Word Processing Blog

Photo © of Rebecca Johnson

When you add a table into your document, it usually evenly distributes the columns to take up the width of your page. There are about 20 different ways you can re-size your columns, but only one REALLY easy way!

Type your information into the columns. Then place your mouse over one of the columns that needs to be re-sized. Once the mouse pointer turns to a double headed arrow, double click.

Viola! Your column is re-sized!

I am writing about tables all month, so visit often for more info!

Looking for information on inserting tables? Read Insert a Table in Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 and Open Office.  I will be adding more programs all month

I am researching a few different word processing apps for Android Tablets. I recently reviewed iPad apps in  Word Processing Apps for your iPad. There seems to be a plethora of apps for Android that help you work on word processing. Do you have a favorite app that you use for your Android pads? Drop a line and let me know what the droid users like to use!

Why am I writing two posts in a row about mail merge data sources? Because they are that important! Some programs let you create a simple data source on the fly and then use it for your mail merge; however, I believe a data source needs more thought.

One data source can drive your mail merges towards success. Not just the mail merge you are working on now, but mail merges in the future. Spend the time and design a data source with an eye on the future.

Make sure that all of your column headings are clearly labeled. This will make adding merge fields easier in the future.

The single most important thing you can do is separate your fields into the smallest piece of data possible. For example, instead of 'Name', use 'First Name' and 'Last Name'. This gives you the flexibility of changing how you address your mailings. You may want to start a form letter as 'Dear Ms. Johnson', but address the envelope as Rebecca Johnson.

The same can be said for 'Address'. What if you decided to send a mailing to customers in a certain town? If you limit your data source to 'Address', you can't. However, if you have columns for 'Address', 'City', 'State', 'Zip', you can filter your data source on 'City'.

My best mail merge advice is spend time on your data source!

A data source, also called a data file, is simply a collection of records that store data. This data is used to populate merge fields in mail merges. These files can be databases from Access, FileMaker Pro,etc. In theory, any Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) database can be used as a data source. They can also be created in spreadsheets like Excel or Quattro Pro. It can be a simple table in a word processing document.

What else can be used as a data source? How about a text file? Or an email contact list? Actually, just about anything that can be organized by category heading, such as First Name, Last Name, Address, etc., can be used as a data source.

Looking to create a mail merge? Read all about it in How to Create a Mail Merge in Word Perfect, Word for Mac 2011, Word 2010, and Word 2007.

It is the official Month of the Mail Merge....official at least in my word processing world! All month I will be working on writing about and updating documents on mail merges. To check out existing information, view Creating Documents With Mail Merge.

This hub of mail merge content contains documents on different software versions, including Creating a Mail Merge with Word for Mac 2011, Word 2010, and Word 2007. There will be more software versions coming soon, so visit often. Also, feel free to leave a comment about which software and version you would like to see mail merge information about!

How many iPad users do we have out there? iPhone? iPod Touch?

I am curious to see how many folks use these devices to work on word processing documents. I just reviewed a handful of highest ranking word processing apps in Word Processing Apps for Your iPad. Some of these apps also work with your iPhone and your iPod Touch. Prior to purchasing and downloading an app, make sure you read the system requirements. It is important for the app to be compatible with your iDevice.

Leave a comment and let me know what app you use on your device for word processing. Also let everyone know what you love about, or, gasp, don't like about the app!

Now that tax season is coming to a close, April 17^th to be exact, you get to start with a clean slate. Why not make completing next year's taxes less hassle?

Believe it or not, storing your receipts in a word processing document makes filing time easier.  I use a table in Microsoft Word to store scanned images of all my claimable receipts. This way, come tax time, I have one document that contains all the information I need. No more shoebox and high fees for tax preparation!

Having all my expenses in one spot makes filling out my tax return simple. There is no guess work. but it does take some commitment. When I purchase something that I can write off, I scan it immediately. If I had a busier business, I would set aside an hour a week to scan receipts.  However, an hour here and there can save you big time at tax time.

So this year, instead of setting a New Year's resolution, set a Tax resolution! Use your word processor to make next year's tax season easier.

(PS - thank you Massachusetts and Maine for celebrating Patriots' Day! That extra day to file taxes will come in handy!)

Every time I read that phrase on the back of my shampoo bottle, I think about macros. Weird, ok, maybe, but macros are such an underutilized tool within Word Processing. They aren't limited to Microsoft Word. You can create a macro in Corel's Word Perfect, Lotus Word Pro, Open Office, and many other programs.

A word processing macro is simply a shortcut. It is lather, rinse, repeat! If you ever find yourself performing a repetitive task, create a macro and start tallying up the time you save!

I use macros for tasks such as applying multiple formatting changes, changing margins, switching to a color printer, really, just about any easy repetitive task. Other macros that I use include inserting text based on a keyboard command, inserting DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL word art into the background of every page of a document, and inserting preformatted tables.

Read more about creating macros in How to Create an Easy Macro, and share what macros you have created that make the repetitive 'Repeat' task easier!

So you clicked on your Paste button and noticed a drop-down menu and you see an option that leaves you wondering "What is Paste Special and why would you ever use it?"

Paste Special is basically used to insert data, images, and information from one program to another. For example you may want to insert data from Excel into Word or a chart into PowerPoint. But Paste Special can do so much more then that!

It can clear all formats that a document can contain. It can let you neatly paste information from a web page into your Word document. It can link formulas in Excel. Maybe you have a long table in Word that is getting unwieldy and want to move it to an Excel spreadsheet.

Check Paste Special out next time you copy something and try seeing what Paste Special offers you in other programs.

Photo © Rebecca Johnson

If you read How Word Processing Can Help With Your Taxes, then you may think that my love for Tables is a wee bit extreme. I'll be honest, I use tables for just about every tricky formatting problem I run into when creating documents. Tables come to the rescue for organizing information, creating complex lists, and solving pesky layout issues. Have you ever filled out a form and had the line move while you type? A table can fix that. Do you think you need to use Excel for a long list of data? Honestly, a table can do that. But math? Can a table do math? YES! A table can do that using Quick Parts! Don't let the fear of inserting a table deter you, give tables a try!