There's a lot more to Word than just the words

We're all quite familiar, no doubt, with the word processor. A staple of home computer software for as long as there have been home computers, the job of the word processor is well known. It's easier on the fingers than the traditional typewriter. Mistakes can be easily corrected. Letters can be larger or smaller, bold, italic, all with a click or a button pressed. Words can be counted, spelling checked. That, in a nutshell, is what word processors are here for.

Isn't it?

Microsoft Word, the market-leading word processor software for a decade and a half, makes typing easy, with mistakes corrected, words counted, and so on. Of course it does, we know what to expect from a word processor. But typing words into Word barely scratches the surface of what the software can offer you, whatever you're using it for. Word can make your bare words into so much more.

Improving the look of your documents

Word can offer an array of tools to enhance the visual appeal of your documents. Text can appear in any colour you might choose, all the better to create eyecatching titles, maintain a cohesive style, or to highlight important details; whilst a near limitless range of available fonts (no end of which can be downloaded, to complement the already substantial catalogue that comes with Word) allows you to make the appearance of the document as individual and personal as its author.

Word also allows for the easy introduction of images into a document. Images can also be resized and repositioned very simply, giving you complete flexibility with the layout of you work. And this flexibility can be key; pictures can make a document more engaging and entertaining, or can make your work far more informative, displaying facts or statistics in a far clearer and more effective manner than words alone could manage. Statistics, and many other details, can also be presented in tables, the size, appearance and location of which can be customised at will.

Adding to your document

As part of the Office suite, Word can incorporate files from other Microsoft application. Spreadsheets from Excel can be imported directly into Word documents, or notes and details from OneNote; this way, you can make use of a range of software, bringing all manner of important information together into one document, and with the convenience of not having to type information manually from one file into another.

Word also supports hyperlinks; when you type in a website address, the software will automatically convert it to an active link. If the document is viewed online, any link will connect the viewer directly to the site in question - all without the need for any HTML code at all.

The very words that you type can also be used to enhance your document. Word's Research tool provides a dictionary and thesaurus, for getting the most of your text; but can also access a wide range of online research tools. From a word or phrase, articles from encyclopaedias, research sites, news providers and business networks can be called to hand, informing and developing points quickly and easily.

Convenience and consistency

Consistency in the appearance of a document can be very important, particularly if it is intended to reach an important audience. Word's Autoformat feature can intuitively apply paragraph styles, lists, indentations and hyphens throughout the document as you type, ensuring that the finished article is appealing and cohesive.

Meanwhile, the Autocorrect facility can instantly correct a wide range of common typing errors (and highlight words which it might be unable to correct automatically) - so time that would have been spent checking for errors can now be put to better use.

Word for all circumstances

These tools combined can bring the best out of any document. An important article can include all the details needed, clearly and in a cohesive and appealing style. School homework or a college assignment can be enhanced to make the most of the student's understanding and ability. CVs can be set out to present their subject in the best possible light, highlighting achievements and skills within a flexible and coherent format. Letters can be given a highly professional sheen, if needed, or the colours and image techniques to give a personal letter an individual sparkle.

Whatever your requirements, taking full advantage of Microsoft Word can bring terrific benefits. But what skills are needed to do so? A training provider can train individuals or groups of any ability, and can help anyone to get the most out of this powerful and versatile application.