If you have a Word document that you want to change into a template, then just follow these simple steps:

1. Open up or have the document that you want to save as a template ready
2. Click on the Microsoft Office button
3. Navigate to Save As
4. Click on the Arrow next to Save As and choose Word Template
5. Find the location where you want to save the template
6. Type in a file name
7. Click Save

Have a look at you Microsoft Word Tips page for more useful information

There’s no straightforward answer as to how to deliver an effective presentation but there is lots of advice and guidance on how to prepare for it. Preparations can be stressful and challenging but you will be rewarded with the confidence and knowledge to deliver a strong presentation. Here are some great ideas:

Decide on your key talking points. When you have the topic for your presentation, the best place to start with the preparation is to decide what key points you want to get across. There’s no point writing a full script until you know what points you want to hammer home. It is vital that you understand the subject matter of the presentation you are delivering. This will make it easier to produce a script for the presentation.

Prepare your script. Everybody has different styles and techniques for writing the script for a presentation. Some prefer to have bullet-points on cue cards to remind them of key features. Others like to write a script and learn it word-for-word. The script for the presentation should consist of an opening (an outline of the key objectives), a main body (where the bulk of the subject matter is presented) and then finishing with a summary (a very brief overview of the information). The script doesn’t have to be a work of literary excellence but it needs to be sufficient enough to get you confidently through your presentation!

Incorporate Visual Aids. Use PowerPoint to provide the audience with visual stimulation and to support the content of your presentation. Why not take a look at another of our blog posts Putting the WOW into PowerPoint Presentations?

Practice. Practice. Practice. Once you have the content and the script prepared for your presentation, now is the time to practice. Ask friends and family to watch your presentation, this will help you to learn the script and also get some feedback from others. It can also be useful to practice in an environment with distractions as this will help you prepare for any unexpected interruptions during your presentation.

Be Confident! The more you have practiced the material, the less nervous you will be. If you have taken the time to learn your script and practice in different environments, then you will feel more relaxed when delivering your presentation. So take a deep breath, take your time and be confident!

If you need to insert text from another document into a Microsoft Publisher design, here’s how to do it without having to open the file and copy and paste it:

1. Create a text box you want to place the information in
2. Click on Insert
3. Choose Text File
4. An Insert Text dialog box appears
5. Locate the file you want to insert from your documents
6. Double Click on the document
7. The document will upload into your text box

Why not book yourself onto one of our Microsoft Publisher Courses if you wish to learn more.

If you want to keep up to date on how much progress you have made on a project, follow these steps to track your progress using Microsoft Project 2007:

1. Click on View
2. Select Gantt Chart
3. This will open up the Gantt Chart view
4. Then click on Tools and go down to Tracking
5. Select Update Project
6. This opens up the Update Project dialog box
7. Make sure the Update work as complete through option is checked
8. In the date box, select the date you want to start tracking your tasks
9. Click OK

 
Have a look at our Microsoft Project Courses for anything that might interest you

Shortcut keys can save you a lot of time in Microsoft Excel; instead of going through all the settings you can just press a few buttons. Here are 10 useful command shortcut keys. 
 
Ctrl + A – Select all contents on the worksheet

Ctrl + B – Bold highlighted selection

Ctrl + I – Italic highlighted selection

Ctrl + K – Insert Link

Ctrl + U – Underline highlighted selection

Ctrl + 5 – Strikethrough highlighted selection

Ctrl + P – Open print dialog box

Ctrl + Z – Undo last action

Ctrl + F9 – Minimize current window

Ctrl + F10 – Maximize current window
 
Have a look at our Microsoft Excel Tips page for more useful information

If you want to add animations to your PowerPoint presentation in 2007, then just follow these simple steps:

 
1. Click on the object you want to animate i.e. Text or Picture
2. Click on the Animation tab on the Ribbon
3. Click on the Custom Animations Button
4. This opens up the Custom Animations Dialog Box
5. Choose the Animation you want
6. It will automatically set it
7. Click on Remove if you want to delete the animation

 
Book yourself onto one of our Microsoft PowerPoint Courses if you wish to learn more.

Have you ever recieved an email with really small writing? Microsoft Outlook 2007 can increase and decrease the size of the emails font so you can read them more easily. There are two ways of doing it:

 
1. Open up the email you want to read
2. Hold down CTRL while turning the scroll wheel on your mouse Up to increase font size or scroll Down to decrease the font size
3. Or you can click on Other Actions on the Ribbon and select Zoom
4. This opens up the page size dialog box
5. You can then Increase or Decrease the email size by a small amount
6. Click OK

 
Interested in learning more? Then visit our Microsoft Outlook Tips page

If you have created a form in Microsoft Access and you want to convert it into a report then follow these steps:

 
1. Open the form in Design View
2. Click on the Microsoft Office Button
3. Click on Save As
4.  In the Save As Dialog box Select Report
5. Click OK
6. The system creates a report based on the form you have created.

 
Look at our Microsoft Access Courses for more information

Did you know you can edit your documents in Word 2007 Print Preview? This way you can see what your document would look like when printed, and if something isn’t right you can change it. Here’s how to edit it.

 
1. Click on the Microsoft Office Button
2. Go down to the arrow next to print and select Print Preview
3. Make sure that the Magnifier Box on the Ribbon is Not checked
4. You can then edit your document if you need to

Wea re going to write about the 2010 version next time so keep reading
 
Book yourself onto one of our Microsoft Word Courses if you want to learn more

Before you print out a design in Microsoft Publisher 2007, try using the Design Checker, to catch out any flaws you may have missed. This utility checks your design looking for any design problems, for example, text that is too close to the edge of a page or an object that is not visible. Design Checker will allow you to correct any mistakes; instead of finding them after you’ve printed your design.

 
1. On the Menu Bar click on Tools
2. Choose Design Checker
3. This will open up the Design Checker Pane
4. It will list any design errors it has found in the pane
5. Click on the dropdown arrow next to the error it has found
6. Click on Fix, if you want it to change it automatically
7. Click on Go to this Item, if you want to change it yourself
8. If you don’t want something changed click on Never Run this Check Again
9. Click on Explain if you don’t understand what it means
10. Click on Close Design Checker when you have finished

 
Visit our Microsoft Publisher Tips page for more useful information