLANK DOCUMENT.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click START MAIL MERGE. The Start Mail Merge submenu will display.
4. Select ENVELOPES from the submenu. The Envelope Options dialog box will display.
5. Select the correct envelope size by clicking the Envelope Size drop-down arrow.
6. To set the typeface for the delivery address, click the FONT button for the delivery address. Make any changes you want to the font, font size, font style, color, and layout. Click the OK button when you are finished.
7. To set the typeface for the return address, click the FONT button for the return address. Make any changes you want to the font, font size, font style, color, and layout. Click the OK button when you are finished.
8. Click the OK button on the Envelope Options dialog box. The envelope is now formatted and ready for the mail merge.
9. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click SELECT RECIPIENTS. From the submenu, click USE EXISTING LIST. The Select Data Source dialog box will display.
10. Click the Look In down arrow to locate and find the address list file on your computer. Select the file, and then click the OPEN button.
11. To select the names and addresses to use for the envelope mail merge, in the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box will display.
12. Select the recipients for which you want to print an envelope by making sure the checkbox next to the name and address is selected. Click the OK button to continue.
13. To insert the merge fields, click your cursor in the first line of the blank document.
14. In the Write and Insert Fields group on the Mailings tab, click INSERT MERGE FIELD, then select the correct field from the submenu. For example, select FIRST NAME. Add a space on your document to separate fields such as first name and last name. Add any additional fields. Press ENTER on your keyboard to move to the next line in your document to add other fields, such as the company name or address. Press ENTER again and repeat the process to add fields for the city, state, and zip. You will need to add the comma in your document between the city and state fields.
15. When you are finished adding all the necessary fields to the address, click PREVIEW RESULTS. You will see a preview of the first recipient’s envelope.
16. When you are ready to print, in the Finish group, click FINISH & MERGE. From the submenu, click PRINT DOCUMENTS. The small Merge to Printer dialog box displays.
17. To print envelopes for all the recipients, click ALL. To print an envelope only for the record currently selected, click CURRENT RECORD. To print the envelopes in batches, enter a range in the text boxes. Click the OK button when you are finished. The Print dialog box will display.
18. Make any necessary adjustments on the Print dialog box.
19. Load an envelope into your printer.
20. Click the OK button on the Print dialog box. Depending on your printer, you may need to load each envelope one at a time as they are printed.

Printing and Emailing Mail-Merge Letters
The mail-merge feature in Microsoft Word allows you to create one letter and customize it for each record in a database or table. For example, you could create a form letter with places for adding a person’s name and address, then create a list of names and addresses, and merge the two to create a customized letter for each person on the list. This is a great timesaver whenever you need to send a similar letter to many different people.
Before you start this procedure, you should first create your address list (see Creating an Address List, for more information). You should also create your form letter in Microsoft Word, leaving spaces for where customized information needs to be inserted during the merge, such as the person’s name and address, and “Dear” followed by a blank for where the person’s name will be placed.
The mail-merge process consists of six steps:
1. Select the type of document (in this case a form letter).
2. Select the recipients (your address list).
3. Insert fields from the recipient list into the letter.
4. Preview the document.
5. Merge the letter and the address list.
6. Print the customized mail-merge letters.
Because your address list can be created in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Outlook, and because you can create and print paper-based letters or send emails, you will also need to know more for this topic:
- Generating mail-merge form letters from an address list
- Using Outlook contacts for a mail merge
- Creating an email merge

Generating Mail-Merge Form Letters from an Address List
Whenever you have a list of addresses as a file in Word or Excel, you can use the mail- merge feature in Word to create a form letter and then merge content from the address list to create customized letters for each person in the list. You may also want to combine this process with the creation of mail-merge mailing labels (see Mail-Merge Labels section of this guide for more information).
1. Open the form letter you have created.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click START MAIL MERGE. The Start Mail Merge submenu will display.
4. Select LETTERS from the submenu.
5. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click SELECT RECIPIENTS. From the submenu, click USE EXISTING LIST. The Select Data Source dialog box will display.
6. Click the Look In down arrow to locate and find the address list file on your computer. Select the file, and then click the OPEN button.
7. To select the names and addresses to use for the mail merge, in the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box will display.
8. Select the recipients you want to print by making sure the checkbox next to the name and address is selected. Click the OK button to continue.
9. To insert the merge fields, position and click your cursor where the first item of merged content from the address list should appear. For example, if you want to insert a person’s name after the word “Dear,” click your mouse one space after the word.
10. In the Write and Insert Fields group on the Mailings tab, click INSERT MERGE FIELD, then select the correct field from the submenu. For example, select FIRST NAME. Add any additional fields by repeating steps 9 and 10.
11. When you are finished adding all the necessary fields to the address, click PREVIEW RESULTS. You will see a preview of the first recipient’s letter.
12. When you are ready to print, in the Finish group, click FINISH & MERGE. From the submenu, click PRINT DOCUMENTS. The small Merge to Printer dialog box displays.
13. To print letters for all the recipients, click ALL. To print a letter only for the record currently selected, click CURRENT RECORD. To print the letters in batches, enter a range in the text boxes. Click the OK button when you are finished. The Print dialog box will display.
14. Make any necessary adjustments on the Print dialog box.
15. Click the OK button on the Print dialog box. The letters will be printed.

