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Twinsburg Public Library

Computer Class Guides:

Get Work Ready

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Table of Contents:

Word: Page 9

Excel: Page 21

Outlook: Page 34

Mail Merge: Page 44

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Basic Office Skills The following skills, although shown using Word, are true for all of the Microsoft Office

applications. We are going to look at the organization of the basic Office window.

The Quick Access Toolbar

In the top left hand corner is the Quick Access toolbar. These are frequently used commands:

Save: Saves your document in its current location

Undo: Lets you undo your most recent action. (This command is your best friend).

Redo: Undo an undo. Meaning, if you undid your most recent action, but you decide you prefer to keep it, click Redo.

Customize Quick Access Toolbar: You can add more commands to the tool bar by selecting this option.

Ribbons

In Microsoft Word 2016, you use the Ribbon to issue commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the screen and below the Quick Access toolbar.

At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays several related command groups. A command group is a section of the ribbon that contains related commands.

The commands on a ribbon relate to that tab’s name. For example, the Home tab (above) has groups containing the most commly used commands. They are Clipboard, Font, Paragraph, etc. You will notice the faint lines that divide groups.

Command Groups

Tabs

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Dialog Box Menus

Some of the command groups have additional options. These options are indicated by a dialog box launcher. Let’s look at the Paragraph Dialog Box launcher. The Paragraph command group is found under the Home tab.

NOTE: A dialog box is a pop-up menu that displays additional options.

How to Launch a Dialog Box Menu

Click the small arrow found in the lower-left corner of the comand group. ( )

A pop-up menu will appear. In this case, the Paragraph Dialog Box (right) lets you adjust the line spacing and alignment of the document.

NOTE: Word 2016 is automatically set to space multiple

lines in between paragraphs. You may need to adjust the line spacing before you begin your document.

The File Tab: Backstage Office

All of Office 2016 has the Backstage area. The Backstage is where you manage, save, and open your files. Here you can also print, select templates, and other useful tasks.

Let’s take an in depth look at the Backstage. To reach the Backstage area, click your File tab (found at the top left corner of the window, under the Quick Access toolbar).

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The first page you see is the Info page. Info displays your file’s name, size, and authors. You can also see when the last AutoSaved occurred. AutoSaves are Office’s safety net. Periodically, your computer will automatically save your file as a temporary file. If you experience a computer shut down, you can recover some of your work from the AutoSaves.

CAUTION: Please do not rely only on this feature. Save your work often!

New: You can create a new blank document or select from Word’s template library. Word does provide resume, calendar, and flyer templates to help you get started.

Open: Click this option to open a previously saved file and continue editing it.

Save: Save your file frequently. You can also click the in the upper left corner. Or, press CTRL + S on your keyboard at the same time.

Save As: the first time you save your file, you will see the Save As menu. See below for more information.

Print: Print your document using this screen. We will go into more details later in the packet.

Share: This is new to Office 2016. This allows you to email your file, upload it to a blog site (such as WordPress) or Present your document online. You will need additional accounts to use these features, such as a Microsoft Account (to present) or a WordPress account (to blog). For this introduction, we will not cover this in-depth, but be aware that the capabilities exist.

Account: Allows you to change the colors of your Office and sign in with a different Microsoft Account, if needed.

Options: Give you access to the advanced features in Word and allows you to rearrange the ribbon or other settings in this application.

To return to the Word window, click the arrow at the top.

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Save As Menu

The Save As menu appears the first time you save your file. You can also use the Save As menu to save different copies of the same file, by giving each copy a slightly different file

name. Examples: myfile.docx and myfile2.dox.

You can save your file at any time: before you begin typing, during your writing process, and/or after you’ve finished your session. Let’s save our file now so that you can learn the Saving Menu.

Open the Save As menu. Remember, you have to be in the backstage area.

By default, you have two places that you can save your file:

1. Directly on your computer, or 2. In your OneDrive account. (If you have a corporate account, you can also save to your

corporation’s OneDrive.)

For the most part, unless you want to use an OneDrive account (OneDrive will be covered more later), you will save your files on the computer.

1. Select Computer. 2. Click the Browse button. The Browse button will open up the Save As menu.

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1. File Name box: Word will automatically insert a default file name. This default is always the first phrase in the document. You can change the filename to anything you wish. Word can handle filenames of up to 255 characters. These filenames can include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and even spaces. They cannot contain the symbols: < > : * | \ “ ” ? /

Click on the File Name box and type the name you choose.

2. File Path: At the top of the box, you can see the file path of the document. The File Path shows in which folders the document is saved.

3. File Location: The default location where the document will be saved is My Documents. To store the document in a different location (including flash drives), click the folder or drive on the left side of the Save As dialog box.

4. Similar Files: This allows you to see similar files in the same file path. If you are saving a Word 2016 document, you will be able to see other Word 2016 documents.

5. New Folder: Create a new folder before saving your file. This helps you to organize your files.

6. File Type: You can save the file as different types. For example, you can save your file as a PDF (portable document format) or as a Word Document. Click the drop down box to save

your type. NOTE: You can also save files as older Word Documents (such as Word 2003).

The file type is denoted by the file name’s extension. (.pdf, .doc, .docx, or .jpg).

