Microsoft Word Skills, Essential Formatting Tips

So far, in our guide to getting your book ready for printing, we’ve looked at the first step to setting your Word Document up, Mastering your Word Document formatting, and how to set your paragraph styles. Now, we’re turning our attention to those essential formatting requirements: Paragraph spacing, line spacing, drop capitals and linked styles.

These are vital aspects to ensuring that your book, report or any document that needs printing looks professional and is easy to read. 

Changing the spacing before and after text (paragraph spacing)

First up, let’s explore how you can change the spacing before and after bodies of text. This is an essential element that controls how your book looks, helping to keep it clean and organised.

Step one

The first step is to navigate to the ‘Page Layout’ tab in the top of the toolbar and in the ‘Paragraph’ section locate the ‘Spacing’ options for ‘Before’ and ‘After’.

Step two

Here, you will be able to increase or decrease the spacing as needed. You will be able to preview your changes in the highlighted text as required.

You can follow along with our step-by-step video guide here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inOPT6Hi6Dk

How to change line spacing (leading) in Microsoft Word

Line spacing, or leading, refers to the vertical space between lines of text within a paragraph. Adjusting line spacing can make text more readable or save space in a document.

Step one

Go to the ‘Home’ tab and navigate to the ‘Paragraph’ section. Here, you will find the ‘Line Spacing’ button, which offers a dropdown menu with a range of common spacing options.

Step two

Click the ‘Line Spacing Options’ at the bottom of the dropdown to access the full settings menu. Here you will be able to select options such as Single, 1.5 lines, Double and more. You will also be able to set up custom spacing options.

You can follow along with our step-by-step video guide here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGFZzU-ExE8

How to insert a drop capital into text in Microsoft Word

Drop capitals are a stylish way to make the first letter of a paragraph stand out and are most commonly used in the opening paragraphs of books or reports. Adding a drop capital helps to create a strong visual impact that will draw readers into your text.

Step one

To insert a drop capital, place your cursor in the paragraph where you would like it to be.

Step two

Next, navigate to the ‘Insert’ tab in the top toolbar, where you will find the ‘Drop Cap’ option on the right side.

Step three

If you would like to set up more advanced solutions, click the ‘Drop Cap Options’ buttons, where you will be able to adjust the font style, the number of lines to drop and the distance between the drop cap and the main text.

You can follow along with our step-by-step video guide here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEoS8xv06qo

Linked styles in Microsoft Word

Linked styles are a powerful feature in Microsoft Word that can function as both paragraph and character styles. This versatility allows you to maintain consistent formatting across paragraphs and individual text segments within the same document.

Step one

Highlight the text that you want to format and navigate to the ‘Quick Styles’ menu.

Step two

Click ‘Create New Style’ and add a name for your new linked style. Set the style type to ‘Linked’ where it says paragraph and character and customise your desired formatting options. This will allow you to consistently format entire paragraphs or individual text elements as needed.

You can follow along with our step-by-step video guide here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2sr4xalacc

Get help with your book printing

By mastering these four formatting tools, you can elevate your Microsoft Word document to a professional standard ready for printing. However, if you need more help, our team here at Book Printing UK is here to make it as straightforward as possible!

Get in touch with our team today who will be more than happy to help.