How do I set different page orientations within the one Word document?

Setting different page orientations seems to be a great source of frustration for a lot of people, but it doesn't have to be. To make some pages portrait and others landscape is simply a matter of using the right breaks.

Take a look at the video demonstration below or scroll down for text instructions.

In order to change the orientation of just SOME of our pages, we need section off the area. A common mistake people make is to go after the page break. What we want to do is use a Next Page Section Break.

Position the cursor at the end of the page before the section you want to create. Select the Page Layout tab on your ribbon and click the arrow next to Breaks. Under sections breaks, choose Next Page (see image below). Repeat this process again at the end of the section you are creating.

You should now have three sections. Place your cursor into the section you want to change. Now, change the orientation to landscape (Page Layout >Orientation). If your breaks were set correctly, you should now have some pages as portrait and the rest in landscape view (see below).

This is just one of the practical uses for section breaks. We'll explore more in the coming weeks.

How do I change Word's default font?

Users new to Word 2007 will soon realise that the default font is no longer Times New Roman, but has changed to Calibri. It's my understanding that Calibri is best suited to onscreen reading, but not necessarily ideal for printing.

If, for whatever reason, you want to change the default font back to Times New Roman - or anything else for that matter - here's how to go about it.

On the Home tab of the ribbon, click the drop-down arrow near the Font group (as shown above). You'll be presented with the Font menu (below) and can enter your preferred font options.

Once you have the options set (you can see I have selected Times New Roman, regular, 12pt) click the Default button at the bottom left of the box. Word will pop up with a warning box (below) to confirm that you really do want to change the default font to the current selection.

Click Yes to confirm and now you have changed the default font for all future Word documents.

How do I add background colours and effects to my Word docs?

Adding background colours and/or effects to liven up your documents is simple.

Background colour: Select the Page Layout tab on your ribbon, locate Page Colour (it's included in the Page Background section). Word 2007 allows you to quickly run your mouse over the colours in order to preview what each will look like on your page before committing to a selection (see below).

Background Effects: Background effects are just as simple and can really jazz up the appearance of your page. With the page colour menu open, scroll down to Fill Effects. Here you will have several options. I have decided to use a two colour gradient fill (see image below).

You can play around with mixing styles, colours, textures and even images. Select OK when you are happy with your selection and now you have a colour background to your document.

How do I get a large letter at the start of a paragraph in Word?

This is known as a drop cap. You have probably seen drop caps in books and magazines before. Drop caps can be an attractive decorative addition to your page and help to break up the text.

To use drop cap in Word 2007, select the Insert tab on the Word ribbon. Glance across the ribbon until you come to the Text menu options and locate Drop Cap (see image below).


Click the little down arrow in order to bring up the Drop Cap options. You can insert your drop cap dropped into your text (as seen at the top of this post) or place it into the margin area.

You will also notice that you can select Drop Cap Options. This allows you to select the font of your letter, choose how many lines to drop it and how far spaced from the other text you want your drop cap to be.

Have fun playing with the different fonts styles to create very different looks and feels to your documents.