A quick Word handbook: templates, mail merge, forms and change tracking

Word is one of the most popular and used tools in the package offered by Microsoft Office and its use is essential for any type of work that involves a computer. Within the basic digital skills , several tools are assumed, such as Word or Excel, which allow you to speed up and organize your work, so if you still don’t know how to use Word, in this post we will tell you how to get started.

Keep reading this short Word manual!

Managing Word Templates

Let’s start by talking about Word templates. This format consists of a pre-designed document that contains an already available structure to help users create documents more efficiently and professionally. These templates can cover a variety of document types, such as letters, resumes, reports, flyers, business cards, and more.

The best thing about working with Word templates is that you don’t have to 100% follow the structure they propose, but you can build on the existing template and simply add or modify the specific content you need. Templates often include reserved spaces for text, images, tables, and other common elements, making it easy to customize.

What if you want to save the template that you have created yourself? Very easy!

• Go to “save as”, “team”.
• For a basic template, click the template element in the Save as type list. In Word, for example, click Word Template.
• Select Word template.
• Keep.

What is the Word mail merge used for?

This function is very useful when you want to send the same communication to a group of people since it allows you to generate multiple personalized documents from a template and a list of recipients. This feature is particularly useful when you need to send the same information to multiple people but with specific details for each one, such as names, addresses, or reference numbers.

With Word’s mail merge you can do all of these:

The mail merge is mainly used to create:

• Personalized letters: You can create letters that address each recipient individually, automatically inserting their names, addresses, or other relevant information into the template.
• Labels and Envelopes: Custom address labels or envelopes can be generated for each recipient on a list.
• Emails: In addition to letters and printed documents, mail merge can also be used to send personalized emails to a list of recipients.
• Invitations and cards: If you’re hosting an event and want to send personalized invitations or cards, mail merge will allow you to create these pieces efficiently.

How do you create forms in Word?

Creating forms in Word can be very useful for collecting information in an organized way. Here we explain the basic steps to create forms in Microsoft Word:

1. Open a Blank Document: Open Microsoft Word and create a new blank document.
2. Enable the “Developer” Tab: By default, the “Developer” tab is usually not enabled in Word. To do so, go to the “File” tab and select “Options”. In the window that appears, choose “Customize Ribbon” and check the “Developer” box. Then click “OK”.
3. Design the Form: go to the “Developer” tab.
4. In the “Controls” section, you will find various types of fields that you can add to the form, such as checkboxes, text boxes, dropdowns, radio buttons, etc.
5. Click the type of field you want to add to the form, and then click where you want to insert it in the document.

Customize the Fields:

• Once you add a field, you can right-click on it and select “Control Properties”. Here you can set the name, label text, and other options specific to the field.
• If you want a field to be a multi-select type (for example, checkboxes), you can configure the available options.
• Protect the Form: To prevent users from accidentally modifying unwanted areas of the form, you can protect the form. Go to the “Developer” tab and click on “Protect Document”. You can choose “Restrict Editing” and set the options according to your needs. You may need to define a password if you want to remove the protection later.
• Save and distribute: Once you’ve designed and protected your form, save it. You can then print it out and distribute it in print, or save the file digitally for electronic sharing.

What is change tracking used for in a Word document?

If you work in a team, this function will be very useful for you. Track Changes in Word is a feature that allows you to track and display changes made to a document. It is especially useful when multiple people are collaborating on editing a document, as it allows you to identify who made what changes and when they were made.

When Track Changes is enabled, any changes made to the document are distinctively highlighted.

How to work with Word change tracking?

Activate change control

Go to the “Review” tab on the Word toolbar.

Click the “Track Changes” button to activate it. Once activated, Word will start tracking the changes you make to the document.

To make changes

Make the necessary changes to the document. Word will highlight insertions in color and display deletions as strikethrough text.

Add comments

In addition to direct changes to the text, you can add explanatory comments in the margins of the document.

Review Changes

Changes will be highlighted and visible in the document while Track Changes is enabled.

You can navigate through the changes using the navigation arrows on the review toolbar.

Accept or Reject Changes

You can accept or reject the changes one by one or in groups. Right-click on a change to choose whether to accept or reject it.

Disable Track Changes

Once you’ve reviewed and accepted or rejected the changes, you can disable Change Tracking from the “Review” tab.

Did you know these Word features? We hope that this brief Word manual has helped you discover new tips that make your work fluent. Subscribe to our app to carry out ICT training that will update your profile!