Microsoft Word is packed with so many features that you can pretty much produce anything you want with it. But these features don't always result in the kind of beautiful, high-quality, professional documents you might expect.
It's one thing to know everything about Microsoft Word, all its intricacies, quirks, and features; it's something else entirely that makes a great document.
This article is not about how to to use the various features of Microsoft Word. We are looking specifically at the design aspect of business reports and academic papers, i.e. the what s and the why It's dictating a document that is easy on the eyes and easy to read. You can also apply these same guidelines to other word processors like Google Docs 10 Easy Ways to Create Beautiful Google Docs 10 Easy Ways to Create Beautiful Google Docs Turn Your Google Office Suite Into a Word Processing Font With the Right Plugin from Google Drive. Here's some of that power to make your documents look sleek and beautiful. Read more.
Almost every tip in this article is a specific application of this first one, but it is so important that it has a special emphasis:keep it simple and less is more . Let this be the driving force behind any design decisions in your documents, and if you walk away remembering only one thing from this article, let it be this!
When writing a document, the content should be the main focus. The format exists to make that content easier to read and digest. Eliminate the temptation to introduce flashy elements that only serve to distract. Maximize white space. Keep your writing tight and proofread Wordy's sentences or paragraphs. Simple and minimum rules on all..
Your first big design decision should be which font you are going to use Traditional knowledge says that serif Fonts are easier to read in printed documents while sans-serif Fonts are easier on the eyes when reading on a digital screen.
Good examples of serif fonts include Garamond, Georgia, Hoefler Text, and Palatino, while good examples of sans serif fonts include Arial, Gill Sans, Helvetica, and Lucida Sans. Regardless of what you end up using, keep the font the same throughout the document. (You can use a different font for headings if you like.)
To learn more about serif and sans-serif fonts and which ones you should use, check out our article on font pairing strategies and tools. Font pairing strategies and tools for a perfect font match. Part art and part science. These font pairing strategies and tools will help you choose the perfect font pairing for any task. Read more.
Most academic and business papers are written. 12 point font size , which generally produces the most readable paragraphs when combined with the guidelines for page size, margins, and line spacing later in this article. Some reports with a lot of information sometimes go down to a font size of 10 points, but never less than that.
In general, it's best to Keep your hands away from anything color-related. , Especially for printed documents. You will have to pay more for color ink, and it will not transfer if the document is copied. For digital documents, reserve color text for critical warnings and the like. I prefer to emphasize the use in bold and italic text.
Almost all office documents are printed to standard 8½” x 11" pages, known as US letter size (also known as A4 elsewhere, which is 210mm x 297mm). This is the only size that is guaranteed to be available, regardless of the printer you use.
As for margins, most style manuals and style guides require a 1" margin on all sides of the page, which produces the best readability for line lengths and allows typed annotations if necessary. However, if the document will be bound in a binder, you may want to increase the side margins to 1½” to accommodate the rings.
You might be tempted to use justified alignment because that's what's used in newspapers and novels and some textbooks, but it's the wrong choice for office and academic documents. While it may appear cleaner and more formal due to straight edges, it kills readability.
What you want is left alignment for text . This produces jaggedness on the right side of paragraphs, but keeps the letter spacing as dictated by the font you're using, and that means optimal readability. Otherwise, you may end up with typographical rivers, which are very distracting and just plain ugly.
Paragraphs should not have extra space between them, and the first few lines of paragraphs should be indented to make each paragraph stand out . The only exception is for paragraphs that directly follow a section heading, which can be left unindented because the surrounding context makes it clear that it is its own paragraph.
A general rule of thumb is to make the indent size equal to the font size. Be sure to use Word's paragraph styling features to handle indents instead of using the Tab key!
It can be fine to place images within a paragraph and allow the surrounding text to flow around it, and if your organization prefers it that way, then go ahead and do that. But generally speaking, it can hurt readability, especially in data-driven reports.
The safest option, particularly for graphs, charts, and tables, is to put images between paragraphs and keep them aligned in the center. That way your images never compete for attention with the surrounding text. It also helps subtitles stand out.
The correct choice for line spacing (the white space that separates one line of text from the next line of text) really depends on what type of document you're writing.
Academic papers You should first follow whatever academic style guides are in place, then double space if no style guide exists. Business and office documents. they tend to be single spaced to minimize the number of pages needed when printing, but digital documents can be easier to read if they are spaced between 120 and 150 percent.
The longer the document, the more important the headings will be. Would you rather read a 20-page report that is nothing more than a wall of text from cover to cover? Or a 30-page report organized into appropriate sections, subsections, and headings? I prefer the latest every time.
Lists are also good for breaking up walls of text and drawing eyes at important points. Use numbered lists by telling a set of items (eg. “The five attributes of a successful entrepreneur.”) or by providing step-by-step instructions. Otherwise, bullet lists they are fine. Just be sure to avoid overusing lists, which can detract from readability.
In Microsoft Word, section breaks allows you to differentiate certain pages with changes in orientation, columns, headers, footers, page numbers and more. Section breaks come in four forms:
If your document is large enough to need chapters, this is the best way to format them cleanly. Each chapter should be made with a “Next Page” section break, or the “Even Page” or “Odd Page” section breaks if you're going to place it inside a folder.
Unless your organization or school requires a specific layout and format, you can skip the hard work of setting up your own template and download one instead. We've rounded up a bunch of them for your convenience, including business letter templates. 15 Business Letter Templates for Microsoft Word to Save Time. 15 Business Letter Templates for Microsoft Word to Save Time. Templates save time. Here we compiled 15 business letter templates, from letters of intent, through thank you notes, to references. These templates will communicate with confidence. Learn More, Cover Templates 15 Best Microsoft Word Cover Templates 15 Best Microsoft Word Cover Templates An attractive cover adds a professional look to your document. The Microsoft Word templates we selected also allow you to present key facts about your article. Learn More, Table of Contents Templates Top 10 Table of Contents Templates for Microsoft Word Top 10 Table of Contents Templates for Microsoft Word Download these professional Microsoft Word table of contents templates and give your documents a professional look. More information and project management templates How to Manage Your Project with Word Templates How to Manage Your Project with Word Templates In project management, preparation is half the battle. To organize and document your project, you may need many different reports, forms, or plans. We've compiled a selection of Word templates to get you started. Read more.
Also, if you haven't already, you should consider learning the essential Microsoft Word tips 9 Tips to learn all about Office 2016 9 Tips to learn all about Office 2016 Microsoft Office 2016 is among us. How are you mastering the latest version for the sake of your productivity? We recommend the best links for learning Office. Steal a gear with these... Read More keyboard shortcuts are available in Office , but these are the most important ones to know because they will save you a lot of time. Learn more, and these awesome lesser-known Microsoft Office tricks 7 Microsoft Office Tricks you can learn from Teen Champions 7 Microsoft Office tricks you can learn from Teen Champions Are you ready to learn from the best? This year's Microsoft Office champions share their tips and tricks for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Read more.
What do you think makes a document beautiful and professional? Are there any other tips and tricks you'd like to add? Let us know in the comments below!
