You use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint on a daily basis and are still be trying to figure out where things are and how they work, using only 10% of the applications power. Below are 101 customizations and tweaks to help you harness the power of productivity, and customize MS office to work for you.
The difference between an Microsoft Office beginner and advanced user is all about knowing how to use the individual applications, and knowing how to use them well. Wondering how to use your everyday Office applications effectively?
The best way is to customize them. When you learn how to customize an application the way you want it--especially when it’s a productivity tool like an Microsoft Office program, you increase your productivity and effectiveness by leaps and bounds.
All you need is a guide on getting the best customizations out there. Read on and make the leap from Microsoft Office beginner to expert with the following list of resources, tips, tricks and tutorials.
MICROSOFT WORD
Streamline
Document Formatting – It’s
faster and easier to tweak a few things here or there to make a document truly
your own. Start tweaking your own documents with a complete document theme.
How the use
themes in Word 2007
A document theme is a set of formatting choices that let you apply a consistent
look to a document. This tip shows you how to set themes for both Word and
Excel. - How
to Modify a Theme in Word 2007
Once you’ve selected a theme, use
these four simple steps to make it your own.
- Working
with Themes in Word 2007
Themes and Styles are closely connected in Word. You can make changes to both and
create your very own default theme.
- Customize a
Document Theme
When you want to customize a document theme, start by changing the colors, the
fonts, or the line and fill effects. It’s up to you.
Keyboard
shortcut/Cheat sheets – Your
work can be full of repetitive tasks and processes. Keyboard shortcuts are designed to save the time you spend
on executing them. With these
keyboard shortcut cheat sheets it won’t be long until you’ve memorized—or
even created, your own.
Editing
– Next to content,
formatting is the biggest priority. Make the look of your document support the
meaning of your words, whether it be a numbered list, custom fonts and text or
paragraph formatting. Here are the
essentials on how to edit a few basic document formats the easy way.
Changing
Font Case in Word 2007
To start, you may want to be efficient with the basics, like changing the font
case of text you typed. This tip shows you how to do it quickly by using the
interface in Word 2007.- Tab Key, Bulleting,
Numbering, Undo, Redo, and Printing
We all know that documents can be more than just paragraphs and sentences. Learn
how to modify the formatting defaults for common Word tasks and make your
document format diverse.
- Formatting Text
Want to create your own style? This tip shows you how by formatting text--selecting
a font typeface, choosing the font size, applying effects, adjusting colors and
more. A handy tip for any user looking to create a unique and professional
look.
- How to
Format Paragraphs in Word 2007
Word 2007 includes many of the old Word 2003 functions you’re used to. The major difference between both
versions is how they’re accessed. The function for formatting paragraphs is one
of them. Find out how.
- Set a table format for your entire Word document
Got an entire document
full of tables? Need them all reformatted in the same style? This tip shows you
how to access, customize and apply a default style to all the tables in your document.
Importing
Fonts – Nothing can change
the look and feel of your Word document better than a new font. These links
show you how and where to get them for Windows.
How To
Install TrueType or OpenType Fonts in Windows
Whether you download fonts from the Internet or have a CD full of typefaces, in
order to use them in your word processor or other programs you’ll have to know
how to install them. Here’s a tip on how to install TrueType or OpenType fonts
for use in Windows.- How to Install or
Remove a font in Windows
Need to install a font into Windows but not sure how? This tip shows you how to do it for Windows XP versions so
it’s available for use in Word.
- Download and
Install Custom Fonts to use with Office
When the fonts you use start to feel old and overused, try out a new one. This
link directs you on how to work with fonts--where to find more, how to download
them and install them on your computer.
Exporting
to Different Doc Types – If
you know when, where and how your readers will need the information in your
document, you can save it in a way that makes it extra easy for them to find
and use.
Change
the Default File Format in Word 2007
Migrating to the latest version of Word? One thing you should know is that it
saves to its .docx native format by default, which most users still can’t view.
Here’s how to save documents so others can view them too.- Save a file
With at least seven different save location options and many different
versions, there’s more to keeping your document safe than clicking one button.
Find out how to save your files quickly and efficiently in all types of format.
- Convert
DOC (MS Word Documents) to PDF Format
Convert your documents without purchasing any software. This link presents 3
quick and easy ways to do it.
General
Word Tips and tricks – Any
one of these tips could quickly become your favorite productivity booster.
Customize
Microsoft Word 2007 for Maximum Efficiency
By changing the program to work the way you want it to, you'll get more work
done with less aggravation. These tips help you eliminate the most time
consuming tasks with a few essential pointers.- How
to View a Word 2007 Document in Two Windows
When editing a long document, you may want to show it in two windows for some
fast cutting and pasting work. Customize your window view quickly with this tip.
