Word 2013

Working with the Word environment

If you've previously used Word 2010 or 2007, then Word 2013 should feel familiar. It continues to use features like the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar, where you will find commands to perform common tasks in Word, as well as Backstage view.

The Ribbon

Word 2013 uses a tabbed Ribbon system instead of traditional menus. The Ribbon contains multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands. You will use these tabs to perform the most common tasks in Word.

Click the arrows in the slideshow below to learn more about the different commands available within each tab on the Ribbon.

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  The Home tab gives you access to some of the most commonly used commands for working with Word 2013, including copying and pasting, formatting, aligning paragraphs, and choosing document styles. The Home tab is selected by default whenever you open Word.

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  The Insert tab allows you to insert pictures, charts, tables, shapes, cover pages, and more to your document, which can help you communicate information visually and add style to your document.

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  The Design tab gives you access to a variety of design tools, including document formatting, effects, and page borders, which can give your document a polished look.

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  The Page Layout tab allows you to change the print formatting of your document, including margin width, page orientation, page breaks, and more. These commands will be especially helpful when preparing to print a document. 

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  The References tab allows you add annotations to your document, such as footnotes and citations. From here, you can also add a table of contents, captions, and a bibliography. These commands are especially helpful when composing academic papers.

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  You can use the Mail Merge feature in the Mailings tab to quickly compose letters, address envelopes, and create labels. This is especially useful when you need to send a letter to many different recipients.

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  You can use the Review tab to access Word's powerful editing features, including adding comments and tracking changes. These features make it easy to share and collaborate on documents.

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  The View tab allows you to switch between different views for your document and split the screen to view two parts of your document at once. These commands will also be helpful when preparing to print a document.

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  Contextual tabs will appear on the Ribbon when working with certain items, such as tables and pictures. These tabs contain special command groups that can help you format these items as needed.
  
  

Certain programs, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, may install additional tabs to the Ribbon. These tabs are called Add-ins.

To minimize and maximize the Ribbon:

The Ribbon is designed to respond to your current task, but you can choose to minimize the Ribbon if you find that it takes up too much screen space.

1. Click the Ribbon Display Options arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon.
   
   Ribbon Display options
2. Select the desired minimizing option from the drop-down menu:
   
   
   • Auto-hide Ribbon: Auto-hide displays your document in full-screen mode and completely hides the Ribbon from view. To show the Ribbon, click the Expand Ribbon command at the top of screen.
     
     Auto-hiding the Ribbon
   • Show tabs: This option hides all command groups when not in use, but tabs will remain visible. To show the Ribbon, simply click a tab.
     
     Showing only Ribbon tabs
   • Show tabs and commands: This option maximizes the Ribbon. All of the tabs and commands will be visible. This option is selected by default when you open Word for the first time.
     
     

To learn how to add custom tabs and commands to the Ribbon, review our Extra on Customizing the Ribbon.

To learn how to use the Ribbon with touch-screen devices, review our Extra on Enabling Touch Mode.