3. Working with Documents

3.1. Formatting Text and Paragraphs

Text and Paragraph Formatting in Microsoft Word

Formatting helps improve the appearance, readability, and organization of a document. There are two main types: text formatting and paragraph formatting.

A. Text Formatting

Text formatting refers to changing the appearance of characters or words.

1. Font Type

  • Refers to the style of letters (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial)

  • Different fonts give documents a formal or informal look

2. Font Size

  • Refers to the size of text

  • Common sizes include 10, 12, or 14 points

3. Font Color

  • Changes the color of text

  • Used for emphasis or headings

4. Bold

  • Makes text thicker and darker

  • Used to emphasize important words or headings

5. Italic

  • Slants the text

  • Used for titles, emphasis, or foreign words

6. Underline

  • Draws a line under text

  • Used to highlight key points

7. Change Case

  • Changes text to uppercase, lowercase, or sentence case

  • Shortcut: Shift + F3

8. Highlighting

  • Adds background color to text

  • Used to draw attention to important information

B. Paragraph Formatting

Paragraph formatting refers to changing the layout of a paragraph.

1. Alignment

  • Left – text aligns to the left margin

  • Center – text is centered

  • Right – text aligns to the right margin

  • Justify – text aligns evenly on both sides

2. Line Spacing

  • Controls space between lines of text

  • Common spacing: single, 1.5, double

3. Indentation

  • Moves text away from the margin

  • Types include:

    • Left indent

    • Right indent

    • First line indent

    • Hanging indent

4. Bullets and Numbering

  • Used to create lists

  • Bullets for unordered items

  • Numbers for ordered steps

5. Paragraph Spacing

  • Controls space before and after paragraphs

  • Improves document neatness

6. Borders and Shading

  • Adds borders around paragraphs

  • Shading adds background color