←
Computer Literacy and Digital Awareness · Chapter 4

Chapter 4: MS Word and Desktop Publishing

What to remember

  • MS Word is a word processor from Microsoft. Its files have the extension .docx (older versions used .doc). The Ribbon holds tabs such as Home, Insert, Page Layout (Layout), References, Mailings, Review and View.
  • Know the formatting tools: font, size, bold, italic, underline, alignment, spacing, bullets, tables, header and footer, page numbers, margins and orientation.
  • Mail Merge joins a main document with a data source to make many personalised letters. DTP (desktop publishing) means designing printed pages with text and pictures using software such as PageMaker or InDesign.

Word basics and screen parts

A word processor is a program used to create, edit, format, save and print text documents. MS Word is a part of the Microsoft Office suite. A new document is blank and is named Document1 until it is saved.

Parts of the Word window:

  • Title bar: shows the file name and the program name.
  • Quick Access Toolbar: small bar with Save, Undo and Redo.
  • Ribbon: the band of tabs and commands below the title bar. Each tab has groups of commands.
  • Ruler: helps to set margins, indents and tab stops.
  • Status bar: at the bottom; shows page number, word count and zoom.
  • Scroll bars: move the page up, down or sideways.
  • Insertion point (cursor): the blinking line that shows where text will appear.

Save and Save As: Save stores changes under the same name. Save As stores a copy with a new name, place or file type. Word can save a file as PDF. A template file has the extension .dotx; a macro-enabled document is .docm.

Editing and formatting

Editing changes the content: type, delete, cut, copy, paste, find and replace, undo and redo. Find and Replace is Ctrl+H. The spell check and grammar check is F7. A red wavy line shows a spelling error; a blue or green line shows a grammar problem. AutoCorrect fixes common mistakes by itself. Thesaurus gives words of similar meaning (Shift+F7). Track Changes records all edits so that others can accept or reject them. Comments are notes added to the margin.

Formatting changes the look.

  • Character formatting: font type, font size, bold, italic, underline, colour, superscript (like x²), subscript (like H₂O), strikethrough and change case.
  • Paragraph formatting: alignment (left, center, right, justify), line spacing, indents, bullets and numbering, borders and shading.
  • Page formatting: margins, orientation (portrait or landscape), paper size, columns, page breaks, header and footer, page numbers and page borders.
  • Styles: a saved set of formats, such as Heading 1 or Normal. A style makes the whole document look the same.
  • Format Painter: copies the formatting from one text to another. Double-click it to apply it many times.
  • Drop cap: a large first letter of a paragraph.

The default view in Word is Print Layout. Other views are Read Mode, Web Layout, Outline and Draft.

ItemMeaning
Headertext at the top of every page
Footertext at the bottom of every page
Marginblank space between text and page edge
Portraitpage taller than wide
Landscapepage wider than tall
Indentspace between margin and the start of text
Gutterextra margin for binding
Orphan or widowa lone line left at the bottom or top of a page

Tables, pictures and other objects

A table is made of rows and columns; the box where a row and column meet is a cell. Tables can be inserted from the Insert tab. You can merge cells, split cells, add or delete rows and columns, and apply borders. Tab key moves to the next cell. Word can also insert pictures, shapes, SmartArt, charts, text boxes, WordArt, hyperlinks, symbols and equations. Clip art means ready-made images. A watermark is faint text or a picture behind the page text, such as DRAFT. A table of contents (References tab) is made from heading styles. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page; endnotes appear at the end of the document.

Mail Merge

Mail Merge is used to send the same letter to many people with name and address filled in for each. It needs two files.

  • 1. Main document: the letter with fixed text and placeholders.
  • 2. Data source: a list of the names and addresses, kept in a Word table, Excel sheet, Access database or Outlook contacts.

The placeholders in the letter are called merge fields, such as <<Name>> and <<Address>>. The Mailings tab holds the commands. The usual steps are: start mail merge and choose the type of document, select recipients, insert merge fields, preview results, and finish and merge. The result can go to a new document, to the printer, or to email. The kinds of main document include letters, envelopes, labels, directory and email messages.