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OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud service. You can save your files on Microsoft’s servers instead of

your computer, which gives you more space on your computer. If you ever heard anyone

mention “the cloud,” that just means the Internet. When you save files on the cloud, you are

saving files on a third-party’s servers (i.e. computers).

With OneDrive, you can access your files with any device that has Internet capabilities. All you

need is your username and password. You will need a Microsoft Account to use the OneDrive

cloud service.

You can use up to 7GB of storage space free. If you need to use more storage space, you can

pay/subscribe for more storage. You will need to visit onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/ to view

pricing information.

OneDrive will appear as a folder on your computer. When you save to this folder, it will

automatically send your files (or updates) to the cloud the next time you connect to the internet.

Let’s return to the Word Window and leave the Backstage.

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Microsoft Word 2016

Skills this class will cover:

Creating Documents

o Setting Margins/ Page Setup

o Formatting using the Font Group

o Formatting using the Styles

Group

o Copy/Cut/Paste and Clipboard

o Bullet lists

Inserting Objects

o Pictures

o Tables

o Text boxes

o Header/Footer

o Page Numbers

Reviewing Documents

o Comments

o Spelling/Grammar

Creating Documents

Setting Margins/ Page Setup

It is better to set up your page prior to beginning your document.

This will save you formatting hassle later. Setting up your page

means selecting your page margins, line spacing, and general

document layout.

Skill 1: Set your Page Margins

A margin is the distance from the text to the paper’s edge. For the

top and bottom margins and the left and right margins, the default

setting is 1 inch.

NOTE: If you have a specific portion of the document, you would

like to adjust, select that portion by placing the cursor in front of it or

highlight the section.

1. Click the Layout tab. 2. Click the Margins icon. 3. From this menu, you can select the margin sizes you prefer,

or click Custom Margins to manually set your desired settings.

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Skill 2: Changing Paper Size & Orientation

The Page Setup group command lets you change the paper size and orientation for your

document, as well. There are two page orientations: landscape and portrait. Landscape is a

horizontal layout; this orientation is great for pictures, notices, or flyers. Portrait is a vertical

layout; this orientation is great for letters, books, and instructions. Portrait is the default

orientation of Word.

Orientation (in orange)

1. Click Orientation.

2. Select the Portrait or Landscape.

Size (in green) 1. Click Size. 2. Select preferred size from the menu.

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Skill 3: Line Spacing

The default spacing of Word 2016 is multiple spacing. This means when you press Enter, there

will be a wider space in between sentences. You can change the default line spacing at any

time.

NOW YOU TRY:

o Type your name and address as three different lines. It should look like this:

Twinsburg Library

10050 Ravenna Road

Twinsburg, Ohio 44087

o Highlight your name and address. o Click on the Paragraph icon or on the

Paragraph’s right corner button ( ) to reveal the Paragraph dialog box.

o Notice the option to change the line spacing. Click on the small triangle underneath the words Line Spacing, and choose Single.

o Click OK.

You can change line spacing for an entire document by specifying the spacing before you begin

typing. Or, you can change the line spacing by highlighting a specific paragraph (as you just

did).

CAUTION: If you want the same line spacing between paragraphs in Word, make sure you

click the box beside Don’t Add space between Paragraphs of the same style. This will save you

a lot of frustration later.

Formatting your Document using the Font Group

Most of your formatting commands will be found on the Home ribbon in the Font group.

Skill 4: Adjusting the Font

A font is the style, or typeface, of the text. Some of the most common fonts are Calibri, Times

Roman, Helvetica, and Arial. Font sizes are measured in points. Point size is the vertical

measurement of a character. One inch equals 72 points. The most common point sizes are 10

and 12 point.

The ribbon also has shortcuts to make it easier to change the size, shape, and style of your font.

From here, you can Bold ( ), Italicize ( ), or Underline ( ) your text. You can also change

the point size, and the font style. First highlight the text, then select the command.

Point Size Font

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You can also apply color to your font using the color choices in the Font

group.

1. Highlight the text to be color changed.

2. When you click on the Font Color command, a palette will

appear. Chose the new color of the font.

NOW YOU TRY: o Type your name. o Highlight your name. o Click the drop-down arrow on the Font menu bar. It is located on the left on the

Home ribbon. o Select a different font style.

NOTE: If at the beginning of your document, you decide to type in 16 point, Times New

Roman font. This decision will remain as you continue to type (provided you don’t

change these settings).

If you decide to start typing in 12 point, the font will change size from that point to the

end of the document.

If you highlight specific text and change the font settings, only the section you

highlighted will be changed.

In other words, Word doesn’t retroactively change any previous font decisions based on

your current decisions. You have to highlight the text and make changes directly.

Skill 5: Formatting using the Style Group

Quickly change the size, color, and font by using the Styles Group found in the Home Ribbon.

1. Highlight the text you want to change.

2. In the Home ribbon is the Styles gallery. Select the style, by clicking it.

If the text has not been typed, select your style, and then start typing.

Skill 6: Copy, Cut, Paste and Clipboard

To Cut means to remove the text from your document.

To Copy means to make a duplicate of it.

To Paste means to deposit the text that you have either cut or copied,

to another location in your document, or to a different document.

Format Painter: copies the format of the text only (i.e. font and size). Use format painter to

apply formatting settings to another set of text on your document.

TIP: This is great for keeping any headings or titles consistent in your document.

