13. Use Styles to Apply Consistent Formatting
If you want to apply a consistent format to your document, you can use Styles. Styles is a collection of predefined formats, such as font, size, color, spacing, and so on, which you can apply to text with one click. You can find Styles on the ribbon, under the Home tab. You can choose from a variety of available styles, or create your own by clicking the New Style icon. You can also modify or delete an existing style by right-clicking on the style and selecting the appropriate option.
14. Use Table of Contents to create an automatic table of contents
If you want to create an automatic table of contents for your document, you can use the Table of Contents feature. To do this, make sure you’ve applied Heading styles to headings and subheadings in your document. Then, click where you want to insert the table of contents, and then click References, Table of Contents. You can choose from a variety of available formats, or create your own by clicking Custom Table of Contents. Word creates a table of contents based on the Heading style you use, and inserts page numbers and hyperlinks. You can update the table of contents at any time by right-clicking on the table of contents and selecting Update Field.
15. Use Track Changes to record and review changes
If you want to record and review changes you or others make in your document, you can use the Track Changes feature. To turn it on, click Review, and then click Track Changes. Word highlights all changes made in your document, and displays comments on the right side. You can review changes by using the Next and Previous buttons, and accept or reject changes by using the Accept and Reject buttons. You can also add, edit, or delete comments by using the New Comment, Delete, and Resolve buttons. You can change the view of changes by using the Display for Review menu, and hide or show changes by using the Show Markup button.
16. Use Mail Merge to create personalized documents
If you want to create a personalized document for a group of people, such as a letter, label, or envelope, you can use the Mail Merge feature. To do so, you need to have a main document, which contains the same text and formatting for all documents, and a data source, which contains different information for each document, such as name, address, or date. You can create your own data sources, or use existing data sources, such as Excel, Outlook, or Access files. Then, you can merge the main document and the data source by following these steps:
- Open your main document, then click Mailings, Start Mail Merge, and select the type of document you want, such as Letters, Labels, or Envelopes.
- Click Select Recipients, and select your data source, such as Use an Existing List, Select from Outlook Contacts, or Type a New List.
- Click Edit Recipient List, and select or remove the recipients you want, and click OK.
- Click Insert Merge Field, and insert the fields you want, such as First Name, Last Name, or Address. These fields will be replaced with information from your data source when you complete the merge.
- Click Preview Results, and see how your document will look. You can navigate between different documents by using the Next Record and Previous Record buttons.
- Click Finish & Merge, and choose what you want to do with your document, such as Print Documents, Edit Individual Documents, or Send Email Messages.