Inserting Text Boxes or Shapes in Microsoft Word

January 9, 2006

When inserting a text box or shape (i.e. a line, box, circle, etc.) in Microsoft Word, the application automatically creates a drawing canvas for you that often reformats the page upon which you are working. This causes text and images already on the page to be arbitrarily moved. With just a few quick steps you can shut this drawing canvas off to regain full control of the page formatting:

On the Tools menu, click Options.
Click the General tab.
Remove the checkmark from the Automatically create drawing canvas when inserting AutoShapes check box.

Easy Viewing of PDF Files

PDF files have a number of built-in keyboard shortcuts that make for easier document viewing. Here are just a few:

Hide toolbars: The F8 key toggles the visibility of toolbars. Hide toolbars to concentrate on reading and reveal them when you need to use the tools to process the document.
Hide the Menu Bar: The F9 key toggles the visibility of the menu bar. As with toolbars, the menu bar can be hidden to reduce screen clutter or revealed when menu items are required.
Full-screen mode: Full-screen mode can be toggled using Ctrl-L. When viewing in full-screen mode you will not see any toolbars, menus or other interactive icons.
Automatic scrolling: Pressing Ctrl-Shift-H activates automatic scrolling. The Up and Down arrow keys can be used to regulate the scrolling speed and direction.

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Last modified: Jan 06, 2006, 12:12 EST