Whether you are creating a booklet, manual, report, newsletter or brochure, there are some general rules that you should follow when you format a document for publishing. Microsoft Word provides a number of standard tools that can help you craft and publish a professional document.
Instructions
1. Organize your content into logical, discrete blocks of text. This is especially helpful if your document format includes columns or tables.
2. Identify styles for each item: titles, headlines, headings, sub-headings, body text, captions, tables, etc. Consider font design, such as Arial or Times New Roman, text size and any special effects like bolding, italics underlining or shadow for various components. A more basic font is usually best for body text. However, you should exaggerate contrast when you are using a combination of fonts. If any text is in color, use the same color throughout the document.
3. Determine placement of titles, headings, captions and tables. Apply the same rules to similar items. For example, if the first caption for an inserted figure is bolded and centered below the figure, make sure that the other captions look the same.
4. Format bulleted and numbered lists. Choose bullet and sub-bullet styles and colors. Likewise, select a standard approach for any numbered lists and outlines. Numbering schemes can include decimal places, outline numbering, Roman and/or Arabic numerals or a combination of numbers and letters. Keep bullet and number formats consistent across your document. Do not mix and match.
5. Insert section and line breaks as appropriate. Within each block of text and across the document, ensure that line spacing, alignment, tabs and indentation remain consistent.
6. Apply borders or shading. For example, if you want to create a border for the cover page of a report or shade the column header or a key row of a table. Create the same look and feel for like objects. If the first text box in your document is bordered by a 3-point double red line and has "goldenrod" fill, make sure that the other text boxes have the same appearance.
7. Paste or link any graphics such as photos, clip art, logos or figures. Make sure that similar graphics have the same shape, size and placement within the body of the document. For example, if you have a related series of graphics, such as screen prints, center each of them on the page. Make them all the same height and width and put the captions above them. Depending on any document size limitations, you may need to convert files to different file formats, such as .jpg, .gif or .bmp.
Tags: sure that, your document, body text, captions tables, graphics such