Shortcut keys

KeysAction
Ctrl+Bbold
Ctrl+Iitalic
Ctrl+Uunderline
Ctrl+Lleft align
Ctrl+Ecenter align
Ctrl+Rright align
Ctrl+Jjustify
Ctrl+Nnew document
Ctrl+Oopen
Ctrl+Ssave
F12Save As
Ctrl+Pprint
Ctrl+Aselect all
Ctrl+Hfind and replace
Ctrl+Ffind
Ctrl+G or F5go to
Ctrl+Enterpage break
Ctrl+Kinsert hyperlink
Ctrl+Homego to the start of document
Ctrl+Endgo to the end of document
Ctrl+Shift+>increase font size
Ctrl+=subscript
Ctrl+Shift++superscript
Shift+F3change case
F7spelling and grammar

Selecting text: double-click selects a word; triple-click selects a paragraph; Ctrl+A selects the whole document; Shift with arrow keys selects text one character or line at a time.

Desktop Publishing (DTP) concepts

Desktop publishing means using a computer to design and prepare documents such as books, newspapers, magazines, brochures, posters and visiting cards, with text, images and graphics placed exactly where wanted. Word processing is mainly about text; DTP gives more control of layout.

Well-known DTP software: Adobe PageMaker (older), Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Microsoft Publisher and Scribus (open source). Related graphic tools: Adobe Photoshop (photo editing, raster) and CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator (vector drawing).

Key DTP terms:

  • Layout: arrangement of text and pictures on the page.
  • Font and typeface: the design of letters; a point is the unit of font size (1 inch is 72 points).
  • Leading: space between lines of text.
  • Kerning: adjusting space between two letters.
  • Master page: a page template whose items repeat on every page.
  • Resolution: sharpness of an image, measured in dpi (dots per inch).
  • Raster (bitmap) image: made of pixels, for example JPG and PNG; it blurs when enlarged. Vector image: made of lines and curves, it stays sharp at any size.
  • Colour models: RGB (red, green, blue) is used for screens; CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) is used for printing.
  • WYSIWYG: "What You See Is What You Get", meaning the screen looks like the printout.

Exam traps

  • Ctrl+E is center, Ctrl+L is left, Ctrl+R is right, Ctrl+J is justify. Do not mix them.
  • Save keeps the same name; Save As gives a new name, type or place.
  • Header is at the top and footer at the bottom of the page.
  • Portrait is taller than wide; landscape is wider than tall.
  • Superscript is above the line (x²); subscript is below the line (H₂O).
  • Mail Merge needs a main document plus a data source; the Mailings tab holds its tools.
  • Footnotes are on the same page; endnotes are at the end of the document.
  • RGB is for screens; CMYK is for printing.
  • Raster images lose quality when enlarged; vector images do not.
  • Photoshop edits photos; PageMaker and InDesign are DTP tools.

One-liners

  • 1. The default file extension of MS Word 2007 and later is .docx.
  • 2. The older Word format used the extension .doc.
  • 3. The default page view in Word is Print Layout.
  • 4. Ctrl+Enter inserts a page break.
  • 5. F7 starts the spelling and grammar check.
  • 6. Format Painter copies formatting from one place to another.
  • 7. A drop cap is a large first letter of a paragraph.
  • 8. Merge fields are placeholders for data in a mail merge letter.
  • 9. A table cell is the meeting point of a row and a column.
  • 10. Font size is measured in points.
  • 11. Adobe InDesign and PageMaker are DTP software.
  • 12. WYSIWYG means the screen shows what the printout will look like.

Practice questions

  1. MS Word is an example of

    1. spreadsheet software
    2. database software
    3. word processing software
    4. presentation software
    Answer

    C. word processing software

    Word is used to create and format text documents.

  2. The default file extension of a Word 2016 document is

    1. doc only
    2. docx
    3. xlsx
    4. pptx
    Answer

    B. docx

    Word 2007 and later save as .docx.

  3. Which shortcut makes the selected text bold?

    1. Ctrl+I
    2. Ctrl+U
    3. Ctrl+L
    4. Ctrl+B
    Answer

    D. Ctrl+B

    Ctrl+B bold, Ctrl+I italic, Ctrl+U underline.