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Clipboard

The clipboard is a feature of all Microsoft Office products. It is a temporary holding place of text

or images that you have copied or cut. You can see what you have stored on the clipboard by:

1. Click on the Home tab.

2. Click on the bottom right corner button ( ) on the Clipboard group. The clipboard appears.

NOW YOU TRY: Copying o Highlight your name from earlier.

o Click on the Copy command ( ) in the ribbon. This creates an invisible copy

of your name. o Move the cursor down a few lines by pressing the Enter on the keyboard.

o Click the Paste icon ( ). This should past a second copy of your name on you

document. Every time you click the Paste icon, another copy of your name appears.

NOW YOU TRY: Cutting o Now, highlight you address. Click on the Cut icon. This actually cuts the original text

(e.g. your address) from the document. It disappears from the document. o Click on a different area of the document. o Click on the Paste button again. Your address now appears in the spot where you

pasted it. Notice that using the Paste command will use only the last item cut or

copied.

Skill 7: Bullet Lists

To create a bulleted or numbered list:

1. Click on the Home tab.

2. Click the Bulleted List button or Numbered List button. 3. As you type the list, you add to a new number or bullet by pressing Enter on your

keyboard.

NOTE: To change the bullet or number style, click the down-arrow next to

the list icons. You can them click on a new bullet style from the menu

(right).

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Use the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent buttons to create the next hierarchal

layer in your list. Note: Pressing the Tab key on the keyboard acts as the same as the

Increase Indent button; Shift + Tab on the keyboard, will act the same as Decrease Indent.

Tip: You can write the list first. Highlight the text, and then add the bulleted items after (just click

on the list buttons).

Inserting Objects

Skill 8: Inserting a Table

Tables are used to display data. Begin by placing the cursor where you want the table to appear in

the document.

1. Click the Insert tab. 2. Select Table. 3. Highlight how many rows and columns you would like, by using the grid table (see

below).

Once you insert your table, Word lets you choose from a few design templates. These are found

on the Table Tools: Design ribbon.

To exit the Table Design ribbons, click anywhere on the page (not on the table). To return to

the Table Design ribbons, click back onto the table.

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Skill 9: Adding Images from the Web and Wrap Text

You can insert images directly from the web by using the Online Pictures command on the

Insert ribbon.

1. Click the Insert tab.

2. Click the Online Pictures button.

3. In the search bar next to Bing Image Search, type the search term of the image you would like to use.

4. Select your image.

5. Click Insert.

Once you insert your image, a new tab appears in the Ribbon. This new Ribbon, called Picture

Tools, is a conditional ribbon, meaning it only appears under certain conditions. The Picture

Tools ribbon only appears when a picture/image is selected.

WARNING: By default, Bing will only search for images with the Creative

Commons license (meaning you can freely use some of these images). You can

choose Show all images to see more results without this restriction. However, be

aware of copyright laws in either case and research licenses independently.

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You will see this menu every time you click on the image. How

do you know when the image is selected? A frame will surround

it with (see right).

From the Picture Tools ribbon, you can change the color, add

animations, and add picture frames/borders. You also decide

how it will interact with text.

The following are commands found on the Picture Tools ribbon:

Recolor: change the image to grayscale, washout, or black & white.

Contrast: modify the contrast between the colors of the image.

Brightness: darken or brighten the image.

Crop: click and drag the handles on the activated image to delete outer portions of the image.

Line Weight/Picture Border buttons will add a variety of borders to the graphic.

Text wrapping: will modify the way the image interacts with text.

Reset Picture: delete all the modifications made to the image.

Wrap Text

The Wrap Text feature lets you decide how an image will interact with text.

The top-used options are:

In Line with Text: the image will stay on the same line as text (Word will treat it like another text character).

Square: the text will wrap around the borders of the image (The images will appear close to the text).

Through: the image will appear beside the text (without covering it).

Behind Text: the image will appear behind the text.

In Front of Text: the image will cover the text.

By selecting one of these wrap text features, you will have more freedom to move and change

the image, without it affecting the rest of your document.

How do I access Wrap Text?

There are two ways to access the Wrap Text Menu.

1. Click the Picture Tools tab (when an image is selected) and choose Wrap Text (above left).

2. When you click on the image, the Wrap Text shortcut button appears next to the picture. Click it.

NOW YOU TRY: Take a few moments to play with the Picture Tools. See how each

option affects the image, as you click them.

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Skill 10: Adding an Image from a File

You can add your own digital photos or graphic images into Word.

To add your own image file:

1. Click the Insert tab. 2. Click the Picture button.

Word will automatically open your Pictures folder

(right). Select the image you would like to use (or

search the rest of your folders if needed).

3. Click Insert.

Editing a Graphic

Again when you click an image, it is selected and a new Picture Tools ribbon appears. You will

also notice a frame appear around the image consisting of seven circle and a clockwise arrow.

The clockwise arrow (A) lets you change the orientation of the picture. Click and drag the arrow.

You will see how the image changes its layout

When you click and one of the circles (B), it resizes the image.

A B

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Skill 11: Inserting Text Boxes

Text boxes are used when you want to add additional information separate from the main document.

To add a text box:

1. Click the Insert tab. 2. Click Text Box. 3. Select the style you prefer 4. Type your text.

A text box can be manipulated and changed like any image. You can move a text box anywhere

on the page, and remove or change the text box borders.

