Microsoft Publisher Basics

1. How to Insert Text

Either: Do the writing in Word and then copy and paste into Publisher.
Or: Do the writing in Word and then import the document into Publisher by going to
the Insert Menu and selecting Object. Choose Create from File and click Browse
to locate the document that you want to import.
The advantage of this method is that you can then edit the text in Word (which is a
better word processor than Publisher). See the Tutorial on Excel harts in Publisher
to learn about this.
Or: Do the writing within Publisher. You need to select the Text Tool and then draw
a Text Box on your page.

Text Button
Text
Box
Page o! "#$#%&'
2. How to Format Text
When you start typing in a text box( you will !ind it di!!icult to read the text. Press F9
to )oom in and out( or use the Zoom Control at the bottom o! the screen.
To !ormat your text( you need to Select the text that you wish to alter. You will see
the text !ormatting bar will appear:
These buttons allow you to:
Change the !ont and the !ont si)e
*ake text bold( italic and#or underlined
+lign your text ,le!t( right( centred or !ull -usti!ication.
/ndent your text and add bulleted or numbered lists
0ill the text box with a background colour
Change the !ont colour
+dd a border to your text box
1otate the text box
To add columns( !irst select the text !rame. Then select Text Frame ro!erties !rom
the Format Menu. 2ere( you can select how many columns you want and you can
also increase or decrease the S!acin" between columns ,known as the #utter
Mar"in.
To delete a text box( select it and then press S$IFT%&E'ETE on your keyboard.
Page % o! "#$#%&'
3. How to Add ordArt
0irst Click the (or)*rt button and draw a box.
+dd your text and then click +!)ate &is!la,. You can add se3eral lines o! text ,press
the Enter key between lines. 4ome o! the e!!ects will work better i! you ha3e se3eral
lines o! text.
You will notice that the buttons on the Toolbar ha3e changed. +ll these buttons will
make changes to the Word+rt text.
5ptions a3ailable to you include:
Changing the colour o! the background and !oreground
+dding shadow e!!ects
+dding borders
Turning the Word+rt on its side
4tretching the Word+rt to the edges o! the !rame
*aking the Word+rt bold( italic and#or underlined
Page 6 o! "#$#%&'
Close down the Word+rt box when you73e !inished. Double click the Word+rt i! you
want to re8edit it.
Page ' o! "#$#%&'
!. How to Add "ra#hics
5pen the Insert Menu and select icture. You can either open the Cli!art gallery or
you can insert a picture o! your own.
5nce the picture is inserted( you can select it by clicking on it once. Black Selection
$an)les will appear around the picture:
1e8si)e the picture by clicking on one o! the handles. 2old the 'eft Mouse Button
down and mo3e the mouse.
2old down the CT-' key when resi)ing i! you want to maintain the proportions o!
the picture.
To mo3e the picture( mo3e the mouse to one o! the edges o! the picture ,not onto the
selection handles. and wait !or the Mo.e cursor to appear. 2old down the mouse
button and drag the picture.
Page 9 o! "#$#%&'
$. How to Add %ha#es
You ha3e !our buttons on the 3ertical
toolbar( which are:
:ine Tool
53al Tool
1ectangle Tool
Custom 4hapes
+ll shapes can be mo3ed and re8si)ed in
the same way as text boxes and images.
2old down the CT-' key i! you want a
per!ect s;uare or a per!ect circle.
When a shape is selected( you can:
0ill the shape with a colour
Change the line colour
Change the line width
1otate or !lip the shape
/! you &ouble/Clic0 on a line( you can choose the 'ine St,le and you can turn lines
into *rrows.
/! you &ouble/Clic0 on a line surrounding a shape ,e.g. the border o! a rectangle or
an o3al. you get the Bor)er *rt options.

Page $ o! "#$#%&'
&. How to Add Tables
4tart by clicking the Table Button on the 3ertical toolbar and then draw a box
!or the table.
You can use the Table *utoFormat to create an attracti3e ready8made table:
5r you can create your own table !rom scratch. 4tart by speci!ying the number o!
rows and columns you re;uire and click O1.
You can resi)e the table by clicking and dragging the Selection $an)les.
Page " o! "#$#%&'
You can change the background colour and the text colour !or each cell.
+lternati3ely( you can select a row or a column( or the whole table:
1ows and columns can be re8si)ed by mo3ing the mouse to the intersection on the
grey bar that appears around the table when it is selected.
1ows and columns can be added by selecting Insert -ows or Columns !rom the
Insert Menu.
To delete a row or column( !irst select the row or column that you wish to delete.
Then select &elete -ows or Columns !rom the Insert Menu.
/! you select more than one cell at a time( you can Mer"e the cells together. 4elect
Mer"e Cells !rom the Table Menu. /n the example below( the top row has been
merged.
Page < o! "#$#%&'
'. "rou#in( and )a*erin(
You can group ob-ects by:
Either: hold down S$IFT and click on each ob-ect that you want to group.
Or: Click the ointer and drag the selection box around e3erything you want to
group.
Then click the #rou! button that appears ,or select #rou! Objects !rom the
*rran"e Menu..
To ungroup ob-ects( select the group and click the #rou! button again ,or select
+n"rou! Objects !rom the *rran"e Menu..
/! the ob-ects o3erlap ,as in the example
abo3e.( you can decide which ob-ect you
want on top. /! you want the orange o3al
to be on top o! the green rectangle( you
could click on the orange o3al and select
Sen) to Bac0 !rom the *rran"e menu.
This is called 'a,erin".
/! you ha3e se3eral ob-ects that o3erlap each other( you can select one and then
choose Sen) Bac0war) or Sen) Forwar) !rom the *rran"e Menu:
Page = o! "#$#%&'
+. ,umberin( -our Publication
. To add a page number to a $ea)er or Footer you need to select #o to
Bac0"roun) !rom the 2iew Menu ,alternati3ely press CT-'%M.:
%. Draw a small text box where you want the number to appear on each page.
6. 4elect a"e 3umbers !rom the Insert Menu.
'. The 4 sign will be printed out as the correct page number. You can add text to this
text !rame( i! you wish:
9. You can add other in!ormation to the Bac0"roun) it will appear on each page that
you print out. You can create numerous $ea)ers an) Footers in this way. You can
add personalised in!ormation or the current date#time all !rom the Insert Menu.
$. When you7re !inished( press CT-'%M again to return to the !oreground or select
#o to Fore"roun) !rom the Insert Menu.
Page & o! "#$#%&'
.. Pa(e %etu#
4elect a"e Setu! !rom the File
Menu to change between
:andscape and Portrait mode.
You can add 'a,out #ui)es to
help you create publications
such as !olding lea!lets. 5pen
the 'a,out #ui)es dialog box
!rom the *rran"e menu.
You can add -uler #ui)es to
help you work within certain
dimensions ,e.g. i! you are
making a CD co3er. *o3e the
ruler guides by holding down
the S$IFT key and dragging
the guides with the rulers as a
guide.
You can add a new page by
selecting a"e !rom the Insert
Menu.
+lternati3ely( you can press
CT-'%S$IFT%3.
To remo3e a page( select &elete
a"e !rom the E)it Menu.
Page o! "#$#%&'