  4. Which shortcut aligns text to the center?

    1. Ctrl+C
    2. Ctrl+R
    3. Ctrl+E
    4. Ctrl+L
    Answer

    C. Ctrl+E

    Ctrl+E is center; Ctrl+L left; Ctrl+R right.

  5. Which shortcut justifies the paragraph?

    1. Ctrl+Y
    2. Ctrl+J
    3. Ctrl+K
    4. Ctrl+T
    Answer

    B. Ctrl+J

    Ctrl+J justifies text to both margins.

  6. Text printed at the top of every page is called a

    1. footnote
    2. watermark
    3. header
    4. footer
    Answer

    C. header

    A header repeats at the top of each page.

  7. A page that is wider than it is tall has which orientation?

    1. Landscape
    2. Portrait
    3. Square
    4. Vertical
    Answer

    A. Landscape

    Landscape is wider than tall.

  8. Which key starts the spelling and grammar check in Word?

    1. F5
    2. F7
    3. F12
    4. F9
    Answer

    B. F7

    F7 opens Spelling and Grammar.

  9. Which key combination inserts a page break?

    1. Alt+Enter
    2. Shift+Enter
    3. Ctrl+Tab
    4. Ctrl+Enter
    Answer

    D. Ctrl+Enter

    Ctrl+Enter starts a new page.

  10. Which tab in Word contains the Mail Merge commands?

    1. View
    2. Mailings
    3. Insert
    4. Review
    Answer

    B. Mailings

    Mailings holds start mail merge, select recipients and merge fields.

  11. Mail Merge needs a main document and a

    1. macro
    2. template only
    3. data source
    4. watermark
    Answer

    C. data source

    The data source gives names and addresses.

  12. Placeholders such as <<Name>> in a mail merge letter are called

    1. bookmarks
    2. macros
    3. styles
    4. merge fields
    Answer

    D. merge fields

    Merge fields are replaced by data from the source.

  13. Which tool copies formatting from one text to another?

    1. Format Painter
    2. AutoCorrect
    3. Thesaurus
    4. Find and Replace
    Answer

    A. Format Painter

    Format Painter copies and applies formatting.

  14. A large first letter of a paragraph is called a

    1. drop cap
    2. bullet
    3. superscript
    4. watermark
    Answer

    A. drop cap

    Drop cap enlarges the first letter.

  15. Which view is the default view in Word?

    1. Read Mode
    2. Outline
    3. Print Layout
    4. Draft
    Answer

    C. Print Layout

    Print Layout shows the page as it will print.

  16. The meeting point of a row and a column in a table is a

    1. frame
    2. field
    3. record
    4. cell
    Answer

    D. cell

    A cell holds data in a table.

  17. Which shortcut opens the Find and Replace box in Word?

    1. Ctrl+M
    2. Ctrl+H
    3. Ctrl+G
    4. Ctrl+K
    Answer

    B. Ctrl+H

    Ctrl+H is Replace; Ctrl+F is Find.

  18. Which key opens the Save As dialog in Word?

    1. F10
    2. F12
    3. F2
    4. F7
    Answer

    B. F12

    F12 is Save As.

  19. Superscript is used to write

    1. a footnote at the page end
    2. a title in the center
    3. x squared (x with a small 2 above)
    4. water as H with a small 2 below
    Answer

    C. x squared (x with a small 2 above)

    Superscript raises text above the line.

  20. Faint text such as DRAFT shown behind page text is a

    1. footer
    2. endnote
    3. margin
    4. watermark
    Answer

    D. watermark

    A watermark appears behind the text.

  21. Footnotes appear

    1. at the bottom of the same page
    2. at the end of the document
    3. at the top of the page
    4. in the margin only
    Answer

    A. at the bottom of the same page

    Endnotes go at the end of the document.

  22. Which shortcut goes to the beginning of the document?

    1. Home
    2. Ctrl+End
    3. Ctrl+Home
    4. Ctrl+PgUp
    Answer

    C. Ctrl+Home

    Ctrl+Home jumps to the start; Ctrl+End to the end.

  23. Triple-clicking inside a paragraph selects

    1. the whole document
    2. one line
    3. one word
    4. the whole paragraph
    Answer

    D. the whole paragraph

    Double-click selects a word; triple-click a paragraph.

