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The Ribbon, the Mini toolbar, and the Quick Access Toolbar

In this practice you'll get the hang of using the new Ribbon, and you'll also master the use of the helpful companion tools, the Mini toolbar and the Quick Access Toolbar. At the end, you'll go over keyboard shortcuts that start with ALT.

Before you begin

During the practice, this window will stay on top of the program you are working in. When it covers an area you need to use, move and resize it as follows:

• To move this window, click the title bar of the window (as shown below) and drag it to a new location:

  

• To resize this window, drag the resize handle in the lower-right corner.

Exercise 1: Use the Ribbon

Now you'll see how the Ribbon works, and how great it is that everything is more organized and easily accessible to you.

1. Notice how, when the document opens, the Home tab is the active tab. It contains many frequently used commands for working with text, such as formatting.
2. Now click the Insert tab. Notice how the groups and commands change. This tab is all about inserting things into your document, like pictures. You'll get into the details of this tab later.
3. Click the Page Layout tab. Notice the groups and commands change again. This tab is for working with the document in a larger sense, not with individual words or pictures but with overarching things like margins, background, and so on.

   If you want to look at all the tabs, please do. When you've seen enough for now, you can get some work done on this document.

4. Click the Home tab. First off, you'll cut the second line of text, and paste it at the top of the document.

   Here's how    Select the second line of text. For now, ignore the Mini toolbar that appears. In the Clipboard group, click the Cut button . Then position your pointer at the top of the document. To paste, click the Paste button in the Clipboard group.

   Note   If you click the arrow at the bottom of the Paste button, you may see two additional commands (Paste or Paste Special). Click Paste for now. We'll explain why this happens later in the practice.

5. Now, let's say you want to underline the text you just pasted at the top. But you want two lines underneath that text, not just one.
6. Select the text "CONTOSO PHARMACEUTICALS," and click the Underline button on the Font group. Note that button adds only one line.
7. Since there isn't a double underline button anywhere immediately available, click the dialog box launcher. It's the small diagonal arrow in the lower-right corner of the Font group.

   Note   You could also have clicked the arrow next to the Underline button to see other underline types.

8. Now you see a lot more options for font formatting. Sticking to underlining, under Underline Style, click the arrow to show the list, then select the option for two lines under the text. Click OK.

   Note    If you are having trouble seeing the double underline because of a red mark under the text, this is because the spelling dictionary does not recognize "Contoso" as a valid word. Click inside the word "CONTOSO." Then right-click the red mark and click Add to Dictionary.

9. Now select the text "Annual Report" and make it bold by clicking the Bold button on the Font group.
10. Now center all of the text on the page. On the Home tab, locate the Editing group. It's all the way to the right. In the Editing group, click Select, and then click Select All.
11. Then in the Paragraph group, click the Center button . There it goes.

Exercise 2: Make additional tabs appear

Now you'll see how additional tabs can pop up on the Ribbon — tabs that aren't there right now. You'll start by inserting a picture to work with.

Part 1: Insert a picture

1. Click just above "by David Wright" so that your insertion point is in the empty line. In the Ribbon, click the Insert tab.
2. In the Illustrations group, click the Picture button.

   The Insert Picture dialog box opens. This dialog box lets you find a picture on your computer. But you're going to use a different type of image.

3. Click Cancel to close this dialog box.
4. Now click the Clip Art button.

   The Clip Art task pane appears.

5. In the task pane, search for buildings. In the Search for box, type buildings, make sure the Results should be box includes clip art, and then click the Go button.

   

   If Word asks you whether you want to include thousands of clip art from Microsoft Office Online, the choice is up to you. If you click Yes, Word will use your internet connection to search Office Online for more clips. If you click No, it won't use your internet connection, but you won't get as many clips. Either choice will work for this practice session.

6. Click this thumbnail to insert it into the document.

   You are now done with the Clip Art task pane on the right. Go ahead and close it by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the task pane.

   There, the picture is in the document. Now how do you work with it? For example, you often need to crop pictures, change their text wrapping settings, and so on.