Using Outlook Contacts for a Mail Merge
Whenever you have a contact list in Outlook, you can use the mail-merge feature in Word to create a form letter and then merge content from the Outlook contact list to create customized letters for each person in the list. Before you begin this procedure, you must first create your address list and your form letter (see Creating an Address List earlier). You may also want to combine this process with the creation of mail-merge mailing labels (see Mail-Merge Labels, earlier).
1. Open the form letter you have created.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click START MAIL MERGE. The Start Mail Merge submenu will display.
4. Select LETTERS from the submenu.
5. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click SELEct RECIPIENTS. From the submenu, click SELECT FROM OUTLOOK CONTACTS. The Select Contacts dialog box will display.
6. Click the OK button on the Select Contacts dialog box. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box will display.
7. Select the recipients you want to print by making sure the checkbox next to the name and address is selected. Click the OK button to continue.
8. To insert the merge fields, position and click your cursor where the first item of merged content from the address list should appear. For example, if you want to insert a person’s name after the word “Dear,” click your mouse one space after the word.
9. In the Write and Insert Fields group on the Mailings tab, click INSERT MERGE FIELD, then select the correct field from the submenu. For example, select FIRST NAME. Add any additional fields by repeating steps 8 and 9.
10. When you are finished adding all the necessary fields to the address, click PREVIEW RESULTS. You will see a preview of the first recipient’s letter.
11. When you are ready to print, in the Finish group, click FINISH & MERGE. From the submenu, click PRINT DOCUMENTS. The small Merge to Printer dialog box displays.
12. To print letters for all the recipients, click ALL. To print a letter only for the record currently selected, click CURRENT RECORD. To print the letters in batches, enter a range in the text boxes. Click the OK button when you are finished. The Print dialog box will display.
13. Make any necessary adjustments on the Print dialog box.
14. Click the OK button on the Print dialog box. The letters will be printed.

Creating an Email Merge
Rather than creating paper-based letters for your mail merge, you can create an email merge. You’ll be able to combine a form letter you create in Microsoft Word with an address list or a contact list from Outlook and produce customized emails for each person on the list.
Before you begin this procedure, you must first have your address list or contact list and your form letter:
1. Open the form letter you have created.
2. Click the Mailings tab.
3. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click START MAIL MERGE. The Start Mail Merge submenu will display.
4. Select EMAIL MESSAGES from the submenu.
5. In the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click SELECT RECIPIENTS. From the submenu, click USE EXISTING LIST. The Select Data Source dialog box will display. (If you want to use your Outlook contact list, see Using Outlook Contacts for a Mail Merge, above.)
6. Click the Look In down arrow to locate and find the address list file on your computer. Select the file, and then click the OPEN button.
7. To select the names and addresses to use for the mail merge, in the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab, click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box will display.
8. Select the recipients you want to print by making sure the checkbox next to the name and address is selected. Click the OK button to continue.
9. To insert the merge fields, position and click your cursor where the first item of merged content from the address list should appear. For example, if you want to insert a person’s name after the word “Dear,” click your mouse one space after the word.
10. In the Write and Insert Fields group on the Mailings tab, click INSERT MERGE FIELD, then select the correct field from the submenu. For example, select FIRST NAME. Add any additional fields by repeating steps 9 and 10.
11. When you are finished adding all the necessary fields to the address, click PREVIEW RESULTS. You will see a preview of the first recipient’s letter.
12. When you are ready to print, in the Finish group, click FINISH & MERGE. From the submenu, click SEND EMAIL MESSAGES. The small Merge to Email dialog box displays.
13. Click the To drop-down list and select the field that contains the email addresses.
14. Type a subject in the Subject Line field.
15. Select HTML in the Mail Format field.
16. To send emails to all the recipients, click ALL. To send an email only for the record currently selected, click CURRENT RECORD. To send the emails in batches, enter a range in the text boxes.
17. Click the OK button and your email messages will be sent.