Word will give you additional formatting options for your text box. Click Drawing Tools, found at

the top. You will only see the Drawing Tools option when the text box is active (meaning you

need to click the text box first).

Skill 12: Inserting Headers/Footers

Headers and footers are used to label the document. For example, you can insert the

document title, page numbers, the date, or authors’ names on every page. Think of it as a quick

organization method. If you keep hard copies of various documents, headers and footers will

help you keep pages from mixing.

Headers are at the top of the page; footers are at the bottom. Anything typed in these sections

are slightly lighter than the rest of the document.

Example of Header

1. Click the Insert tab, at the top of the ribbon. 2. Click either Header or Footer (depending on your need) 3. Select your preferred style 4. Edit the header, by typing in the designated areas:

a. Click the area that says, “Type Text.” b. Start typing.

NOTE: Footers are selected and edited the same way.

For example: This is typed in a text

box.

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Skill 13: Page Numbering

You can automatically number the pages of your document. Word will keep track of the pages

and assign the appropriate number to each. You can insert page numbers anywhere in the

header or footer.

To number your pages:

1. Click the Insert tab. 2. Click Page Number. 3. Select page number location and style.

Reviewing your Document We will discuss three tools for reviewing your document.

Skill 14: Spell and Grammar Check

Grammar Check: A feature of Microsoft Office that checks for grammar errors throughout the

document.

Spell Checker: A feature of Microsoft Office that checks for spelling errors throughout the

document.

Why am I seeing green lines in my document? When you see green lines, this means that Grammar Check has found a possible grammatical error.

Why am I seeing red lines in my document? A red line indicates possible misspellings. If it is spelled correctly, you can always add the word to the dictionary so it doesn’t keep coming up as a misspelled word. If you add it to the dictionary, make sure it is spelled correctly.

How to Fix Errors

1. You can right-click over the red or green lines. Word will display a menu of how to correct any possible mistakes. You can choose from the options that appear.

2. You can select Spelling and Grammar under the Review tab. A window will display possible mistakes in the document.

Click Change if you agree with Word’s suggestion. Click Ignore if you do not agree.

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Skill 15: Comments

You can insert comments, if you are reviewing a coworker’s document. Comments are placed to

the side and look like sticky notes.

To add a comment:

1. Highlight the area you are remarking upon.

2. Click Comment on the Review ribbon.

3. Type your comment.

Comments can be deleted or ignored. To delete a comment, click on the comment and tap the

Delete command on the Review Ribbon.

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Microsoft Excel 2016 Skills covered in the class:

Creating Spreadsheets:

o Moving within Excel

o Entering Data

o Freezing Headings

o Resizing columns and rows

o Formatting Numbers

Functions and Formulas

o Sum and Average

o How to find others

Data

o Autofill

o Sorting and Filtering

o Creating Charts

Moving Within Excel

1. File Tab: Click this tab to find the Backstage area. 2. Ribbons: MS Office’s method of organizing commands and options 3. Formula bar: You can see/edit the formula or data of a cell. 4. Row: Horizontal sections of a spreadsheet, labeled with numbers. 5. Column: Vertical sections of a spreadsheet, labeled with letters. 6. Cell: The intersection of row and column crossing. These are identified by their row

number and column letter, which is called their cell reference (or cell address). In the picture above, cell A22 is highlighted. You can have over 4 million cells in one worksheet, and the number of worksheets in one workbook is limited only by memory.

7. Worksheet: Individual spreadsheets contained in the same file.

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Active Cells

The cell you are typing your data or formula into is the active cell.

In order to type data into a cell, you need to activate it by clicking

on that cell. You can identify the active cell because it will have a

dark border.

The keyboard allows you to select cells without using a mouse. The arrow keys will move the

active cell up, down, left, and right. The Tab key will move the active cell one column to the

right. The Enter key will move the active cell one row down.

Using the mouse to change the active cell: Place the mouse pointer of the cell you wish to

make active. Click the left mouse button.

To enter data: when a cell is active, just start typing. You can either click the cell to enter

information, or click in the formula bar and type the information there.

Skill 1: Editing Worksheets

Excel allows you to have multiple worksheets in one workbook. A workbook is a single

computer file. In the example we’ll be working through today, we’ll be making a workbook called

Household Spending, and have a separate worksheet for each month of the year.

Renaming a worksheet

To rename a worksheet:

1. Right-click on the worksheet’s tab at the bottom of the window. 2. Choose Rename. 3. The worksheet name will be highlighted; type in the new name.

Adding a worksheet: Click on the plus symbol near the worksheet tab.

Deleting a worksheet: Right-click on the sheet tab you wish to delete, and choose Delete.

Skill 2: Resizing and Adding Columns/Rows

Resizing a row

To resize a column, position your mouse pointer on the right edge of the

column header. Your pointer will change to a vertical bar with two

arrows on it. You can now left-click and drag the column to be wider

(move right) or narrower (move left).

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NOTE: If your column already had data, you can double-click on the header to automatically

adjust the column to fit the data.

Resizing a row

The technique to resize a row height is almost identical to changing a column

width. Position your mouse pointer on the bottom edge of the row header of the

row; it will change to the horizontal bar with two arrows. Left-click and drag the row

to be taller (move down) or shorter (move up).

Resizing Multiple Columns

Left-click above the column header. Hold down the left click button

and move your mouse to highlight the rows.

