Formatting is the art of creating documents useful and visually appealing. It is easier for readers to understand your message when your text is formatted well and separates the various parts of your text. Almost every part of your document can be formatted, from individual characters to entire paragraphs. If you think you have completed your research paper within the deadline but there are so many things that you need to consider (professional essay service, 2022).
It increases your credibility when you format academic papers according to accepted standards because it demonstrates that you are familiar with university customs. On the other hand, using unconventional or incredibly distinctive formatting conveys that your previous school was insufficient to prepare you for university work. Moreover, the students who ask “pay someone to do my assignment” from cheap services also face trouble in their assignments.
So here in this blog, the writer of the best assignment writing website mentions the ways of formatting documents in MS Word.
- Create a new Word document and save it
To create a neat and professional layout, you can change the default document layout in MS Word:
- To open Word’s default blank document, press the “Ctrl+N” shortcut.
- Ctrl+S will save this blank document.
- Save the file as ‘My Document.docx’ to a specific location on your computer (such as Favorites).
- In order to save your preferred layout, you have created a new document.
- Set the margins of the pages
Setting up the document layout should be your first step when creating a new document.
- Click the tiny icon in the Page Setup section of the Page Layout ribbon’s left bottom corner to expand the Page Setup dialogue box.
- Choose the Margins tab.
- Set the Left margin width to 3 cm.
- After selecting Portrait as the page orientation, click OK. Before clicking OK, make sure the drop-down box is turned to the Whole Document.
Now the entire document will use these options for page margin and orientation.
- Identify the layout of the pages
- Click the Layout Tab in the Page Setup window you used in the preceding step to print documents on both sides while adjusting the margins and page number.
- Select the various odd-even options in the Headers and Footers section. Then select the option for a different first page.
- Before clicking OK, make sure the drop-down box is turned to the Whole Document.
Based on these settings, the entire document would be updated. These options would alter how odd and even pages were numbered and fix the margin needed to tie your printed document.
- Change the default text font
If you are unhappy with the text’s font styling, make changes in the Styles list rather than selecting a font from the Fonts list. The styles list in a new Word document will only show the built-in Microsoft styles.
To see the Styles list, go to:
- Click on the Home ribbon.
- Select the small icon in the bottom left corner of the styles list on the right.
- Place your cursor over “Normal style” and then click the down arrow that appears.
- Select your preferred style and font size in the Modify Style window by clicking modify on the drop-down list, then click OK.
If you keep changing the font and paragraph setup in the Normal style, you will never have to change the fonts in the text again. You only need to style your text using the Normal option.
- Create your own custom headings
Similar to how you set up the paragraph and font settings for the paragraph in the last step, you can do the same for headers.
On the left, in the Styles section:
- Place your cursor over the Heading 1 style, and then press the down arrow.
- Click Modify in the drop-down menu.
- Click OK after selecting the Heading 1 style’s preferred font and font size.
When the Styles list is expanded with new header designs:
- Press the Manage Styles icon located at the window’s bottom.
- Choose the “Recommend” tab, then select “Heading 2” from the Styles list.
- Click the “show” button to make it visible in the Styles list.
Adjust this style as described above. The Styles list in your document can be expanded by using this method to add new styles.
- Include a cover page
MS Word comes with many sample cover pages which you can use to personalize your document.
Follow these steps to make an MS Word cover page for your document:
- Position your mouse at the start of your document.
- After that, select the Insert ribbon tab.
- In the pages section, click the Cover Page button.
- Once you’ve chosen a page from the list of examples and are ready to insert it, click OK.
- To view your document, use Print Preview.
If you followed all of the steps above, you should have a clean document layout ready for double-sided printing. You should look at the Print Preview before printing the document. As your teacher reads the journals every day and can easily detect errors in your writing (Wilhoit, 1994).
This is how you can do it:
- Select the Office button in the upper left corner.
- View the print Preview before printing the document.
- Write your paper from here. Always use the Styles section of your document to make any font, paragraph layout, or header changes.
Conclusion
You’ve learned how to format a Word document so that it’s easier to scan and read. To ensure that the final document accurately portrays you and your company, excellent formatting is also crucial. You’ve seen how easy it is to format text, even if you’re starting from scratch. Additionally, you’ve learned that using a Word template allows you to start with a blank canvas and let qualified designers decide how to format it.
There is no longer a reason for business documents to be poorly designed thanks to Microsoft Word’s styles and formatting tools. By sticking to these basic rules, you can save a ton of time and guarantee that your writing is always print-ready. Create a document for business that you can be proud of.
Reference list
Wilhoit, S. (1994). Helping students avoid plagiarism. College teaching, 42(4), 161-164.
PES., (2022). 10 Tips To Help You Proofread Your Essay Like A Pro. Online Available at <https://www.professionalessayservice.co.uk/10-tips-to-help-you-proofread-your-essay-like-a-pro/> [Accessed on 16 April 2022]