As Microsoft Word becomes more sophisticated with advanced document layout and style capabilities, and design moguls are now recognising Word as a fully functioning layout program. Up until recently, Word might not have been considered as a serious alternative to any page makeup program, but it is now proving to be the first choice for creating professional documents that include different styles, footnotes, headings, sub heads, bullet lists, sequential lists and the dreaded 'Table of Contents' (TOC).

Word programs may have been regarded by many as an acceptable program to produce a low-cost leaflet or newsletter. However, Word 2003 is now also receiving recognition for giving results worthy of any typesetting or page makeup program. Although Word processing programs and page layout programs use different algorithms to "set the type", Word programs have many features that make them ideal for the creative writer or for writing business projects.

Word-based programs make writing and revising text easier − and these features are far superior to anything offered by a page layout program. Put it this way, given the choice nobody would opt to compose their work in a layout program. It's a much better option to compose a manuscript or to have it key-entered using a word processing program. And Word 2003 offers complete control over a range of tools including bulleted or numbered lists, with customised line spacing, and paragraph formatting.

Where previously it may have been difficult to get items in a list spaced exactly the way you want, Word programs now offer complete control over formatting. For example, paragraph styles are of paramount importance this is because in Word each item in a list as a separate paragraph.

To see this in Word 2003, open a document that contains a list, click the show/hide button (the symbol known as a pilcrow) on the standard toolbar, and notice the paragraph markers at the end of each list item. To create a list with custom line spacing between the list items, or to customise spacing above or below the list, first create a new paragraph style that specifies the spacing you want. To do this, on the format menu, click styles and formatting. Then, in the styles and formatting task pane, click the new style button. In the new style dialog box, under properties, type a name (one you will recognise later) in the name box. For style type, click paragraph.

You can also change the settings for style based on and style for following paragraph. In the lower-left corner, click the format button, and then click paragraph. In the paragraph dialog box, in the spacing section, enter 12pt in the before and after boxes (remember that each list item is a paragraph).

Now do one of the following: If you want the same amount of space above and below the list, select the "Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style" check box. If you want the same amount of space above and below the list and between each item in the list, clear they don't add space between paragraphs of the same style check box. If you want to control the amount of space above and below the list and specify a different amount of space between each item in the list, you need to create separate styles for the first item in the list, the middle item or items in the list, and the last item in the list. Click OK to close the paragraph dialog box, but leave the new style dialog box open so that you can add custom formatting

If you want to add custom formatting - for example to modify your new style to include bullets or numbers - you can format bulleted and numbered lists with interesting characters and colours. Don't just use run of the mill bullets; you can use any picture or colour to create bespoke bullets. If you're creating a numbered list, you can specify the number, font and colour that you want.

Once you have customised or selected the bullets you want to apply, you can also modify the paragraph style for your list. With the new style dialog box still open, click the format button again, and then click numbering. In the bullets and numbering dialog box, select the tab you want, depending on whether your list is bulleted or numbered. Your new styles are now available for you to use in the document. If you want to use your styles in other documents, be sure to add the styles to the template that is attached to the current document by selecting the add to template check box and then clicking OK.

Whenever you select a new bullet symbol, it is automatically added to the bullet gallery in place of the one you selected before you clicked customize in the bullets and numbering dialog box. However, you can revert to the default bullet by clicking the preview box in the bullets and numbering dialog box and then clicking reset.

You can now use your new styles whenever you need to create a list as your new styles are available for you to use in the styles and formatting task pane. To start a new list, click where you want this to begin in your document, then click the style name in the styles and formatting task pane. To change an existing list, select all of the items in the list that you want to change, and then click the style name in the styles and formatting task pane.

There are more layout and formatting functions available for you to customise and change in Word; for example, in Word 2003, it's even possible to add bullets in a single line of text, or change the indent between a list bullet or number and text; make a checklist in Word; and modify bulleted or numbered list formats.