Microsoft Word 2016 Tutorial

No matter whether you work from home or at an office, only occasionally need to type a document or type all the time, it is safe to assume you will encounter MS Word 2016 in some form or fashion. This is because Microsoft Word has many features that has impressed its users since its beginning. However, as with anything in the computer realm, there has been some updates. Some functions showed little change, and others where significant change is visible, but overall the updates took this user-friendly product to a higher level of usability.

If you are interested in Microsoft Word 2013, check out our Word 2013 Tutorial.

So first, a few things that remained the same:

  • The Office Upload Center, which works with OneDrive
  • The Ribbon

Updates and new features include, but are not limited to:

  • Introduction of the Tell Me Tool
  • Better collaboration features
  • Improved research facility within the document
  • New facility to insert your own handwritten equations
  • Enhanced version history
  • Built-in accessibility
  • Icon library

But, if you are a novice to MS Word 2016, then the upgrades may be of little importance to you, except from the perspective of learning how everything works together for creating an even more usable program.

Using MS Word 2016 to Benefit You

MS Word 2016 has everything you are used to, but also some great improvements.

Accessibility Checker
word 2016 tutorial accessibility checker

(image from http://youtube.com/)

You don’t have to be a genius to use its various programs. In fact, with the improved screen reader and keyboard interaction plus the ability to collaborate and co-author, it is easier than ever to create a project that meets your standards. You can even track changes, proof and convert a file to a pdf.

Another feature of the Accessibility Checker is that it can check a document and determine accessibility issues and show how they can create problems for someone with a disability. Each infraction will be noted as either a tip, a warning or an error.

Tips – This is content that people with disabilities can understand but could be presented better thus improving the user’s experience.

Warnings – Points out material that could be easier to understand.

Error – Content that makes it difficult but not impossible to read or understand for people with disabilities.

Quick Save

word 2016 tutorial save as

Everyone knows the value of saving a document in a place we can easily find it. Since the 2013 version of MS Word, people requested an easier way to save their documents, and this was the response. Now, you can save your documents to the most recent file you have used by going to File > Save As > Recent, and you’ll see a list of recently accessed folders that you can save to.

Icon Library
You don’t need to draw your icons in order to express an idea or concept. Rather, you can simply click on the Insert tab, then the Icon option. You can then use the assorted categories to find images for whatever topic you are writing about.

Researcher

word 2016 tutorial researcher
If you spend a great deal of your time doing research or writing a variety of article types, then you know that research is imperative. The new version of Word has made it even easier to look up information. By going to the References tab, you can easily find not only research articles, but can simplify your search for images, easily insert endnote and footnotes, set the writing style (Chicago, Turabian, etc.), build an index and much more, with much greater ease than any other Word program.

If you spend a great deal of your time doing research or writing a variety of article types, then you know that research is imperative. The new version of Word has made it even easier to look up information. By going to the References tab, you can easily find not only research articles, but can simplify your search for images, easily insert endnote and footnotes, set the writing style (Chicago, Turabian, etc.), build an index and much more, with much greater ease than any other Word program.

Tell Me
The text box on the ribbon now says, “Tell Me What You Want to Do”. This is designed for the user to enter words or phrases regarding your next step and the get features you want or the actions you may want to perform. Depending on the task itself, Word will try to let you take care of it directly in the Tell Me pane. For more difficult queries, you will be shown an assortment of options so you can select the best one for your particular scenario. You can also use it the Smart Lookup feature to define the term entered.

Real Time Collaboration

word 2016 tutorial real time collaboration

If you store your work online and then share it with your colleagues who use Word 2016 or Word Online, then each user can see the work of the other, as they are actually occurring. When you have saved a document online, simply share it with others involved with the project. When they open the link, you will all be able to work together and can see what each person is working due to the different colored flags that will be seen. You will be able to instantly chat with those who are working on the document by using Skype for Business. Another option for communication is to choose the Comments feature on the Ribbon and to reply to them, resolve them, and then mark them as finished.

 

Useful links for Office and Word 2016 Training:

Word Training – Office.com

MS Word Training for beginners – YouTube

Free Word 2016 Tutorial

This concludes the tutorial on Microsoft Word 2016. If you are unable to find the information you are looking for, please visit Microsoft’s Word home page.