Part 2: Work with the picture tools

1. If it's not already selected, click the picture to select it.
2. Notice the Picture Tools tab at the top of the Ribbon. That tab wasn't there before. It appeared because you are ready to work with it. Notice all the new groups on the Picture Tools tab. These groups are specific to working with pictures.
3. Right now have some fun by adding a shadow next to the picture. In the Picture Styles group, click the Picture Effects button, point to Shadow, and then choose any shadow option you like.

Exercise 3: Work with the Mini toolbar

Now we'll show you how to work with the Mini toolbar. The Mini toolbar is good to use when you are not on the Home tab but you still need to work with formatting text.

1. In the Ribbon, click the Page Layout tab.
2. On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Background group, click the Page Color button.
3. Click any color you want, to give the page a background color. We recommend a green or a blue.

   There. Your background color has been added to the page.

4. But what if you want to format the text, right now? You can go to the Home tab, but suppose you want to stay on the Page Layout tab to make more changes to the background.
5. Here's how to change the formatting without leaving this tab: Select the "by David Wright" text.
6. Point at the selection like this:

   

7. Notice the Mini toolbar that appears in a faded fashion.
8. Move your pointer over the Mini toolbar and click the Grow Font button .
9. Did the Mini toolbar disappear on you? To get it back, select the text and point at it again — or you can always right-click the selection to get that Mini toolbar to appear.

Exercise 4: Use the Quick Access Toolbar

Another quick way to use a command that's on another tab is to have that command on your Quick Access Toolbar. (How do you think it got the name?)

1. In the upper-left portion of your screen, find the Quick Access Toolbar.

   

2. Notice that you've already got three crucial commands there now: Save, Undo, and Repeat.
3. Now add one of your own favorite commands. For example, let's say you use tables a lot, and you want the Table button to be on the Quick Access Toolbar. That way it's always available, no matter which tab you are on. To do this, first click the Insert tab.
4. Then find the Table command on it.
5. Now right-click the Table button and click Add to Quick Access Toolbar.
6. Notice that the Quick Access Toolbar now has four commands: Save, Undo, Repeat, and Table.
7. Now remove the command you just added, so you know how. On the Quick Access Toolbar, right-click the Table button and click Remove from Quick Access Toolbar.

   Tip    If you become an avid fan of the Quick Access Toolbar, you may find yourself adding too many buttons to fit. What will happen in this situation is that some buttons will drop off the end of the toolbar and you'll have to click a More commands button to see the hidden buttons. If this happens, you can right-click the toolbar and choose Show Quick Access Toolbar Below the Ribbon. Word will then put the toolbar under the Ribbon, so that you have a little more room for it. You can return it to its original position with another right-click.

Exercise 5: Hide the groups and commands

If you need more room for your document, you can always hide the groups and commands temporarily. Here's how:

1. Double-click the Page Layout tab (or whichever other tab is the active tab).
2. There, the groups and commands disappear.
3. Now bring them back. Double-click the active tab.

   Note    Keep this hide-and-show behavior in mind as you work on your documents. There may come a time where you inadvertently double-click a tab and wonder where everything went.

Exercise 6: Use keyboard shortcuts

In this exercise you'll practice using the new keyboard shortcuts.

1. Select the words "David Wright" and then press CTRL+B. That text is now bold. Keyboard shortcuts that start with CTRL aren't different in this version of Word.
2. Key combinations with the ALT key, however, are different in this version. You'll see how now. Suppose you want to make "David Wright" larger.

   Press the ALT key, and then let go.

3. Notice the keyboard letter indicators that show up on the Ribbon. These are called Key Tips and tell you exactly what letter to use to select a tab, a group, or a command.
4. Press H to select the Home tab.
5. Press F, then S, to select the Font Size box.
6. Using your arrow keys, select 18 for the size, and then press ENTER.

Note    All that worked, but you saw that all the formatting took a while. For a faster and more effective way to change fonts, font sizes, and formatting, use Quick Styles. The next lesson will explain what they are.

To continue the course

When you have completed the practice, click Return to course to continue.

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