Word Processing and

Desktop Publishing
Software
This lesson includes the following
sections:
• Word Processing Programs and Their Uses

• The Word Processor's Interface

• Entering and Editing Text

• Formatting Text

• Special Features of Word Processing Software

• Desktop Publishing Software

• Converting Documents into World Wide Web Pages

Word Processing Programs and Their Uses

• Word processors provide tools for creating, editing,

and formatting text-based documents.

• You can use a word processor to create virtually any

type of document, from a simple letter to a complete
book.

• A word processor's formatting tools let you create

professional-quality documents easily.
Writing and editing
• Creating the logical structure:
TEXT ENTRY
• Modifying the logical structure:
EDITING
• MS Word has many tools to help.
– Many under Edit and Tools menus. A few:
• Cut & Paste
• Copy & Paste
• Find & Replace
• Spell/grammar check
• Thesaurus
– Hint: use key combinations to save time.
Buttons are ok but often slower to use. Why?
 PHYSICAL
Formatting STRUCTURE
Formatting—e.g., indentation, text color, style, size,
etc.—changes the physical structure of a document.

– where ink will be on paper…or dots on

the screen. “Page layout”
– Logical structure is converted into pixels:
one set of pixels on screen; different set for
each printer.
• Many formatting tools-- File & Format menus
(again, keyboard shortcuts are handy). A few:

– Page Setup (margins; page orientation; ...)

– Font Type, Size, Style,
Style Color
– Text Alignment
– Header & Footer formatting
– Number & bullet lists
– Insert (Break; Page no; Art...)
– Borders
– Tabs
– Lists: numbered, bulleted, etc.
– Tables ... DEMO
Word processors provide tools to produce
professional looking documents.
The Word Processor's Interface
Most Windows-based word processors offer a similar
set of tools, which you use to navigate, edit, and format
documents:

• Document area

• Menu bar

• Toolbars

• Rulers

• Scroll Bars

• Status Bar
Menu bar Toolbars

Ruler Scroll bar

Scroll boxes
Document area
Status bar
Entering and Editing Text –
Adding Text to a Document

• You create a document by entering text in the

document window.

• A blinking insertion point shows you where

characters will be placed as you type.

• When you type to the end of a line, the program

automatically moves the insertion point to the next
line. This feature is called word wrap.
Entering and Editing Text –
Editing a Document
Making changes to an existing document is called
editing. Tools are provided for erasing and retyping
text quickly:
• The Backspace and Delete keys let you erase one or
more characters.

• Overtype mode lets you type over previously

entered text.

• AutoCorrect can automatically correct spelling and

typing errors.

• Undo and Redo let you reverse the effect of a

previous action.
Entering and Editing Text - Selecting Text

• Word processors let you work with entire blocks of

text. You can format, move, copy, or delete a block.

• To work with a block of text, you must first select it,

using one of many selection options. Selected text is
highlighted on the screen.

• When you are finished working with selected text, you

can deselect it.
 Here, a selected block of text is deleted.

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Formatting Text

Formatting a document means controlling its appearance.

Formats fall into three broad categories:

• Character formats

• Paragraph formats

• Document formats
Formatting Text - Character Formats

• You can use multiple fonts in a document, such as

Arial or Times.

• Word processors let you apply different sizes –

measured in points – to the text in a document.

• You can apply type styles to your text, such as bold,

italic, and underline, among others.
Formatting Text - Paragraph Formats
• In a word processor, you create a new paragraph
whenever you press Enter. You can format each
paragraph in a different way.

• You can set the amount of blank space between lines

in a paragraph and between paragraphs in a
document.

• To align a paragraph, you set the space between its

edges and the page's margins. You can also indent a
paragraph's first line.

• Borders and shading create special effects for

paragraphs.
Formatting Text - Document Formats
• Margins are the amount of blank space between the
edges of the text and the edges of the page.

• Word processors let you print documents on different

size paper, in portrait or landscape orientation.

• Headers and footers are commonly used in long

documents, to provide continuing information along
the top or bottom of the pages.

As shown on the next graphic, documents can be divided

into sections to give each a unique format.
 Three-column format section

Heading section
Special Features of Word Processing Software

Today's word processors provide a variety of specialized

tools, including:

• Language tools

• Tables

• Mail Merge

• Support for graphics and sounds

• Templates
Special Features of Word Processing
Software - Language Tools
Language tools can help you improve the quality of
your documents by catching language errors.
Language tools include:

• Spell checkers, which can help you find and

correct misspelled words.

• Grammar checkers, which help your document

conform to accepted grammatical rules.

• Thesauri, which can help you make the best word

choices.
Whoops!
Special Features of Word Processing
Software - Tables

• Tables let you set up rows and columns of information.

• You can format a table in dozens of ways, add

headings, and more.
Special Features of Word Processing
Software - Mail Merge
• Mail merge is the process of combining a form
letter with contents of an address database.

• Using mail merge, you can create a standard letter

and automatically make a copy for each person in
your database.
Special Features of Word Processing
Software - Support for Graphics and Sounds
• Word processors allow you to add images to your
documents.

• Once you add a graphic to a document, you can select it,

move it, resize it, and more.

• You also can add sound files to a document. A sound file

appears as an icon; click the icon on screen and the file
plays.
 Imported graphic

Embedded sound file

Special Features of Word Processing
Software - Templates

• A template is a predesigned document.

• A template simplifies document design. You simply

open the document and type your text.
Desktop Publishing Software

• Desktop publishing (DTP) software is specialized for

designing and laying out long documents, such as
magazines or books.

• DTP software provides special tools for fine-tuning

the appearance of text and graphics in a document.

• DTP software can produce documents that are

ready to be sent to a professional printer.
Converting Documents Into World Wide
Web Pages

• Word processors can create documents in HTML

format, ready to be published on the World Wide
Web.

• To create an HTML document, create a normal

document then save it in HTML format. The word
processor inserts all the required HTML tags.

• Many word processors include HTML templates,

which let you easily create finished Web pages.
review
• Identify three basic word processing tools that
simplify document editing.

• Explain what is meant by "selecting" parts of a

document.

• Identify five special features commonly found in

modern word processors.

• Distinguish desktop publishing software from word

processing software.

• Describe how word processors can convert normal

documents into World Wide Web pages.
 Assignment 3

• Type page with Microsoft Word.

• Include as much graphics, sounds, HTML, mail merge,

style, font, type, ... as possible.