The Doors are Open

Did you remember that I'm now organizing a new class of registrants for my Masting Styles and Templates course? In case you didn't, you'll want to check it out soon, as the doors won't be open forever.

In fact, I normally only keep the doors open for a scant two weeks. This time around, however, I figured it might be better to keep them open for three. I'm accepting students through Wednesday, July 23.

You can find out information about the course here:

https://usingoffice.com/styles-and-templates/

If you REALLY want to discover how to use Word to the fullest, you should consider registering. You'll have a full 12 months to learn about what I consider to be the most important (and powerful) feature of Word.

I'm not the only one who thinks this is the most important feature of Word, either. After I made that claim about ten days ago, I heard from a half-dozen people in agreement. For instance, Morgan said "I fully agree with you. Anyone who doesn’t live in styles has no real experience in producing sophisticated documents." She's right; styles can make producing documents easier and more consistent. They really are amazing, once you understand how they work.

Anyway, don't miss out; check out the course soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the tips in this week's issue of the newsletter.

—Allen

WordTips (ribbon) for 12 April 2025

Flagging Incorrect Commas in Numbers

If you have a lot of numbers in a document, you may want a way to figure out if those numbers have commas in the wrong location. This tip looks at a way you can use Find and Replace to make the determination.

Read this tip »

(Thanks to Jacques Raubenheimer for contributing to this tip.)

Adding Vertical Lines at the Sides of a Word

Vertical lines are even easier to add around a word than are horizontal lines. There are a variety of methods you can use to add the lines, and only a few of them include any drawing.

Read this tip »

Fantastic Fields!

At last count Word provides 75 dynamic field codes you can use to add everything from page numbers to hyperlinks to your documents. Discover the ins and outs of the vast majority of Word's powerful field codes.

Protect Your Document Templates

If you want to protect your templates from accidental changes, the best way to do so is by using Windows instead of Word. This tip provides step-by-step instructions on how to make a template read-only, so it can't be changed.

Read this tip »

Making the Show/Hide Setting Persistent

Word allows you to either display or hide non-printing characters that are in your document. This configuration setting should be persistent when it is changed. If it isn't, this tip provides some ideas on what you can do to remedy the situation.

Read this tip »

WordTips YouTube Channel

Do you like to learn visually? Make sure you check out the WordTips YouTube channel. New videos are added weekly. (I typically try to add them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)

New video: Capitalizing Day Names
Type the name of any of the seven days into your document, and Word automatically makes sure it is capitalized. This is done by the AutoCorrect feature, and you can turn it on or off, as desired.

New video: Inserting a Text Box
Many people use text boxes to help organize and layout information on the page. In this Quick Tip I show you two ways you can add text boxes to your document.

Help Wanted

This section is for those having problems making Word behave. If Word is giving you fits, feel free to submit your own Help Wanted question.

If you have a solution for the problems below, click the link after the problem to send us your answer. (All responses become the sole property of Sharon Parq Associates, Inc., and can be used in any way deemed appropriate.) If your response is used in a future issue, you will be credited for your contribution to the answer.

Inserting the Line Number of a Bookmark

I have a document that includes a bookmark. Is there a field I can use to indicate the line number on which the bookmark occurs?
—Hasan Kortinade (provide an answer for this Help Wanted question)

WordTips is a free service of Sharon Parq Associates. You can find thousands of tips at our website and a whole lot more. WordTips is part of the Tips.Net network.

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