If you wish to resize non-adjacent columns: hold down the Ctrl key

and click the columns. They will now be highlighted (below).

Now that your columns are selected, resize

the last highlighted column to resize all of

them.

NOTE: This same technique also works to

size multiple rows.

Deleting a Column or Row

To delete a column or row:

1. Click the header to highlight it. 2. Right-click on the highlighted header. 3. Click Delete.

The columns are shifted to the left. You’ll notice that they are automatically renamed.

Adding a Column/Row

You may need to add a column between existing columns. Select the column to the RIGHT of

where you want to place the new column.

Example: If you want a column between B & C, you would click on the header for column C.

1. Right-click on the column header to the right of where you want your new column. 2. Choose Insert. Excel will automatically add a column to the left of your current location.

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Skill 3: Freezing Headings

If your worksheet continues beyond the viewable screen, you may want to freeze your

headings. What does this mean? As you scroll down the page, the frozen cells (headings) will

travel with you. This way you can easily keep track of the columns/rows.

1. Select the appropriate cell. 2. Open the View ribbon. 3. Click Freeze Panes. 4. Click Freeze Panes, Freeze Top Row, or Freeze

First Column (depending on your need).

To unfreeze:

1. Go to the View ribbon.

2. Click Freeze Panes; notice that the option has now

changed to Unfreeze Panes. You can turn this on

and off as many times as you wish in a spreadsheet;

this can be useful if you have a huge sheet.

Skill 4: Formatting Numbers

You can change the number formatting to resemble currency, dates,

fractions, or many other styles of numbering.

1. Select the cell(s) you wish to format. 2. Click the Home tab. 3. In the Number group, select the formatting style from the drop

menu.

You can also open the Format Numbers dialog box for more options.

1. Click the small arrow at the bottom corner

to launch the box.

2. In the pop-up window that appears, select

the Number tab.

3. Next, choose your number formatting

Category.

4. On the right side, set the specific style.

5. When you’re satisfied with your selection,

click OK to apply changes.

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Skill 5: Understanding Functions and Formulas

What are formulas and functions?

In Excel, a formula is an equation to perform some sort of calculation in your worksheet. It

could contain any combination of numbers, cell references, mathematical operators, and

functions. They always start with an equal sign (=). The equals sign tells Excel to complete the

formula instead of displaying them as text.

Sample formulas would include:

=5+9 =(A2+A3 +A4)/3

A function is a prewritten/saved formula you can include in your sheet. Basically, you would

only need to insert the appropriate values. Most common formulas (like sum, average, and

many others) are already preprogrammed into Excel.

Sample functions include:

=SUM(5, 9) Commas are used to input individual numbers or cell references.

=AVERAGE(A2:A4) Colons are used to input a range of numbers.

Doing simple calculations

In their simplest form, you can use formulas and functions to do the same types of calculations

that you might perform by hand or with a calculator. Why use Excel? You can refer back to

these equations in your sheet, as needed. First, let’s look at basic math functions.

Basic math functions (add, subtract, multiply, divide)

You can make use of the basic math “operands” to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and

division on the data in your spreadsheet. These don’t require anything special; just use the

appropriate key on the keyboard:

Symbol Function

+ Addition

- Subtraction

* Multiplication

/ Division

The actual cell where you put the formula will show the result of the calculation. The formula

bar at the top will show the formula itself. If you wish to change a formula that you have already

entered, click the formula bar and make your changes there.

In addition to using plain numbers, remember that you can use cell references. That will allow

you to perform calculations on data you have already entered and have the formula update as

you change the data.

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Sum and Average

The next level is to take advantage of the preexisting formulas. We will talk about: SUM (adds

up all the numbers) and AVERAGE (finds the average of the numbers).

There are two ways to enter a function. The first is to type it in by hand like a formula.

Again, always start with an equals sign. Next, type the name of the function. Follow the name

with an open parenthesis. Enter the numbers separated by commas; and finally, put the closing

parenthesis.

As you start to type, you will get a little prompt box, reminding you of the proper format.

TIP: You can also select your input by clicking on the cells.

Skill 6: Using the Insert Function command

The second option is to make use of the Function Wizard. This is a particularly

useful tool if you cannot remember the exact name of a function or its structure. To

start the wizard, click the Formulas ribbon and choose Insert Function.

A new window will pop up. Choose the type of function

you need.

The ones you use most often will show up

automatically (A).

Otherwise, you can choose the category of

functions to get a more complete listing (B).

You can also search for a function (C).

Highlight the function you wish to use and click OK.

Excel will then give you a new window to input

numbers, range of numbers, or cells for your

calculation. It will also show you the formula

result as you enter each new piece of data.

When you’ve entered all your data, click OK to

return to the spreadsheet.

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Just like basic formulas, you can also use cell references instead of having to type in numbers,

and the function will update as the values in the cells change.

You can click the Help on this function (D, above) link for a through explanation of the formula.

Skill 7: Autofill

Autofill allows you to fill in large groups of numbers or dates without having

to type each of them. The tool will detect patterns and continue them for

you.

You will need to select at least two cells (so that Excel can determine a

pattern). Notice that the selected cells have a dark border.

To use Autofill, click and drag the small dark square at the corner of the last

cell. Excel will automatically insert new data in the cells you select.

TIP: You can also use Autofill with functions to copy the function into other

cells.

