Computer Underground Railroad Ent.

LET’S GET BUSY

Setting Margins & Page Layout

Both of these functions are in the same dialogue box.  Click on FILE PAGE SETUP.  Under the tab labeled MARGINS you will see four settings for Top – Bottom – Left and Right.  Adjust these numbers to the inch equivalent in the appropriate box by either typing in the measurements you want or using the up and down arrow keys next to the measurements. 

If you want your margin set with a left offset for binding, then an adjustment can be made in the GUTTER box.  Also under the margins tab is a setting for where to apply these numbers, either THIS SECTION, THIS POINT FORWARD or WHOLE DOCUMENT.  Your choice

Under the tab marked PAPER SIZE you’ll find you will find your page orientation.  If you want a page to be tall side up, that is called Portrait.  If you want it to be short side up, that’s Landscape.

Another way is to first place the computer’s attention in front of what you want to affect.  Move the ruler at the top of the page by placing your mouse on the edge tab until you hit the spot where a double arrow appears pointing left and right.  Click the mouse button down and hold it in the down position.  Drag the mouse over to where you want your new margin.  Once there, let it go.  The text will automatically move within the new margin setting.

Saving

Click on FILE – SAVE.  In the box next to the phrase File Name give your file a name and assign it to a folder.  Click on save.  This saves your file onto your hard disk.  If you want to give a file a new name or location, use SAVE AS.  To make a web page, use SAVE AS WEBPAGE

Choosing How The Type Looks

Formatting text characters is about how the letters and numbers look, what typeface is used, its size, style, special effects, etc.  First type in your information in a comfortable type size and face, then choose your presentation type. In choosing a font, first think about what is the ultimate goal of your communication.  Ask yourself if you had to say all of the material that you are about to put into the computer in one or two sentences, what would they be.  Then  choose a typeface that accurately reflects the intention of your correspondence.  Your computer can print in many fonts, Lucida Sans, Impact or Algerian.  Times New roman is a good standard business choice.  In summary, place the text you want to affect in the computer’s attention, and make your style (format) choices.

The bigger the type, the easier it is to read.  A good business size is between 12-14.  So, if you’re experiencing vision stress in any form, go for the larger type sizes, especially during data entry.  You can change back to a smaller size later, after you’ve made sure your words are correct.

WordArt

WordArt is a tool.  Use it to sculpt your works to better reflect your thoughts.

The easiest way to use WordArt is to work with the pre-formatted word designs.

Click on INSERT – PICTURE – WORDART.  A small gallery of designs show up.  Click on the design you want.  A dialogue box will come up for you to put your words in and choose the type size and style.  Try a few.

For original design, click on INSERT OBJECT WORDART 2.0 (or whatever version is available.)  A dialogue box comes up on the screen.  Type the words you want in the art.  Toward the top of the screen are your other design options.  The first one is for the shape, the second one for the typeface and the third for the type size.  Just click the down arrow in each category to see your options and choose what’s right for you.  The buttons on the right are about bold, italic, direction, etc.

Applying Or Removing Character Formats

Highlight the areas you want to affect.  On the Formatting Tool Bar you will see both the name of the typeface and the size.   Click the DOWN ARROW next to what you want to affect.  Choose the format you want to use.  Highlight that name or number by clicking on it.  Another faster way is to highlight.  Then click on FORMAT -  FONT.  After you make your selection, click O.K.

Aligning Headlines

HIGHLIGHT the text you want to align.  On the tool bar, click on either the LEFT, RIGHT, CENTER OR JUSTIFIED (Test even on both sides, like in a newspaper.)  Or, click on FORMAT, PARAGRAPH and work with an even more fine-tuning of your paragraph’s status. i.e. spacing, indenting and hyphenation.

Bullets And Numbers In A List

Highlight THE AREA YOU WANT TO AFFECT.  On your Tool Bar click on the icon that has either numbers of dots on it, depending on if you want a numbered or a bulleted list.  For a greater deal of fine-tuning, HIGHLIGHT the area you want to affect.  Click on FORMAT – BULLETS AND NUMBERING.  This box has three tabs for you to look at BULLETS, NUMBERED, MULTILEVEL.  If you don’t like what you see, go into MODIFY and se your expanded choices.  Choose a style that reflects the message your document is getting across.

Choosing How The Paragraph Looks

As in formatting text, formatting paragraphs is about how a paragraph looks.  Issues such as indenting, centering, spacing and tabs are addressed here.  The steps are HIGHLIGHT – FORMAT – PARAGRAPH – then make your choices.   Click on O.K.

Proofing Tools

Spelling – There is an icon that reads ABC with a check mark under it.  Click that button and the spell checker begins.  Follow instructions on the screen.  You cal also click on TOOLS – SPELLING.