Working with Templates
Templates are sample documents available in Microsoft Word. Templates can save you time in creating commonly used business documents such as forms. Instead of having to take the time to create the form yourself, you can open a template, customize it, and then fill in the necessary information.
Some templates are installed when Word is installed on your computer. Others are available for download from Microsoft’s website. You can also create your own templates for business forms that you use the most often in your work. When you save a document as a template, it is available when you start a new document within Word.

In the following tutorials, we explore some of the most common templates that are used by administrative assistants and secretaries:
- Telephone message forms
- Meeting agendas
- Meeting minutes
- Calendars
- Résumés
- Fax cover sheets
- Business letters
- Memos
- Status reports
- Invoices
- Time sheets

Telephone Message Form Template
Often, an administrative assistant will take telephone calls on behalf of his or her manager, rather than sending those calls to voice mail. Printed telephone message forms are useful for making notes about the calls received.
While preprinted telephone information forms are available, you can print your own from the templates available within Microsoft Word. The template can also be customized to add additional information that your manager may require. Follow these steps to create a telephone message form in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the search box at the top of the window, type “Telephone,” then press ENTER on your keyboard. A list of templates related to “telephone” will be displayed.
3. Locate the template titled “Telephone Message Slip” and select it. Then, click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
4. You can then print the template for your use.

Templates available in Microsoft Word.



Meeting Agenda Template
Many administrative assistants coordinate meetings on behalf of their managers. In addition to scheduling the meeting, reserving a room, and inviting the meeting participants, they sometimes have to create an agenda for the meeting. Consult with your manager about creating a meeting agenda. In most cases, it is a good idea to distribute the meeting agenda in advance to the participants via email attachment. You should also have paper copies available for distribution at the meeting.
Follow these steps to create a meeting agenda using Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the search box at the top of the window, type “Agendas,” then press ENTER on your keyboard. A list of templates related to “agendas” will be displayed.
3. There are several meeting agenda templates available. You should open and review each of them to find one that fits your need. For the purpose of this tutorial, locate the template titled “Agenda.” Then, click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
4. You can then print the template for your use.

Meeting Minutes Template
During a meeting, administrative assistants are often required to take meeting minutes. This is usually done by taking notes on a notepad in addition to recording the meeting with a digital audio recorder and transcribing the details later.
A summary of the meeting is documented in the meeting minutes. The minutes should include the date and time, location, who attended the meeting, what was discussed, and any action items that were decided during the meeting. Follow these steps to use a meeting minutes template in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the search box at the top of the window, type “Minutes,” then press ENTER on your keyboard. A list of templates related to “minutes” will be displayed.
3. There are several meeting minute templates available. You should open and review each of them to find one that fits your need. For the purpose of this tutorial, locate the template titled “Meeting Minutes.” Then click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
4. You can then use the document to write the meeting minutes.

Calendar Template
Calendars can be created for posting on your wall or for keeping track of a specific project. You can schedule milestones and to-do items on the calendar, color-code certain dates, and print the calendar on paper for your own use or for distribution to a team. Follow these steps to create a calendar in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the list of searches, click CALENDAR.
3. There are several calendar templates available. You should open and review each of them to find one that fits your need. Locate the template titled “20XX Calendar” (with the XX being the current year).
4. Then, click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
5. You can then print the template for your use.

Résumé Template
Several templates are available in Word that allow you to easily format a professional-looking résumé. Follow these steps to use a resume template in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the list of searches, click RESUME.
3. There are several résumé templates available. You should open and review each of them to find one that fits your need. For the purposes of this tutorial, locate the template titled “Resume.”
4. Click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
5. You can then use the template as a guide when adding your own work history and personal information to the résumé.

Fax Cover Sheet Template
You can quickly create a fax cover sheet from the many templates available in Word. Follow these steps to create a fax cover sheet in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the list of searches, click FAX.
3. There are several fax templates available. You should open and review each of them to find one that fits your need. Locate the template titled “Fax Cover Sheet (Professional Design).”
4. Click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
5. You can then enter specific information for the fax, print a copy, and include it as the cover sheet for your fax.

Business Letter Template
There are many sample business letter templates that will help you quickly create and customize commonly used correspondence. Follow these steps to use a business letter in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the list of suggested searches, click LETTERS.
3. There are several letter template categories available. You should open and review each of them to find one that fits your need. Click the template category titled “Business.” A list of subcategories is displayed.
4. You should review the many different business letters available by clicking each of the subcategories. For the purposes of this tutorial, click “Thank You.”
5. A variety of thank-you letter templates will be available in this category. For the purposes of this tutorial, select the template named “Thank You to New Customer.” Then, click the CREATE button. The letter template will be loaded into Word.
6. You can then customize the letter as needed for your purposes.