- 10
ways you can tweak Word 2007 to fit your working style
There are a number of ways to tailor the program so that it fits everyone’s style
of doing things. From modifying screen tips and changing the colour of Word to
tailoring the status bar and the hiding the Word Ribbon, this list of tips will
have one that’ll make Word suit your working style.
- Customize
Your Status Bar in Word 2007
Want to see more information in your status bar, but not too sure how to set it
up? Check out this quick pointer on how to see exactly what you want in your
Word window.
- Microsoft
Word 2007 Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials
Find the fastest ways to do things. Here’s a huge list of links ranging from tagging
documents and adding watermarks to inserting characters and customizing macro
security settings with dozens of
stops in between.
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MICROSOFT EXCEL
Interface
Customizations – Make Excel
look and feel the way you want it to right from the start. Learn how to
manipulate and customize its interface, start up, toolbars and more. These
links will get you started with Excel on the right foot.
Excel
Toolbar: Menu bars and other things
Find out how to redact and secure hidden text and how to block error messages. This
page shows you how to access the most needed customizations in Excel. - Customize
Toolbars & Menus in Excel
Need to remove or add buttons to fit your needs and work preferences? Want
specific items in your Excel menus? Check out these handy tips and related
links.
- Excel 2007: The
Office Button Replaces the File Menu
Changes in what you do with a spreadsheet have led to changes in how you save
them as well. Figure out how to do that with these essential customization
tips.
- Starting
and Exiting Excel
If you use Excel on a regular basis, you may want to access it quicker. Microsoft
Office Excel 2007 provides several methods for starting and exiting the program.
- Display or
hide sheet tabs in Excel 2003
Organize your Excel window the way you need it when you work. Here’s what you
can do to keep your worksheets well organized within your workbook.
Formatting
Text & Numbers in Spreadsheets -- The meaning of your data
is greatly improved when you know how to present it. With these links you can find
out how to quickly manipulate and customize the look and formatting of the numbers
and text within your spreadsheet.
Templates
– Having an Excel template
will keep you from constantly wasting time on reinventing a new look and feel for your spreadsheet.
Macros
and Calculations – Dealing
with a large amount of Excel data often requires repetitive calculations and
analysis. Macros are great
shortcuts for just this type of work. Create your own productivity shortcuts or set up different functions for
multi-step processes and use them whenever you need to.
Keyboard
shortcut/cheat sheets – Add these time saving shortcuts to your knowledge toolbox to get even more value from
Excel easily and effectively.
Excel
2007 Cheat Sheet: Quick reference charts
Wondering where your favorite Excel 2003 commands went in Excel 2007? This
chart will show you that and more.- Keyboard
shortcuts (Excel 2003)
Need to tailor your work process and increase your efficiency in Excel 2003?
Here’s a detailed chart and collection of the keyboard shortcuts that’ll save
you time on routine tasks.
- The Ultimate Excel Cheat
sheet
Here are the cream of the crop in Excel shortcuts. This article has it all in
one place—keyboard shortcuts, VBA code snippets, Excel functions and
formulas, command line switches and more. They come in easy-to-use cheat sheets
you can print up and keep handy.
- Excel
2007 Cheat Sheet: 6 Tips for Working with Excel 2007
Find out everything you need to work effectively with Excel in this article
from Computerworld. Linked is a section entitled, 6 Tips for Working with Excel
2007. Learn how to work effectively with Excel with these customization tips at
your fingertips.
General
Excel Tips and Tricks – Here
are favorite tips, tricks and techniques that’ll help you customize and expand
the usability of Excel beyond the cells of its spreadsheets.
Excel Tips
If you’re trying to learn the ins and outs of Excel 2007, here are some excellent online resources that’ll show you how
to protect cells, format text to columns, display fractions, how to freeze
formulas to their current value and more. - Customize
Microsoft Excel For Power Use
If you want to try a Power User tip, check this link out. You’ll learn how to
modify and set default .xls templates, get more formatting options and more.
- How to customize and create charts
Need to
create custom charts? It’s easy with the help of these demos that show you how
to add cool gradients and replacing graph bars with pictures.
- The
Spreadsheet Page - Excel Tips
If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, check this list out. You’ll find tips for dealing with a
number of Excel situations you might encounter in the real world.
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MICROSOFT POWERPOINT
Interface
customizations – Don’t want
an outline of your presentation on the left? Need your favorite layout tools
grouped together for fast access? Here’s how you can make PowerPoint present
itself the way you like it.
