Here are 5 timesaving tips to help you work smarter in Word 2013.
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Check a word definition
Not sure about the definition of a word?
- Right-click on the tricky word and choose Define from the drop down menu
- A list of dictionaries will appear in a column on the right of your page
- Download a dictionary from the list
- Type in any word to get the definition. It will even help you with pronunciation if needed!
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Edit PDFs
Now you can not only open a PDF document in Word 2013, but you can also edit it. There’s no need to have a separate PDF editing tool.
- Open the existing PDF and the Convert File dialogue box will be displayed
- Select PDF Files and OK
- Edit the file.
Images can be moved around the document, and tables can be edited too.
Once you have completed your editing, you can save as a PDF again or keep it as a word document. Very handy if you are using PDFs regularly.
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Zoom, zoom, zoom!
If you’re using a touchscreen laptop or tablet with Office 2013, you can use two fingers to zoom in or out as you do on your smartphone.
- If you don’t have a touch screen, you can use the touchpad in the same way.
- If you’re using a mouse, you can hold down the CTRL key and run the mouse wheel back and forwards.
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Tart up your table
Want to make your table stand out without working too hard?
- Create your table as normal
- Select the line Style, Weight and Color from the table Design Or select a pre-set from Border Styles
- The mouse pointer is now depicted as a pen:
- Click on the table borders to apply the new format.
Extra Tip: Use the Border Painter tool for copying border formatting.
- Click on the table format you want to copy
- Select the Border Painter tool
- Click on the table borders to apply the new format.
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Easily convert a list to a table
Do you have a list in Word that you now want to display in a table? In the past you may have used the labour intensive ‘Cut and Paste’ method – now it’s much easier!
- Select your list
- Click the Insert tab
- Click the Table tool in the Tables group
- Select Insert Table and it’s done.
If you have more than one column, separated by tabs, it will accommodate that too.
I hope that helps you get to know Microsoft Word a bit better.
If you’d like more comprehensive training, take a peek at our Word training courses for beginners, intermediate level and advanced users.