Skill 8: Sort and Filter

Excel allows you to filter and sort groups of data whether it is comprised of words or numbers.

Filtering shows you data that meets criteria you set (for example, expenses more than $200).

Sorting lets you reorder data into a way that makes it more meaningful (for example,

alphabetize a list of names).

Using Auto Filtering

When you use the Auto Filter feature, you are allowing Excel predict which information you’d

like to filter. It works by looking at all the values in a column and offering them to you as an

option.

To enable a filter:

1. First select the range of cells you want to filter. If you have column headers,

include them as well.

2. On the Data ribbon, click Filter.

3. Excel creates dropdown boxes with the values for each column.

Each column header will now have a button with a down arrow to

the right of it. To filter for a particular value, simply select it from

the drop-down menu.

28

NOW YOU TRY: o Change to the worksheet called Filtering. This is a list of children and their ages and

sports. You want to know which children play soccer so you can make a bulletin board at the beginning of the season.

o Select all of the cells (A1:D11). o Turn on the auto filter and click the drop-down box that appears in the Sport column. o Uncheck all but Soccer. Now, only soccer players will be displayed. The spreadsheet will

hide all other values.

To show all the entries, choose the dropdown again and check the (Select All) option. You can

also use multiple auto filters at the same time; showing, for example, all the female soccer

players. First apply one filter, then the other.

Quick sorting

Sorting allows you to order your records, usually alphabetically or in numerical order. A quick

sort is a simple sort (using only one column), and is generally applied to an entire spreadsheet.

To do a quick sort, click any cell in the column you wish to sort. Then click the appropriate

icon (shown on the left) to apply the sort.

The top icon (with the A on top) will sort in ascending order, while the bottom one (with the

Z on top) will sort in descending order.

NOW YOU TRY: in the worksheet named Filtering

o Sort the students youngest to oldest. o Sort the students by first name, reverse alphabetically (i.e. Adam should be at the

bottom).

Custom sorting

You can also apply more advanced sorting techniques, such as sorting by multiple columns.

Example: if you had a column with last names and first names, you could sort alphabetically by

the last name, then the first name.

29

To do advance sorting:

1. Begin by selecting the cells you want to sort (if you do not make a selection, the sort will

apply to everything in the spreadsheet).

2. Start the sort tool by going to the Data ribbon and choosing Sort.

3. The sort configuration window will appear. Choose which column(s) you wish

to sort, and whether you want to use the ascending or descending sort for

each.

4. If your selected area contains a header row (labels for the columns), select the option for

My data has headers – otherwise the headers will get sorted with your other data.

5. When you’re happy with your selection, click OK to apply the sort.

Skill 9: Creating Charts

Excel includes the capability to create charts and graphs. You can create typical charts, such

as: bar, line, pie, scatter plot. You can control what data they show, how they look, and where

they are located in your workbook.

To begin, you must have the data entered within your Excel spreadsheet. Know which chart

style (bar, scatter, etc.) you want. There is a chart wizard that will walk you through the four

steps of inserting a chart.

30

Steps to Insert Chart

1. First select your data (entire columns: January/Actual) 2. Click the Insert tab. 3. Select Pie. 4. Choose which style of pie chart. For our example, let’s use Pie- 2 Dimensional.

You can resize your chart by positioning your cursor on the circles along the edge. Click and

drag, when you see a double-sided arrow, to resize the chart.

When a chart is selected, you will see the contextual ribbon called Chart Tools. Use these

commands to edit your chart.

2. Click the Insert Tab

3. Select Pie

1. Select Data

31

Changing a Chart Type

1. Select Change Chart Type within the Design ribbon. 2. Click Clustered Column.

Select Data

If you like your chart design and structure but need to edit the data, choose the Select Data

command.

1. Click on chart (to reveal the Chart Tools Design tab). 2. Select the Select Data option.

Let’s look at this in more depth.

Initially, our chart showed only the Actual values over the year period. Now, we want to show

both the Actual and Goal amounts, to be displayed in a clustered column.

32

Our goal is to go from this:

To this:

We need to add the Goal values. To do make these specific changes:

1. Click Select Data. 2. Click Add (since we are going to add the goal data).

3. You need to add the data values and give the values a name.

$0.00

$5,000.00

$10,000.00Ja

nu

ary

Feb

ruar

y

Mar

ch

Ap

ril

May

Jun

e

July

Au

gust

Sep

te…

Oct

ob

er

No

vem

…

Dec

em

…

Chart Title

Series1

$0.00

$10,000.00

Jan

…

Feb

…

Ma…

Ap

ril

May

Jun

e

July

Au

g…

Sep

…

Oct

…

No

…

Dec

…Chart Title

Actual Goal

You can either write the title of the data set

directly, or click the cell that has the title typed

within. In our case, the word “Goal” is in C3. We

can click cell C3 to add it to the Series Name.

33

4. In the Series values box, type the values you want, or click and drag to select the cells

that contain the values. You will need to delete the placeholder text “{1}.”

5. Click OK. 6. Click OK once again.

Bonus: Recommended Charts

Excel will make chart recommendations based on preselected data.

1. Select your data. 2. Click Recommended Charts on the Insert ribbon.

In the pop-up you can browse through the

recommended chart types, and preview what

your chart will look like (based on your data).

Make your selection and choose OK. From this

point, you can edit the chart as you would any

other Excel Chart.

