Microsoft Word is the backbone of an editor with its complex tool panel and track changes feature. That said, many of Microsoft Word’s tools often go unused. Learning how to use some of the tools Word provides will help speed up your editing process and eliminate needless work. This article will highlight a few of the tools you may want to implement in your work.
Track Changes
Track Changes is a necessity. Track Changes allows you to clearly make visible comments and edits that can be accepted or rejected by the author.
To turn on track changes, simply go the Review tab at the top of your Microsoft Word window.
Toggle the track changes button ON, and from the markup drop-down menu on the right, select All Markup.
Another option is to go to the Tools tab and select Track Changes > Highlight Changes from the listed options.
If you go this route, make sure to select Track Changes While Editing in the popup menu. The process may be slightly different if you are using a Windows computer, but the process should be about the same.
With track changes on, you can now edit documents and see your edits marked in red or another color.
To accept or reject changes, you can use the Accept or Reject buttons in the Review tab.
You can also right click on any edit and select the Accept or Reject option.
Happy editing with track changes!
Keyboard Shortcuts
If you’re looking to save time, keyboard shortcuts are the way to go. If you start using these basic shortcuts in your editing and you’ll be amazed and how much time it saves in your editing work.
| Command | Windows | Mac |
| Make a Comment | ALT + C | COMMAND + OPT + A |
| Insert En Dash | ALT + hyphen | OPTION + hyphen |
| Insert Em Dash | ALT + SHIFT + hyphen | OPTION + SHIFT + hyphen |
| Bold | CTRL + B | COMMAND + B |
| Italic | CTRL + I | COMMAND + I |
| Undo | CTRL + Z | COMMAND + Z |
| Save | CTRL + S | COMMAND + S |
| Turn Track Changes on/off | CTRL + SHIFT + E | COMMAND + SHIFT + E |
Stop using your mouse, and use your fingers! For more shortcuts ideas, see these resources from How to Geek and Go Skills.
Styles Pane
The Styles Pane easily allows you to create or update text styles (e.g. Garamond, 13 pt). Styles can be applied throughout your document and then used to create a table of contents. Word styles also transfer into Adobe InDesign.
The styles pane can be accessed in the Home tab of the tool ribbon.
If you click on the button labeled Styles Pane, you can access all pre-made styles and customize from there. A handy drop-down menu at the bottom allows you to choose what styles are displayed (recommended styles, styles in use, all styles, etc.).
If you hover over a style in the pane you have the option to apply it to text, or to modify the style.
If you choose to modify the style, you will have access to the modification window where you can set the specifications just as you would normally.
Styles are really fun to explore! Take a few minutes and test out styles on a document of Lorem Ipsum text and see what you can come up with!
If you’re interested to learn more, take a look at this article on the styles pane.
Find and Replace
The Find and Replace tool will save you so much time as an editor. Find and Replace allows you to search for a specific error across a document, and then correct all the problems with the click of a button. This feature is especially useful for large documents you may be editing.
Access Find and Replace by clicking Edit > Find > Replace.
When the Find and Replace frame pops up, you can enter a search (e.g. Find: – ), and the desired replacement (e.g. Replace: — ). Each instance of the search in the document will be highlighted in the document, and in a list under the search box. You can use the Replace or Replace All buttons to make the change.
That’s the basic function of the Find and Replace feature!
You’ve now learned the bare bones of Track Changes, Keyboard Shortcuts, the Styles Pane, and Find and Replace. Track Changes will make your edits clear and manageable for the author. Keyboard Shortcuts will save you time. Find and Replace will help you make basic edits quickly on a large document. Styles will help you update large documents and build a cohesive style easily. Saving time and efficiency is important for any editor. Using these tools demonstrates that you not only know how to utilize the software at your disposal, but also give you more time for more projects. You’ll be able to accomplish more with your work. Not only that, but your clients will appreciate your efficiency.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW: Pick one of these options to learn or improve on. You might find a new keyboard shortcut to use, or practice creating styles and templates.
Written by Hannah Mortenson.