Grammar – click on TOOLS, SPELLING AND Grammar, or just hit the F7 key.  Mis-spelled words have a squiggly red underline under them and grammatically incorrect phrases or words have a green line.  These lines do not print out.

Thesaurus – Highlight the word you want to look up.  Then click on TOOLS – LANGUAGE - THESAURUS.

Finding and Replacing

This handy feature can save you hours of proof reading.  Say you want to use a letter that you wrote to Mr. Jones and send a revised copy to Ms. Smith.  Using the EDIT – REPLACE functions of the word processor fill in the dialogue box.  You can replace everywhere it says Mr. Jones in your letter with Ms. Smith.  To find a word or section you want to work on click on EDIT - FIND and tell it what you want.  Then click on find next.

Editing Tools
Moving, Cutting, Copying and Pasting

TO MOVE:  Using drag-and-drop editing, HIGHLIGHT the area that you want to either cut off of a page or make a copy of to be deleted or replaced later in another location.  Cut or Copy.  Cut means to remove as if using a pair of electronic scissors and Copy leaves the original in place and puts a copy of what was highlighted into the temporary memory.  Then place the computer’s attention where you want the copied material to be, and then click EDIT – PASTE.  A short cut from the icons:  CUT looks like a scissors, COPY looks like two pieces of paper next to each other and PASTE looks like a clip board with a piece of paper falling off of it.

TO CUT:  Click on the button that has a scissors on it.  The text that is highlighted will disappear into what is called the clipboard portion of the CPU.

TO COPY:  Click on the button next to the scissors that looks like two pieces of paper.  The original stays in place and a copy is placed onto the clipboard (or HIGHLIGHT – EDIT – COPY).

TO PASTE – PLACING TEXT IN ANOTHER LOCATION.  Place what you want to paste in the clipboard.  Click the mouse on the position where you want the text to reappear.  Click the PASTE button which looks like a little clipboard with a piece of paper falling off. (or HIGHLIGHT – EDIT – PASTE)

Drop Cap

Like the first letter in many bibles, a drop cap gives a page a sense of class.  It makes the first letter bigger than the rest.  Highlight the letter you want to drop.  Click on FORMAT – DROP CAP – and choose the look you want.

Printing and Faxing

The easiest way to print is to print the entire document.  Confirm your printer is on by seeing the printer’s on light.  Move your mouse to the bottom on the standard tool bar that has a little printer on it.  Click on the button and the entire document will print out.

To print just a few pages or to set the number of copies you want to print click on FILE, PRINT.  Read the dialogue box and make your choices.  Then click on O.K.

Also, if your computer has a modem, and you want to send a fax, click on FILE, SEND TO, FAX RECIPIENT.  A fax wizard comes up.  Give it the information it requests and send the fax.

E-mailing and Web-surfing

E-mail- Electronic Mail that is sent through the Internet.  Any ISP (Internet Service Provider) can give you an e-mail address.  And you don’t have to pay for it.  If you don’t have your own computer, go to the library and use theirs.  The leading ISP’s are America Online, Prodigy and MSN (Microsoft Network).  You’ll need a credit card to get their services, but they have many advantages.  For free e-mail go to http://www.yahoo.com or http://www.hotmail.com. 

For free Internet access go to your local library or community center.  It is true you get what you pay for, but on the Internet, until you start being a heavy user, these e-mail routes will get you through just fine.  Once you get on the web, go to Yahoo or Hotmail and spend some time in their communities.  Also check out http://www.foodstop.com or http://www.audart.com. 

Most broadcasting networks and local stations also have a page on the Internet.

A browser is the program you use to look at the Internet.  The two leading browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape.  Both have good on line tutorials.  My site is located at http://www.compurest.com  Send me an e-mail at [email protected]  

To find something on the Internet, in your brouser’s menu bar is a key called Search.  Click there and type in what you are looking for.  Hit either the enter key on the keyboard or a word on your monitor (GO).  Scroll down until you get a list of sites that have the information you are looking for.  Verify everything with multiple sources because the biggest problem on the internet is that anybody can say anything.  Extensions on the Internet say .com (commercial), .gov (government), .net (network), .org (organization). There are a few new ones, so make sure you type an internet address accurately. 

H A V E   F U  N.!!!

END OF LESSON IV

 Practice Material

Organizational Material

HOW TO COMPUTE
CLASS NOTES AND MATERIAL BY:  

J. Nayer Hardin, Founder
Computer Underground Railroad Enterprises (C.U.R.E.)

C.U.R.E. Website:  http://www.compurest.com
E-mail:  [email protected]

 The cost of using this material is that
the knowledge be passed onto at least two other people.

 Published 1994-Present

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED