Prepare Outputs

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So far, you've learned a lot about getting data into a document and manipulating it. You also need to know how to get that data "out" so you store it, view it, and share it. In this next section, you'll learn how to prepare a document for printing and then how to actually send the data to your printer.

Preparation

You could enter a bunch of text and then just print it, but the finished product wouldn't be very effective. A lot goes in to preparing a document for its final showthe hard copy.

No Substitute for Good Proofing

Understand the importance of proofing your document such as: checking the layout, presentation (margins, appropriate font sizes, and formats), and spelling.


Even the most proficient data entry operator introduces the occasional error. Never assume accuracy: proof your documents carefully for typographical and grammatical errors:

  • A r sum with even one error will probably be tossed in the garbage.

  • A tax audit with two transposed digits could produce results you don't even want to consider.

  • What happens if the data entry clerk spells your newborn 's name wrong?

  • A proposal with misspelled words or bad grammar isn't likely to sell a prospective client.

We could go on, but we don't need to: you get the point. Don't take anything for granted.

Once you're sure the data is accurate, you want to present that data in the best package possible. Is the document well centered between the margins? Is the type easy to read? Is the font type appropriate to the document's purpose? These are all questions you want to ask before considering that document done.

Checking Your Spelling

Spell-check a document and make changes such as correcting spelling errors, deleting repeated words.


Word can help when it comes to some spelling errors. Word will review the document for words it doesn't recognize. Choose Spelling and Grammar from the Tools menu or press F7 to launch what's known as the Spell Check feature. Word will stop at the first word it can't identify and highlight the word, as shown in Figure 4.36. You can continue without changing the spelling or you can choose from a list of possible replacements .

Figure 4.36. Check your documents for misspelled words.

The spell checker will also spot repeated words for you. For example, if you accidentally type "My hat is on the the grass," the second occurrence of "the" will be flagged as a spelling error. In this case, the available options in the Spelling and Grammar dialog box will be Ignore (to keep the repeated word) and Delete (to delete the second copy of the word).

Adding Words to a Custom Dictionary

Add words to a built-in custom dictionary.


Occasionally, Spell Check flags words that are spelled correctly. For instance, if you frequently enter the name Gunderloy, you might want to add that word to the dictionary. That way, Word won't stop unnecessarily each time it encounters the name. When you encounter such a word using Spell Check, click the Add to Dictionary button (refer to Figure 4.36). After that, Spell Check doesn't stop at the word anymore.

Previewing the Document

Preview a document.


You work hard to make sure your data is accurate and that the format is readable and appropriate for the audience. So how can you make sure without actually printing the document, which wastes time, ink, and paper? Word lets you preview the document: you can see onscreen exactly how the printed document will look on paper. To do so, simply click the Print Preview tool on the Standard toolbar.

Printing

Once the document's ready for printing, you have to prepare the printer by telling it what size paper you're using, the document's margins, and so on.

What Gets Printed

Choose print output options such as the entire document, the specific pages, and the number of copies.


Printers are flexible and print only what you tell them. Word allows you to print one page of a document, all of a document, or a range of pages within the same document. You can also print one copy or several.

To print a single copy of all the pages in a document, you can click the Print tool on the Standard toolbar. When you need a bit more control, choose Print from the File menu or press Ctrl+P. Doing so displays the Print dialog box shown in Figure 4.37.

Figure 4.37. Use this dialog box to control what gets sent to the printer.

Most of the printing options are self-explanatory, but printing a specific range of pages requires a bit of expertise:

  • To print just one page, enter the page number.

  • To print a range of pages, enter the first and last page numbers , separated by a hyphen character (); the setting 110 would print pages 1 through 10 or 1 through the last page, if the document has fewer than 10 pages.

  • To print nonconsecutive pages, enter each page number, separated by a comma character (,); the setting 1, 10 would print pages 1 and 10 but not pages 2 through 9.

  • To print both a range and a collection of nonconsecutive pages, use all three of the above, separating each setting with a comma character; the setting 1, 3-5, 10 would print pages 1, 3, 4, 5, and 10.

Printing a Document

Print a document from an installed printer using defined options, default settings.


To print a document, you must be connected to a printer. If you're connected to more than one printer, your system considers one of those printers the default and Word prints to that printer unless you specify otherwise . (You can learn more about installing a printer and setting the default printer in Chapter 3.) To print a document, choose one of the following:

  • Click the Print button on the Standard toolbar.

  • Choose Print from the File menu.

  • Press Ctrl+P.

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ICDL Exam Cram 2
ICDL Exam Cram 2
ISBN: 0789730928
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 142

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