Recall that you can edit a chart by using the

commands on the Chart Tools: Design and

Format ribbons. You can also click on individual

chart elements to modify them.

34

Outlook 2016

Skills this class will cover:

Email

o Composing an Email

o Attaching a File

o Reading and Replying to an Email

o Marking Emails as Follow-up

Tasks

o Creating Folders

Calendar

o Creating Event

o Inviting Attendees

o Responding to Invites

o Categorizing Events

People

o Adding Contacts

o Spelling/Grammar

Tasks

o Creating Tasks

o Completing Tasks

Outlook Layout

This is what Outlook looks like when you first log in. There are several basic elements of the

Outlook window to take note of here:

1. Folders – a list of all of the folders in this associated in this account.

2. Message List – a list of all the messages found in the active folder.

3. Opened Message – the open message will show here in its entirety.

4. Action Buttons –provide access to the settings other Outlook features.

a. Skype – talk to your contacts via video or instant messaging.

b. Notifications – shows reminders of events.

c. Settings - adjust the settings of all four of the apps.

d. Help – get help on the various commands.

5. Outlook Apps – the different applications available in Outlook: Mail, Calendar, People

and Tasks (more on the individual apps later in the class).

2

5

1 1 3

4

35

Email

Skill 1: Composing an Email

The first step in creating an email is to click on the New

button in the top left of the window

A new window will open up on the right side of the screen. This is your new message. An email

message has several fields that you fill in with information.

1. Address Bar: Who the message is going to.

2. Subject: A short, descriptive, summary of what the message is about.

3. Body: Where you type the message.

4. Format Buttons: Allows you to format the message you type in the body. The formatting

options are similar to those found in Microsoft Word.

5. Send Button: This button will send the email.

6. Discard Button: This button will erase the message.

7. Attach Button: Allows you to attach a file or picture to the message.

1

2

3

4

5 6 7

36

1

2

Skill 2: Attaching a File

Attaching a file to an email message can be done by:

1. Clicking on the Attachment button (it looks like a

paperclip).

2. You will have the option of attaching the file either from

your Computer or a Cloud location.

3. An Open dialog window will open up, navigate to the

location on your computer where the file you want attach

is saved.

4. Click on the file you want attach to select it.

5. Click on the Open button.

The dialog window will close and you should see a thumbnail of the file appear in your

message. It may take a few moments for the file to fully attach to the email.

4

5

37

Skill 3: Reading and Replying to an Email

To read a message from your Inbox or any other folder, you must click on the on the email in

the message list (a). The message will open up on in the left hand side of the screen (b).

You have several different options as whom you reply to a message. To access these options,

click on the down arrow (c).

To reply to a message, click on the Reply button (to reply to a

single sender), or click the Reply All button (C) (to reply to

everyone included in the message). These buttons will look

like arrows that are turned back on themselves.

You can now type your reply to the message.

You can also forward the Message on to another person by clicking on the Forward arrow.

Reply Reply

All

A

B

C

Forward

38

Skill 4: Marking Emails as Follow-up Tasks

Sometimes you will need to follow up to an email; maybe you need to complete a task a

manager requests, or reply to a specific question that you currently don’t know the answer. In

this case, mark the email as a Follow-up.

When you designate something as Follow-up, a red

flag appears to let you know that item requires your attention.

It will also be included as part of your Task list (more on the

Task list later).

To mark a message as Follow-up, click on the flag next to the

message title.

Skill 5: Creating Folders

You can organize your email messages into other folders.

Click New Folder in the Folders section on the left side of the

screen. Give the folder a name and it will appear in the list of

folders.

Calendar

To access the calendar, click on the Calendar button in the left-bottom side of the screen.

39

Skill 6: Creating Events

Select the day you want to add the event by clicking on it in the calendar. Click on

New Event in the top right hand side of the screen.

A window will appear asking for information about the event.

1. Give the event a title.

2. Add a location.

3. Set the beginning and ending time and date of the event. 4. Set when Outlook will remind you about the upcoming event.

5. Set whether or not the event repeats.

6. Type in additional information or notes about the event.

When done entering information about the event, click Save, if you have invited another person

to the event, the Save button will change to Send (7), as has happened in the above picture.

NOTE: The Send button will both save and send the invite(s).

Skill 7: Inviting Attendees

To invite another person to the event:

1. Type the person’s name into the search box under People (8 above).

2. Select the person from the list that appears. When you have selected people they will be

listed under Attendees (9).

3. When done inviting people, click Send (7) at the top of the window.

NOTE: You can invite both individual people and groups created in Outlook.

1

2 2

5

B

3

4

7

B 8

9

40

Skill 8: Responding to Invites

An event invitation will look just like a regular

email. Instead of Reply, you will see the option to

accept or decline at the top.

If you accept, then the event will appear on your

calendar.

Skill 9: Categorizing Events

Events can be categorized to help keep yourself

organized. This can be done in two ways.

Method One

1. Right click on the event in the calendar.

2. Hover your mouse over Categorize.

3. Pick the category you want to categorize the event

as.

Method Two

1. Open up the event.

2. Click on Categorize at the top of the page.

3. Choose the category you want to categorize the event as.

4. Click Save.

NOTE: Outlook will remind you of an event

before it happens. You will see a pop up

appear if Outlook is running. The default

reminder time set is 15 minutes before the

event occurs.