Customize
the Quick Access Toolbar
Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar is essential for functions that are
independent of the Ribbon commands. Taking a few minutes to modify this toolbar
will save you hundreds more later on.- Use the
Ribbon in PowerPoint 2007
The "Ribbon" in all Office applications introduce a context-sensitive
method for accessing commands. PowerPoint has its own special commands to deal
with graphs, and can be especially tricky to navigate. Here’s how to make it your own.
- Show
the Slide Number and Total Number of Slides on Every PowerPoint Slide
Want to show progress through a presentation? Here’s how to control that
through the master slide.
- Hide
Slides In PowerPoint 2007
Presentation is everything, and you don’t want to mess up the delivery. Customize
your presentation for different audiences by hiding slides with this quick
3-step tip.
Printing
– Presentations can be
shared in many ways including physical handouts. If you want to get more
efficient with PowerPoint, these links will help you get those handouts looking
just the way you need them.
Exporting – Want to share part of your
presentation through a different medium, or put it online where more people can
see it? These tips will help you pick it apart and put the pieces just where
you want.
Improve PowerPoint's GIF, BMP, PNG,
JPG export resolution
Export your presentation to a file format as crisp and clear as the original
with this tutorial. You’ll get pointers on image settings for optimal
resolution using different PowerPoint versions. - Extract
Images and Sounds from PowerPoint
Sometimes you need to work with PowerPoint presentations in different ways,
especially if you need content from the .ppt file itself. This tip tells you how to quickly and
simply extract and save a single image or sound from a presentation.
- Put your PowerPoint on the Web
Learn how to make your presentation accessible to website visitors and convert
them into HTML with this tip.
- Convert
PowerPoint Presentations to Video Files (with Sound)
Ever wonder how to get your PowerPoint slide onto a DVD for free? Get your
PowerPoint file exported in the format you need. AuthorStream is a PowerPoint
hosting service that’ll convert your presentation into MPEG4 video format.
Keyboard
shortcuts – Sometimes a few
keystrokes is all it takes to manipulate a large or complex piece of your
presentation. Here are some of those "extra" power points.
Keyboard
shortcuts (PowerPoint 2003)
PowerPoint 2003 keyboard shortcuts here are arranged according to common tasks
to help you find and use them quickly. - PowerPoint
2007 Cheat Sheet: Quick Reference Charts
If you want to navigate around PowerPoint like a pro, check out this
ComputerWorld article. Linked here
is the section on PowerPoint 2003 to 2007 keyboard shortcuts along with new
ways to make PowerPoint 2007 your own.
- PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts
Need more shortcuts that haven’t been covered yet? This chart includes every
keyboard shortcut you could ever want and more.
Editing – From selecting
backgrounds, to lining up animations to appear in the correct order, there’s a
lot an editor can learn from these PowerPoint tutorials.
Customize
a PowerPoint Template
Need to make quick slide changes? Modify and customize the template to freshen
up a theme and make the presentation your own with this tutorial.- Creating
a PowerPoint Presentation
If you want to be a PowerPoint power user, check out this link. Here are a few
tips on customizing your own PowerPoint presentation quickly from scratch.
These tips go beyond choosing graphics and setting text bullets.
- Format
Slides in PowerPoint
You can give your PowerPoint presentation a unique look by formatting the
slides--adding effects, changing slide texture and more.
- Add
Animation Effects in Microsoft PowerPoint
If you want to add more eye-catching content to your PowerPoint presentation,
here are a few customization tips to adding animation effects to your
presentation.
- Combine
animation techniques to create stunning PowerPoint slides
For more versatility in your PowerPoint presentation, take a look at this
tutorial. You’l learn how to combine
motion paths with other animation effects to create dynamic and compelling presentations.
General
PowerPoint Tips and Tricks – Fan
favorites and tips from the trenches can help you become a power user in no
time.
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MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
Interface
Customization – Outlook may
be "the email standard", but there’s no reason you need to settle for its
standard layout when you can make it all your own. These links show you how to
customize the email interfaces you work and the basic functions to get you
working with Outlook more efficiently.
What’s
New in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
If you’ve read up to this point, then you know that the Ribbon for Outlook 2007
has a new interface. Learn about
the features that make composing, formatting, and organizing an easier and more
intuitive experience. Then customize them with tips on the Options
Dialog Box. - Start
Outlook showing my Calendar, Contacts, or Tasks
Start using Outlook for more than just viewing your inbox. Set it to start up
showing another frequently used folder in Outlook like your journal, calendar,
tasks or contacts.
- Make
Outlook Stationery
How you send out your emails can say a lot about you whether it’s a personal
message or a professional notification. Create custom stationery in Outlook
2003 to make your messages stand out.
