Microsoft Office Suite for Beginners

Overview

The video introduces four Microsoft Office applications—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher—for people with little or no experience using them. It explains what each program is for and demonstrates a few essential tasks.

Microsoft Word

Word is a word-processing program for creating documents and forms, such as letters, résumés, proposals, and invoices.

• Use the Home tab to change fonts, sizes, and styles; format text as bold, italic, or underlined; adjust paragraph spacing; and add bullets or numbering.
• Hover over a tab or tool to see a short description of its function.
• Use the Undo arrow, usually near the upper-left corner, to reverse the most recent action.
• To check spelling and grammar, select Review → Spelling and Grammar. You can check the whole document or selected text. A red underline may indicate a misspelled word.
• Use Save As to save a copy under a different name, in another folder, or in a different file format. Choose Computer to save locally, or select a flash drive.
• To reopen a document, select File → Open, then choose a recent file or browse for one.

Microsoft Excel

Excel organizes and works with data in rows and columns. It can perform calculations, help forecast performance, and sort or manipulate data.

• Choose Blank Workbook to open a worksheet, where you can enter data, write formulas, and review results.
• Add headings in the top row, then enter information by selecting a cell and typing.
• Press Tab to move to the cell on the right, or Enter to move down one cell.
• The formula bar displays the contents of the selected cell and can also be used to edit them.
• To add rows or columns, select the row above or column to the right of the insertion point. Then choose Insert and select the appropriate option from the menu.
• To remove rows or columns, select them and use Delete and its menu.

Microsoft PowerPoint

PowerPoint is used to create presentations, proposals, and other visual ways to share information. It offers themes, transitions, inserted objects, video, and basic photo-editing tools. Its toolbar is similar to Word’s.

• Start with a blank slide or choose a theme. Use Design to preview themes and select color variations.
• Add slides through Home → New Slide. The drop-down menu offers different layouts, which you can vary throughout the presentation.
• To add text to a blank slide, select Insert → Text Box, click where the box should begin, and drag to set its size. You can resize it later.
• Select text and use Home to change its font, size, color, alignment, or formatting, and to add bullets.
• Add shapes through Insert → Shapes. Select a shape, place it on the slide, and adjust its size and color.
• Save through File → Save As, choosing the computer or a USB drive.

Microsoft Publisher

Publisher is designed for publications such as business cards, greeting cards, and brochures. It can be especially useful for layouts that combine substantial text and graphics.

• Its ribbon has tabs, groups, and tools similar to those in other Office programs. Contextual tabs may appear when you select an object, such as a picture or shape, and offer commands for that object.
• To start a brochure, choose File → New and search for a template, such as “brochure.” Pick a compatible template or use one from the internet, then customize it.
• Publications are made of objects, such as pictures, tables, and text. Select an object to edit it. A picture’s bounding box lets you resize it.
• To add an image, use Insert and place the image where you want it. Picture-related contextual tools may then appear.
• Save an existing publication with Save. For a new publication, use Save As and give it a recognizable name. Publications can be saved to a computer, flash drive, or location such as SharePoint.

Speakers and Sources

• Presenter: Introduces herself as Kristen in the subtitles; the metadata gives the name Krista.
• Excel Help (excel-help.com): Credited by the presenter as the source of an explanation of Excel formulas.

The presenter emphasizes saving work in each application and describes the overview as a brief introduction to the four programs.