Status Report Template
Your manager may ask you to prepare status reports for various projects the department manages. There are several status report templates available in Word that can help you get started. Follow these steps to use a status report template in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the search box, type “status report” then press ENTER.
3. You should review the many different status report templates available. For the purposes of this tutorial, click the template titled “Project Status.”
4. Click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
5. You can then customize the status report as needed for your purposes.

Invoice Template
In small businesses, administrative assistants and secretaries may assist their managers with billing customers. If your business does not use preprinted invoices, you can easily create and customize one of the invoice templates available in Word.
Follow these steps to use an invoice template in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the search box, type “invoice” then press ENTER.
3. You should review the many different invoice templates available. For the purposes of this tutorial, click the template titled “Sales Invoice.”
4. Click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
5. You can then customize the invoice as needed for your purposes.

Time Sheets Template
In small businesses, administrative assistants and secretaries may assist their managers with payroll and keeping track of employee time sheets. You can easily create timesheets for use by employees using one of the time sheet templates in Word.
Follow these steps to use a time sheet template in Microsoft Word:
1. Open a blank Word document by clicking FILE > NEW. The New Document window will appear.
2. A list of templates is available in the New Document window. In the search box, type “time sheet” then press ENTER.
3. You should review the many different time sheet templates available. For the purposes of this tutorial, click the template titled “Time Sheet.”
4. Click the CREATE button. The template will be loaded into Word.
5. You can then customize the time sheet as needed for your purposes.

Tracking of Changes and Revisions in Documents
Successive changes and revisions made to Word documents can be tracked, or recorded, thereby showing all modifications to a document along with who made the changes. By turning on Word’s tracking feature, you highlight any corrections or alterations to the document and these changes remain in a contrasting color until they are “accepted.”

Turning on the Tracking Function
The button for turning on this editing feature can be found on the Review tab, as shown in Figure 20-7.

Track Changes button on the Review tab.



To use the tracking feature when you want to review a document, follow these steps:
1. Open the document to be reviewed.
2. Click the Review tab.
3. In the Tracking group, click TRACK CHANGES.
4. From the Track Changes menu, click TRACK CHANGES.

Accepting or Rejecting Tracked Revisions
If someone has tracked his or her changes to a document you have created, you will need to review those changes and decide whether to accept or reject them. To accept or reject revisions, follow these steps:
1. Open the document to be revised.
2. Click the Review tab.
3. In the Changes group, click the NEXT button to see the first revision in the document.
4. To accept the revision, click the ACCEPT button.
5. Click the NEXT button to move to the next revision in the document.
6. Continue these steps until you have accepted or rejected all the revisions in the document.
7. To accept all the changes in the document at one time, click the down arrow on the Accept button and select ACCEPT ALL CHANGES IN DOCUMENT.
8. To reject the change, click the REJECT button.
9. To reject all the changes in a document at one time, click the down arrow on the Reject button and select REJECT ALL CHANGES IN DOCUMENT.

Inserting Comments in a Word Document
It is possible to insert comments within a document, as a feature of the Review function in Microsoft Word. Comments enable you to give advice or ask questions regarding things in the document without making changes in the document. To insert a comment in a document, follow these steps:
1. Select the text where you would like to insert the comment.
2. Click the Review tab.
3. In the Comments group, click NEW COMMENT.
4. In the Comment box, type your comment.
5. When you are finished, click anywhere outside of the Comment box.

Editing or Deleting Comments
To make changes to comments or to delete them, follow these steps:
1. Select the comment you want to edit or delete.
2. In the Comment box, enter any changes.
3. When finished, click anywhere outside of the Comment box.
4. To delete a comment, select the comment, and then on the Review tab, click DELETE.

Adding and Removing Draft Watermarks
A watermark is an image or text that appears behind the main text of a document. The most common watermark use is for designating draft or confidential documents.
To add a watermark to a document, follow these steps:
1. Open the document.
2. Click the Design tab.
3. In the Page Background group, click WATERMARK.
4. From the Watermark submenu, select one of the watermark options.
To remove a watermark from a document, follow these steps:
1. Open the document.
2. Click the Design tab.
3. In the Page Background group, click WATERMARK.
4. From the Watermark submenu, select REMOVE WATERMARK.