- Creating
Personal Folder storage in Outlook 2007
Need more custom folders and organization? Create and place Personal Folders in
the main window interface to help you sort and store your messages your way.
- Introduction
to Outlook 2007 – Using Desktop Alerts
If you’re too busy to check in with Outlook, let Outlook check in with you.
Desktop alerts are handy Outlook alert messages that appear on your screen. Use
them to your advantage. These
handy tips give you a run down of what they are and how to use them
effectively.
Email
Organization – Keep control
of your inbox with this tutorial set showing you how to custom organize your
Outlook email, contacts and more.
Email Organization
If you use Outlook on a daily basis, then you know that
email organization is key. Not too
sure where to start or how to go about it? Outlook has a number of
customization settings to help you organize incoming email, outgoing email and
existing email. Here are a few tips. Use any or all of them.- Quick
E-Mailing tips in Outlook
Once you get the hang of Outlook, you’ll want more control over your email
messages. Here are a few tips on how to set reminder and expiration dates on
your messages as well as checking an email alias against your contacts.
- Create and configure an e-mail
profile in Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003
One of the key aspects about an Outlook email account is your profile, which is
created the first time you run Outlook. If you need more than one profile for
different purposes, read this tutorial on how to create another one.
- Outlook
2007 Contacts FAQ
The Contacts folder is your e-mail address book and information storage for the
people and businesses you want to communicate with. Find out how to do
everything you can with your address book to make emailing a breeze.
- View your
Inbox Messages by Thread
You can customize your Outlook right down to the way in which you view your
messages. Check out this tip from
the Microsoft camp and learn how to read emails by thread and keep on top of
things.
- Create
an Email Template in Outlook 2003
Saving time is a priority especially when you send out the same email over and
over again. The solution? Create a template in Outlook for those messages you
send out repeatedly.
Tasks
– If you deal with a large
amount of email on a daily basis, Outlook tasks will really help you out. The following set of links lets you handle
routine daily tasks faster and more efficiently and in your own way.
Calendaring
and Scheduling – With these
helpful scheduling tips and tricks, you can organize more than just your inbox.
Customize your schedules, task reminders, calendar printing and even group
scheduling.
Set or
remove reminders
If you need more organization in your day to day schedule, this tip shows you how
to create reminders that can be used with more than just tasks and appointments.- How to use the Group Schedules
feature in Outlook
For those that work with a number of individuals, keeping in touch can be
difficult. Try making a Group
Schedules. They enable you to view
and schedule meetings with an entire group you specify or with individual
members.
- How
to Create additional calendars
Nobody ever has only one schedule going. Oftentimes you need more than one calendar. With this quick tip you’ll
learn how to create separate calendars for work, personal or other uses.
- Outlook
2007: Print a Blank Calendar
If you need to print a calendar, but don’t want it to show your appointments, read
this tip.
- Outlook
2003 - 24 hour clock, multiple time zones
Global work habits and hours require a global calendar to correctly schedule
appointments. Check this tip out for a guideline on how to get your calendar
working correctly wherever you are.
General
Tips and Tricks – Hard to
categorize, or do without, these tips will round out your skills on Outlook
email handling.
Outlook 2003 Tips
and Tricks – E-Mail Tips
Got Outlook 2003 and need help finding something? This quick reference sheet
shows you how to read the screen
layout for Outlook 2003. - Command-line
switches for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
If you’re looking to
launch Outlook in a different way or are having trouble with desktop shortcut,
try out this command line switch that gives you another option for starting
Outlook from the command menu.
- Outlook 2007 Backup
Tutorial
Looking for a quick and easy way to back up your Outlook and Outlook Express
email? Check out this tutorial
that walks you through the procedure.
- Use a
Windows Live Hotmail Account in Outlook
Here’s another good
customization tip for power email users—using Outlook to access your
hotmail account. All you need is a
plug-in and a few handy steps with this easy-to-follow tutorial.
Now that you’ve had a chance to scan the
whole list of lessons, make sure you tuck this valuable reference sheet away.
In case you read through it too quickly, review this "Save a file"
Microsoft Word tutorial for seven places and ways to make sure you can find it
when you need a fast solution to an immediate need. After all, with seven
choices, there ought to be one you can customize to fit your working needs to a
tee.
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Bookmark this on Delicious 
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Powerpoint
Microsoft Outlook
Keyboard
Shortcuts for Word 2003
Excel
2003 - Wrapping Text in Spreadsheets
Creating
Your Own Excel 2007 Templates
Recording a
Macro
Printing PowerPoint: Slide size v.
Printer Page size
Microsoft
PowerPoint Tips and Tricks for beginners
Tasks
and Time Management in Outlook