41

People

To access your contacts, click on the People icon at the bottom of the screen.

Skill 10: Adding Contacts

To add a contact, click on New. A new window will pop

up. Fill in the contact’s information and click Save.

42

Tasks

To see your tasks, click on the Task icon, (It looks like a checkmark). at the bottom left of the

window.

Skill 11: Creating Tasks

You will find that creating tasks is almost the exact same as creating events. To add a new task,

click New.

1. Fill out the form. You can give a due date to the task in the Due section.

2. Click Save.

43

Skill 12: Completing Tasks

There are two methods to mark a task complete:

1. Click the flag (next to the task) to mark complete.

2. Open the task (by clicking on it), and click Complete.

1

2

44

Mail Merge

What is it? Mail Merge takes data from a spreadsheet or database and inserts it into a letter template.

Why would you use Mail Merge? Mail Merge lets you personalize mass mailings. If you work for a charity and need to solicit donations, you can use mail merge to address each letter with the donators’ names, without having to type every one.

Why should I use the Mail Merge Wizard? The Wizard will take you through the process step by

step; it is excellent for beginners. Even if you are more comfortable, try the Wizard.

We are going to focus on using the ribbon commands, as you will use these more often.

Unlike previous sections, Mail Merge will focus on steps instead of skills. Mail

Merge is a skill in and of itself, but is comprised of multiple steps.

Step 1: Creating your Documents

Please have your template letter

and recipient list complete

before attempting Mail Merge. It

is strongly encouraged you to

have your recipient list typed in

Excel.

Here is an example of a letter,

without the personalized

information.

Notice the words that will be

personalized in Mail Merge are

bolded. This is for the writer’s

benefit only, so that the writer

can see where the recipient

data will be placed.

45

Below is an example of the recipient data. This file was created in Excel. Notice that the

columns have labels, and each column contains a specific piece of data. For example, first

name and last name are two separate entries. The more specific you are with your data entries;

the better Mail Merge will work.

Step 2: Using the Mailings Ribbon

1. Click the Mailings ribbon. 2. Click Select Recipients. 3. Select Use Existing List.

NOTE: If you select Type new list, you can create a list if you don’t

have one saved.

4. If your list is saved as an Excel file, Mail Merge will prompt you to select a sheet. Select the sheet that contains your data.

NOTE: If your list contains labels, make sure the First row of data contains column headers is

checked.

46

5. Select which recipients you want to include. Uncheck any boxes of recipients you do not want to be included.

6. Click OK.

Step 3: Inserting the Fields

Address Block

1. Highlight the text you want to be replaced by a Merged Field. If you do not have

placeholders, insert the cursor where you want the Merged Field to appear.

Here, for example, is the area where the recipient’s name and

address will appear. The text is highlighted.

2. Click the Address Block button on the ribbon to replace this text with the address

information.

3. After selecting the Address Block, you will be prompted to adjust how that address

appears.

4. Click OK.

NOTE:

If you notice that the preview

does not look the way you

expect, you can use match fields

to fix it. Word has a list of

predefined fields, such as

“Address 1.” A mismatch occurs

when you name a category

something that Word does not

recognize. You can match the

correct predefined field with your

own using this command.

47

Greeting Line

1. You can take the same steps for the letter’s greeting. Highlight the text that you want to replace with the Greeting.

2. Select the Greeting Line button.

3. Select the style you would like to use. 4. Click OK.

Insert Merge Field

Insert Merge Field allows you to add individual fields into your publication. A field is a

piece of data or information (e.g. Name, State, Order Number, etc.).

1. Select the location where you want the field to appear. 2. Click the Insert Merge Field

3. Select the field you want to add into your publication. You’ll notice that the fields from the recipient list are the ones that appear in the list. They correspond to the labels in the Excel file.

You’ll also notice that the field is surrounded by carrot

symbols, <<field>>. These will not appear in the finished

publication. They are only there to tell Mail Merge where

to insert the fields.

Preview your Results

On the ribbon, click the Preview button. You will want to preview to make sure the letter appears

as you want it. The preview will only show you one merged letter at a time.

Final Step: Finish your Mail Merge

Once the publication is to your liking, click the Finish & Merge button.

You have three options:

A. Merge to Printer: This will automatically send the merged publications to the printer, without review.

B. Merge to new publication: This will create a new file with all the merged publications. RECCOMMENDED

C. Add to Existing Publication: This will add the merged publications to the original file.

If you select Merge to new publication, you will be able to edit the publications before printing,

and your original letter is an unchanged template.

48

Notice: This booklet was created by

Twinsburg Public Library to be used

during our computer classes. Precautions

were taken to ensure the accuracy of

this information; however, due to the

changing nature of Technology, we

cannot make guarantees.

For a list of our currently offered

computer classes, please visit

www.twinsburglibrary.org.

Notice of Copyright and Usage

All parts of this guide may be

reproduced, photocopied, or scanned.

You are free to copy and redistribute this

guide, so long as you do not receive

compensation. You must cite the

Twinsburg Public Library as the author of

any part of this publication, if you copy

the work to another document.

You may publish online as long as you

cite Twinsburg Public Library as the

author.

Special Thanks to the Staff of Twinsburg

Public Library (Current and Former) for

the production of this Guide.

Edited by Crystal Feyerchak & HBB