The Interface

Word 2007 Interface

The Ribbon

The three parts of the Ribbon are tabs, groups, and commands.

Ribbon Tabs

Underneath each tab the commands are organized into groups. It keeps related commands together. The name of the group is shown at the bottom of the ribbon.

On the insert tab you see:

Pages group, the Tables group, the Illustrations group and so forth.

Click on any triangle to find more options.

If you're not sure what a command button does just pause with your mouse over the button and you'll get a description.

Some buttons are straight forward, for example, the Blank Page button. Clicking on it inserts a blank page into your document, just what you'd expect.

But look at the cover page button. Notice the triangle at the end of the word?

If a command is grayed out it means you can't use it right now. If nothing's selected the (scissors) cut button is grayed out. But once you select something it comes to life. One click and you've removed the selection from your document.

Some of the command groups will only appear when there is a need. Picture tools is an example. If no picture is selected, the tools are hidden.

Some of the groups have a launch button in the lower right-hand corner. When you click that button it opens up a panel or a dialogue box related to the groups commands.

If you reduce the width of your Word window, some or all of the tab groups will compress. To use the buttons, click on the triangle under the group name.

Quick Access Toolbar

The quick access toolbar is always displayed in the upper left corner no matter which tab is active.

You can easily customize this area to include the tools you use most often. Right click on any tool button . A context menu will offer the option to add the tool or customize the toolbar.

Right click

When you select text, you can show or hide a handy, miniature, semitransparent toolbar called the Mini toolbar. The Mini toolbar helps you work with fonts, font styles, font sizing, alignment, text color, indent levels, and bullet features.

NOTE   You cannot customize the Mini toolbar.

When you select text, the toolbar will appear faintly but will become clear as you rest your pointer on it.

The Mini Toolbar