HomeSaving a document in Office 2007 (.pdf file)
Save changes to files frequently to avoid losing your work. The first time you save your file look for three things:
When you select save under the File menu in your word processor, the dialog box allows you to choose the appropriate location to save your file; at home you may select your hard drive (C in Windows) but you may save to a server (by emailing to yourself). In college labs you may save to a memory stick or flash drive. You also need to name your file. Choose a name that will allow you to easily remember what the file contains while keeping the term as simple as possible.
In the lower portion of "save as" dialog box (see graphic), you may direct the word processor to save in a specific format. (You need to click the arrow to display a pop up menu to see the choices.) Notice that the program will usually save in its own format if you don't select a different one. When does this matter? The format matters if you have to open the file on another computer which may not have the same word processing program or the same version of the program. (Newer versions of a software usually read older versions.) For word processing files, a safe format to choose if you need to move to another program is Rich Text Format (.rtf). This will save some paragraph and character formatting, but not special features such as borders. If you're using Office 2007 and your audience may not have this version, you should save in Compatibility format see Saving a document in Office 2007 or in RTF.
These features allow you to move text in two ways: a) from one section of the same document to another section or b) from one program (such as a web browser) to another (such as Word). First select or highlight what you want to copy; in MS Word under the Home tab (Edit menu in Office 2003) choose Copy (or CTRL + C keys); the information is now on the computer's clipboard; now place the cursor at the point where you want to place what you copied; now click Paste (or CTRL + V). What you write in Word may be copied and pasted to a discussion message window; you should first select "Formatted" in the Style box.
The spell checkers in word processing software can be very helpful tools, but be aware of their limitations. They may not recognize differences in many homonyms which can be confused; examples are you're and your; there, their, and they're; principal and principle. After spell checking, proofread a printed copy of your documents.
Save the file before selecting the text.
- First Ctrl+A to select all text
- Next Ctrl+2 to double space
- or Ctrl+5 for 1 1/2 spaces
- or Ctrl+1 to return to single space
- (On Macs use the Apple key, not the Control key)
Remember not to use the enter key to move to a new line unless you want to begin a new paragraph. The software has a word wrap feature to move words to a new line automatically when they reach the margin.
First make sure you haven't created any extra paragraph breaks (with enter key). Place the cursor anywhere in the entry (the paragraph). In MS Word, under Paragraph look for Indentation, select "hanging" next to Special. The usual spacing (for "By" box) is .5. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Do this after you've written two or more pages. Access the Header and Footer menu to insert the page number. MLA specifies that you place your name and the page number in the upper right of the page.
In MS Word when you need to copy a format (i.e. font selection, bold, italic) to more than one place, just double-click the Format Painter button on the toolbar (the paint brush). When you double-click this button, the mouse remains in format paint mode (and the button appears depressed) until you click the button again to stop the function. You can format any number of words, cells, and so on in this mode.
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