Word

This section contains a listing of the free Microsoft Word tutorials that we’ve done. In some cases, there are accompanying screencasts to the tutorial or related files. These are noted in the tutorials.

If you don’t have Microsoft Word, there are three options:

  1. Get a Microsoft 365 (Subscription service)
  2. Buy Microsoft Office 2019 (One time purchase)
  3. Use the free version in your browser.

The free version does require you to have a Microsoft account. As you might expect of a free product, there are some limitations.

I also did an article outlining which Microsoft Office version to get with a comparison table.

Printed Watermark dialog overlaid on document with custom watermark.

Creating Watermarks in Microsoft Word

If you've ever been stumped on how to create watermarks in Microsoft Word, this tutorial will help. It provides steps for text watermarks but the steps are the same for images.
Read More
Convert Word Table to Excel

Convert Word Table to Excel

In our earlier article we explained there were several ways to convert Microsoft Word data such as address listings to Microsoft Excel. This next method starts by converting your text to a table. You'll probably find this method easier.
Read More
Convert Word Docs to Excel

Convert Word Docs to Excel

One item I've learned from using computers is that there is usually more than one way to solve a problem. This week two people approached me with a similar problem. They were trying to get a simple, but long address list from Microsoft Word into Microsoft Excel. One tried to use macros and the other resorted to cut and paste. In each case, I thought a simpler solution involved Word's Search and Replace feature. Here's Part 1 of a two part tutorial.
Read More
converted doc with blackining

Microsoft Word Redactions and Solutions

One problem people face is the proper sharing of sensitive information. The information can be anything from contracts, technical specifications, to resumes. A problem arises when you want to show the information, but not all of it for confidentiality or competitive reasons. In other words, you need to hide or remove text from a document. There are right and wrong ways to do this redaction or "blacklining" in Microsoft Word.
Read More
Word Readability Statistics and Alternatives

Word Readability Statistics and Alternatives

I still find writing tough, especially when I need to provide instructions. It can be hard to know when your writing is easy to read. However, Microsoft Word offers some features that can improve your text readability. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to set up Readability Statistics and some free alternatives.
Read More
custom dictionaries under Proofing tab

Catch Costly Mistakes with Exclude Dictionary

Sometimes it's too easy to rely on built-in proofing tools to catch mistakes. Spellcheckers are great for misspelling, but what if your typo resulted in a word that is spelled correctly? There is a feature in Microsoft Word that can help prevent embarrassing mistakes.
Read More
mail merge wizard menu item

Mail Merge Tutorial Using Word and Excel

This tutorial shows how to use an input file from Microsoft Excel as the data source to do a mail merge in Microsoft Word.
Read More
Create Custom Address Labels with Images

Create Custom Address Labels with Images

For many people, the most important part of the envelope is the address label. After all, it's the first thing that your recipient sees when opening their mail. But did you know that you can create custom address labels with images in Microsoft Word? Say goodbye to generic designs and hello to unique logos and graphics. (Updated for Office 365)
Read More