  24. A set of saved formatting such as Heading 1 is called a

    1. macro key
    2. style
    3. macro
    4. field
    Answer

    B. style

    Styles apply a full set of formats at once.

  25. DTP stands for

    1. Desktop Publishing
    2. Digital Text Processing
    3. Data Transfer Protocol
    4. Direct Table Printing
    Answer

    A. Desktop Publishing

    DTP means designing printed pages using a computer.

  26. Which of the following is DTP software?

    1. MS Access
    2. Windows Paint
    3. Notepad
    4. Adobe InDesign
    Answer

    D. Adobe InDesign

    InDesign, PageMaker and QuarkXPress are DTP tools.

  27. Which colour model is used for printing?

    1. RGB
    2. HSV only
    3. CMYK
    4. Binary
    Answer

    C. CMYK

    Printers use cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

  28. Which colour model is used for computer screens?

    1. CMYK
    2. CMY only
    3. Grayscale only
    4. RGB
    Answer

    D. RGB

    Screens mix red, green and blue light.

  29. An image that stays sharp at any size is a

    1. vector image
    2. bitmap image
    3. pixel image
    4. scanned image
    Answer

    A. vector image

    Vector images use lines and curves, not pixels.

  30. Space between two lines of text in typesetting is called

    1. gutter
    2. leading
    3. kerning
    4. tracking
    Answer

    B. leading

    Kerning adjusts space between two letters.

  31. A master page in DTP is used for

    1. items repeated on every page
    2. printing in colour
    3. scanning pages
    4. editing photos
    Answer

    A. items repeated on every page

    Page numbers and headers are placed on the master page.

  32. WYSIWYG means

    1. web yield system in window graphics
    2. what you see is what you get
    3. write your style in word getting
    4. what you save is what you get
    Answer

    B. what you see is what you get

    The screen view matches the printed output.

  33. Resolution of an image is measured in

    1. hertz
    2. rpm
    3. dpi
    4. bytes per second
    Answer

    C. dpi

    dpi means dots per inch.

  34. Which tab contains the Table of Contents command?

    1. References
    2. Page Layout
    3. Mailings
    4. Home
    Answer

    A. References

    The References tab builds a table of contents from headings.

  35. The unit used to measure font size is

    1. pixel only
    2. centimeter
    3. point
    4. dot pitch
    Answer

    C. point

    1 inch equals 72 points.

  36. Which tool records edits so others can accept or reject them?

    1. AutoCorrect
    2. Track Changes
    3. Format Painter
    4. Thesaurus
    Answer

    B. Track Changes

    Track Changes is in the Review tab.

  37. Statements: 1. Header is at the bottom of the page. 2. Footer is at the bottom of the page. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Header is at the top; footer is at the bottom.

  38. Statements: 1. Save As lets you change the file name or type. 2. Save always creates a new copy. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Save updates the same file under the same name.

  39. Statements: 1. Raster images are made of pixels. 2. Vector images lose quality on enlargement. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Vector images stay sharp; raster images blur.

  40. Statements: 1. Mail Merge uses a main document. 2. Mail Merge uses a data source. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both files are needed for a merge.

  41. Statements: 1. RGB is for print. 2. CMYK is for screens. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    It is the other way round: RGB for screens, CMYK for print.

  42. Statements: 1. Ctrl+L aligns text left. 2. Ctrl+R aligns text right. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are standard alignment shortcuts.

  43. Statements: 1. Photoshop is a DTP page layout tool. 2. InDesign is a DTP tool. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Photoshop is mainly for photo editing.

  44. Match the pair: which pair is correct?

    1. Ctrl+U - italic
    2. Ctrl+N - open file
    3. Ctrl+H - bold
    4. Ctrl+K - insert hyperlink
    Answer

    D. Ctrl+K - insert hyperlink

    Ctrl+N is a new document; Ctrl+O opens; Ctrl+I is italic.

  45. A blinking line showing where typed text will appear is the

    1. scroll box
    2. ruler
    3. status bar
    4. insertion point
    Answer

    D. insertion point

    It is also called the cursor.

Page 1 of 1
‹
›